oh, the postal service

I send a great deal of post to strangers and even stranger people then the anonymous. This little missive made its way to someone in a country i have already forgotten. I foudnd the address on a list that came to me in the mail. Quite the surprise, an unasuming tan evnvelope postmarked in Japan from a Ryosuke Cohen. The contents were as follows: A) a list os addresses from around the world B) a large piece of paper, screaming with color: stickers and hand carved stamps.

What could it mean?

I discovered his mail art call:


Please send me your stamp design, rubberstamp, or 150 stickers or seals. I will print or paste these materials onto the A3 size paper, creating 150 sheets. I will then send a sheet back with a list of addresses to each participant. I will publish at intervals of 8 to 10 days at that time will include 60 people or so. Brain Cell is always seeking a change, does not intend to settle and care of it’s extension of the Network. So... don’t mail a lump of stuff for several issues. Please send them to me one issue at a time, Thank you!

Ryosuke Cohen c/o Brain Cell
3-76-1-A-613 Yagumokitacho Moriguchi City Osaka 570 Japan
TEL&FAX +81.6.6991.1507
E-mail : braincell@k6.dion.ne.jp

THe madness!!!!! He does this every week or so!!!

So, of course, i had to submit.

Pinku Hair Swap

pinku_hair_clips
Originally uploaded by faerygrrrl.

Early Summer, lifetimes ago, its true, i participated in Pinku's Hair Swap. My swap recipient was somewhere in France (so exciting!). These are the two hair clips i made for her. I am still quite taken with them.

My swap partner deserves a big thank you and a yet to be written letter.

Oh, and here is a picture of Miss Meret Bonaparte modeling the tape measure clip. She's quite cheeky!

Swimming Through the Gocco Patch

RISO Gocco. A small blue machine out of which emerges lovely crafts, postcards, and small books. I have seen the wonders both virtually and in person. Finally, today, i experienced gocco for myself. I borrowed a friend's blue baby a few weeks ago, but only played with it today. My intention? To make patches to take to the Portland Zine Synposium. After an hour or so of drawing, I took my finished drawing to the packing store and made an 11 cent photocopy. At first, I had a bit of trouble figuring out how much ink to use (when they say a lot, they mean A LOT!) and other small debacles resulting in not exactly what I wanted. (for instance, I silkscreened the spare bedroom's wooden floor when first applying ink. It wiped away, mostly) One problem was i ordered the wrong screen type. I had to improvise the plastic screen by using a plastic baggie. The screen I used was supposed to be for silkscreening with a squeegeeeee and Gocco Silk Screen Ink. I had gocco stamp ink and used the screen on the Gocco itself. With a bit of improvisation and a great deal of learning as I go, I think the end result is rather nice. I am quite taken with my little patches. (in the heat of the moment, i took off my shirt, and ran it through the gocco. Would have worked, had i been patient enough to smooth out the bumps in the cotton!)