I consider the beginning of my street art adventures to be my first yarnbombing, but the truth is, I was doing guerrilla art even before that. I used to buy blank sheets of labels and write on them. When my friends didn’t have any ideas for what to do that day, I would bring blank sheets and Sharpies and we would go stickering.
Stickering is very easy and fun. It’s truly a small piece of happy that you have to look for to appreciate. The majority of my stickers go on poles, and most of the time, people walk by them without thinking. They’re so common, they blend in with the scenery.
My writing on label days aren’t completely over, but I have advanced. I now have a Xyron creative station, similar to this, that I use to make my own stickers. Anything can be a sticker! A postcard, something I cut out of a magazine, or found on the street…just add adhesive! It’s one of my favorite possessions, filling the room with potential. I turn paper into stickers and I take it to the streets.
A list of things that made a penpal happy
Once, I signed up for Postcard Poets, a service that send your poems on see-through postcards. I thought they were so beautiful that I felt guilty keeping hem. Check out their project!
This is something I made, per Michelle’s idea list, when we first met and went out stickering and leaving notes for strangers in 2012. It just resurfaced.
All of these stickers were installed in the same day in the Inner Harbor area of Baltimore. There is a row of poles next to the main street, and I added one sticker to each pole. I realized that a man was following behind me, giving me space, but checking out each sticker once I moved onto the next pole. My first instinct was that it was creepy, but I didn’t mind it. He was genuinely intrigued.
Have you ever tried stickering?
I have always considered getting a sticker maker but I have never made the leap. I always fall back to why should I buy this $40 machine when I can use glue or tape to achieve basically the same thing. So here I am, asking you to sell me on a sticker maker. Why should I get one, what are the perks? What can I do with it that I can’t do with glue or tape? Please advise!
I like all of these things you posted here so much especially the random list of things your penpal likes. It really makes me want to have a penpal again, among other things.
I really enjoy your blog. I’m so glad that you commented on my blog (thank you) because otherwise I may never have found yours. I’m going to have to add you to my blog lovin’, yay!
Just discovered your blog.
It is great, positive and full of colour. The world needs more colour! Keep doing what you’re doing, it’s fab.
Red
I never even knew that something like the Xyron existed! Now my life will never be the same!!!