More entries in my mail art call!

I have been so excited to receive three mysterious postcards from Germany --mysterious because there is no return address. Again, I'm wondering how at least one of them reached me because it had the wrong zip code. One of them is up on the Flickr group since it arrived a day or so before the other two, which I haven't got around to scanning yet.

So far, the definite winner is the laminated postcard from Pedro Berricat. I don't know how I will frame this one for exhibition so that people can see both sides! Perhaps I could make a copy of one side and frame them both together? Or sandwiched between two pieces of glass? (But then how would people know to turn it over?)

Oh well, it's exciting that people are responding at all. Since the call for submissions has long disappeared from the first page, I wonder how many more will come? I left tags but can't imagine anyone will search on any of them except "collage". Still, that might be good enough.

Chris was kind enough to take several packages to the post office for me. Reading the USPS site last night, I was surprised to learn that you can't use a first class stamp for a CD mailer as it's not considered an envelope. An envelope can't be square, rigid, or made of something like cardboard or heavy cardstock like the CD mailers. It has to be rectangular, of certain dimensions, and flexible, and maybe some other requirements too. Oddly, I do believe I have sent several ATC swaps in CD mailers with just regular stamps, and I think they got through... at least I haven't had anyone scolding me on my Yahoo groups yet, telling me that my swap hasn't arrived.

I also entered the swap-bot call for little booklets like the one Julia sent me. I'm finding it surprisingly difficult to make one that is even all around and has the pages in the correct places! I have watched the tutorial a million times and am still having trouble. The irony is that I specifically waited for the Scor-Pal to arrive before even trying this booklet (after ruining one of another type) and it's not helping at all.

One problem is that you have to cut off the strip at the edge of 12x12 sheets of paper which identify the maker, pattern, etc. I am trying very hard to cut correctly but it's hard to get it exactly right. And one tiny mistake at the beginning multiplies as you go along. Julia gave me some tips, which I'll have to try.

I am getting so addicted to mini-books, it's not funny. Especially with my back pain. I am haunting YouTube watching tutorials -- often frustrating when YouTube stops to buffer. (It's a good thing they have a 10-minute limit because with the buffering watching a video can take 20 minutes!)

Mini-books are so cute. My main priority is making the ones for Creative Lenna's swap. (The swap is closed now, but if you scroll up you can see the books that have already arrived.) I am definitely sending the toilet-paper roll book and the Instant Book made with Basic Grey paper. (All these will be scanned in due time.) I WANT to include one of Julia's (or rather Christie Callahan's) little booklets with pockets, and also a Maze book. Or should it be the Tim Holtz book? Both of those are rather similar. Maybe I should try them first to see which is easiest...

Oh, and then there's Laura's Follow the Paper Trail 12 days of Christmas books, a couple of which I really like -- especially the snip and fold mini album. Or there's the Stamp Goddess's album with pockets too... so many to choose, and I can only send 4, with 1 more as a gift for Lenna.