Istanbul: Large and Small

Haga Sophia
In Istanbul many buildings are on a very grand scale like this.

I just realized I never posted the third post about Istanbul post offices,
so here you go---

The Blue Mosque
And like this...

PTT
The Main Post Office is quite large too..

As is the PTT MUZESI
(Postal Museum)

I appreciated this sign being in both Turkish and English.

So, what happened here? This little post office is a tiny bit pitiful. I feel sorry for the guy cooped up inside there all day long.

MEKTUP -- LETTER
This is more like it!
Just after I took this shot a guard came running up saying "No Photos".
What is it about post offices and no photos?
Wouldn't you think they'd want people to enjoy seeing the beauty of these buildings?

These old wooden cubbies are great for filling out forms or writing postcards.
And speaking of postcards, the PO was giving away delightful free postcards of Istanbul rooftops and a cup of tea. I took a few. OK, more than a few.

INSIDE THE POSTAL MUSEUM
Another very sneaky shot. This time there was a sign saying "No Photos" and a guard who had my husband's passport.
But I couldn't resist. (Maybe it's the newspaper photographer in me). This is what we call a "grab shot". In other words, not real great. I wish you could see the collection of fabulous vintage Turkish
mailboxes they had there. I especially loved the one with the Arabic writing.
At least they could have sold postcards.
I'm just glad I didn't end up in a Turkish prison... and neither did my husband...

Don't buy your stamps at the postcard shop. Go directly to the source and check out  a post office. You'll be happy you did.
I found packs of vintage Turkish stamps at a market too...

Then you can go have some lunch. Turkish soups are wonderful...
in fact, all the Turkish food we had was wonderful.
I came home and go about ten Turkish cookbooks from the library.
Bring on the meze and raki.

I really, really miss Baklava

This wraps up the travel posts (for now, anyway). Now I am back to working on my mail art projects -- Lunar New Year cards, Valentines and joss paper posts and projects. What are you working on?

Have a great weekend, you all!

                             
                                 

Up to?

Postal Tea

I've been busy roaming around and having fun. One of our Correspondence Co-Op Members hosted a Postal Tea on a recent Sunday afternoon.
An absolutely lovely way to spend some time.
Talking and drinking tea and eating home-baked treats.
And, when this gang gets together there are always goodies.
What's a party without a goodie bag?

JU made some fabulous little vellum treat envelopes filled with vintage stamps and old
postcards with postage still on them. Yes, you do have to add postage to bring them up to current prices but the old stamps on the cards are still good.

Yes, there were cookies....and scones...and jam...and....
good stuff....
Chickens too. Yup, they live in the backyard.

And then yesterday my husband took a walk in the neighborhood and found this sitting on the sidewalk -- perfect for stationery storage!
Of course he picked it up an carried it home. Many blocks. What a guy!

OUTGOING

I have been really busy the last three days getting the mail out. It was a three-day weekend here and that gave me some extra time to work on mail-art.

OUTGOING

An Elvis mailing - has Elvis left the building?
The answer is yes.

OUTGOING

I seem to be on an air mail binge. You never know what will set me off.
Outgoing to -- Isabelle, Millicent, Christine, Vizma, Stan, Tallie, Cathy, Marilyn,
Garci, and a few more...

Lunar New Year Stamps

These beauties weren't easy to get a hold of -- took three tries and I had to go downtown.
Incredibly one postal clerk didn't even know what I was talking about when I asked for the Lunar New Year stamps. Shouldn't the clerks at the PO actually know what stamps are coming up?
The same thing happened today when I asked for the new Apple postcard stamps.
No luck with getting those.

Chinatown

I also spent a lovely morning exploring the streets and alleys in Chinatown.
I had to go shoot some photos for my upcoming blog posts for the
Lunar New Year. Stay tuned -- you get a tour of joss shops and a show-and-tell on some mail art I've been working on.

I just don't think you can go wrong with red lanterns against a blue sky.
Beautiful weather here in San Francisco these days.
I should take my art supplies outdoors and do some work in the sunshine.

Happy Tuesday everybody.

Three Little Post Offices

Tomales, CA Post Office

A Saturday drive on an incredibly beautiful California winter day.
Blue skies, white clouds -- and post offices.

Doesn't this photo look a little like a painting?

My long suffering husband knows he needs to put on the brakes when I see anything postal.

Mail In Boxes

I'm jealous -- sometimes my mail isn't delivered till 5PM or even later.

Tomales, CA

Lucky for me, all three PO's were closed on Saturday so I could take photos to my hearts content without getting thrown out...

Valley Ford Post Office

This is the famous post office where I got to hand cancel stamps with Postmaster Dave Bordessa...
A happy afternoon indeed.
Dave is sadly gone now but the memories linger on.

Valley Ford PO

This PO even has it's very own painting.....

Valley Ford population is only 126 -- can you imagine? But they are still very friendly in a number of languages. 

Bodega Bay, CA Post Office

Hum....I wonder if Alfred Hitchcock mailed any letters here while he was filming The Birds?

My business IS postal business!

I would guess most of the things mailed are "Out of Town" since the town is so small.
And Netflix gets its very own mail slot?

And then there was lunch...of course...had to feed my devoted driver who stopped the car and waited for me to take postal photos to share with all of you.

Hope you enjoyed the Saturday drive in California.

Now, back to making mail-art and collages -- I'll show you next time.

Oh! And BTW -- this is my 200th post. Happy Birthday to the blog.

Send a Letter -- Get a Letter

Clean Slate

Vintage Paper Fair

January may be a clean slate, but the top of my work table isn't....The fabulous Vintage
Paper Fair was this past weekend and I had so much fun I forgot all about taking photos . But I've posted photos from previous fairs so you have seen some already.
It seems I spent about two hours at the 25-cent guy tables and came away with some
great old cards to use in my travel journals and to mail off while traveling...

Back to the Studio

So, I lit a few candles and got busy in my studio....I have been feeling a little
deprived with the holidays interrupting all my art-work fun...
(very big thank you to Alice S. for mailing me that fab Thai postbox)

Good, cheap fun..

I am so easily amused....this 25-cent book from 1944 and a box of old snapshots a pal
gave me has kept me happily tearing and pasting and making collages for hours.

Joan Crawford Envelopes

I grabbed a bunch of these envelopes from the 25-cent box to tear up to use in collages.
When I got home and turned them over, I was quite delighted to see who sent them.
I posted these on the Cappuccino & Art Facebook Page and it is true, Joan Crawford lived at those
NYC addresses.
Too bad the letters weren't inside but pretty fun for a quarter.

Travel Journal

When I wasn't tearing and making collages I worked on my travel journal.
Picked up some vintage Venice postcards on Saturday at the Fair to add in. Almost done but I am trying to cram in as much ephemera as I can inside...

ITALY

I have been looking at Mary Ann Moss work on her fabulous journals on her online class
Ticket To Venice

I recommend her class if you'd like to learn how to make travel journals in her style,
travel along with her to Venice (via videos) or just enjoy watching her work on her journals and get inspiration.

Venice Pages

Turkish Chocolate Bar

I had to eat the chocolate bar in order to get the box -- duty called!

A letter?
No.....my IPhone case. Pretty nifty for a mail-obsessed person, wouldn't you say?

Stacks (and stacks) of trip photos.....Now I've got to get busy and design and make a book to put all my trip photos in. This will be quite a project. Better get it finished before the next trip.

Then there's all that mail to answer and catch up with....I'd say my work is cut out for me.

January 2013

But January is blessedly free of holidays and commitments.
Well, there is a Postal Tea coming up next weekend. And Lunar New Year  and
Valentine's Day mail-art exchange...
totally do-able

Santa Cruz Post Office

I thought this PO was quite creative with the bright pink paint. Normally hot pink isn't a USPS color, is it? I like it.

Check out my LA: Then and Now book made for Susannia -- right here -- and her lovely mail blog too

So, Happy New Year to all of you lovely readers and mail lovers.
I do hope it is a good year for the world.

PEACE IS THERE IS YOU WANT IT

Be kind. Try some random acts of kindness. Send a lot of mail.