Fun in Town

(Fabulous) Incoming Mail
After a not-real-good mail week last week, today I got the most wonderful
mail from Karen who just can't stop carving stamps.
Check out her great post and prepare to get inspired!
I know I'm inspired but I'm even more happy to have received these two handmade beauties
to play with.
How lucky am I? Thanks so much, Karen.

INCOMING
Some other great incoming mail on Saturday...finally feeling cheerful...

Incoming
Thanks to Cecelia, Roberto, Kelly P, Alice & Catwrangler!

Lunch
(There's always lunch)
Ankake ramen at Hotei here in San Francisco.

SF SCRAP
How about a little afternoon visit to Scrap? This spot is like catnip to artists of all kinds.

SF SCRAP
Walk in and get ready to explore....

SF SCRAP
Is this making you just a little bit crazy?

SF SCRAP
Here is Jane showing off some of the packs of stamps at SCRAP.

OUTGOING MAIL
I have some things going out....
(Mr ZIP rubber stamps carved by Shelita W.)

OUTGOING

OUTGOING

OUTGOING
There it goes! Off to some of my postal pals (some of whom have been VERY patient).

Spring?
Hang on...it is coming. These tulips are at the Ferry Plaza Market Marketplace.
Very cheerful, don't you think?

Thanks for the great mail everyone.
Let me know if you all start carving stamps.
Special thanks to Karen.

Happy Mail!

                                                                         

Mail Art All Day

Enveloping-making time again!
A $1.00 1916 Kids book made for a lot of fun making envelopes (and that red embossed cover is find of fun too).
These fairy tale envelopes are ready to be filled up, decorated, taped, stamped
and sent off into the wild world of mail.

More Envelopes ready to go!
Just add labels and letters and stamps.

ENVELOPES
More from the same book -- for my friends who like birds (you know who you are).
That patriotic eagle on top kind of goes with the USPS logo, don't you think?

LUNCH BREAK
There always is a lunch break!

OUTGOING
A bit of outgoing on Friday....

OUTGOING
These will be mailed off first thing in the morning tomorrow because today is a
No Mail Monday.
No fun but this long weekend is allowing me to do some catching up.
I have outgoing to Canada, New Zealand and South Africa.

OUTGOING
And, more going out tomorrow. Yesterday was Mail Art All Day.
Very fun.

From the Letter Writing Social last week -- Caroll W made his cool collaged card
and I love the typewriters and the flying fingers in the background.
Caroll made some really great hand carved stamps too.

MAIL BOXES
Fill 'em up! I got a postcard from a friend in a band saying he and the other band members
stopped at a thrift shop in their travels and found a great stash of old
postcards, which they snapped up and then all the band members sat around writing postcards.
He said I'd be proud -- and I am!

SPRING?
Looks like Spring is coming to San Francisco. Beautiful plum blossoms right in my own backyard.

                                                                               

I want these!!!!
Anyone (maybe from Canada?) who can send me a stash of these labels in French?
I will send you something back in exchange. I hope I don't have to wait to I manage to get to Paris
to get my hands on some of these.
In fact, I'd like to have them in as many languages as possible and I'm happy to trade.

This long weekend has been fun and productive--I have made a serious dent in my
huge pile "to answer".  Haven't gotten to all but I am feeling hopeful.

Hope you all had a good weekend ( either a long or short one depending on where you live).
May your mail boxes be happy.

Now, time for me to get back to work.......

Too Much Fun (Letter Writing Social)

Letter Writing Social at ARCH
 here in San Francisco.

If you want to learn how to make this valentine -- here you go!

All I can say is --

LETTER WRITING SOCIAL
.....thank you Annie and Carolee and Arch.

This was a great way for spend an afternoon, typing, pasting, stamping,
with so many creative people.
I take no credit in organizing this, by the way, just documenting with some photos.
Carolee & Annie did all the work.

Carolee supplied the typewriters...

and every one was put to good use!

And Sally W brought her script typewriter along and it had a waiting list...
I think it may have been the most popular typewriter there.
I tried not to hog it.

To have a social, you need a flyer!
And a welcoming space and a bunch of letter-lovers.

Typewriters are not absolutely necessary but they sure add to the experience.

That's about as far as I got typing my letter....it was just a little too much fun
and too distracting to concentrate on writing my letter.

Carolee & Annie supplied lots of cool stationery and rubber stamps.
And everyone brought things to share, washi tape and more stamps and Valentine cards...

Some incredibly nice person (Sally) even brought the new LOVE stamps to share.

Aren't typewriters beautiful?

A good time was had by all.....if you are wishing you were here, think about
starting your own Letter Writing Social.
Let's revive the art of correspondence and have fun doing it.

The letter writers came in all ages, as you can see! Start 'em young!

Happy Valentine's Day -- Happy Letter Writing!

                                                                             

Seeing Red!

RED
It seems to be that time of year -- no, not Christmas -- think Red Hearts and lots of chocolate,
maybe some champagne or a bottle of wine by the fireplace....
you know...

RED
I am in a Valentine swap with members of the San Francisco
Correspondence Co-op.
(if you're in the swap -- don't look at the rest of this post or you won't be surprised!).
I was having a little trouble getting inspired but once I set out the
sheets of red and paper paper and the vintage heart doilies and those
cool old vintage hearts I started getting in the mood....

Vintage photos
A pal gave me a box of old photos that were inspiring too.....

RED

RED/PINK
I got busy and cut the paper into postcard size pieces....using my vintage, deckle
edge paper cutter...

RED
Check out those edges!

Et Viola!
The finished edition of 2012 Valentine postcards...fun to make and (I hope) fun to receive..

Vintage Valentine Cards
I think these old cards with a kid typing and a postman are quite charming.

PINK
Looking out my back windows I see -- PINK! Even nature is in on this.

Yes, someone has been playing with her apps....

Now if you haven't already made some Valentines, better get busy.
Valentine's day is coming right up, February 14.
If you don't want to make an edition, make just one for someone very
special to you --  your mom, grandma, best friend -- make someone happy!
You won't be sorry.


And take at look at Red Letter Day (on the left). Jennie H is very inspiring for Valentine's Day too...


Have a sweet one!

What Came First? The letter or the envelope?

Handmade Envelopes
I've been on an envelope-making binge lately.
It's so much fun to cut and fold and paste.

Many times I design an envelope around whatever it is I am mailing.
But sometimes it feels good to have a big stack of
cool envelopes ready to go.

OUTGOING MAIL
Handmade envelopes heading out into the big bad postal system.

Handmade Envelope (with vintage stationery)
I like to try to match the stamps to envelope if I can...
silverware stamps on this food envelope and bird stamps on the bird envelopes.....

Handmade Envelope
This one is sitting on my mail-scale. A necessity for a mail artist in  my opinion.
I weigh 'em all and so far none of my envelopes have been returned "postage due" (knock on wood).
This scale started off as a food scale but I find it much more useful to weigh my envelopes.

OUTGOING
More handmade envelopes

OUTGOING
The postal workers at my favorite PO are so incredibly nice -- they let me
photograph my outgoing right at the counter after they stick
all the various labels, stamps and customs stickers on.
I'm sure the people in the line aren't as thrilled as I am. I make it very quick!

OUTGOING
This is a surprise for someone!

Lunch!
A country drive on an incredibly beautiful day here in the Bay Area. Yesterday I went to
Point Reyes Station.
Oyster Po Boy for me and chili for my pal.
We will most likely pay for having this mild winter weather and no rain
so we may as well enjoy it.

INCOMING
The fabulous mail from Alice S just keeps on coming. She is too much.
I need ideas on what to send to her.
Anybody?

INCOMING
Another extremely cool idea from Carolee GW .  

Post Boxes

Make someone happy today -- make some envelopes.
Send some mail art!

Next Saturday (February 11) is the Snail Mail Social at ARCH
from 1-4 PM.
See any of you there?