Skin to Paper

I had a super busy, fun day at the shop today,
and took lots of photos of everything,
but I left immediately after to meet up with Meryl at MCBA,
and didn't upload the pictures off of the camera.
But we worked on our new mail art project till 11:20pm,
and I'm super stoked on how it's coming out.
Here's a shot of Meryl getting it done.
Long days, kids.
I'll post some tattoo photos tomorrow.
It's well after 2am,
I just finished some tea,
and I'm headed to bed.

Forever.

Tim (from SuchLuck and Parking Block Publishing)
visited MPLS this weekend,
and I gave him a little mail/mail-art inspired tattoo.
We tucked it around a few other tattoos on his wrist,
and I think that pretty much finished off that sleeve.
We've been internet friend for 6 years or so,
so it was cool to have brunch and hang out irl finally.






















Speaking of mail-art,
after 10 years of sending art through the mail,
Meryl and I finally committed to a name for what we do,
and even set up a little blog.
We'll only post after we assume that everyone has received it,
as to not spoil the surprise of getting mail in the first place.
Four-Letter Press.
(or, Four-Letter Qress if you're rushing)

Meryl's Mom and Jim are also in town this week,
and they brought with them raspberry bushes from the farm.
We planted a whole row of them in the backyard,
and look forward to them producing some fruit in the next year or so.

It's kind of Spring here now,
but it snowed on Friday,
and there's plans for more snow tonight and tomorrow.
Not my plans, of course,
but it's happening all the same.
So we're having a little fire in the backyard tonight,
(a la albie rock)
and hopefully that will deter the snow gods from spiting us again.
I mean, it's late April.
Enough already.

Neither rain, nor snow, nor sleet.....

I got the best pile of stuff in the mail today.

I got some big, crazy, cursing house stickers all the way from Australia,
care of Oscar Devonian.
She's got a rad art blog,
and is Director of the Australian Office of Dead Birds for ilovedeadbirds.com

I also got the new mailart from Hope in Louisiana,
and this year they come with instructions on what to do with it next.
Pretty clever.
If you want on her mailart list,
I think all it takes is a little bit of monies and a nice word or two.

And the big package I've been waiting for finally came, too.
1000 postcards to tell everyone all about the Never Quiet, Never Soft art show.
And you know we did them up right.
16pt Dull Cover with Matte Finish is the sexiness
that my camera just can't pick up.
But go ahead and enlarge that image anyway.



















I'll be sending out tons of these promotional cards all around MPLS,
and will have a pile at Identity Tattoo as well.
We'll be dropping details of the show little by little all month.
And then we'll see you there.

This week's mailbag.

Our house (Louderhorn Inn) gets some serious mail.
Postcards, mail art, gifts,
save the dates, hatemail; the works.

But then Ryan went to Florida last week,
and we get a coconut dropped on our porch by the postman.
An eff'n coconut.
(it cost $3.25 to send a medium-sized coconut through the mail)

















Also this week,
Pamala (the knitting cat recipient) sent a package to the shop,
with these two knit gifts inside.
And there was a typewritered note explaining the yarn isn't wool,
but instead a cotton/synthetic blend;
making it not only awesome, but vegan, too!
I can't imagine how I deserved these,
but they are so dope.


















Meryl and I are starting our art mailing back up,
since she's doing all the letterpress and book arts stuff lately,
and has access to all the wonderful tools and presses.
And we're both busier than ever before,
so of course we want to add even more to the pile.
She'll be gathering addresses soon,
and will probably post the finished products on her blog.
I'm not one for documenting outgoing mail art,
so if you aren't getting it in your mailbox,
check it out there.

Delivered.

Mail art.
I don't ever talk about it on the internet.
It just doesn't really belong there, you know?
Except today.
11-11, kids.
Never Quiet Never Soft is printing, stamping and mailing for the holiday.
Just ask, and it's yours.
Both of them.
And for free.
Go get em.

Art on Ice.

Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes.
Unless it's winter, and then there's none.

Ice fishing shanties pop up on the lakes each winter,
and I love everything about them,
except for the fishing part.

Luckily, this is Minnesota, so we have the Art Shanty Project.
There's 20 different themed ice houses on Medicine Lake,
(super close to Identity Tattoo)
and Meryl and I spent a few hours there today.



The highlights were the Shan-Tea (hosted by bearded ladies),
the ArtPost Shanty (the world's only post office on ice),
and the Art Swap Shanty (which we swapped some art with).



We're back inside now, of course,
staying warm and working on mail art.