Amazing Mail

Would you just look at what I found on my doorstep on Monday?
My postal pal Kelly is really out-doing herself.
The photo really doesn't do it justice.
Even my son and his best friend were impressed and trust me, they are not easily impressed by anything.
I just love this sushi bento box.
Arigato Kelly!

And from Julie --- all the way from Germany -- just look at those hearts and  decorations.
Every one of them stayed on. I can't believe it.
The USPO and the Deutch postal service working together.
How cool is that?

This is only SOME of the incoming I have been getting this week.
Now, you ask, what have I been doing?
Well.................

Santa Cruz Beach and Boardwalk beckoned......

You can't blame me....just look at those beautiful blue skies and that blue ocean.
And it was about 75'.
Perfect.

And there was lunch.
Chowder and a crab sandwich.
What is a mail artist to do?

Ok, I did finally get down to work and here are just a few of my outgoing.

Yes, I did take them to the post office and get things into the mail.

Going out to Texas.....hope it gets there. A vintage Texas apron in a zip lock bag.

Bye Bye

Send A Letter to Get a Letter!

What did you do this week?

Incoming/Outgoing/Too Much Fun

In France, sometimes birds deliver the letters.

A happy lady reading a letter from a loved one....

More fabulous incoming.....

Some of my outgoing hanging out on the post office counter.

Outgoing
I have really been working hard this week trying to reduce my pile of
"To Answer".
A postcard series came to me in the middle of night....

Took a short break from mail art to make up a batch of lemoncello.
If you don't know what that is, you should (trust me).

I particularly liked this one. Hope it has already arrived and I am not spoiling the surprise.

Ok, one more break for a Vietnamese lunch at the PPQ.

Oh boy, all this arrived yesterday, I guess I am not catching up at all.
But I am NOT complaining.
Keep sending me mail (please).

Has anyone read the rumor that the USPS wants to deliver mail only three days a week?
My letter carrier just told me that.
I hope to God it is a rumor and not true. This could be very painful for mail artists and snail mail lovers.

Last night was our third Correspondence Co-Op meeting hosted  by Miss Red Letter Day herself.
These meet-ups are just too much fun.
There was an appearance by the Burning Man PostMaster himself -- James Cline.

Busy, busy - socializing, working on mail art, trading supplies and stories. Everyone has so much to share.

And traveling to Mail Art Land, you need a passport, of course.

With special visas and artistamps.
I have got to learn how to make artistamps. Put that on my to-do list.

Just look at these amazing beauties -- made by Sally W -- San Francisco vintage Muni (bus) Fast Passes.
These are just too cool for words.

I guess that's a wrap, folks. Love to hear if anyone knows about the postal delivery cut-backs. And, I hope all of you mail lovers in the sweltering parts of the US and staying cool.
You could always visit the Cool Gray City, San Francisco, if things are too hot.

Remember, you can also "Like" Cappuccino and Art Journal
on Facebook. I am going to post more photos on he page so check it out.

Happy Mail Day to all.

Really Great Mail

OK, right after I do this post I am going to go sit at my desk and  start working on some
mail art.
I am so lucky with getting the best mail ever -- and I am so behind in responding.
(It might help if I would stay home more but there are just so many great things to do in San Francisco)

After that I'm going to go to the mailbox and mail off everything I make today.
Hummmmm....see that wet stuff on the top of the mail box?
That is "fog"....no, not rain......

This has got to be my favorite mail art received this week, sent by my pal,
KP. She is just so talented and creative. The letter is a book made from recycled security envelopes
and all kinds of other things (including some joss paper that I sent her).
Little pockets and windows and a whole interactive thing going on here.
I just love this.

Then, this arrived from her on my front steps. I just know my letter carrier was smiling.

A letter on a plate!
Who can resist this? 

And from Tallie, three French postcard collages. Very cool. She was inspired by the French homework SuperHero and I sent her for the Homework Show at Mindport.

Uh-Oh...
All the mail wasn't good though. See that REWRAPPED by the US Postal Service tape on there?
I tried to buy a camera from a friend and this arrived, insured, but no camera
inside. Very disappointing. Did someone steal it? Or did the envelope open and the camera fall out? We'll never know.

And this areogram from Catwrangler also arrived open - but I think it was just a matter of "old glue" on sealing well. Great typewritten letter inside so no harm done here.

A little something from Alice written in the special room just for writing letters at a Canadian Post Office., Toronto's First Post Office in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
"Quills even" according to Alice and that terrific post mark.
I want to go.

I promise to be hard at work all day on catching up with my outgoing.
But I reserve the right to go have some sushi for lunch.

And check this out --

Daily Postcard

My pal Christine H. has a great daily postcard blog and she posted two cards from my collection. Plus a little story about cyber-pals.
Check out the post and Christine's great blog and enjoy your day!

I'm going to go write a letter.........

and I'll have some shots of my outgoing next time.

To Get Good Mail -- Send Good Mail!

Inspiration Books

I was just reading a favorite blog of mine by Mary Ann Moss called

Dispatch From LA

and she writes about her Inspiration Books. Well, I have Inspiration Books too
and here are a few.

(Be sure to check Dispatch From LA - it's really great)

I am a photographer in my real life and very visual so I have always loved to cut out
images that I like.

Anything that catches my eye......

I love to cut and paste (and glue).

You can make your own Inspiration Book by cutting and pasting anything and everything
that looks interesting to you. It's really fun to leaf through the books and get inspired.

Beautiful roses, pink and green china....

Beautiful food.....

That third book from the top is my LUNCH inspiration book. My long suffering
husband has to stand by while I take pictures of all our lunches out.
(Sometimes he just wants to eat)

Inside cover

Inspiring lunch at Shanghai Dumpling

Tostada lunch with the chips container glued in....
I like the books to be bulky and have a lot of texture. I add menus, business cards,
napkins, chopstick covers and anything else I can glue down.

Besides cutting, pasting, glueing and eating, I did get all the stamps mailed out
yesterday to all the winners of the USS stamp give-away (so watch your mailboxes).
Also made up a set of collage postcards and sent out to the the folks who attended the
Letter Writing Social.

Playing catch-up now (I owe a lot of folks mail).

Hope the Inspiration Books inspire you to make one too.

Send Mail to Get Mail
(and have fun doing it).

Till next time.......

A Postal Weekend in SF (and the Give-Away Winner)

Letter Writing Social on Friday afternoon at Rare Device
here in San Francisco -- hosted by the lovely ladies of the Letter Writers Alliance
Donovan and Kathy.
Lots of members of the local letter writers posse showed up.

Of course there were typewriters to be shared -- and vintage stationary -- and
a LWA stamp.

Miss Curbside Treasures herself -- typing away. Annie worked the Renegade Fair too.
This is one busy lady.
She was at the UpperCase Magazine table and reeled me in. I took one look at that
amazing magazine and signed up for a subscription.
Check it out--

UpperCase Magazine

A good time was had by all - people were waiting in line to type but I caught this shot in a
rare quiet moment.
This was a great start to the weekend.

The next day.....
Saturday (and Sunday) was the Renegade Fair at beautiful Fort Mason.
It's wonderful to see so many people
making beautiful handmade goods.

I made a bee line right to the 16 Sparrows table where Kathy and Donovan
had an incredible assortment of beautiful, handmade, postal themed wonders.

16 Sparrows

I hate to torture you but.......
(I wonder who bought that cool vintage mailbox).

Kathy and Donovan run the Letter Writers Alliance too.

Letter Writers Alliance

I love this space set right on the SF Bay.
The library has the Big Book Sale here every September too.

At the Renegade, you can get a poem written on a typewriter just for you by this lovely lady.
Here's her web site -

The Poetry Store

And, of course, after all that shopping and spending money, lunch must be had!

A thing of beauty....
Donovan showed off her well-organized stamps at the Letter Writing Social --
and I thought I was organized!
Isn't this a great idea?

And now, what you've been waiting for, the winner of the give-away.

***CINDY***

Congratulations, Cindy  ( I'll need you to send me your address)
but it's not over yet --
so many of you left me such nice comments I am going to
divide up my second sheet of the USPS stamps and
sent out a strip of ten stamps. I have ten strips so the first
ten people who email me their address will get a
set of the ten stamps in the mail.

(ok--got the ten e-mails & stamps will go out soon)

But keep checking the blog -- I will have more give-aways
coming up to keep things interesting.

In the meantime, thanks for reading the blog and commenting,
and don't forget --
To get good mail, you've got to send good mail!

Have a good one everybody.