Some highlights from this month’s Make Mail! table at The Green-Woodstock Spring event in Brooklyn:
A letter to Katy Perry written by a Kindergartener, with hardly any spelling help.
The first time I had seen the keyboard heart symbol written by hand.
Visits from creative friends and neighbors.
And almost 50 pieces of mail made and sent!
Have you seen the video of Melvin the Postcard Machine?
Its a much smaller version of the first Melvin the Machine, another wonder built by the design studio, HEYHEYHEY.
Both machines are fantastic. Rube Goldberg would be proud.
If you’re sending greetings of love and gratitude to the moms in your life, mail ‘em today. Tomorrow latest!
Here’s the card I am sending to my mom, by Marisa at mad design. Hopefully Mom’s not reading the blog this week…
This May Day postcard is by Eric Drooker and can be purchased at Just Seeds Artists’ Cooperative. Or simply used as inspiration to get out and tip your cap to the May Day events happening all around the world.
Have you heard of Trucker Buddy?
Trucker Buddy International is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization started in 1992 and dedicated to helping educate and mentor schoolchildren via a pen pal relationship between professional truck drivers and children in grades K-8. Trucker Buddy matches classes of students with professional truck drivers. Every week drivers share news about their travels with their class. Once a month, students write letters to their drivers. Students’ skills in reading, writing, geography, mathematics, social studies, and history are enhanced and learning is fun.
Here’s what 3rd grade teacher Barbara Fuller has to say about Trucker Buddy.
The kids write an individual letter to Trucker George, and he responds with postcards to each of them. They have asked him all sorts of questions such as, what is the longest trip he’s ever driven? What happens if he gets sick on a trip? How much does he make? What’s his favorite color, movie, genre of book, has he ever had kids, does he have pets. You name it, they’ve probably asked it. He is very careful to respond to their questions. He also gives us his route and describes what he’s carrying. The kids are learning all about how goods are distributed around the country. It’s a great enhancement to learning!
I am thrilled to learn that this program exists and that postcards are used. What an excellent way to bring learning to life! Plus foster intergenerational relationships! And for the truckers, being a correspondent must infuse meaning and purpose to a job that is pretty solitary.
Viva Trucker Buddy!
From One Was Johnny by Maurice Sendak, 1962.
I went to the Whitney Biennial this past weekend with my honey. I was a bit overwhelmed by the size of the show and it took me a little while to acclimate to being there. It didn’t help that everywhere I looked, people were checking their phones, including a security guard! I was like, is anybody focusing here?! Is this the new normal? After a bit I settled in and connected to some work. Nothing made my heart sing but I did like the mail art pieces by Moyra Davey. Check them out.
Spring has sprung and my kids have strep throat. So we’re making cards and taking antibiotics the color of cherry blossoms.
Might I suggest these stamps for your spring mail? You can purchase them at USPS.com.
They remind me of this lovely stamp, sent to me by my Letter Writers Alliance pen pal, Christine.
I am thrilled to announce that there is a new after school program in Brooklyn called Inventgenuity Workshops with many fantastic offerings, including a Mail Art class that I will be teaching for children in grades 2-5. Here’s a description:
Look at the fantastic mail I received from my dad! The Good Mail Day book is full of excellent suggestions for making mail art and as my son pointed out, there are even stickers in the back!
