I'VE BEEN A MEMBER OF IUOMA FOR EXACTLY 14 YEARS!

[Valentine Mark Herman]

It changed my life for a long time and provided a channel for some of my creative urges.

I founded some Groups -- including Manhole Covers, Cat Lovers and Groucho Marx -- and organised some international exhibitions of envelopes, post cards, phone boxes, etc in which many of you participated.

And the IUOMA sign you see at the side of this page is one of my earlier ceations that Ruud adopted.

Now I have more or less retired -- old age has caught up with me, and the cost of postage has overtaken me.

I wish y'all well for the next 14 years....and beyond.

Val

[Ruud Janssen]

enjoyed all your creativity over these years. Hope you will have a wonderful next 14 years and even more.

[Ruud Janssen]

we all get older but with a wish to create even more.....

[awyn]

Thanks for your mail art, Val--especially your teasingly inventive alphabets! 

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

My dear Valentine, thanks for creating all the fun groups to make life at IUOMA so interesting :-) I, too, am slowing down, age and horrid postal service in Greece may be going the way of Denmark? 'Will still keep in touch with you in beautiful Sigean. Stay creative, stay young at heart! 

[Mim Golub Scalin]

Hi Val

i don't know how long I've been a member. Hmm! 

So that means I've sent you mail for a long time  

Yes to old age slow down and life getting in the way  

So far I'm able to keep up with postage. I think it's costing

more from your direction. Anyway, I'm sure you'll be keeping busy.
best wishes always

mim  

[Zorica Obradović]

Mark,👏👍❗

Kudos on 14 years and your creative initiatives!

I've been in this game since February 11, 2024 (experimentally, and the plan was to stay for just one year). Every 2 or 3 months, I plan to call it quits. But then, I receive some inspiring mail art, or a new artist pops up with content or a personality that fascinates me... and I give up on giving up. Anyway, I hope I'll age a bit faster than 14 years... 🤣😉💃

[Carmela R]

Greetings Val,

Thank you for providing opportunities for participating in your many calls for mail art,  and your humor. I've enjoyed being part of your mail art experimentations. I've also had to scale back because of the limitations of aging, you are not alone. Wishing you many more creative hours, days and years!

Carmela