Life Long Burning Question Project @ Nuit Blanche - Toronto

Last weekend, I had the pleasure of participating in The Life Long Burning Question Project in Toronto as part of Nuit Blanche. It was a mail project run by Stephanie Cormier, Camille Turner and The Toronto School of Art. The idea was to send out as many postcards randomly to as many people as possible and they would  return  them with their Life Long Burning Question. The postcards were then hung up in a gallery space which allowed the public to read the questions and answer them. The postcards would then be sent back to the participants after Nuit Blanche, answered. I thought I would post some photos from this event as I know I sent postcards out to some of you (I wish I could have sent out more, but I ran out of time and postcards.). It was a really fun event that received great responses from all those who attended.

Think Different

Like many others, I was very sad to hear about Steve Job's passing last night. But, I'm not going to wax poetry about all this. I'll leave that to the others more capable then myself. I'm going to tell a personal story instead.
My son, who is now 12, is a very big fan of Apple and Mr. Jobs. When he was younger, I remember him watching every "keynote" that he could find on You Tube. He would watch them over and over again. He practically could recite them by heart. He had me upload "Mactracker" on my iPhone, so he could read about the different Apples/Macs and their specs. He made me buy each new MacWorld, when we would visit the bookstore.
I didn't have the heart to tell him about his hero, "Steve", as he was getting ready for school this morning. But, his father and I will probably have this conversation later on today with him. I know he will be very sad. So, what will I say to him? I will tell him the best tribute he can pay to his hero is to do well in school (I know, very "parent" of me.), to believe in yourself and to remember that just because you create something in your garage, doesn't mean it can't set the world on fire.

(Btw, the above photo is the "Apple" car, that my son made for a Kub Kar rally a few years ago.)


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Apology Part 2...

...or how I love to alter stuff for my own amusement and then some...


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Apology Accepted...

...Canada Post...I think...


Received this yesterday. I must say I love the official looking bag it's packed in. It kind of reminds me of the time that the TSA decided to open my suitcase on a flight home from New Hampshire, and rifled through it. Then they left a note of apology. Good thing I always leave my dirty laundry on top!


I even got an official letter of apology inside. As this is (was) a Zombie themed "add and pass", once I alter it, it should make a good addition.


But, what really amazes me is how some of the more 3D mail I've received gets through the system unscathed (see previous posting), while this one looks as it's been eaten. The "bite" out of the top of the envelope is my favorite! Someone must have been working a long shift somewhere and had gotten hungry. Maillllll!
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Holiday On The French Riviera!

When I received this the other day, I was truly amazed by it and how it managed to make it through our postal system completely intact (more on this in a future post). But, this mail-art gem is a gem because of the personal note on the back:


It certainly made me howl with laughter! A very cool piece of mail-art indeed!

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Ryosuke Cohen Brain Cell

The mail delivery was late yesterday. So late, in fact, that I thought is was a "no mail day" (not even junk mail, which sometimes has it's merits.). I had just come in from my evening walk, only to see the mailman making his delivery. "It's a letter from Japan for you." says my husband, handing it to me. I saw the name and return address and thought, "Wow! A Ryosuke Cohen Brain Cell (#799)!" I had only heard/read about them. I never actually expected to receive one. The Boychild thought it was so cool, that he has been begging to hang it in his room (or at least make a copy for him to hang.). Me thinks I may have a future little mail-artist in the works.
And, that my friends, is inspiration of the "Brain Cell".
 For more information on Ryosuke Cohen:
http://www.ryosukecohen.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ryosuke_Cohen
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_Cell
http://brain-cell-compilation.blogspot.com/




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Balloons Of All Colours

I received this collage in the mail today from my mail pal, Diane (she who sent me the "stuffy" a few weeks ago.).
It's so delicate and I really love the transparency that's happening in parts of it.

I know I have said this before, but I do get the coolest mail. Even my mailman thinks so.

5 in July (or I've just been too lazy to blog all summer)

It's September 13th. Today is supposed to be lovely and warm, before the temperature drops and we get some cool fall weather for the rest of the week. In honor of this, I am writing about July. Did you happen to notice we had 5 weekends of July this summer? Apparently, this only happens once in 823 years. Cool, huh? So, what does one do to mark this momentous event, but join the "FIVE" mailing and create some mail-art that is "5" (or "FIVE") themed. See results below:


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My Mail-Friend Superhero

Over the last 2 months I've been trading mail with an IOUMA member known as "I'm a Superhero and I can Fly and Shit". I've finally gotten around to photographing/scanning some of the works. I think it speaks for itself and, therefore, I encourage you to spend some time with it. Thank you.


Zombiesemics
By Superhero

Madonna without Child and PoemBy Superhero Aug.8, 2011

Zombie Book 1 (Front)
By Superhero July 30, 2011

Zombie Book 1 (Back)
By Superhero July 30, 2011

(Superhero, I hope I have the titles correct. Let me know if I don't.)

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I Get Cool Mail Pt. 2

This I received from a fellow Canadada mail-artist, Carl, from Peterborough. They are images Xeroxed from "The Metabolic Notebooks".
A good mail day it was indeed.
Hmmm...maybe I need to change the name of this blog...nah...

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I Really Get Some Cool Mail Somedays...

...like this:


This is the first "stuffy" I have ever received in the mail from my mail pal, Diane, in Illinois. And, in case you are wondering, no, it was not in an envelope. It came as is, as you will see in the next photo (which is why it is so cool):

The Boychild was so impressed, that he felt he should have it.
Hands of my "stuffy", Kiddo.

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Wise Words

Did you ever have a saying that just resonates with you? My mum always use to have one that she used to say to me (in Dutch, of course); "every sock needs an old shoe". To me, this meant, there was always someone out there for someone else. Great.
Which brings me to something that was said to me the other day by my most favorite cousin, who was in visiting from New Mexico. We were suppose to meet for coffee and breakfast, but our plans were waylaid by unforeseen circumstances.
I was telling my cousin how sorry I was that I would miss her time around. She told me that there was a saying about such circumstances; "If you wanted to make god laugh, tell him you plans." Wonderful.
This definitely will be in my thoughts anytime things don't go as planned.

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The Battle of Hogwarts Lives on My Coffee Table.

I have a really lovely glass coffee table in my livingroom. But, unlike most coffee tables, which house very expensive coffee table books, mine does not.


What it does house is a Hogwarts Castle. A Lego Hogwarts Castle.


This would probably be enough to cause a cardiac arrest to any number of interior designers; I can just imagine Colin and Justin busting through my front door and accusing me of a number of interior faux pas, especially having a plastic castle plonked on such a lovely coffee table in the middle of my living room (to be *truthful*, there was a time I wanted a "home heist", but not now.).


"Hogwarts" has been living on my coffee table since the Boychild built it at Christmas. I kept thinking it would eventually be moved down to his Lego table in the basement (silly me.).


I have to admit, it has grown on me. Whenever I'm on the phone, I sometimes find myself adding and moving around the "minifigs" to my own amusement (The Boychild will move them back to their "proper" places.). It's become a silent game of sorts between us. I suppose he'll eventually get fed up and remove it to the downstairs out of my clutches.
But, as I write this, "Hogwarts" remains steadfast.


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Toronto's First Postoffice

... A must visit for the postally inclined...




For Doors Open Toronto, I finally had the pleasure of visiting Toronto's First Postoffice with my family. Now, I know what your thinking; it's probably along the lines of "why would I send something through the post when it can just be just as easily be emailed?" It's faster, I'll give you that, but there is something of a personal nature that email lacks.



My son, who also wonders sometimes about his Mum's Mail obsession, found the activity of writing with a quill and ink letter engaging.



He especially liked how his letter could be folded into an envelope and sealed with wax. "Just like in Harry Potter!" he exclaimed happily.

Toronto's First Post Office is open 7 days a week (!) and is located at 260 Adelaide Street East in Toronto