Making postcard books.

 At the beginning of May, Andrea had some time off work..... so we decided to organise our mail art postcard!!  First of all we sorted them all out into closest to 6 x 4 inches, and then sorted them again into "Portrait" pictures (short side is the top of the picture) and "Landscape" pictures (long side is the top of the picture).  Then we got out our new Bakers Twine (string) and a piece of watercolour paper that we'd cut to slightly bigger than 4 inches by a bit longer than 12 inches (allowing for the spine of the book as well)

 The watercolour paper, we painted it Blue and then covered it in clingfilm while the paint was still wet and then let it dry.  It comes out with crazy paving type patterns on it!!!

 Then we got our Portrait postcards first - we had fewer of those, and they'd all fit in one book.

 We measured each one and then put in three holes at an equal distance.  The middle hole was at 2 inches (the middle of the card) and then we measured an inch and a half out both ways from that.

 We got the watercolour paper and measured in a bit more than 6 inches from one end, and put a crease in it for the back of the spine and then measured in for the front of the spine.  This was really hard work!!!

 Then we did three holes on each side of the spine, front and back, the same distance from each other!

 Then we got the Bakers Twine (you can find that on etsy in lots of different colours) and threaded in from the back cover of the book starting with the middle hole, through all of the postcards.  Then you go through the middle hole on the front cover and then thread back through one of the other holes.... all the way through all the cards and the back cover!  THEN, we threaded back through the last hole in the back cover all the way through to the front again...... and FINALLY back through the middle hole all the way to the back!!!

 So the front cover ends up looking like that!!!

 We tried pulling the twine tight at the back so we could tie one knot in it but it didn't quite work!!  So we tied two knots in the back!!!!!

TA-DAAHHH!!  Our first Postcard Book!!!

We've made another four of these using up all the Landscape postcards!!!  Each one has a different coloured cover too!

Free Stuff and what to do...!

Here's all the Free Stuff I got last time I went to London!!! Those brown paper bags at the front have all been turned into Artists books ready to fill up, and those cards on the left hand side with the yellow bag on it have been cut up into Postcard sizes ready to have stuff stuck on them!

Andrea even let me use the train and bus tickets!! (OK, so she had to pay for those, but we can still use them in found art and mail art!!)

Over the Easter Weekend, we found six CDs on the sidewalk near where we live!!! Some of them were a bit broken but that's OK!!

We brought them home and started shlepping Gesso over them....

..... so they're now ready for acrylic paint and raffia and stuff!!!

Beanie's Found Art Workshop Part Five: Artists Books

To make Artists books, you'll need a paper bag from a shop (that maybe your owner bought something from, and they put it in a paper bag for them), a stapler, a pair of scissors and a craft knife.

First of all, with either the craft knife or the scissors (whichever you find easier) you need to cut one long side of the paper bag.

So that it looks like this!!

Then you do the same thing on the other long side.

And then fold the whole thing open.

Then, fold over one long side to the other long side, and make the fold a nice sharp one.

Then, with the craft knife, slit through the crease.... and then side down so that you cut along the crease to ALMOST the end.

And then do the other way. You need to leave a little bit at each end not cut.

The bag should look a bit like this now!!!

Keep both long sides together, but start folding over the short edges so that they "join up". You're now "making the pages" for your book. Fold down each page as you go.

It should look something like this when you're done!!

Then get your stapler and staple the "folded over" end. I usually use three staples but you can use as many as you want!!

It's now ready to decorate with other found bits!!

Beanie's Found Art Workshop Part 4: Tags

Now, remember when we made that card, and we trimmed a bit off the side? Well get that bit of card and punch a hole in one end. You can use a fancy hole punch if you have one, or you can use one of those two ring binder hole punch gadgets if that's all you have.

Then either find a piece of ribbon or find two elastic bands and cut them so they're a elastic strip. Tie together the ends of the two bands so they're joined together and then thread one of the other ends through the hole in the card.

Then tie the bands in a knot on the other side of the hole in the card, so that the bands won't fall out. You can then decorate the tag with other found stuff and then tie it somewhere, like a tree branch, or a railing or a bicycle handlebar, ready for someone to find!!

Beanie's Found Art Workshop Part 3: Cards

Now we need to make a Card that will fit inside the envelope. You'll need some card - maybe from some packaging or a breakfast cereal box that your owner has finished. You need to measure it so that it's twice the length of the short side (or slightly smaller), and slightly shorter than the long side of the envelope. You may have to cut bits off - but save those bits!

Then fold the card in half so that you can fit it inside.

For the Origami Envelope that I showed you, You'll need to trim off two of the corners with a pair of scissors.

Now all you need to do is use up some of those found train tickets and sugar wrappers to decorate the front of the card, and then it's ready to post!!

Beanie's Found Art Work Shop, Part 2: Envelopes.

Now, to make an Origami Envelope, you'll need some kind of flier, like an take away menu from a restaurant. I'm using a Floor Plan from Lille Art museum!

First of all, unfold it to it's biggest flat size.

Then, the two short ends, fold them together and make a sharp crease down the middle.

Unfold. On one short end, fold one corner in to the sharp crease you just made in the middle.

The other corner, fold it in to meet the big triangle you just made.
Leave it like that!!

Turn it round, and do the same thing on the other short end. Fold in one corner to the middle crease - but it has to be the diagonal opposite to the other corner to the middle...

And the same with the other corner, fold it in to the big triangle.

Now, that long straight edge down the side..... fold it in so that it meets the inside long edge of the big triangle.

There's a little flat in the middle of the page. You need to "turn it over" so that it makes a central flap in the middle of the page, where the arrows are.

It should look like that when you're done.

Turn the envelope round and do the same on the other side.....
Turn the long edge into the middle...

And that corner, fold it up like the arrows.

Now, you'll have two long pointy bits which you need to fold in towards the other side.

And then the same with the other pointy end...

The two pointy bits should fit together nicely in the middle.

Then, the pointy bit slides into the little flap that you made when you folded the sides in...

And the other pointy bit slides into that flap....

Et Viola!!! Or Bingo as we say in English!!!

And that's the front, ready for fake postage stamps, and somebody's address!!