FCMA Pass and Paste 1

I’ve always loved pass and paste postcards, so I figured that I’d start a series within this group.

To start a pass and paste postcard:

1)Take a 4x6 or 5x7 blank postcard back(can be a cut up cereal box or other sturdy material...basically the base that you would use when starting a handmade postcard) and divide the front into 3-5 sections using a pen or pencil. The sections can be made any way you like, but try to keep them somewhat equal.

2)On the back, write your address in the area where the address usually goes.

3) Divide up the area that messages are usually written in into the same number of sections that you have divided the front into, so that every artist can write a quick message in their own “writing space”.

4) If you would like, create your own art in one of the sections on the front of the postcard. If you would like to establish a theme to your postcard, be sure to request that artists follow the theme by writing it on the back. You can also leave the front of the postcard empty and let the first person that you send it to create the first piece of art.

5) Pop the card into a decorated envelope and send it to your partner!

If you already have an established pass and paste card of this type in your possession, feel free to use that instead of creating a new one.

When you receive the postcard from your partner, create your own art in one section on the front, write a little message in the corresponding section on the back, and hold onto it until the next round! If you receive a postcard with only one empty space, create in the last section, then add some postage and put it in the mail (without an envelope), and it will go back to the starter who put their address in the address spot!

Small but important detail: Please send your pass and paste postcard to your partner in a decorated envelope. I personally love to create and receive mail art envelopes that people have put time into, and since this is a mail art group, I hope that you do as well.

Finally, I’m sure that I have missed some vital piece of information here, seeing that the instructions and description are a bit complicated. Please let me know if you have any questions, see any mistakes, or are confused about anything. I apologize for the length of the swap description, but I wanted to be clear for people who haven’t done pass and paste swaps before.