Hi Caroline,

Welcome to letterboxing! I am sure you will get varied responses to your queries and this is just my two cents worth.

I am familiar with Bookcrossing and just had a look-see at the Found Art site to see what it was all about (*Sigh*..wish I was artistic). Planting a letterbox with a favorite book or piece of your artwork to share with a finder would seem like a good idea. As a letterboxer, finding someone's personal artwork in a box would be a pleasant surprise. After all, we all take the image of the box owner's handmade stamp away with us and many of is would consider these personal stamps art.

Since we are such a diverse group, IMHO, your idea probably would not be totally out of line with the spirit of letterboxing. Some may interpret your idea as somewhat akin to geocaching, a hobby where you take something from a cache (planted and found using a GPS from clues on the www.geocaching.com site) and then exchange what you take for something you brought with you. I have never geocached and so do not know if personal artwork or books are ever found in caches.

I would just be very careful about where you hide your letterbox in terms of potential for discovery  by those with ill intent and vandalism on their minds. Many letterboxers advise discretion in their clues when a letterbox is hidden in a very public place. In that respect, smaller is better and a container large enough to include a book might be more difficult to conceal for both yourself as well as those who find the box and attempt to stamp in and rehide without drawing alot of attention.

Do you plan to replenish the book or art periodically or just leave something there for the first finder? If the latter is your plan, then after the first stamp-in, you might move the logbook and stamp into a smaller container for better concealment.

Enjoy your meanderings! You did not tell us what part of the world you are from.

Linda a/k/a Alafair

Central CT

 Caroline Tigeress wrote:

    I'm new, as in very new to letterboxing, and rubber stamping.  I'll
be figuring out what I want for a stamp, and probably draw it out, to
have it have it made, as I'm dangerous around sharp impliments (so my
parole officer tells me :o)) I also participate in a number of other
activities, and want to sort of ask questions?

    I do some exchanges with various other programs, BookCrossing
(http://bookcrossing.com/friend/LilKitten
<http://bookcrossing.com/friend/LilKitten>) and Found Art
(http://www.found-art.com/index.php).  I'd like to know if it's
considered appropriate to leave books/pieces of art in letterboxes (to
be found and taken by other stampers).  I'd like to leave my first box
in the next few weeks, and want to do it *correctly* so to speak.  I
probably will never be an avid stamper, but I think it's a wonderful
excuse to get out and meander the countryside, and meandering is
something I do *really* well :o) 

    I thank you very much, and look forward to your opinions/input.

    Caroline Tigeress

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http://www.carolinetigeress.com
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It is that which is stronger than the strongest armour.  It is that which is sharper than the sharpest blade.  It is faith, forged from mercy and honor.  Do that which is honorable and just, in the most compassionate way that you can, and it shall never fail you.

Pagan Proverb
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