Glue Book

I've really been busy.
Getting out a lot of mail but still not caught up.
Making all kinds of things -- altered Rolo cards, Rolo Card a Day, greeting cards & postcard collages...and working on my Glue Book.
My friend Patti made that fabulous cover and inside the beautiful covers is a Moleskin.

A Glue Book is just a new fancy pants word for an old fashioned scrapbook.
But it does sound cooler.
You just get a book and glue stuff you really like inside.

I happen to really like stamps.

It is fun to sort stamps and I figured why not glue those little suckers into something, so I can look at them when I want?
I sort by color -- by subject -- by country.

I add some washi tape and rubber stamps and air mail stickers, all in a postal them, of course.....
the whole process is very calming.

Do you see a theme here?

Here I've curated a little art show....

A Flower Show for Spring!

This page was inspired by a fabulous workshop given by my pal Monica Lee at ScrapSF called
Postage Stamp Art.
Al I can say is, if you are in the Bay Area, sign up for ScrapSF's emails and check out the classes there and if you see this one by Monica 
JUST GO.
(I digress) Anyway, I did go and spent three very happy hours playing with postage stamps and making things and getting LOTS of ideas, this being one.

I've got a lot more pages done and a lot more ideas but I thought it was time for me to just say hello.
Plus, I know people haven't received all the mail I've sent out and I hate to ruin the surprises in their mailboxes so I have to wait to post some more photos.
Hey--it's my birthday weekend and you know what that means -- cake! And fun and fooling around.
And I am planning a mail art trip to Portland, after which there will be a full report.
LOTS going on.
And you? What is going on with all of you out there? Are you there???
Say hello!

SEND GOOD MAIL -- GET GOOD MAIL

We Are Family

For various reasons, I have been thinking a lot about family lately.
Most likely because I just lost my beloved, ancient father in law. Some families are being split apart by politics and others by a member being deported.
When you lose someone, I think you start to realize how important it is to keep your loved ones close.
Your friends, your family, your tribe.

My career and first passion has always been photography. I had a Nikkormat in my hands when when I was just a kid and never put it down.
And, I collected vintage photos, tintypes and old albums for years and years. I just took a bunch of them out to look at some of those faces.
Someday someone at a flea market or vintage paper sale will probably be looking at my old photos someday (hopefully not too soon though).

I have a teeny tintype album given to me by my step-father (now gone) and he was so excited that it was dated March 25 because my birthday is March 26. I kind of have to laugh every time I look at that -- I mean, it is a day off -- so really.....
The rest of that date is 1874 and no, that isn't my birth year.

Don't you just wonder about all these people? What were their lives like?

Another thing that got me started thinking of family and photos is that a member of my mail art group brought a lot of his own family photos to the swap table. He said no one in his family wanted them and he thought (correctly) that those of us in the mail art group would certainly know how to put them to good use.
I used the photos in making collaged postcards and sending Jerry's family members all over the world...

Jerry's family sitting on lawn chairs in Spain -- I bet they didn't expect to find themselves there!

So, now I am inspired -- I've got out a bunch of old photos and glue and scissors and Rolodex cards and passports and I am getting to work.....

I'm sending JB, my lovely FIL, on a long fishing trip.....working on his passport is a good way for me to honor and remember him.

Have passport -- will travel

Thanks to all of you who comments on my last post. Your kind comments -- and the emails and cards -- were all very much appreciated.
It's been a rough few months and I've been sad but having my tribe sending kindness has most certainly helped. A lot.
And making art helps so I'm off to my work table....

SEE YOU IN THE MAIL!!!!