An obssession is born

[Sailor Kenshin]

There was this post on another fp forum that both rattled me and got me thinking. This person who started the thread wanted to write to some pen pals, but was stuck in the house with NO PAPER.

The horror!

What if that happened to ME? What would I do? How would I cope?

Never mind the stacks of notepads and journals and typing paper you see on my shelves. Look the other way for now.

I set out to test unusual writing surfaces. The insides of junk mail envelopes sometimes took fountain pen ink so well I was astonished. As a side note, I began cutting up junk mail for use as shopping and to-do lists. Why use Rhodia for that sorta thing?

Uhm...toilet paper wrapping paper. Kind of like writing on that gift-wrapping tissue (now there's another thing I have to try!)

The inside of a stick-o-gum wrapper works, but I wouldn't risk a pen that cost more than five bucks. I liked how tracing paper and artist vellum worked.

This is my latest test. I had the book lying around to use as a blotter for gluing stuff. A newspaper might work even better....smaller print.

Yah....my handwriting. I was holding the brush really awkwardly. At least that's my story.



You think this is how the Collyer Brothers got started? O_O

[jbb]

How fun! I can't wait to see what you come up with next.

[Marsilius]

I know someone who sends all of his snail mail on recycled envelopes and paper, and they arrive as small works of art, or at the very least as eccentric envelopes. Often the envelope IS the letter wrapped around itself. Sometimes the old recycled text was as intriguing as the letter itself, or presented an interesting counterpoint. I also knew someone else who sent all her mail as unique works of art. I think there is a group of folks that do that . . . or maybe your page belongs in the watermarks thread?

[Sailor Kenshin]

Yay! I'm not the only one!

There's a book on letter art that's been on my wish list for years.

[jbb]

I sometimes make envelopes out of old books & atlases:

[Sailor Kenshin]

I have one of yours! Complete with wax seal. ^^

[VertOlive]

I sometimes make envelopes out of old books & atlases:

Do you use labels for the address areas?....

[jbb]

Do you use labels for the address areas?....

When I can find them I love to use old mailing labels. Here is a photo of some that you could print and use if you can't find some original ones.

[Tony Rex]

SK,

I was aghast when my mate rolled a joint with a leaf from a free Gideon bible, but not for long

Ah, the folly of youth. But now I am old, and trying to do penance by reading the Vulgate.. ad Deum qui laetificat juventutem meam!

TR

[Sailor Kenshin]

Heh....and my crazed obssession with keeping paper scraps has been 'tamed' into a single cardboard folder. Well, okay, two.

And I used the back of an envelope today for a list. 'Hero-fari,' BlakWa ink. Surprisingly fp-capable.