This year Eric has a mail art call to recycle paper bags into mail art.
You can see the ones he has sent and received on his blog.
Here are two more that I sent him recently.
And here are two very nice ones from him in return for ones I have previously sent. The one from the Body Shop has a wonderful stamp on it, and the one with the space-themed washi tape has a great personalized stamp Eric designed.
What's the strangest thing you've turned into an envelope?
Do you have paper bags that you think would make good envelopes?
I'm happy that my theme for the challenge isn't mail art... we would have chosen the same word today! :)
ReplyDeleteThat would be OK, though, don't you think? You would have different bags to show.
DeleteI think I've never turned strange things into an envelope: magazines, calendar pages and paper bags I don't think strange to use as an envelope. Only the paper bag from flemish fries (a clean one of course) was a bit harder to use because nor glue neither tape kept well on the specific paper surface. So finally I used tiny yarn, sewing, to close the bag/envelope :-)
ReplyDeleteNow that is dedication!
DeleteYou asked what strange stuff we've put into envelopes, so I forgot to mention what YOU sent to me! Still a big smile on my face is caused by the great plastic 'fish' bag you've sent to me (and which I still have to send in return to you) :-)
DeleteI enjoyed making that piece of mail art :)
DeleteThe more I use them, the more I think paper bags are the perfect material to create envelopes. I wonder if I will ever again buy an envelope....
ReplyDeleteI am amazed at how well they travel, even when they seem very thin and flimsy.
DeleteThe strangest thing I turned into an envelope was the leg and waistband from a clean, disposable diaper to make a diaper shaped envelope for the Graceful Envelope Contest in 2000. Used with the New Year Baby stamp.
ReplyDeleteThat's really creative, CJ.
DeleteVery creative. I sometimes use them for gift wrap. but fewer and fewer stores hand them out now. Find me here.LINK
ReplyDeleteIf a store asks me if I want a paper bag I always say yes :)
DeleteHi Phillip - perhaps I should say 'yes' to paper bags in future ... I need to store some of my museum booklets in separate places - that seems a good idea ... but I'm loving see what you do with your artistic envelopes - cheers Hilary
ReplyDeletehttp://positiveletters.blogspot.co.uk/2017/04/p-is-for-pigs.html
Hope I'm not too bad of an influence on you :)
DeleteYears ago I used to wrap postal packages in brown paper bags and tie them with string. I have used paper bags for gift wrap. And in reverse, I've used gift wrap for envelopes, but not for mailing.
ReplyDeleteTrudy @ Reel Focus
Food in Film: Pancakes
Nothing better than a brown paper package tied up with string. I've occasionally used left over wrapping paper for envelopes, but it has to be sturdy enough - some kinds tear too easily.
DeleteI love this idea. Your paper bag envelops are very fancy; I feel inspired to make my own.
ReplyDeleteStopping by from A to Z: P for Princesses
Shari
You should give it a try. And the McDonalds bag is far from fancy :)
DeleteHow fun! I love the egg mcmuffin bag envelope! So creative! And a great way to reuse and recycle rather than just trashing! I'd be thrilled (or at least amused) to get one of these envelopes in the mail! :)
ReplyDeleteWith Love,
Mandy
And since I never eat McDonalds, you might be amused to hear I 'rescued' this one from a table after the 'owner' was finished eating.
DeleteYour posts are a feast for the eyes. Thank you for igniting some doable and fun ideas:)
ReplyDeleteI love the way the heart stamps sit on the egg mcmuffin one.
I keep paper bags and recycle them as gift wraps or just fill them up with produce from my back yard when visiting friends.
P is for Poetry, Petra and Pottery
Great ways to recycle. Glad you like this post - I was surprised how great the hearts matched the writing on the McMuffin bag.
DeleteI have never made my own envelopes. I have held onto interesting paper bags. Maybe I should get them out and see what I come up with.
ReplyDeleteI cut larger ones down to size for envelopes, but smaller ones are 3/4 of the way to an envelope - all you need is to fold the end over and seal. Super easy.
DeleteThe nearest I can get to paper bags are those padded jiffy bags but that's cheating.
ReplyDeleteUnless you turn them inside out!
DeleteI make a lot of envelopes - anything that folds is fair game to me. But paper bags are perfect. I always think they must be delighted to be carrying something unexpected and on journey through the mailstream - quite an adventure I imagine.
ReplyDeleteA kindred spirit! And yes, a second life for a humble paper bag.
DeleteDon't worry, I will credit you when I steal this idea. I love it!
ReplyDeleteThanks, I love taking credit! Now, how would you kill Frain with a paper bag???
DeleteI've crafted envelopes and postal boxes out of various things, mostly to fit the size of the object to be posted, but never considered using paper bags. Brilliant.
ReplyDeleteHer Grace, Heidi from Romance Spinners
What a great idea - those are great. Thanks for showing us.
ReplyDeleteSounds like I might have to send you one!
DeleteI just made some envelopes out of the paper that my birthday flowers from my husband were delivered in :)
ReplyDeleteThat's fantastic - the paper must have been pretty nice.
DeleteIls sont tous sensationnels ,celui du musée Warhol et les magnifiques timbres me font penser à l'exposition "The age of anxiety" vue à l'orangerie à Paris où l'on pouvait en autre admirer un tableau d'Aaron Douglas ,de Stuart Davis ,Georgia O'Keeffe ,Pollock ,Hopper et le fameux "American Gothic" de Grant Wood qui était exposé pour la première fois en Europe !
ReplyDeleteThanks - glad you like the bags. The stamp sheet, Modern Art in America 1915-1931, is a favorite of mine, and also showed a painting by O'Keeffe. The exhibition at the Orangery sounds fantastic.
DeleteOui mais il était interdit de faire des photos ,sur youtube il y a des images de cette exposition !
Delete