Mail Art Exchange
PSST – the 🌊OCEAN edition of our Mail Art Exchange is coming soon – Join us!
The Elevated Envelope Mail Art Exchange will return in January 2025. We’ve already got a theme – it’s 🌊OCEAN. (Think deep, dark, underwater, blue, sea creatures, uncontrollable, earth!)
Get on the list so you don’t miss it! You’ll be notified as soon as the registration form is live.
What is The Elevated Envelope Mail Art Exchange?
The Elevated Envelope is an artistic envelope swap (AKA mail art exchange or mail art swap).
What do I do? How does this work?
- The mail art exchange occurs about twice per year: Get on the list so you don’t miss it!
- You’ll be assigned to a group of 4-7 participants.
- You will have about 30 days to create your envelope art on the specified theme: 🌊OCEAN
- Drop your creations in a postbox by the deadline.
- Everyone in your group will also send their creations to you. (Yay!)
Why join the Mail Art Exchange?
- Mostly just because it’s FUN and KIND.
- It’s a great way to jumpstart creativity in your life; it will spark something (old or new) in you.
- You’re trying things (maybe new things), prioritizing creativity and challenging yourself as a result.
- The small scale of an envelope means you can experiment quickly with different media and techniques. It also means you might fast-track your skill development.
- Dropping your original artwork in a mailbox is an exciting act of bravery in and of itself! Will it really get there? It’s a fun experiment; a little act of faith.
- Receiving mail art is so much better than the usual bills, ads, and junk – and it’s so interesting to see how others interpret the same theme.
Who can participate?
You! The Elevated Envelope is open worldwide, to anyone who wants to send and receive creative envelopes like the ones featured on this site.
More details:
- Remember that you will spend money on postage and whatever envelope art supplies you require.
- Participation is FREE, but I have created a Patreon for The Elevated Envelope, which helps keep the project going.
- Group assignments and additional instructions will be emailed to you on the start date.
- You’ll have about 30 days to create and drop your envelopes in a postbox by the deadline. Everyone in your group will also send their creations to you. (Yay!)
- This mail art swap is open to worldwide participants. Must be 18+ to participate. Children can “help” if you want, but the main contact must be an adult.
Mail Art: Have you done a swap before? Do you have more questions?
Leave a comment on this post!
What a treat to get your email today! Yay, you! for taking the brave and scary adventure of moving to Ireland. Although I have always loved playing with paper, I didn’t participate in mail swaps until I stumbled upon The Elevated Envelope. I think I participated in one or two before you took a breather from hosting the swaps. I remember for one theme (around Halloween, maybe it was scary things?) I used a book of plant diseases to make envelopes. I also did a bee themed envelope. I always received such wonderful mail in return. Ideas are floating around in my head as I think about participating in The Elevated Envelope and reading about your art and adventures in Eire Mail.
Hi Cathy – It’s great to have you back! Thanks so much for your kind words. Soon I’ll post photos from our old swaps on this page (as examples for new people), and I could swear there is at least one bee one around here… Could be yours! Thanks again 🙂
Hi Tara! My name is Ellen, Lou’s mom. She sent me your email to sign up for Mail Art Swap. Don’t know if she told you but her dad, my Mike, is 2nd generation US born but his grandparents owned a plantation in Galway. Hence Mike’s middle name is Galway. Lol We have visited Ireland 3 times and loved it more with each trip. Hoping one day soon we will travel with Lou and meet you in person! I’m so excited about your business! Sincerely, Ellen
She did tell me you are “hibernophiles” ! I’d love to see Lou and you here someday – I’ll buy you a pint! Thanks for saying hi, Ellen 😉
Hi Tara! It’s great to hear from you. Kind of amazing to realize I have the same email address after all this time. 🤣 I’m not moving as far as you, but I am relocating from Texas to California. I’m 55 and I’ve spent my entire adult life in Dallas, so rural Northern California will be quite a change.
Hi CarolAnn – I’m originally from TX, as well – ahhh… California… I bet you’ll love it! It’s great to have you back – glad you kept that email 🙂
I’ve found your blog from a post on the friendliest craft forum in the world (lettucecraft) I love getting and sending happy mail. It really brightens up my day. Also I live in Ireland too, and there aren’t enough crafters here! We need to unite.
Oh that’s great, Edel! It’s great to have you here. I think I’ve heard of Lettuce Craft – I’ll go refresh my memory. Maybe we’ll have a mail art meet-up someday 😉
So excited! This was such a fun project so many years ago!
It’s great to have you back in it!
So excited to have the Elevated Envelope resurface! What fun we had the last time. Best of luck to you in Ireland – what an adventure for you 🙂 Looking forward to participating again ~
Thank you, Traci! Excellent to have you back in it!
Wow! How cool to see that envelope I made so long ago! I really enjoyed this! I was exploring with watercolors at the time. Looking forward to doing this again!
Hi Jessica! Your envelope is a favorite – can’t wait to see what you create next 🙂
I am excited to have found you again after so long. I participated in your Mail art swap back in 2012 with the theme Malicious Surprise.
I am excited to join for more mail art. Thanks so much for existing!
That is so nice, Maggie! Thank YOU for existing and for looking me up again – happy to have you back!!
I had an idea for future swaps of maybe a lighthouse theme, or anything about the sea? Also thought about landscapes as well.
I like the sea idea – putting it in the hopper!
Hi Tara,
I was part of an earlier exchange, can’t exactly remember what year. I have scans of my envelopes on another computer. I’m excited to get creative in this way once again. Since the last time, I owned and operated an Art Gallery for 8 years. I’ve since retired but my inspiration comes from the over 40 artists that I represented.
Thanks for doing what you do. Can’t wait to be part of another great artistic exchange!
Lois
Hi Lois – welcome back! Yes, I remember your name… I will search for your envelope(s) – I probably have them!