In/Out/Hot

Suddenly, after over a week of rain, San Francisco has gotten hot -- and incredibly beautiful out.
I'm surprised I am getting any work done!
Outgoing mail from me.......

More of my outgoing (these all went out today).

Incoming---oohlala -- a beauty from France
and some great mail from AS (the rubber stamping queen) and Donovan B.

Look -- there is some actual space on my work table. Yesterday was 82' in SF, I opened all the doors in my studio and cleaned off my work table. Every once in a while you gotta do it. Now I can start making another mess.

Check it out -- clean work space!

I want to work on my Chinatown artist's book and need to spread out.

Lunch break

After lunch I came home to find these four postcards -- thanks to all,
Sara, Mary, Antic Ham (Ireland) and Kyra (Sweden).

San Franciscans are coming outside in droves to enjoy this incredible weather. We will be freezing in the fog all summer so every day that is warm and sunny is to be appreciated.

Happy Mail Day to all.

A Week's Mail

Incoming Monday

Incoming Tuesday

Wonderful Mailart birthday card from Dos Fishes

Incoming Mail Wednesday
Just one postcard - but a good one.
(thanks JP)

Thursday Incoming
(happily heavy on birthday cards)

Friday Incoming -- two from France and two 365 cards from Super Hero

My outgoing to NYC - both to CS -- I left page one out of the first envelope  so I had to send it in a second envelope. Both envelopes are Japanese themed. I don't think she'll mind getting two.

My Outgoing Friday -
a few Mailart 365 cards going out, and check out those envelopes made from a
Philatelic catalog.

It was a pretty good week mail-wise. I think there was more incoming than outgoing so maybe I need to get busy.
And I still have a birthday to look forward to.

Inspirations

Take a little walk with me around San Francisco.

Love these old Asian tins, the red and gold, the lovely graphics.
Yes, I have collected quite a few of them.
Happily, the new ones are very nice too and not expensive.

Shall we buy a Chinese newspaper? Great for mailart projects or wrapping presents.

And this is the Golden Fire Hydrant celebrated every April for being the one that saved my neighborhood in the 1906 earthquake.
It is repainted gold and decorated with flowers every year.

The lovely light in an artist's studio.

And, of course we have to stop for an inspiring lunch too.
I am always inspired by food.

Some rubber stamps for sale.

A shrine in a joss shop.
I am a real sucker for these.

A lovely old paint box.

A very San Francisco sight, a menu hanging on a gate.
Take one to make an envelope with.

Hope you enjoyed the walk and lunch.
If you enjoyed this, let me know, and I will show you more
from my travels around town.

Happy Mailing!

Sort Those Stamps

Let the sorting begin!
A fun project on a rainy day.

Soaking
My son walked in during the soaking phase and said "Mom, are you trying to re-use those stamps and cheat the Post Office?"
Well! Mail artist don't get any respect (not from their kids anyway).

Drying

Having fun sorting by colors

And look -- I realized I had wonderful little bits of  airmail envelopes and security papers and handwriting to play with......made a bunch of postcards for the 365 mailart project with the bits and pieces.

Here's another one....
Now what will I do with all those stamps?
I guess we'll see.

Send Good Mail --- Get Good Mail

Mixed Various

More envelope making over the weekend --
nothing is safe from me.
Busy hands help keep the mind off the terribly sad news from Japan.

Stamp Collecting envelope going out to Donovan.

Three Ghirardelli Chocolate factory envelopes on their way out into the world.
I went over to Ghirardelli Square on Saturday just to pick up these menus for envelope making.
Sadly, it is a major tourist trap but Ghirardelli Square is set right on the
beautiful San Francisco Bay and it is in a great location so not a total loss.
And I got some free chocolate samples.

Two postcards going out -- made from photos I took of vintage ads.
Wow, things do change, don't they?

From today's trip over to Japan Center.
Wanted to check in to one of my favorite San Francisco spots and see how everyone is doing over there.
And I just happened to spy this great airmail stationary while I was at it.

Washi tape.....always handy.

And last, a wonderful surprise arrived from my postal pal Shelita.
For my upcoming birthday (please send mail!) she carved me two really wonderful
MR ZIP
stamps. What fun I am going to have playing with these. Thanks so much, Shelita.

In the past few days I have received quite a lot of emails from postal pals from all over checking up to see if we, in San Francisco, are OK. Thankfully, there was no damage in SF, something we can be very grateful for. As you can imagine, we have a very special empathy for earthquake victims and there is a lot of sadness and concern for the people of Japan.

 

Outgoing and Incoming

Making lots of envelopes -- such fun.
These are from an old stamp collecting album,
ready to be filled up and addressed
and on their way.

A couple of Japanese magazine envelopes
already on the plane...

This one's for you, Garci.

Three more in the Mailart365 series

Outgoing letters
Sometimes I just feel in the mood to write a letter.

Mailart365

Mailart365 -- being a photographer
I have loads of old negatives and prints to play around with.

Feeling a bit sorry for myself yesterday, not a great mail week,
and look what showed up on my front porch from Kelly
(wouldn't fit through the mail slot).
and what a great surprise.
A CD too.

OK, I have absolutely no idea what this group is:
ELSEWHERE PHILATELIC SOCIETY
but with a name like that it has to be good, right?
Kelly told me about it and I had to join up.
It's based in San Francisco -- who knew?
Now you do.


Get busy and write some letters.
Make some envelopes.
Have some postal fun.

What Went Out

Outgoing mail

Mailart365
56.365
"Flyover Market"
Went out to a pal here in SF who recently went to India

Mailart365
57.365
"Thomas Cook"
Remember traveler's checks?
And Foreign Exchange?
Now I just bring my trusty debit card and hit the ATM.

Mailart365
58.365
"Enjoy Your Food"
Out to a Chinatown-loving SF friend

Mailart365
59.365
"Chinese Chop"
Out to a new 365-er who just mentioned she bought some chops

Mailart365
60.365
"Cottage Arts"

For Carter

and for Donovan (she likes sushi)

There is a surprise in this one

Last, a San Francisco envelope leaving town....

Write a Letter -- Get a Letter!