Parcel Post

When I was very young I used to be fascinated watching assistants in shops tie up parcels with string. In those days before parcel tape, everything seemed to be tied up with string. Rolls of wallpaper seemed to me to be the most difficult, but the shop assistant could tie up three or four rolls of wallpaper in the blink of an eye and provide a handle to carry it with. Miraculous! All gone now, of course, except in the luxury goods market, where there's always someone who can tie a bit of ribbon into a fancy bow.

I was reminded of this when I came to tie up my Disintegration Parcel.

Through a late reading of Annie's Ink Haven, I found out about Seth's Disintegration project. I should have been aware of it already, but since the failure of my RSS Feeds system, I've been missing out on those bloggers who don't have the Followers facility (a Boon and a Godsend).

Anyway, I thought this was a triffic idea, so decided today to make up my own parcel. It's not a particularly inspired choice of materials, but in my defence I claim my current state of coughing and sniffing (my first cold of the winter). Inside my parcel is

• a printout of my scary self-portrait
• a leopard skin print paper bag
• a sheet of orange tissue paper
• a leaf from my grapefruit tree
• a coffee filter with contents
• some rusty screws
• some pieces of onion skin
• some wool
• part of a charcoal drawing
• a sample of watercolour paper
• a piece of a coloured drawing
• all wrapped in a large piece of sturdy cartridge paper with part of a painting on it
  

And here it is tied up as best I could with finest string from Austin, Tx, and stamped with my old Mail Art Reuse Me stamp.



Finally, here it is hanging in the old pink cherry tree (now just as likely to have to be recycled itself, unfortunately). The jackdaws and magpies may have a go at it, because it's hanging near the bird feeders, but I think it might survive. Just after I hung it, it started to hail. I take this as a Good Omen.

On May 1st, the parcel will be opened.