Trick or Treat?

I don't usually do any holiday cards but I took some cool Day of the Dead photos and thought they would be perfect for Halloween cards....

See?
They are, aren't they? 

And  - I also had a bunch of black card stock and black envelopes...

....and a small supply of these delightfully creepy Legend of Sleepy Hollow stamps.

So, there you go -- a Halloween edition.
I ran out of prints of the photos so my apologies to those I neglected to send a card too...
you can't win 'em all!
And, I didn't send any out of the USA, since Halloween is really a US holiday mostly, isn't it?
I remember a Halloween in Paris when my son was small and how heartbroken he was there was no trick or treating in Paris....

In fact, I have been sending out Halloween inspired all month long...and I don't know why. Maybe because I will be traveling and miss Halloween this year...

Plus, I have been cleaning a lot lately and I found some old cards buried in a box that are perfect for October 31 too.
Too bad I didn't find any candy...

And it isn't only about Halloween -- it's fall too. Acorns, colored leaves, squirrels, pumpkins---my favorite time of year.
So, go jump in a pile of leave. Eat an acorn..I mean a candy apple...go scare up some fun!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!

Feast Your Eyes -- Dori Singh Mail

I get some of the BEST MAIL EVER and some of the best of the best is
DORI SINGH MAIL

It is too good not to share with with the world -- well, at least my blog readers -- her work should be in a mail art museum if you ask me.

These are pages from an altered book Dori made me for my birthday last year....

Each and every page is delightful. And varied. And creative. 

But then, everything she sends me is the same -- beautiful and creative.
Here's a tiny book with painted and stamped pages and an airmail envelope cover.

Dori Singh Mail

Inside the envelope was a wonderful sewn little folder with ephemera tucked inside....

Lots of hand painted and stamped tags show up too...

And when Dori trades ATC"s with you, you get them tucked in a beautiful sewn folder.....

Sacred ATC's by Dori Singh

Dori went on a trip which included Prague and she found this magazine...and she brought home the cover and made it into a sweet little pouch for me....
who thinks of this?

Pouch opened up....and of course, there were treats inside as well..

See? A Magazine cover......

And then there was a menu from Cafe Louvre (also in Prague) -- I suggested she go there for breakfast -- and she sewed me another folder from the large placemat on the table...

Dori Sign Mail
An inside-out security envelope -- rubber stamped and painted

Another little booklet

And another folder....Dori knows I could have a million of these and I would still want them...

Folder opened up...

Tiny Booklet

And she still sends me more pages to add to that beautiful altered book she made me...

Page added to Altered Book....

This isn't even all of the beautiful mail from Dori....Can you see why I am so happy every time I see something from her in my mailbox?
Best. Mail. Ever.
She really inspires me. It isn't easy to think up things to send her back in return ..... but I sure do try hard.
That is one of the nice things about trading mail art -- the inspiration from looking at amazing works .....

THE MAIL BOX IS A MUSEUM

That is a rubber stamp I have -- and it's so true!
Hope you all enjoy the wonderful Dori Singh mail -- and many thanks to you, Dori, for making me and my mail box so happy.

Cut, Paste & Play

So, what do you do when it is really hot and you have a list of things to do that you don't really want to be doing?

Well, you make things, of course!
I stayed in my studio all day today and had a blast tearing and pasting and collaging and playing.

Are you sensing a theme here? Yup -- travel it is!

I don't always go by plane......I made three cross country trips in a VW camper  with a good friend, her two small girls and a 150 pound German Shepard named Hegal.
And I slept in the pop-up just like that!

Our VW camper looked just like this one -- same color and small dog. TransCanada once and USA twice....but I digress...

After making lots of cards I decided to make a travel inspired coin envelope booklet....

I don't think people go to an "Exchange" much any more...or travel with travelers checks...I know I don't...

A collage for Cuan in South Africa....

And a big bag of mail all ready to send out -- how about that? Not a bad way to spend a hot day in SF.
But what about my to-do list?
Tomorrow is another day.....

YOU GOTTA SEND GOOD MAIL TO GET GOOD MAIL
(and God knows I try!)

So, I have something to show for being too hot to go out....what do you like to do when it's hot?
If it is pouring rain, I like to do exactly the same thing.....