We are getting close to swap day! Woohoo! With about a week and a half left for envelopes to arrive, we have 140 artists participating so far in the Liberate Your Art postcard swap this year. It will be interesting to see how many come in over the next nine days.

People ask me why I do this big swap, which takes quite a bit of my time and energy. My first answer is that I get to connect with all of YOU, which is awesome. But more importantly is to encourage people make, liberate and connect with art. You may not realize, but this simple step of sending your art out in the world can be life changing. Here are a few quotes in notes I’ve received this year with postcards:

I’ve never shared my art before and it is liberating!

I’ve never done anything like this before. I agonized over what to do, how to do it — all this time! Now I am sending these babies out in the world and so looking forward to mail! Thank you so much for giving me this opportunity.

I have never printed copies of my art, but now that I have, I think it is kinda fun.

I struggled a bit thinking myself a fraud for joining an “artists” project. Grade school judgements stick in the brain. Ultimately, the idea of just sharing anything was ok. Also, my 12 year old harshly said, “Oh, get over it!”

Thank you so much for reconnecting me to the artist within, the uninhibited free expression of who I am without self-consciousness. I wouldn’t consider anything I’ve created “perfect” or “masterful” but I’m having fun and sharing expressions of my inner and outer world.

Because of [this swap], I have friends that will be friends for the rest of our lives. That means the world.

Um, yeah. Those words, those feelings, those connections are more than worth the hours I put in to making this swap come together. T-9 days. I can’t wait to liberate!

Here are some of the wonderful envelopes I received in the last week. They are coming fast and furious now, and I’m not able to photograph and share every decorated envelope I receive. Forgive me if yours doesn’t get featured!

Charm sent this lovely doodled envelope from Australia.

Carroll in Vermont sent this wish for better weather through the mail. It says, “Doesn’t Jack Front know he’s worn out his welcome?! Besides, he really looks like he needs a vacation!”

On the back, she is clearly “anticipating spring.”

Linda sent this gorgeous envelope from California. I swear, some of these envelopes are worthy of framing. I might just do that after the swap.

I recognized Natasha‘s designs from a mile away! She does Henna art in California and has participated multiple years. Natasha, someday I’m going to wear some of your henna art…

Isn’t it amazing what you can do with a plain white envelope? Sheila in California sent this beauty. (What is it with all of the California people? Are you guys just extra creative?)

Jan from Michigan sent this message. Yes Jan, I agree! It’s almost time!

Deanie’s envelope from Arizona caught my eye. There is just something about vintage cameras…

The front of this envelope from April in Florida was artfully done…

…but it was the back which blew me away. Isn’t that a gorgeous piece of collage art? And on an envelope, no less…

Lisa is clearly dreaming of spring in Massachusetts. Keep dreaming! It will come!

This beauty came to me from Bonnie in Pennsylvania. Tea, anyone?

For all of the covered envelopes, a few here and there remind me that less can be more. Isn’t this a wonderful composition and use of the kraft envelope as part of the art? This is from Janet in California.

And finally, every so often I get something in the mail that is not art but is exciting nonetheless! Kris sent this lovely taste of Texas to me. The swap day volunteers and I will enjoy these! Thanks Kris!!

I can’t wait to LIBERATE! We are almost there…

Wow, I think this is the best year for mail art ever! I have been receiving some amazing decorated envelopes for the Liberate Your Art postcard swap this year. To date, 65 envelopes have arrived. We are now in the lull… the early birds are done and the bulk of the participants will mail in the next two weeks. It happens every year!

I got behind on photographing envelopes last week, so this week’s update on the mail art is HUGE. Enjoy the Mail Art Extravaganza!

My address has never looked so good! Kate from Illinois does amazing lettering, which you might expect from someone who’s blog is named KateLetterplay. Don’t you think it’s cool how well her lettering complements the Marsden Hartley art on the stamp?

Charlotte from Maryland highlights the “Date to Liberate” as March 15 — SWAP DAY!! (By the way, for anyone who lives in Oregon, you are invited to come over and help me stick address labels and stamps on postcards on Swap Day! Contact me if you are interested.)

Jewels from Michigan has a question on the front of her envelope…

…and the best answer ever on the back! Yes! This one just makes me smile.

Patricia from Oregon has a message for you. I agree!

Laurie from Florida created this gorgeously painted envelope. Can you see the texture? It’s feels lovely to handle! The last few years I’ve been seeing these gorgeous butterfly stamps gracing your envelopes. They always seem like such a beautiful complement to your art! I got curious and did a little bit of research on them. The artist who created all of these butterfly images is Tom Engeman, and you can learn more about him here.

“The other Kat,” as she identifies herself to me, sent a lovely collage from Virginia. I love the message she added, “Art to be liberated waiting inside.” Soon Kat, soon! (And see, another beautiful butterfly!)

This envelope from Jan in California is artfully done. I love how the swirls just lead me across the envelope. Such beauty and grace to find in the mail!

Carol from Washington goes classic, with some ink and stamps. Simple. Effective. Beautiful.

Speaking of simple, a few swooshes of ink and a hand cancellation make this envelope artful! From Sherry in Alaska, who wrote this great quote on the back of her envelope: Art is intelligence at play! – Albert Einstein.

Bethany from Florida used washi tape to spell out my favorite initials – “LYA” for “Liberate Your Art.” That’s the abbreviation I personally use in all of my notes and reminders about the postcard swap! Who wants to write out “Liberate Your Art” all the time? LYA, all the way!

This gorgeous mixed media piece is from Dee in California. Do you guys know how hard it is for me to open some of these envelopes? They are too pretty.

I opened an envelope from Texas, and was surprised to find it was really from Luis in Mexico! Luis included a letter within the envelope, which explains all of the personal symbolism of the images he chose for the piece. Beautiful!

And then there was the inside. More mail art waiting to be discovered, along with this postcards. Thanks Luis! Your envelope was an amazing treat.

Here was something new… Have you ever opened an “envelope” with a seam ripper? I hadn’t, until this one from Donna in New Mexico. It’s a decorated piece of fabric, sewn shut. What a fantastic idea!!

Do you see what I mean about some of these being too pretty to open? Here was the back of the “envelope.” Or should I call it a pouch?

I have a thing for stamps, especially ones from abroad, and so Debbie‘s envelope, from the UK, threw me for a loop. At first I thought that “Mailmaker” stamp was a cool arty stamp, but it’s actually the name of her blog. I don’t think it’s a real stamp at all!

Catherine, another artist from the UK, sent me this one. I love it when I see “par avion” on the envelope, a sign that art has come a long, long way to be liberated.

What a lovely tree from Mikki in Colorado! Mikki is a ceramics artist, but she reminds us that all you need is a pen and an envelope, and you can create some wonderful mail art.

And last, but definitely not the least, are these fabulous characters helping Wendy liberate her art from Texas. It’s a bird! It’s a fish! It’s the mail!

Whew! That’s a LOT of mail art, wouldn’t you say. And more on the way! I can’t wait to see what arrives next week.

The Liberate Your Art Postcard Swap is in full swing! I’ve received 53 envelopes so far, many gorgeously decorated, like this one from Juana in Washington. 42 of the envelopes are from the US, 11 from outside the US: Germany, Norway, The Netherlands, UK, Canada, Australia and France. Exciting!

Don’t you want to join in? You have one more day before I close sign up! Visit the Liberate Your Art page and sign up for the special swap email list via the blue box. All postcards must be received by March 14, 2015 to be included.

It’s time for the Treasure Hunt!

This year I’m adding a “Treasure Hunt” through participant websites, to increase the opportunities for connection with fellow swappers. All of the details will be in the swap update email that arrives in your inbox tomorrow (if you are on the swap email list, that is!). A big thanks to Tammy Wilson for helping me with this! I couldn’t add this fun activity without her.

And there are PRIZES for the winners!! Beautiful pieces of art, donated by a few talented swap participants willing to liberate their art directly to you. Here is what you could win if you finish the Treasure Hunt…

Therese Misner
8×8″ acrylic/mixed media abstract titled “Gazing”
 
Sarah Wiseman
Set of six wildlife greeting cards, images of her silk paintings

Christie Juhasz
8.5×5.5″ Handmade vintage and current scrap machine-quilted pouch, fully lined with zipper. She will include a sheet of postcard stamps and some mail art paper ephemera inside. Fun!

Tammy Wilson
Set of ten note cards from her photography

Rebecca Hill
A pair of handmade earrings

Marcia Hill
Set of five notecards of her pastel paintings

Linda Ursin
Mixed Media Ladybug painting, 23.9×29.7cm

Patricia Lyon-Surrey
2015 Calendar of her Vermont-based photography
Here are a couple of the images inside:

 

Aren’t these wonderful? Be sure you are on the swap email list, if you want to participate! All of the instructions will be sent via email.

And now for more mail art…

Here are a few more of the beautiful envelopes I’ve been receiving. When you decorate your envelope, you are making everyone who touches them smile! Isn’t that awesome to think about? All it takes is a little bit of time, and maybe some stamps and ink, like this one from Lynne in Philadephia…

Or how about a little washi tape, like this one from Lisa in Texas:

You can get a little fancier, too! I love the stamps that Rinda from California uses, telling me to Do Something Creative Every Day…

Thank you Rinda, I will do that! The back of her envelope was beautiful too.

So, what do you think? Do YOU have it in you to brighten the day of everyone who touches an envelope? I think so! Go forth and create some mail art!

Liberating Your Art is about more than just postcards. It’s about bringing art into your life, and the lives of others, in simple ways. Think about what you can do.

It’s time to shift gears a little bit on the blog, sharing a few pieces of art that have arrived in the mail as part of the Liberate Your Art 2015 Postcard Swap! I’ve received 10 envelopes so far from locations far and wide, including from The Netherlands, Norway and France. It is early, and there is still plenty of time to join and make your postcards before the deadline. You can learn more and sign up here.

This is always exciting, when the decorated envelopes start arriving. I want to share a few with you! If the artist provided a link on their postcard, I’ve included it, otherwise we will just have to leave our appreciation in the comments here.

This first one is from Christie in Florida. This envelope was a cornucopia of detail! So many layers and fun stuff to see, I couldn’t decide quite where to focus my photograph until the celebration of “Mail Art” caught my eye!

This gorgeous painted envelope came from Peggy in Colorado. (My home state! Go Broncos! Oh wait, they lost in the playoffs already…) Peggy brings to life a wonderful bare tree structure in some of my favorite colors. (Were you pandering to the swap leader, Peggy? Very smart of you! Here you are on the blog!)

Kate‘s doodles arrived on her envelope from Michigan, bringing to mind music and electrical engineering symbols! Do you see the resistors, capacitors and ground symbols? (Oops, the techie in me is showing…) I’m not sure if that was intentional, but I like it. What do you see?

Finally, we have one from Lisa in Virginia. I love it when the stamps are integrated so nicely with the envelope art!

And a lovely message was included on the back…

That’s what mail art is all about: Encouragement and inspiration. There is nothing like a beautiful piece of art arriving in the mail to make you smile! Liberating your art really does “let your heart speak to other’s hearts.”

If you haven’t joined in the swap yet, you still have time!