DEBRA MULNICK - Works posted on LEAP DAY 2019

[Bradford]

[Debra Mulnick]

Wow.  I like that this was lost, then found it years later.  The red lettering on the envelope is what I refer to as “flocking” - a sort of 3D fuzzy surface somehow printed on there.  I got this and several other old FDC’s all with this same flocked print/imagery, which have various United Nations themes - in a wonderful Antique shop on Crete, Greece.  A town on the north coast called Rethymnon.  I fell in love with the town and the shop.  The owner told me he goes to estate sales and buys old mail.  I found these in several drawers full of old paper - a dream come true for any mail artist.  I have a few of these left still if anyone is interested in receiving one.  Thanks for the in depth review and posting Bradford.  I just thought you chose not to respond........

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

What a treasure to discover behind a file crate!

Debra did a fine job on those artistamps, even with the "crazy-edge" scissors!

Luv' em all!

[Bradford]

I've always admired Debra Mulnick work and the choices of media she makes.  Little did I know until I opened an envelope today that I had several of her Artistamps just waiting for me to find them.  Another delayed posting due to "losing" this unique piece of Mail Art and its contents hiding behind a file crate, unopened yet still fresh after almost 2 years after receipt of same.

Originally, the enclosing cover for all works was an FDC (First Day Cover) issued with United Nations stamps on the 15th of June, 1964 for Trade & Commerce commemorative stamp issues.  Since then, it languished unadorned with any other attention devoted to it for over 55 years until Debra got to work adding the 22¢ Connecticut stamp issued on the 8th of January 1988, a Romanian Telephone stamp, denominated 60 Bani from the late 1970s, all franked with an uncancelled USA Forever Foreign Trade commemorative stamp.  In fact, this mailpiece escaped all automated markings including initial spray-on delivery barcoding as well as the fluorescent orange barcoding that normally appears on the back.  Such was her handmade efforts that no robotic encroachment appears after her rendering.

She handstamped the enclosed envelope from Garcelon Stamp Company with a date one day previous to her note.  This envelope housed the Artistamps as well as some State of Idaho Revenue stamps.

The first artistamp is a Crackerjack Kid (Chuck Welch) work that has the most feathery wisps of paper fibers I've ever seen outside of certain species of long-haired domestic felines.  It that sense, it mimics the tufts and tendrils between the toes of the kitten napping on my right thigh as I type this. 

The second stamp is one of Debra's with a note she inscribed on the back, calling it crude, but I strongly disagree.  That stamp and the next three are delightful and show the handwork involved in their production.

The last four are actual goverment-produced stamps from the state of Idaho to collect revenues from those involved in the trade of alcoholic beverages and sale of produce, ironically effect the counting of beans, if you will.

Here typed note completes the missive as the address was also typed from what appears to be the same apparatus and includes a collaged graphic referencing part of her message.

Note: The red lettering on the cover is also wispy and is evidence that this was handled outside the normal process or it would have born the signs of soil and wear had it gone through those fast, automated, sorting machines.