Good Mail Day: A Primer for Making Eye-Popping Postal Art

As I love mail art and a piece of my work is in this book... I probably cannot write an unbiased review. Still the book is beautifully illustrated and well-written. It gives enough rules to mail art without totally killing the medium. Mail art has suddenly become accessible to everyone. This is a slightly scary thought but then I realize that not everyone will even remotely have the drive or desire to do such work. Mail art is art for the masses and at no time in history is this concept more vital. Jennie Hinchcliff and Carolee Gilligan Wheeler have done a FANTASTIC job with this book... they've covered the gamut of mail art and I'm proud of them and proud to be a part of such an excellent book. There are a lot of big named mail artists in this book so Good Mail Day is as much a documentary as a "How-To" book. If you've been wondering--"What is mail art and how do I do it?" Then this book is definatley for you. If you are a mail artist who collects work on mail art--then this book is for you too. If you think mail art should not have rules or be dictated--you should buy this book and see that it isn't that bad! Buy the book--you won't be let down!

I was so happy to find this on Amazon. I bought this book after checking it out of the library. I just love it. Beautiful photos of Mail Art and ideas to get your creative juices going. Warning, making mail visually pretty is addicting. I can hardly mail a plain white envelope any more. This book is fun just to look at and admire the folks out there doing very creative stuff. There are stickers in the back and some templates you have to trace, but I learned a lot from this book and was inspired, too. It is fun and will cheer you up as well as those you write a personal letter to. People still do that! :-)

If you are new to mail art or want to know more about it... this is a great book. Great quality and fun to look through. I learned a lot about mail art through trial and error and meet up groups. And I think this book puts it all down for you and is a fabulous 101. I learned a few new things and will enjoy reading it again and again. I only wish it had even more pictures. But a book can only be so big :)

I really enjoyed paging through this pretty book and will draw a ton of inspiration from it. My current infatuation with snail mail will be a lot more creative and colorful based on many of the ideas offered in both the text and the beautiful photos. I especially liked the idea of creating a portable mail art kit to take with me on trips and how to get inventive with various materials while corresponding on vacations. This really covers all aspects of creative mailing: the history of mail art, the importance of handwriting, postal etiquette, etc. It also includes some tear-out blank postcards with design suggestions and some fabulous mail-themed stickers, as well as tons of resources online and off. I will definitely keep this handy for reference and inspiration.

I am not a very creative person so this book worked like a personal muse for me. I have really enjoyed taking the time to create some interesting mail art. With email and technology it is easy to forget how awesome it feels to see a fun envelope in the mail and know immediately that it isn't a bill but rather something special from someone special. This book has been a great resource for me as I share that "I have mail!" feeling with others. This book is also great for people who need to find activities for groups of all ages to do. If you have a group to entertain this book provides great ideas and everyone walks away with something to share!

I'm pretty sure the postal service would NOT approve of these recommendations. I've tried lots of the ideas in here and been refused by the USPS, because they don't want you to mail things with exposed staples or string. Perhaps these are good ideas for hand-delivered items, but not to drop in the mail. Basically, the authors are saying "You can turn anything into mail art," and they provide a few examples, but nothing I plan on duplicating.

I love this book! This is an informational, yet easy to read book that encourages fun and creativity. No matter what media you are into - ink, collage, watercolors, etc - you will find inspiration. In addition, the book is very thorough, so you will be set to create simple or out of this world art mail. Anything goes! However, please be aware that your post office may NOT be ready for your art mail. That's part of the fun!

When I discovered Carolee & Jennie on the net a few years ago, I was astounded that there were people like me that LOVED mail. People that get a thrill out of receiving a special stamp, an airmail sticker, an unusual envelope along with real handwritten letter. When I read that they were making this book, I didn't realize exactly how cool it would be. Looking at the mail, postcards, letters, envelopes, special mailing stickers in this book is like porn for those that love mail. I was able to point at various stickers and rubber stamping and say 'Oh I have that one' or 'I want that one'. It inspired me to sit down that day and make some envelopes for mailing to my friends and penpals (yes I am 37 and still collecting penpals) with all my hoarded rubberstamps and stickers. These women are like me in that when they come back from Japan it is with a suitcase full of Japanese mailing labels, tape, envelopes, and pens instead of kimonos and plastic sushi from Kapabashi Dori. I already know that I will be giving this as a gift to a couple friends. This book is really good and by that I mean REALLY GOOD. Now if only my friends would be inspired enough to send me mail like this so I could have a Good Mail Day too...

Dieses Buch ist ein wahrer Schatz für alle, die noch Briefe schreiben und Spaß daran haben, die Umschläge selbst herzustellen bzw. zu gestalten. Achtung - die Sache macht süchtig! Wer einmal damit angefangen hat, wird nie mehr aufhören.

beaucoup de réalisations présentées et l'essentiel de l'esprit du mail art un ouvrage vraiment agréable à découvrir le - : c'est un livre en anglais

Not many people in the UK have heard of Mail Art, so this is a very nice introduction. Plenty of information online, but it's always good to have a book. Great price and great condition. Highly recommended book to get started on Mail Art.

知らない人にメールを送ったことがありますか？ もちろんストーカーではないです． コンセプチュアルアートには50年代に発生して、60年代にはやったmail artというジャンルがあって、ギャラリーや美術館等で絵を飾る代わりにコラージュや、絵を不特定多数の人に送るというムーブメントです． 作者の一人のJennie先生はSan FranciscoのAcademy of Art UniversityやCenter for the Bookでbook art（普通の製本のもっとアート的な物と思ってもらったら）を教えています．私は彼女のクラスを取りました．Online classですが．去年実際にお会いしましたが赤毛でファンキーで、ブックアートと日本の文化が好きな人です． この本は２人のbook makerがmail artとはどういう物か、どうやって素材を探すのかカラーページで楽しく紹介している本です．サンフランシスコの郵便箱の写真やなんかも出てきます． 日本ではmail artはアートをする人にもあまりなじみがないかも知れませんが、mail artを交換しあう会みたいなのがネットであって、私は世界中のみしらぬ人とmail artを交換しあっています．

LOVE THIS BOOK! Recommend it