I ♥ bank envelopes.

I have been collecting these for years. I love the crazy patterns they put in bank security envelopes. I haven't really known what I would do with them- perhaps scan each one and use them as filler pattern in photoshop? This morning I thought I might make a pile of buttons out of them. The Christmas craft show season is getting close and I am not in the same making frenzy of years past due to the pile of client work I have luckily got recently. Still, I think I will do one or two shows this year beacuse I do so enjoy making stuff. Once I get going, I will be glad I did. I have a few sketches to turn into new silkscreens. I found 3 big frames in the trash which are perfect for some of them. I also might get cracking on a new xmas card image...One of my lame excuses for feeling slow to start is that my favorite zipper store has closed and moved to a tiresomely far off location. So have many other of my favorite fabric shops due to rising rents in the area they were. I imagine I can find a few zippers elsewhere though!

Comments

[miriam]

ehehehehehe! me too =)))
I collect everything with strange patterns...

[michal]

allow me to recommend the uber cheap http://stores.ebay.com/ZIPPERSTOP they are dirt cheap and have a huge selection.
you should scan them first and then make buttons. i love those simple patterns!

[lisa s]

i heart those patterns too! you have a great collection!

[tania]

:)
thanks!

[Snowbear]

I have been accumulating quite a pile myself--we should swap patterns sometime! Maybe Canada has better ones than USA though.
;-)

[Laural]

Those are great! I like the cbc logo one. I am feeling the same way about craft fairs this year. I am working full time now, but I have so much fun doing them (even though it's kind of stressful too) that I think I'll try to do one or two!

[Kate]

I'd never noticed them before! Strange as I've just been playing around with my Japanese fabric which looks just like that.

[abbyjane]

Wow, those are really cool. Thanks for opening my eyes to a new place to look for patterns.

[karina]

Mmmmmm, envelopes and buttons, great idea!
and craft shows, yes! Put more cuteness into the world for us!
It is always good for inspiration to make a series of couple of things.
You never know, you might just figure out the exact cutest thing the world is missing and have to go into mass production and have a Cute Factory and never have to work again in your life :)
Bliss!

[krissy]

you know, i never gave those envelopes a second thought until i saw a crafty idea in readymade or some other magazine a few years back. if i remember correctly, they used a bunch of those patterns to decoupage a shoebox. i like your idea (of making buttons) much better!

[rebecca]

I collect those too and infact last years Christmas cards were made from them!
http://www.flickr.com/photos/36348540@N00/
Looking forward to seeing yours soon.

[katie]

I collect these too! I thought I was the only nutter who enjoyed the range of designs! I use them to make paper - I make the pulp out of scrap paper with not much print on and then into the mix I put envelops that have been pulped a little less finely - the resulting paper has little bits of design scattered over it - it looks good! Badges is a good idea though!
x

[tania]

oh cool! i love to hear all your thoughts on these papers!
:)

[Marianne]

I use those envelopes to make paper collage illustrations. If you want to receive some patterned envelopes from The Netherlands, just let me know. I can send you some.

[Tanya Nichols]

You could do half digital half collage ........print out your images and cut the envelopes into the dress or a tree top or flowers....... So you still have your image but collaged...I LOOOVE that!!
I do love the buttons and I agree I looove bank envelopes!

[pnealwga]

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[tony brown]

Hi All,

I actually in in the process of doing large paintings from the security patterns on the inside of my credit card or bank statements. One of the things that I do is finding some kind of beauty or interest in very banal locations and showing those things to other people. That's sort of the basic version. I've also done some work with toilet paper patterns and paper towel patterns.

I'm trying to spend less time online and more in the studio but anyone that has questions or comments can always email me.

the first two paintings in the first gallery at this site are from envelopes...

tonybrown2.foliosnap.com/

Tony