making me some atc's

I'm making ATC's and I can't stop! But I don't really want to anyway so all is good....
and, in case, someone wonders, ATC stands for
Artist Trading Cards.

I got the idea of cutting up some of my vintage French postcards for making ATC's. They make a terrific background and the backs often have writing or stamps that are cool. Win-Win!
The two on the bottom here have a theme a la francais...

Then you've got your air mail theme....

I love using my paper ephemera for making these....air mail stickers, old stamps, vintage post cards....anything paper and postally related is fair game.

Here's a Russian theme ATC. I love Russian postage stamps and when I was in Russia I picked up A LOT of postal forms at a beautiful post office in St. Petersburg. I'm planning a whole series of travel/postal ATC's from the countries I've visited....

Another old French postacrd as background....I can get two ATC's from each postage. The perfect size.

Some French and Russian themed ATC's...

Here is another clever idea...if I do say so myself...I see these pre-paid postcards all over and often for less than face value. The postage is good but of course you have to add to to get up to current prices...I got a whole, wrapped set of these for $3..but what to do with them?

How about this? I made two ATC's on each one to mail off to mail art pals....when the postcard arrives, they can just cit along the center lines and have two Postal themed ATC's that went throught the postal system...

Don't you think this is a clever idea?

I made them with on up-side-down to make them easier to cut....

Anybody want one? I will randomly pick one person who comments and send you an ATC postcard through the mail....
and I wouldn't mind if you send me one back..
In the meantime, I'm going to keep on making ATC's...
I just can't stop.

Cappuccino Break

Whew--I need a break. Cappuccino time!  I have so much more to show you (I've been busy) --
coin envelope booklets and little folders filled with surprises and outgoing envelopes...but i think there are enough photos here to keep you happy for a while.
The fabulous and fantastic Vintage Paper Fair is coming up this weekend in SF. If you need me, you'll know where I'll be!
Let's hear what you think -- and somebody will get a fun surprise in the mail.

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Enveloped Opening and You're Invited to Come with Me!

ENVELOPED
A charming and delightful show opened last Friday night at SF Center for the Book --
ENVELOPED
You're going to want to go see it. The show is up till October 4 so if you live in the Bay Area or you are coming for a visit, you're in luck!
But -- I know some of you reading my blog aren't going to be able to make it here so here is a little show-and-tell for you guys so you don't feel too left out.

A Make and Take Table for folding and decorating envelopes...

There was a good turn out for opening night! Lots of postal lovers out there.

The mail art group I'm in was invited to help out at the envelope folding table....and we did!

Lots of paper was supplied! And rubber stamps, washi tape, glue -- bring your own imagination.

The crowd had no trouble with that....everybody was on board and that was one popular table..

Even though I was "on duty" I managed to play a little bit myself..

By the time the first hour was up and I got to look around all the food was gone! Don't you feel sorry for me?

I had to feast on eye candy instead -- and there was plenty of it!

Some wonderful postal goodness -- vintage stamps relating to mail.

I especially loved these French stamps with a postal theme...

And, who wouldn't love looking at a vintage envelope in a glassine sleeve?

Ar mail stripes? I am a sucker for them -- and don't they look lovely displayed like that?

Right up t the minute, this display included the new From Me to You stamps.

Time to go -- but here is a little bedtime story for you......

Delightful show. Girl reporter on the job for you. Hope you enjoyed opening night with me.
And if this isn't enough, you can contact SFCB and order a copy of the "bookazine" as they call it that accompanies the show.

Let me know how you liked it!

A Dirty Job....Someone has to Do it!

Recently one foggy SF afternoon, I decided to bite the bullet and mount all the various cling stamps I have sitting around....
and, as it turns out, I had a lot.
(Mr Zip was carved by a pal several years ago and I am loving having him foam-mounted now)
I posted on the blog's FaceBook page and a few folks asked me --  how I mount stamps ? 
So you here you go, Melissa and Sparkle......

 A lot of cool stuff I haven't been using because the stamps weren't mounted or organized....or, in this case, even cut from the sheet...(stamps from 100 Proof Press).

These stamps are painfully small and hard to cut out and mount ...

But I DID it and look! These are so cool and I can use them for faux postage....they are in a little box of their own now...ready to come out and play.

Ah.....round ones. I found you don't have to cut them in circle....just cut out and trim and all is well.

There are a number of different ways to mount stamps. I think my favorite (besides having someone else do it for me) is to use "Quickie Mounts".
Basically a sheet of thick, firm foam with a sticky adhesive on it that you cut up and stick your stamps too.
easy -- especially if you do it without waiting years and having to mount about a million stamps all at once...

If you buy the "quickie Mounts" from Jim on Etsy you will get full instructions along with them. And tell him Pamela sent you!
I might add, Jim has a whole bunch of cling faux postage and cancellations stamps that I just love.
Not that I want to lead you in to temptation or anything like that....

Or, you can do as my incredibly clever pal, Karen Isaacson  (I Am Rushmore)does and just carve your own stamps and stick them on a piece of Styrofoam that you re-purpose from some trash pile....
she sent these to me years ago and they are two of my favorite stamps.

Or, you can mount them on wood blocks.....you can find wood blocks at various places and stick your clings on those...
I bet someone is going to ask me where I got him and I believe it is from a stamp company called Deep Red Stamps.

Now all my wood mounted and Pamela mounted stamps are all living together in happiness and harmony.
And I get to play with them all and have some stampin' fun.
I even cleaned a bunch of them using unscented baby wipes and paper towel. They liked that.

After all the mounting and cleaning and sorting and organizing I got to stamp -- I made a bunch of sheets of stationery.....but I was thinking, you could stamp tissue paper and make gift wrap or tissue wrap.....

Doesn't this kind of look like security envelopes? I think so....I found a bunch of this type of stamp at Scrap and I knew they had potential.

So, mount your stamps and have a good time afterwards as a reward. I have found a lot of stamps at Scrap SF among other places like thrift shops and the Correspondence swap table.
I know there are some blog readers, who rarely comment -- you know who you are -- Ellen and Judi -- who are real experts at all things stamp. I encourage any of you to jump in with tips for mounting stamps or cleaning or anything stamp related. And if you know a great source for rubber stamps, let us know.
Here are some of my most favorites:

100 Proof Press
Deep Red Stamps
Red Handed Rubber
Viva Las Vegas
Hero Arts
and as I mentioned above --
Jim's Stamps & Quickie Mounts

I look for postally themed stamps especially....faux postage and passport stamps and postage cancellations and letter carriers and typewriters.....
What do you like?

I know I promised the Postal ATC's but I got side-tracked by rubber stamps.
AT's ost will be coming soon. And I thought of something really cool when making them so hang on and you'll see.
In the meantime, I'd love to hear from YOU (yes, YOU) in the comments.
Thank you and have fun stamping.

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