Visual Art Supply's 2nd Annual Sticker Swap

   CLICK HERE FOR TRANSLATION OF JAPANESE STICKERS!   

I was never invited to be part of a 'sticker swap' before. At least, not that I can remember. And, I probably would have remembered, due to my lifelong appreciation for the adhesive arts. My entry into the world of sticker appreciation started at age 6, when a summer in Honolulu was spent collecting all manner of colorful, puffy stickers. As incredibly gay as that sounds, I was secure in my masculinity at age 6. 

My skateboarding years were also marked by excessive sticker hoarding. With purveyors the likes of Powell Peralta, Zorlac, Alva, etc., it was a golden age for collecting stickers. While the vast majority of my collection are but a memory, I still have a 1986 Tony Hawk decal that awaits the perfect home on the back window of a yet-to-be-acquired vehicle.

In about an hour from now, Visual Art Supply will be hosting the 2nd Annual Sticker Swap. My understanding of the event is that anyone can bring stickers of their own making and, you guessed it, swap them with other attendees. There are a few 'well-known' sticker artists around town, and I am definitely not one of them. Still, I could not pass up the chance to scratch my sticker-collecting itch. As a result, I made some stickers!

I did not have much money to put into the stickers themselves. So, to make up for the poor, poor quality, I came up with the 'Value Pack' idea shown above. If all goes well, I will be forgiven for the shoddy stickers, and appreciated for the effort and designs. I do not know what brought on the attack against social media. It is never clear what makes me cling to this idea or that. The only certainty is the uncertainty itself. I find it best not to think about it.

My lovely wife also pitched in. Each sticker pack includes a few home-maders written in Japanese. If you were lucky enough to receive a pack, you can find the translations below. (click to embiggen the list)

Look at the time. Well, I am going to be late. Don't act so surprised