Jumping in with both feet but I need some input

I've decided that I really must try my hand at mail art. Two things have held me back from trying it. One, I couldn't come up with any kind of "theme" that really appealed to me and two, I'm not the most artistic or creative person. The first obstacle I've managed to overcome but the second one has me feeling pretty shaky.

I was the kid who got glue in her hair in Kindergarten. And I was the kid with marker all over her face, hands and arms because grace certainly isn't my middle name! Alas, I was also the kid whose eyelid got glued shut when she turned in her seat to say something to a friend and bumped into said friend's raised rubber cement brush. I haven't forgotten those incidents though the traumatic aspects have faded. Ha!

Paper, pens, pencils, stickers, crayons, wax, markers, tape, and yes, even glue, have been lifelong loves of mine but only in a sit down, write a letter, glue or tape the flap of the envelope if needed, seal it prettily, and mail it sort of way. I've never taken it further though I've felt a strong desire to do so. Finding all the wonderfully creative mail art bloggers out there has deepened that desire and I've been torn between wanting to dabble and wanting to tear my eyes out so I can't see all the pretties! The pretties won.

This morning, as I worked with a faded, smudged, printed census record, eyes squinted, magnifying glass over a very hard to read name - it hit me. Why not use my love of genealogy in my attempt to create some kind of mail art? 

I like that idea, I really like it! I even have a picture in my mind's eye of an envelope I want to create. The problem is I'm not sure just where to start. 

I know how to make collages and used the concept to cover the counters in a business I co-owned a few years ago. The result was lovely and received many compliments. I have a nice collection of pens, markers, and other writing instruments and I have more paper than the local library, I think. What I lack is basic knowledge on how to pull those things together to create something from nothing. 

For example, if I want to make an envelope, can I/should I use an existing envelope or is it best to start from scratch and make one? I've collected some information on how to make envelopes but don't know if an existing one would work. 

Okay, so for you mail art and creative folks out there, how should a newbie like me start? I really need input. Thank you!

No mail today but yesterday....

there were two more Google+ Secret Santa gifts in my postal box. I thought of opening them but instead took them to my mother's house and put them under her tree. Seeing more prettily wrapped packages cheered her substantially. I'm not a lover of Christmas. It isn't so much the holiday that I dislike but the commercialized, idealized consumeristic garbage that surrounds it. Yeah, I know I sound like the Grinch. I'm really not like that for the most part, but years of working retail and studying the roots of holy days and holidays have changed my perspective. I'm all for spending time with family and friends, though, and making others smile any time of the year!

I have a long work shift tomorrow and won't get to see my family for more than a couple of hours at our get together. I'm sad about that but these things happen so I'll deal with it.

I still haven't figured out how to display the mail art I have sitting on my table. I think I'll talk to some of the creative family members I hope to see tomorrow. Maybe one of them will have a brilliant idea.

Have a lovely weekend and a great mail day!

Mail art display

I haven't checked either of my mail boxes today. I decided to take this day off to do nothing and that's about all I've done today. I had the good intentions of cleaning the apartment and going to see a friend but decided to rest and it's been a lovely day of napping, reading, letter writing, and blog hopping. Oh, I did get productive for a few minutes by cleaning off my pub table. In the process, I found a lovely stack of mail art that I'd forgotten about!

Several months ago I put a few pieces in a tiled mirror frame and hung it on the wall over my television.

I love the frame so it seemed like a beautiful way to display the pieces. I eventually moved the frame to my "crazy wall".

Now I have more mail art to find a home for and am wondering if putting it in an album of some sort might be a good option. I like that idea but I really prefer having the art where I can see it at a glance rather than flip through book pages.

Perhaps a collage would work. Or maybe I should just go really primitive and stick it on a cork board. I don't want to poke holes in the pieces, though.

If you have ideas on ways to display the mail art without damaging it, please let me know.