CappuccinoandArtJournal

Mostly postal but art and other things of interest too.
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Monday, January 26, 2015

More paper -- This time It's Asian....

Wow! You guys really like paper, don't you? So many delightful comments on my last post (about the Vintage Paper Fair).
Thanks to all of you who comment.
My whole studio looks a little bit like the VPF -- I do seem to collect old paper ephemera.
This is a little bundle of vintage Chinese paper -- calligraphy books, old booklets, a small book of Chinatown photos, odd bits and pieces -- all tied up with a red ribbon -- like a present for me.

Vintage Chinese Booklet
I have been lucky enough to have found a number of quite old booklets  -- they have lovely drawings and I love looking at the characters and wondering what they say.
I am lucky enough to have a number of Chinese friends who translate them for me.
Chinatown/Lunar New Year Zine

I love this time of year here in SF. The Lunar New Year is well celebrated here, especially in Chinatown. There is a wonderful outdoor flower market and the streets are filled with good-luck citrus and flowering plum or cherry blossoms.
I love seeing all the flowers and the big piles of orange and yellow citrus -- tangerines, pomolos, Buddha's Hands....a great time to visit SF for all you folks back east who are about to get buried in snow!
I made a little zine to celebrate.
Too bad each one can't come with a tangerine!



I always like to personalize a zine but adding rubber stamps and tape and stickers or whatever I can think of to make each copy a little unique.

Most of these Asian rubber stamps I picked up at the free table at the SF Correspondence Co-op -- lucky me!
But I did buy the take-out container stamp and the hand with chopsticks.

Some vintage greeting cards....

I also made some cards with photos I've taken (that is one at the bottom). And I picked up a stack of free postcards at the Asian Art Museum and folded them in half to make little booklets for the Year of the Ram too. (top right).

Some envelopes ready to finish up -- top one is vellum and bottom has a see-thru panel -- I love peek-a-boo envelopes, don't you?
Pink/Red Chinese enevlopes
I love using these envelopes too but I did find out the hard way I have to really tape them up because they tend to break open in transit.
Wouldn't want my zines to fall out, would I?
I also made some cards using old photos and watercoloring the card stock and envelopes...

Vintage Chinese Booklet (cover)


Collage
A pal just returned from a trip to Vietnam and brought me back a bunch of paper ephemera she found there.
My friends sure know what I like.


So, my work table is covered in reds and golds and joss paper. Zines are getting folded. Envelopes are getting labeled and stamped. The 2015 Lunar New Year stamp is about to be issued here in SF.
I have had a horrible cold for over a week and really didn't accomplish nearly as much as I wanted to but I am working on all this.

And, guess what?
I just noticed the is my 300th post! 
That is a lot of blogging. 

So, to say thanks -- or xie xie -- to you guys I will pull one name out of a hat 
and send a Lunar New Year mailing out to the lucky winner in about a week.
Leave a comment if you're interested......and I'll put your name into the hat.

Send Good Mail -- Get Good Mail

53 comments:

  1. Pretty paper everywhere! Your zine looks awesome :) Do you sell your zines anywhere??

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    1. Tara -- if I ever get an Etsy shop up and running I will sell the zines but now I don't.....

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  2. of course i am interested. i know of the magic that you make!
    thanks!
    & happy to see a certain someone must be feeling better. glad to see it!!
    fingers crossed...

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  3. Wonderful post as always Pamela. Glad you are feeling better now. Happy almost Year of the Ram.

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    1. thanks so much, Ms. Lee -- I know I am early for the Lunar New Year but February 19th is right around the corner.Looking forward to going over to Chinatown and getting some Ram envelopes....

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  4. You are so creative! I love seeing what you come up with.

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    1. thanks, Cindy -- always a challenge to keep thinking up new things to do....but I try...

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  5. Thanks Pamela, for always sharing your artsy work and treasured finds! You are an inspiration.

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  6. RAM? I know a Ram or two *wink*. What a fantastic post, Pamela- you've been a busy girl. I hope to see one of those zines OR some Lunar mail. Put me in your hat...and can I stay there for a while? Hugs.

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    1. Oh yes -- another Aries, Miss Millicent.....you know you are always on my mailing list...

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  7. And of course I'll leave a comment so my name can go in the hat! Yes, I love paper, and Chinese paper is always so beautiful. Wish I could just put my hand through the computer and take some of that lovely pile you have there.

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    1. TomoyoHime -- I wish you could too -- international postage is soooo expensive....

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  8. Congratulations with your 300th posts. I love to read about your paper adventures. I still am using the papers and other artsy stuff I bought in SF a year ago! Mostly from places you had told me. So thank you for all that. Greetings from the Netherlands.

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    1. Hi Nina -- cool that you are still using the paper you got in SF and all the way in The Netherlands. I have a big box of it and pull it out every time I get inspired.
      Think you'll ever come back and visit again? I have been wishing I could visit Amsterdam again....

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  9. Love what you've done with all your finds. And thanks for sharing so that my recent trip to SF was fantastic. You're the best. Congrats on your 300th post!!

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  10. You are definitely the Queen of Ephemera! Love all that Asian stuff. Hope I'll be getting a copy of your CNY zine! xo

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    1. Connie--well, I have been going to Chinatown for years and years and picking stuff up.....lol.....

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  11. The ephemera is wonderful by itself and then you add your magic touch and it becomes spectacular! Congratulations on your 300th blog!

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  12. Pamela,
    Being born the Year of the Ram, I always said it was the year of the Sheep!
    Great stuff you've unearthed again! So much of it reminds me of my childhood. No one would have thought to keep it to make art!
    Rosemary

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    1. Rosemary -- I read it called either the Year of the Ram or Year of the Sheep.....being an Aries, I like rams so I'm going with that....thanks for commenting and happy Lunar New Year (soon).

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  13. Happy 300th!!! (haha our blogs are equally old). This brings back such good memories from SF Chinatown. My hotel was just at the foot of Chinatown so every evening I went to the old chinese bakery and bought my breakfast for the morning after. Every time I bought a moon pie all the old lady said was "only one?" :-)
    Love the colours red and pink together! SF SF SF I miss you!

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    1. Marie W -- WHY didn't we know each other when you came to SF? Come back! And we will go get moon cakes together!!

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  14. what a fun comment, Linda -- than you. I wish I could hear your mother's stories about Tet. I hope you are documenting the stories somehow -- these things are treasures. And i collect things off the ground too -- I love to go after the Chinese New Year parade and pick up all the fire cracker wrappers to use in collage. So fun. Where do you live?

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  15. What a treasure trove. I bet your studio looks like paper/ephemera heaven. Congratulations on your blog success. Lots of ephemera lovers out here in the world who are drooling over their computers! Please put my name in your hat as I would love to feel some of the ephemera you collect.

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    1. kit -- thanks -- I do have a lot of ephemera...I TRY to either use it or display it to enjoy -- and share it -- so it doesn't overwhelm my studio....

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  16. Some beautiful visual imagery, Pam!

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    1. thanks, shams -- and please -- never "pam'.....it's Pamela......

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  17. You are certainly the Mistress of Ephemera! What a wonderful bunch of stuff! I've used some of the marvelous papers you shared with me, but mostly I just take them out and fondle them from time to time!
    And 300 posts, Congrats!

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    1. I know exactly what you mean, Linda -- I fondle my papers too! paper lovers unite!

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  18. Okay it's official you have the best paper stash in the US. xox

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  19. Oh wow, those photos are wonderful. I can't even pick a favorite piece you found but the vintage Chinese papers are sooooo great. Love the vintage shots of San Fran that you made into cards.
    I have a goal to send out a minimum of 20 Valentine greetings this year. Most are already primed with address and stamps. My postman is going to get a shock of pink and red soon!

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    1. chandlerguara -- watch your mailbox next week! So glad you like everything! I don't know if I will make Valentines this year or not.......maybe....

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  20. Ohhhh...I too am an ephemera addict! I've been drooling over your photos!

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    1. Ephemera lovers unite! Happy you drooled...I mean liked...the photos, pollie!

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  21. I love those old Chinese children"s school books and the lady in the peek-a-boo envelope! Everything's so bright and colorful!

    In the other comments, you asked where I was in VA. I'm in Floyd county. It's quite a ways south west from Petersburg. The town of Floyd itself is tiny but quite a happening, artsy place. If you ever have time to take a detour down this way would love to take you to the Friday Night Jamboree at the old Country Store. - You can check it out on You Tube.

    Please add me to the names in your bucket, and congrats on the 300th post!!

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    1. Polly -- that sure sounds fun! i will keep that in mine never time I visit VA. Glad you enjoyed the post and your name is in the hat. I will pick one as soon as my next blog post is ready to go.....

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  22. I really like those Chinese booklets...great imagery. Congratulations on your 300th post...that's awesome!

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    1. Thanks, Andria! I love those old Chinese kid's books too.....they are getting very hard to find these days..

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  23. Linda--I am not familiar with that area actually....but only an hour away? You can visit SF pretty easily then....

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  24. Oh my, such an interesting blog to read and see!!! As a retired teacher, I love those chinese children's books!! Awesome stuff!

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    1. Thanks, Az -- glad you enjoyed the post and the kid's books...nice to see a new name pop up in the comments. Thanks for stopping by.

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  25. Do you ever sell a post office or fed ex box of chinese paper stash or Ephemera ? We do not have access to these fun things in MN

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    1. I have thought about doing that but haven't actually organized anything.....I want to open a ETSY shop and planned on selling vintage papers and joss paper packs and my own work....but haven't had the time to set one up....

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