alyn carlson: junk mail hats

i had the pleasure of seeing alyn carlson's beautiful watercolors (which i wrote about last month) when i was visiting yes gallery and studio last month in rhode island, and now i'm happy to share something entirely different by alyn with you! these hats are all made out of junk mail. yes, junk mail. and grocery bags, too, all collected from recycling bins. i love that!

alyn will be showing her hats in a one-day-only show in rhode island on august 15th-- they look incredible! you can see many more photos on her flickr page, too.


here is what alyn says about the upcoming event:

I'm installing a turn-of-the-century milliners store at the AS220 FooFest on August 15 in Providence, RI. All of the hats will be made from junk mail and grocery bags I've gathered from friends and my own recycling bins. I've made some discoveries. As a graphic designer I'm getting much joy from cutting up those hideous direct mail cards no one reads and I am blessed never to have to design. I'm proud to say most of us receive very little junk mail but sad that no one ever gets a personal letter or lovely cancelled stamp anymore. I will have many of the beautiful antique letters from my ephemera collection as part of the show. The paper hat merchantile will also be graced by proprietor, Madame Alyn, a southern belle from 1912 who's just blown in with today's trash. She'll be assisted by the lovely art elf, Missy Allison Bruun. Please mark your calendar for the one day only art exhibit and performance. Psssst.. don't forget to check out the Madame's paper bustle, rumored to be fueled, fluffed and feathered by old love letters, poems and IRS notices.

if you're in the area, i would highly recommend going to check out this show!

ps: i want her cheek bones! {so.jealous.}