When last we were here, if you'll recall, I had left IUOMA (The International Union Of Mail Artists) because I have been constantly backlogged with "owed" mail--even long after removing my address and stating my mailbox was closed on the site. It still came! So--I pulled the plug on my page. Monster-A-GoGo had left the building... But it is STILL coming in. For every piece that is answered, it seems two or three more come in. And trying to send stuff to people I want to send stuff to--just because--gets pushed to a back burner. I know it will get better--eventually-- (hopefully)--but for now, I plug away as best I can. But even THAT is slowing down. It's been nearly a month since my last post. Each post is 10 new envelopes---and it has taken me forever it seems to get this new batch DONE!
But let's take a look, shall we?
GHOST IN THE CLOSET: For BonnieDiva, I really had no ideas. My mind has been a blank since returning from California, actually. Ideas just were not coming. Out of desperation, I found mtself thinking of my standby usual haunted house theme. Let's see... I've had a haunted attic, a haunted basement. What else could I haunt? (Oooo. Have I done a haunted bathroom yet? Hold that thought...) A closet came to mind. GHOST IN THE CLOSET. Of course, in thinking up the title, I couldn't help but think of the whole gay in the closet thing. But why would sexuality bother a ghost? And then it hit me--the little twist that I needed. It still ended up sucky (Sorry, BonnieDiva!), but I tried. Eh. NEXT!
Inside I found his zine, Asymmetrical Anti-Media.
While it gave info on how to obtain other zines (and offered reviews of them as well), I do not want any more mail. But I do wonder HOW he got my address.
TOILET OF TERROR: Jason got this back (along with a polite note telling him I am no longer accepting mail and not interested. Thank you.). Not quite a haunted bathroom...but close enough. Ha!
The back was not that exciting either. I turned it into a postcard-like space and pasted a newspaper ad for the then-current HALLOWEEN flick on the back. I sent stuff like this (more or less) all of the time. But--they saved it, so I'll share it.
MISERY MANOR: After using "report card"-sized envelopes for the last few pieces, going back to a standard-sized envelope was difficult. Everything (images, lettering, etc.) was just too big and it all really crowded the space. I'm going to have to re-learn the space.
THE BOARDING HOUSE OF HORROR: A while back, I made an envelope for a fellow movie poster collector who works at the United Nations in Kenya. It came out sooooooooo lame. I sent it anyway, but told him I'd put him on the list and make him something else, something better. This started off to be that something (hopefully) better. Instead, when I tried to put his address on, I realized that it would be impossible for this envelope. So, as I was putting it together, it fell to the next person on the (never-ending?) list instead.
DEATH HAUNTS THIS HOUSE: Oops! This was also originally supposed to go to Bwana (aka Thomas) in Kenya. However, when I started gluing it all down, unthinkingly I was using a standard-sized envelope. Oops! So on to the next person on the list it went. At least I am finally making a dent in the list o' people I "owe" envelopes to. Hooray!
IT CREEPS BY NIGHT: Off to Kenya this will be going, finally. The address label would have/should have been twice as wide, except I cut one of the address lines in half and made the whole thing narrower. (It's still a huge address though.) Although it is better than the earlier envelope---this is still no winner.(Notice the green skull is back--trying to save another of the not-so-great ones...) Oh well.
WHAT'S THE MATTER WITH GRANNY?: I don't know what it is, but ever since the Tiki With Ray video on my mail art, I've had the HARDEST time thinking up envelope ideas. I'm sure I am just psyching myself out, but I have been totally creatively constipated for weeks now. This one was a strain to produce--but I wanted to get it done before I left on a trip to the Oregon wine country followed by Tiki Kon. UGH! It is a mess. You really can't even tell WHY it's a "horror movie" (well, supposed to be, anyway...). I had to leave the horrific tag line off--because I had no room for it. The line read: "Why was she constantly making meatloaf and where was Uncle Phil?" (I glued a picture of a large meatloaf and the tagline to the letter I sent to the recipients.) Anyway, it has been more than a week--closer to two weeks, actually--between making the previous envelope and this one. Really--I 'm STUCK.
THERE'S SOMETHING UNDER THE BED: Oh, I swear, man. Getting an envelope outta me lately is like pulling teeth. This one, in fact, is an idea I have been toying with for several weeks. This won't work for the format, but if she hasn't done so already, Maxima Strange will be putting out the call her another of her projects. She told me the theme weeks ago. (I asked--as I find myself further and further behind all of the time.) I won't say the name of the theme here--I'm not sure she will even ask me to do it as I have left IUOMA (International Union of Mail Artists)--but this is evidence I am (or WAS) thinking about it. 
FLATULENCE OF FEAR: Hmm. Maybe "Fear Flatulence" would have been a better title? "Farts of Death"? Eh---whatever? Strictly juvenile humor. I'm desperate. I'll use ANY idea that pops into my head.
Jon Foster sent me some mail. As you can see from the postmark, June 5th, it arrived more than a month ago. THAT'S how behind I am...STILL!
Included were various collages and silly clippings. Thank you.
HOUSE OF THE MACABRE!: This is what he is getting back. Back to the tried-and-true haunted house schtick. But even then...thinking up a "plot" and "tag lines" for it was so hard. And, eh...the decapitated head doesn't really work on the red background. Oh well.
And...phew! That was 10---FINALLY! Hopefully the next 10 won't take as long? I still have soooo many to do-do.
I had a delightful delivery from the one and only BonnieDiva!
Inside was a note and one of her fab Bon-Zines! Whoo hoo! Thank you!
Someone I am pretty sure I don't know and have never corresponded with, Jason Rodgers, turned up in my mailbox. Hmm.
A while back, I had a post where I shared some old mail art I had sent to my friend Sue Nan and her daughter Dina. Sue had saved it and sent it back to me. I posted everything...except one piece had gone M.I.A. Well, after much time and an exhaustive archaeological dig in my (very messy) bedroom, the missing piece was rediscovered. It's not that exciting (I don't think) and, really... Does it qualify as "mail art"? It's just a Flipping Skull toy. I added a few things to the upper righthand corner. Whoopie...
Just to give you an example of how long this current post (of only 10 envelopes!) is taking me to finish, here is a photo of the recipient of one of my envelopes. This was a requested one, based on my mail art interview with Tiki With Ray. (The interview can be seen on my previous post, HERE.) She shared a photo of herself with it. Jeepers! I sent that WEEKS ago (and yet, the completed version, pre-mailing, is only four photos up). I'm glad she liked it. (The "G" in "Boarding" didn't do so well in the mails, but the rest of it looks fine.)
So that means, I guess, that I should go-go and get to it.
Thank you for visiting, as always.
CHEERS!
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