The Graceful Envelope - Finish

Background and bus glued down to the front of the envelope. I used Yes paste and a brayer to make sure no bits would stick up and get caught in postal machinery.

With stamps in place, it's hard not to second guess the design. Does it need more? Should I add words? What are the judges looking for?

Good or bad, this was it. The entry had to be postmarked by 25. Feb. so it's not like I had a lot of time to come up with something else.  Off I went to the post office. N was manning the counter. Before I absolutely hand the envelope over, I always ask if there is enough postage. I usually have another spot I can put another stamp, if needed. N measured the envelope with a template. He pushed the envelope through a slot in the template to make sure it wasn't too thick to go through a mail slot. All entries have to be delivered through the US Postal Service. No outer wrapping or putting the entry in another envelope are allowed. Pronounced it had sufficient postage, N carefully hand cancelled both stamps, made sure the postmark date was clearly visible, and placed the envelope in the pick up box. The only thing left to do now is to wait for May when the results will be made public.

Graceful Envelope from Start to Finish - Part 3

Across the front of the envelope in white ink which doesn't show up in the scan, are the lyrics to The Wheels on The Bus.  Around the perimeter of the envelope, are the words to the verse I made up done in a loose Roman capital with a Gillotte 303. The people on the bus can sit where they want, thanks to Rosa Parks. I measured the stamp and left room where the stamp would be placed.

I wanted the overall effect of the envelope to be whimsical and childlike. Decided not to rule lines and used lower-case Copperplate for the hand.

The pen point caught the fibers of the paper or a blob of paint and made the "f" turn out quite fugly. I blotted it with a wet paper towel and then erased what I had written as the ink was still wet. I had used Ziller Glossy Black ink and when wiped it smeared a bit darker in the one spot. Waited for that to dry and then brushed on some gesso over the black area like white out. All this because I was too lazy to cut another sheet of paper, paint the background and letter. I was hoping to salvage my work. When the gesso dried, I applied another layer of black watercolor and plastic wrap. The writing would be difficult to see so I switched to Winter White Ziller ink. Not bad.

While the paint dried, I used watercolor pencil to color the bus and cut the bus out. The paper glued to the front of the envelope, plus the bus cutout would, most likely, cause the envelope to go over the one ounce weight for first class mail. Another stamp would be needed. I decided the flag stamp would fit nicely on the grill of the bus.

Graceful Envelope from Start to Finish - Part 2

In past years, I've sometimes made my own envelope. Usually, I find a blank envelope the size I want to use in the makings for greeting card box. That's what I did this time around. The back of the envelope isn't judged.

I cut a scrap of better quality paper, whatever my hand finds in the scrap box. I used a piece of Arches 90 lb hot press, watercolor paper which when the design is completed I will glue to the front of the envelope. I use this method because 1.) greeting card envelopes are not usually made from high quality paper, and 2.) the fear factor is taken away because if I make a mistake, I won't blow the envelope. I can always cut another sheet of paper for the front of the envelope.

To address envelopes, I always use an acrylic ink either Ziller or F. W. The acrylic ink won't run if the envelope is delivered on a rainy day or the postal carrier has sweaty hands. (-;

I wanted to paint a textured background for this design using gouache, an opaque watercolor, and plastic wrap. Laying scrunched up plastic wrap over the wet paint creates interesting crystal like patterns when the paint dries. When the paint dried, I used black or blue ink to see which showed up and which I liked better. The gouache background was too bold so I decided regular watercolors would give a more subtle background.

Rather than paint a school bus, I decided to draw, color, and cut the bus out. The cut out would give the envelope some depth and whimsy.

Graceful Envelope from Start to Finish - Part 1

A lot of thought and planning is the first step to any creative venture. With The Graceful Envelope Contest, the first step is to thoroughly read the rules. You can spend time designing a gorgeous entry, but will instantly be disqualified if your envelope is too big, too small, or doesn't fit the theme.
Judging is based on the interpretation of the theme including the stamp(s) used.

The theme for 2013 is Change. Since the stamp will be an important design element, the next stop is USPS.com You can browse all the stamps, but pay attention to the issue date. Not all stamps will be available for use. It also helps to make friends with the counter clerks at your local post office. The clerks can tell you when new stamps will be coming in. Be kind and schedule your visit when your post office isn't busy.

I decided to use the Rosa Parks stamp. In 1955, Rosa Parks refused to give up her seat on the bus to a white man. She disobeyed the separatist law at the time and was arrested. Her arrest sparked a boycott of the bus system. A year later,  the U.S. Supreme court agreed that segregating buses was unconstitutional. Her quiet act of defiance changed history.

I like to use the largest size envelope allowed for my canvas which is a booklet envelope measuring 6" x 9". Postage is determined by size and weight. If the envelope is large, an odd size (square), or too thick to fit through a postal slot, it will require extra postage. It used to be something like 11 cents more, but with the latest postal increase, I'm sure the extra postage amount has gone up, too. Your friendly, counter clerk will be able to tell you the exact amount. I don't worry about the nickels and dimes and just plan on using a second first class stamp on my envelope. The new freedom, liberty, equality flag stamp would be the perfect complement to the Rosa Parks stamp.

With the stamps picked out, a stream of consciousness approached helped me to visualize the envelope design. Besides Miss Rosa, bus was first image I thought of. Then school bus. Then kids on the bus singing The Wheels on the Bus Go Round and Round with a made up verse: The people on the bus can sit where they want, thanks to Rosa Parks.