Tag, you're it.

Today I was searching for an example of one project, but found an example of another project and made it. That's what happens when you've got a clean worktable and are waiting on laundry to finish. What was the project? A shipping tag art journal - or glue book, whatever. [Sidenote: are you as tired as I am of "properly" identifying the projects you make?]

I used 4 manila shipping tags because I wanted to make a collaged accordion fold book and just happened to grab 4 tags from the drawer. They're size 5 shipping tags. I taped them together with masking tape, leaving a tiny space between each for ease of folding. For collage materials, I decided this was the perfect project for the recycled mail art scraps I've collected; colorful parts of envelopes, packaging, notecard parts, cancelled stamps, collage pieces. 

No rhyme or reason, just pick something, glue it, stick it down.

Papers were overlapped across tags to reinforce the connection.

After the front side was complete, I attached a closure.

Accordion fold books need help staying closed.

I stapled a generous length of baker's twine to the front that will wrap around a few times and tie nicely. Then I did the same style of collage to the back as I did the front.

When it was done, I chose some likely strings and things for the holes. Because they're there, so why not.

Ta-da!

Collage art book thing.

Toodles.

Incoming mail art art.

My "system" for handling incoming mail is to take the art bits - the ATCs and other art cards and supplies - and sort them as they are received. Things get displayed or put away in designated storage containers and that usually leaves me with just the envelopes to deal with. Which I don't deal with until I have a heaping mess of them. Surprise.

When the plastic drawer unit I use to hold incoming mail parts is filled to capacity, I sort through everything. Rediscover overlooked bits of things, toss blank envelopes, liberate pretty note card fronts, cut out interesting postage. For the most part, that's as far as I'd go. The remaining re-sorted stuff would get archived and the collecting cycle would start again.

Lately though, I've been inspired by some swaps in the Mail Pals group to repurpose more of the old envelopes. They served their purpose, after all, and why not give them something better to do. Last month I had to do another incoming mail re-sort so I took the opportunity to really get into it and salvage as much collage fodder as I could from the hoard.

I got a respectable heap o' stuff...

Some of the usual suspects - postage and note card pieces...

But also lots of painted and collaged envelope sections, stamped images, pretty tapes...

shapes punched from security envelope patterns and handmade envelopes...

 Yesterday, with those collected mail art scraps I made a group of 10 ATCs. TEN!

I added a few new details like rub-ons and sticker words, but the rest are all salvaged mail art bits.