I Like My Messy Work Table

No matter how many times I clean up my work table and studio, it ends up a mess by the end of the day. And, you know what?, I like it that way.
I love the random connections I make when I am sifting through all the ephemera I have cluttering up my table.
Random Connections....a good title for a book....

Sometimes just seeing two things near each other gives me a great idea....an idea I wouldn't think of if I were neat.
(OK, sometimes I can't find things in all the mess but that's just a part of the whole process).

A good frined of mine gave me a big bag of cancelled, old stamps and they are sitting in piles all over my studio....They have been giving me hours of pleasure and so many ideas for projects...

Another friend sent this little ad (because she knows I have a thing for typewriters) . I've been wanting to make some more series of ACT's and seeing this little typewriter ad gave me an idea to use all the various little ads I have collected on the ATC's along with corresponding rubber stamp images and bits of paper....(I do wish there were more postage stamps with typewriters on them).

Right now I would give anything to have some of those plastic boxes with the small compartments so I could organize my stamps...but it is pouring rain and I am too cozy at home to go out and try to buy them...plus there are too many holiday shoppers out there.....the organizing will have to wait.

I added some stamps (rubber & postage) to my outgoing mail........

Put a Bird on it!

See what I mean? Back to messy again....

Ok, I found pages from a bird book and bird stamps in the mess on my desk so what do you get? ACT's with a bird theme. These are still in progress but they are coming along...

I did have more to show you but this is one of those crazy times that Blogger is NUTS and not working right so I think I will give up and go back to sorting stamps.....much more relaxing than having my photos disappear from the post....

Playing in my studio all day for two very rainy days has been my reward for getting all my shopping/making/wrapping/baking all done.
I have had paint and glue all over my hands and it has been so wonderful.
I hope you guys are seeing the calm at the end of the (seasonal) storm and you are all going to enjoy the rest of this week.....

Merry Christmas (to those who celebrate).
and
HAPPY MAIL to all and to all a good night!

What Do You Need for a Mail Art Holiday Party?

So, you ask, what do you need for a mail art party? Well.....we've had a few....mail art parties, that is...
First, you need a bunch of mail artists. 

FOOD
And then, you always need food, of course.....
And this group does like to eat.

This being in San Francisco, good food isn't too hard to find.
(and, neither are mail artists)

WINE
And you definitely need some wine.

Once you've got the food and the wine you are are halfway there...now you need some mail artists to roll in...and crank up the music.

Cookies are always good too. Homemade are the best and we have an expert cookie baker in our group (kudos to KC).

CANDY
Candy is good too.

Candy canes mixed in with some paper art...

PRESENTS
And you can also use some beautifully wrapped presents. Remember my last post that mentioned ju was gift-wrapper extraordinaire? Well, she wrapped all these gifts incredibly beautifully for the fund raiser for our group - SF Correspondence Co-Op(started almost five years ago by mail artist extraordinaire and Red Letter Day herself Jennie Hinchcliff).
I digress....so for only $5 you can pick a gift -- for yourself or for a friend -- and trust me, the stuff inside was good. Really good. And all the proceeds go to the SF  Correspondence Co-Op.
Win win...

You know you'd buy one....or two...some people -- and I'm not mentioning any names -- bought five or six....

I HAD to buy this one.....stamps on a clothesline....how could I possibly resist?

Mail Art Supplies
Mail art supplies are always good too. You never know when the urge to create will strike.

A lot of times our mail art group will make cards for a special reason..this time we made cards for kids who won't be with family for the holidays...

An art project is usually happening too....had to cut down some giant collages into postcards for mailing.

MOLLY
Yes, Molly wants food. And look at those eyes -- one blue and one brown. Every party should have a sweet dog in the mix.
SF Correspondence Co-Op Holiday Party at the SF Center for the Book.
TOO MUCH FUN

T is for TOO much fun -- and check out
Bleubeard & Elizabeth
for a little coffee and old-fashioned dishes.
Hum......I wonder how Bleubeard and Molly would like each other?

So, if you are making New Year Resolutions  yet -- or even thinking about making them -- I suggest you get yourself an ART Group if you don't already have one. 
Our group has so much fun all year - at our monthly meetings, on outings and we get together individually too...we make mail art, collage, give demos on techniques, have parties....

I'm feeling pretty good...baked my cookies and brought all my boxes to the Post Office today....now I think I can get back to making ART.
Sounds like a plan.
SEND GOOD MAIL -- GET GOOD MAIL

It's Beginning to Look A Little Bit Like You Know What

How about a nice hot cup of relaxing tea in a pretty red cup and saucer?

I had a visit the other day to the queen of wrapping gifts, miss ju. She makes Santa's workshop look like amateur hour.
I left inspired...

She's wrapping Xmas gifts for our mail art group's Xmas party fund raiser and I am going to be sure to get over to the party early to get my hands on one of these....

The gifts JU wraps are almost too pretty to unwrap.....operative word being "almost"...

So, I went home and got busy....I like to try to use somewhat unusual things in my gift presentation...it is just more fun that way...
I painted these matchbooks in gold paint...

....and I covered the tops and sides with decorative paper and put some decorations on the tops and tucked in some tiny surprises.
You can use matchbooks for earrings or stamps or milogros or charms or....well....I bet you gys can think some something little to put inside.

I have boxes and boxes like this with old Xmas balls inside...and I took out the balls and put in twelve small gifts for someone special.
Quite clever I think, don't you?
You can usually find these at thrift shops and they have a great vintage look.

And how about going to the Dollar Sore and getting some cookie tins? Sure, you can fill them with cookies but they make great little tins for mailing. This one went out already to the wonderful Dori Singh and it was filled with some PRE-Xmas cheer.

I made a little folder with pockets, filled it with some vintage Xmas tags and stuck a vintage Santa on it. Ad, that is a French muslin tea bag from Mariage Frere tucked in there too...

I am filling up those flat rate boxes! 

Now that the day is gone and I've got a good start on my holiday projects, it's time for a nice Campari -- it is certainly a lovely red color that goes with the season.
Ever since a long ago trip to Italy, Campari is my go-to cocktail. I like it with ice and a splash of white wine or in hot weather with some sparkling water -- or in a Negroni!

I'm playing along with 
Bleubeard and Elizabeth
again this week, incorporating some drinks into a post. And now I better go knock out some of the stuff on my to-do list. Things are getting awfully busy around here.
Hope you got an idea for wrapping or a little inspiration or just some eye-candy.
I have a Christmas party to go to on Friday night and a line to stand in at the post office and Xmas cookies to bake and presents to wrap....well...you know the drill.

SEND GOOD MAIL -- GET GOOD MAIL

Barcelona Beauty

MAIN POST OFFICE BARCELONA
If you ask me, the Spanish really know how to build post offices....

CORREOS = POST

Don't you just want to mail something?

You walk in the door and see this! Nothing like any USA post office I've ever seen...

Built in 1929 but looks to me it is much older..

And they had postal products! 

The very friendly postal INFORMATION lady helped me buy these little postal beauties...PO Box key chains and a PO Box Bank.
Why doesn't the USPS get with it and have things like that for sale?

And I somehow managed to buy these beautiful stamps all by myself...
The clerk was quite amused by my wild enthusiasm over these food stamps. I was all ready to buy some other stamps for my postcards when I spied these and of course I had to switch. He was really nice about putting back the first stamps and I picked and getting these out......

They still use bikes to deliver mail....(but this one is an oldie).

Most people don't pose for photos with PO boxes but I do!

LOTS of those yellow CORREOS trucks outside too.....

......in multiple sizes....

There go the postal ladies...I stalk letter carriers all over the world....

Love those yellow PO Boxes and yes, I did feed a couple of them. And, I mailed postcards to myself from Barcelona, Madrid and Fes and I got them all. I found Post Offices in Sevilla and Madrid too but couldn't find one in the medina in Fes.

Hope you enjoy the visit and if you get to Madrid, check out this beauty for yourself.
I'm working on making things and wrapping things and a trip to MY PO is coming up soon to mail off some surprises to friends...
And, what are YOU guys all up to?
Has the crazy holiday season started in for you?
I'm trying to keep it all very calm....

SEND GOOD MAIL ---- GET GOOD MAIL