CappuccinoandArtJournal

Mostly postal but art and other things of interest too.
Come and visit.

Tuesday, February 23, 2016

Places to Go & People to See

Collaged NYC Postcards on windowsill
I try to visit my second home every year. This time I picked a doozy of a weather week to visit but, of course, it was all worth it.
Frigid cold, rain, slush, snow, winds.
I may not be as tough as a New Yorker but I'm still here to tell you about it.

The High Line
I have walked the High Line a few times before but this was definitely the coldest  (& shortest) walk. It ends - or starts - right at the new Whitney Museum and I highly recommend a visit to both.

Yellow Cabs
I have a thing about Yellow Cabs and I love seeing them out at all hours of the day and night.
But I take the subway.

The Ink Pad
You know I've got to make a stop at the Ink Pad every visit. I met my pal CeCe there on a bitterly cold morning.
I nearly froze to death taking this picture.
No kidding.


Among other things, the Ink Pad is a great place to pick up some NYC rubber stamps to decorate your postcards and travel journal.


Next up - Casey's Rubber Stamps. Also in the West Village. Just step down and into a very fun world of stamps.....

Out front is always a table with some stamps you play with.....I stamped some mail I had with me and a little travel notebook.....

Casey's has got a great selection o stamps too and don't forget to look thru the catalog they have there because they will make up any stamp you want from it right on the stop.

JAM Paper & Envelope
This was a new place for me that CeCe took me to and fun to browse the shelves. My find?
Some really great very large airmail envelopes
that you can get by clicking right here
(I wouldn't share this info with just anybody but you guys are special....)

But, you don't have to BUY things in NYC, there is plenty to pick up around town. I scour every Subway station for those cool Metro tickets to pick up. They are getting harder to find because New Yorkers are getting neater and also, as my NYC pal Harriet says, they cost a $1 now and they are reloadable. But I did find quite a few. And Subway posters. Yes, a few did find their way into my possession. (I only took them when there were multiple copies -- don't want to screw up the transit system)......menus, blue coffee cups....all kinds of things to tear up and stick....

I worked on my travel journal diligently every day.....(more about that soon).

City Bakery
I met Harriet at City Bakery where we had cappuccino and hot chocolate and treats and talked about mail art and NYC.....City Bakery was having a month of hot chocolate -- a good time for it when the temperatures were hovering around ZERO - and on the day we went it was Hot Fudge Hot Chocolate with a giant homemade marshmallow....

Harriet gave me a big bag of fabulous Russian candy -- she knew I had been wanting them so I could use the cool paper wrappings in collages...eating them is kinda fun too.

OUT my hotel window. I loved looking out there. But when it was snowing I didn't like it....See that little red door right across the street?????

Well, this is what we ran out and picked up from there and got cozy in our hotel room one night with Chinese food and a bottle of wine.
Sometimes you've just got to do what you've got to do.
We saw plays. We went to museums. We ate out. We even saw Hamilton the Broadway musical with the BUZZ. And the hip-hop.

Valentine's Day
And I found a sweet little Valentine on the desk one morning....

AT MOMA
HOY (Tomorrow) -- by Torres-Gracia 1919
I also liked seeing artists Henry Darger and John Houck
I spent a delightful few hours with Ester K Smith (How To Make Books) at MOMA looking at art.
A really good idea when it is is snowing.
Which it absolutely was.

Junior's
Why yes, I did go to Junior's. Twice, in fact. And I'm not sorry.  You just cannot get this in San Francisco.
And the cheesecake....

More outgoing collaged postcards

So, I was trying to post about the travel journal but I just had to share some of the NYC fun I had with you guys.
I didn't put links to everything since I have posted about the places on previous  trips but you can just google them if you are lucky enough to be taking a trip to the
BIG BAD CITY.
And a BIG thank you to my friends CeCe, Harriet and Esther who really added a lot to my travels but spending time with me and being such interesting and charming friends.

 I leave you with this ---

"We were happy to be in a city the beauty of which was unknown, uncozy and not on a small scale" -- William de Kooning on NYC

I am sorry I left because things have really been hitting the fan since I got home.....

SEND GOOD MAIL -- GET GOOD MAIL
(and sometimes you just gotta hang on till things get better)
See you all soon!

Thursday, February 18, 2016

In A New York Minute

I'm off to one of my most favorite places on earth......

NYC
Got the travel journal all prepped and ready to go. Mail art kit at the ready too.

So cool that this smaller journal fits perfectly in the fabulous mail art pouch my pal Dori made me.
I will have it with me at all times.
You never know when inspiration will strike.

One thing I get a big kick out of in NYC is all the yellow cabs......

I'm not much of a bagel eater but I keep hearing about how fantastic NYC bagels are so I am going to have to have to try one this time.
I do kinda love them floating around on my journal pages...

It sure took a long time to paint every page but it was fun.



I pasted in a very cool poem called
How To walk in New York
I do know how. FAST. Look like you know where you're going. I almost always actually do know where I'm going after so many years of visiting there.




Love my NYC taxi rubber stamp -- from The Ink Pad. I pre-stamped the journal. Not taking my stamps with me. Travel light if you can. But I do take my trusty fountain pen and ink refills.

Last page of the journal -- more bagels! (I have to visit Zabars)

The Ink Pad, Casey's, City Bakery for hot chocolate, some deli and some plays, meet-ups with two mail art pals and some old friends, the new Whitney.......

See you all later. Postcards to come.

Anyplace you think I should go?

SEND GOOD MAIL -- GET GOOD MAIL

Thursday, February 11, 2016

Make Things

Tri-Fold Folder
(Just take a piece of paper you like -- double sided is nice -- and make the three folds).


I made a tri-fold folder and glued some stamp holders on it (I don't know what you actually call them). Gave them a bit of color with watercolors.....

And filled them up with air mail stamps for an air mail loving birthday girl I know....

Here's the cover of the folder -- yup, I've got an airmail thing going on there -- and an air mail envelope I slid it into....

Hope she liked it! (Happy Birthday, Monica!)
Now you can make one too.....

It 's been fun whipping out these tiny little folders lately.....I use 8x8 paper squares and paint the other side with watercolors and stamp them with rubber stamps...

The fun part is decorating theme with themes...I love themes...

8x8 paper makes tiny ones and you use 12x12 paper for larger ones.
Just fold them in half and then fold up the bottom to make a pocket -- and you're done!

You saw the Valentine tiny accordion book (last post) and here is a Postal Love accordion book....


A little peek inside...
And here's another.....I tried to match the postage stamps to the rubber stamps...

So, there you go -- that's what I've been doing. What have you been doing?
I like to make things. I bet, if you're reading this, you do too.


I got those nice, paper sleeve pages for stamps in the mail with some old stamps I ordered online.
What do they call them? Any stamp collectors out there who know? 
They are pages for three ring bingers and you add your stamps. I can think of fun things to do with them.
I have never seen them made with that heavy plain craft paper before.
I know someone out there will know.

My mail art kit is packed. My travel journal is prepped. I have my wool coat and gloves.
See you all soon!

SEND GOOD MAIL
GET GOOD MAIL

Friday, February 5, 2016

You Know It's Coming....


You know what's coming up in about a week(ish). You know, that day with hearts and flowers and chocolate and romantic dinners.
Who care about all that?
WE WANT MAIL!!!!!!!! RIGHT?????
So if you want good mail -- you gotta send good mail and you better get busy.

Funny thing is, I wasn't even going to make Valentine cards this year.
No Way.
But then I looked around my studio.......

We've even got Cupid cutting and pasting.....so who am I to argue?

(MY PO has TWO kinds of LOVE stamps.....)

I saw those LOVE stamps and rubber stamps and white and red lace hearts and vintage Valentine cards and, well.....you can see what happened......


Is it me or does that Cupid on this vintage card look a little demented????

(Shhhhhh......good thing my husband doesn't read my blog...hummmm and why not?)
Anyway, I made him a tiny little accordion book filled with love...because he is the BEST.




I think he's going to like it. I might have to tuck in a piece of chocolate with it or take him out for some NYC cheesecake......



What teacher wouldn't like to get this cool vintage mailbox card? In fact, probably even someone who isn't a teacher would like it. I'm just sayin'.
Valentine's Day is for EVERYONE. We are inclusive here -- no body left out.
You have a 101 year old father in law like me? Mail art pals? A great next door neighbor? A friendly letter carrier? A helpful librarian? 
Make Valentine Cards
Let's spread some love around. The world could certainly use some. I can't show you the cards I sent out because it would ruin the surprise but those envelopes are pretty too.
(I'm not even going to be here in SF on Valentine's Day so I had to start early)

I am spreading the mail art love.
You can do it too.
Everybody loves to get mail -- on Valentine's Day -- and any day.
Now, who do you think you should make cards for???


SEND GOOD MAIL --- GET GOOD MAIL

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