Clap Your Hands

Remember that kid's song that went like this --
If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands
??
Well, I'm happy and I know it and I'm lucky and I know it and I have the most amazing mail artist pals who really know how to put a party on through the mail.

I just had a week of lovely and amazing mail from my most generous and incredibly talented friends.
I just have to show you....

(envelope from my pal Kelly P)

From the amazing  Dori S. -- a beautiful handsewn zippered pouch to store mail art treasures in, along with a sewn tri-fold card.
I am going to love using this --  and think of Dori every time I do.

Just look at how the card opens up -- so cool. I would have been happy just to get the card. But nooooooooo
I am not giving the zippered pouch back.

Just wanted to be sure you saw the stamp on the zipper pull. Dori doesn't miss a detail.

And then......The lovely Connie Rose.....made me this incredible book.......I have been drooling over the photos she has posted of her books for months....

Take a peek at the inside pages....they are all different...

....and all are beautiful. I think I will just have to put this beauty inside that other beauty (Dori's pouch) and carry them both around with me all the time....

I'm lucky because my pals know we well.....and they still like me. I wouldn't say I'm always early but I am definitely always on-time and I hate it when people are late....
sometimes when I'm meeting a friend who I know is always late I try to arrive late and I never manage to do it...

My co-op pal, S Wurlitzer knows how much I love typewriters and look what she gave me -- so cool. And that wrapping paper was very cool too. I am betting it will find it's way into some mail art.

I don't know why but I keep think of Alfred Hitchcock when I see this photo.....

Miss Millicent -- mom of THREE LITTLE KIDS -- somehow managed to find the time to sew and create this fabulous little book for me...I do not know how she does it....
she is another Aries and has that Aries energy but still...

Look inside -- peek-a-boo windows and a stamp head!

Soooooo cool.....I think this will have to travel with me in that pouch too.....

I am just so amazed at how talented and creative -- and generous - my friends are.
Thank you so very much to each and every one of you who made my birthday very happy and very special.
I am so grateful.

If all that isn't enough....we had a SF Correspondence Co-Op meeting last Saturday and we have another one coming up on April 6th.
It is so wonderful to spend an afternoon with so many friends and lovers of mail.
Our leader, Jennie Hinchcliff, was busy stamping co-op passports and spreading the love for good mail.

SWAP and Collage Table
We had our swap table and everyone left with some treasure. And a bunch of folks got busy and started making collaged postcards.

And....there was food....and wine....SF Center for the Book hosted this meeting so we could all take another look at the XPF Mail Art Show too.

Show & Tell
I brought some things for Show and Tell.....a good time was had by all. And we we talking about how lucky we are in be in San Francisco and have this wonderful mail art community and so many art events to go to.

Next time I will show you what I've been working on --- besides thank you mail -- including collages, origami folders and putting my studio back together.
It has been a very busy and happy week.
Thanks again to all of you for the good wishes.
Thanks to everyone who texted me, send me snail mail, posted good wishes on FB, made me beautiful things and brightened my entire week.

SEE YOU IN THE MAIL!!!!!!!