My Mail Man

Merry Christmas presents from my mail.....male man....
He is the best -- red & black typewriter ribbons for my lovely Royal typewriter
(a gift from him last Christmas!) as well as some great old French ephemera.
He knows what I like.

And since I know you'll be asking, here is where he got the typewriter ribbon
Buy Your Typewriter Ribbon Here

He even changed the ribbon for me -- what a guy!

This isn't him....
but I love this French guy surrounded by  letters. I want to be covered in mail all year long.

More from my guy-- Washi and Dyno tape all stacked up and ready to use.
Some woman want jewelry or expensive gifts but I want mail art supplies.
(Sometime I will tell you about the taxidermy bat he gave me).

INCOMING
And of course I want mail -- and I was lucky enough to get all kinds of wonderful incoming mail all year long. Thank you to everyone who sent me mail (here from Isabelle in France and Stephanie in NYC and the fabulous Alice S of SF who sent me the red mailbox!).

My son is getting used to finding all kinds of crazy mail on the front porch and bringing it in saying "More Mail Art, mom"....he put the flag up on the mailbox and was outraged the letter carrier left it down. Funny.

INCOMING
Look at the rubber stamps in this from Peggy. I am just a little bit jealous...ok, more than a little....I want those postal stamps.

OUTGOING
To Tallie (thanks for the surprise)

OUTGOING (to Maureen)

OUTGOING (to Annejo)

OUTGOING (to Christine H)
Thanks for the French postcards!

OUTGOING (to Susan)

Thank-you note time for me!
 I am going to sit at my desk and write some thank you cards.
I hope it will come easier for me than it is for this girl...she may need a little help from above to think of what to write.

I can't wait to get into my studio and write some thank-you notes and type with that red ribbon and make some envelopes.
See you in the mail!

Merry, Merry and Lots of Mail

OUTGOING MAIL
This is a busy time of year but I am still finding time to send out lots of mail.
Sent out some vintage Christmas seals in clear envelopes. Maybe that cheered up the postal workers a little (as well as the friends who received them). 

OUTGOING MAIL
These little gifts all went out wrapped in red and gold Chinese paper.
Can't show you what's inside because that would ruin the surprise, wouldn't it?

USPO
Long lines at the post office -- hard to believe they have no business when you see the
long lines and the stuffed mailboxes.
Too bad the USPS doesn't get this much mail/boxes being sent all year long.

OUTGOING MAIL
I did my share, believe me. I don't even want to think how much I spent mailing all my boxes and international letters out this past Thursday....
but it is worth it to cheer up all my friends!

INCOMING MAIL
Received this wonderful box from my father-in-law in LA --
AVOCADOS!
He has a tree in his backyard. The box arrived all dented in and banged up so I was a little worried
but the avocados all made it safe and sound.
They are green for Christmas, you know.

LUNCH
Lunch is always involved in the plan.
Caffe Puccini in San Francisco. My favorite place for cappuccino and lunch.

MAIL ART
The SF Correspondance Co-Op had a party last Thursday night at the Center for the Book.
There was a lovely display of mail art by Co-Op members.

Mail Art
I see a couple of my pieces on this one...

MAIL ART PARTY AT CENTER FOR THE BOOK
Of course there was Food!
Food and letter press fonts (can you see all of them in the background?)
Food, fun, mail art, drink, a typewriter raffle which I didn't win..drats...this was way too much fun.
I think Jennie may be posting about the party so I won't go into any more details.
And check out her blog for some great crafting for Christmas at the last minute ideas!

Air Mail Envelope
(photo from Andria's blog)
This is a wonderful tutorial from Andria's Drawing Near Blog for making
little notebooks from airmail envelopes. She has some other good ideas too - like make your own washi tape -- check it out..
I know I"m inspired to make some.

OUTGOING MAIL
Told you I have been busy!
All of this mail went out on Friday......

OUTGOING MAIL
..........and all of this will be on the way today as soon as I finish this post...
I have only gotten six holiday cards so far so I am sure hoping
my incoming mail picks up this week.

BONNE FETE
Or, maybe, like they do in France people will be mailing out New Year's Cards
instead of Christmas cards. A good idea since everyone celebrates the
New Year.

Hope all your mail boxes are fat and happy and you are sending out lots of mail
to cheer your friends,

SEND GOOD MAIL -- GET GOOD MAIL

What's Old is New

The typists
I came across these old photos of typists in an antique shop last weekend.
Man, things have sure changed, haven't they?
See the typewriter on her desk? I wonder if she thought it was state of the art
at the time?
And wouldn't she be surprised to see how coveted old typewriters are today?
(in certain circles anyway)

Here's another gal -- that smile looks a little forced, don't you think?
Maybe her shoes hurt.

Now these gals look a lot happier, don't they?
They look like they might like to go out for a drink after work.
I just love the typewriter sitting on the desk and ALL those rubber stamps
on the left. I sure wish I could get my hands on them.....

Now here's some typists now (of the mail art persuasion). They look a little more relaxed.

Even guys can type now!

Here's my old beauty sitting ready to help me tackle my big stack of mail-to-answer.

Those typists from the 50's wouldn't know what to make of that big screen above the typewriter -
will wonders ever cease?

On a walk in my neighborhood, I saw this crazy mailbox. It's been there for a long time. I always wonder if it gets good mail. I think maybe I should send some mail art to it?

Vintage Christmas & Happy New Year cards -
vintage cards are quite popular these days too.

INCOMING
Got a couple of fun things in the mail this week -- I know my letter carrier is amused.
A bouncing ball from Kelly P and a tin from Millicent.

OUTGOING
I have been busy - I got to spend all day Sunday working in my studio and I sent all this out in the Monday mail.
Sent more out later in the week but forgot to photograph it.

HOLIDAY MOVIES FOR MAIL LOVERS
If you haven't already seen Miracle on 34th Street -- an old classic -- I highly
recommend it. It is a charming old film and the scene at the end that involves the US Postal Service is great!
Also recommended A Shop Around the Corner (1940) about two pen pals who fall in love (after
a rocky start).
Get out that popcorn and get cozy!

Cocktail Hour
I'd say it's cocktail hour here in SF right about now. Time to  wrap up the mail art
and sit down and relax.....

Hope you are all having a good December.

169 "Followers" -- Can we make it 170?
Some people dropped out and I wondered what did I do? Or not do?
Sometimes blogging can be a little nerve wracking......
...have fun you all!

Mail Art Party!

Holiday Event
The SF Correspondence Co-Op is hosting a
Holiday fete at the SF Center for the Book
 on December 15.

If you are in the Bay Area, come by for
a lovely evening of mail --
mail art, meet the artists, have some food and wine
and fun!

I'd love to meet you.
Hope to see you there.

                   

Beginning To Look A Lot Like You-Know-What

Ok, it is December 1st and we know what's in the air....
I am not a person is loves Christmas. I get into the holiday spirit about a week ahead of time.
But I do like vintage......and paper ephemera.....and playing with it to
make mail art.

All I want for Christmas is a stuffed mailbox like the ones above!

Holiday Stamps
I can break out my stash of holiday stamps......

and my vintage holiday mailing labels.....
(I swear, the old ones are so much more charming than the new)

And, of course, there are the old and very fun Christmas seals....

The colors have changed from (Halloween and Thanksgiving) orange to
Holiday Red!
I can't show you all the secret holiday projects I'm working on....because some of you will
be getting things in the mail.....
if you've been very, very good and sent out lots of mail this past year.

INCOMING
You know who you are (the good boys and girls). I have been so happy to receive
such terrific mail and make lots of new mail art pals here in SF and all over.

INCOMING
See what I mean?

You can get those cool Write to Me Please Postcards and really fun letterpress
bookmarks made by my pal Nina here
Nina's Neon Sprinkles Studio
Highly recommended!

INCOMING
Handmade envelope and letter on cool paper from SW.

INCOMING
The fabulous Kelly P -- as always, the most fun mail. This took about
eleven days to travel cross country from Chicago to SF but it finally made it.
I have driven cross country a lot faster but that's neither here nor there.
The day this arrived in my mailbox, I ran into my letter carrier earlier in the day, and she said
"You've got something interesting in the mail today".
YES.

INCOMING
Love the collaged and stamped cards from JU.

OUTGOING
From me out into the world....some "chicken mail", chocolates in the mail,
collages, letters....
I have been working hard to catch up but I have a lot left to do
so hang on if you are waiting to hear from me.

Listening to: Snow Angels by Over the Rhine
Working on: secret paper and ephemera projects to surprise friends
Eating: no more leftover turkey
Drinking: red wine and coffee but not at the same time

 Don't worry if you don't see your mail here, I don't have time to post everything I
send or receive.

Now, what's everybody else up to?

SEND ME MAIL!

Gobble Gobble

What could I be more thankful for on Thanksgiving than all the wonderful mail art I have been receiving all year?
I hope you all have been having good mail days too.
A happy mailbox is a stuffed mailbox -- better for the mailbox to be stuffed than all of you on Thanksgiving!

OUTGOING
Some of my outgoing Thanksgiving mail.....

Vintage Thanksgiving cards
I had a stash of vintage cards and decided to send them out into the world.
Quite charming, wouldn't you say?

It seems people used to send more cards - Thanksgiving, Easter, Get Well  - I think we should resurrect that and start making and sending more cards out.

These cards even had the original price stickers on them - 10  cents? 20 cents?
No wonder folks could afford sending cards.
I like to make almost all of my cards now rather than pay $4 or $5 for a card.

OUTGOING
Collaged postcard to Corrine at Dos Fishes

OUTGOING
Outgoing to Kelly P
Maybe she will enjoy an "Every Burger" for Thanksgiving.

OUTGOING

OUTGOING
I have been busy this week.
I sense a holiday slowdown coming upon me since I am the
"designated chef" for all the Thanksgiving cooking --
turkey, cranberry sauce, gravy, and pies!
I'd rather be making mail art but everyone ganged up on me so it  looks like I'll be in the kitchen all day tomorrow and not in the art studio.

OUTGOING
This went out yesterday....hum.....what could be inside?
I'm not telling.

Happy Thanksgiving Flowers for all you faithful readers!
Your support of reading and following and commenting on the blog is very much appreciated.
And, all the great mail has really been a pleasure to receive, so--

THANK YOU on THANKSGIVING!

(I know a lot of folks read the blog from other countries that don't celebrate Thanksgiving but thanks to you too and bear with me on the turkey.......)

Wishing everyone in the USA a Happy Thanksgiving
and
Wishing you ALL very Happy Mail days!

Stay tuned.