Natural Dye

At a flea market in Berlin...All I could think about when I saw these was
RUST DYEING,
Sadly, I couldn't get this stuff home....but I can dream...

But I am tea dyeing. You all have probably already been doing it but I am late to game. Better late than never, right? It is super easy and nice and mindless....sometimes that's nice.
I just add a bunch of tea bags to very hot water in a old darkroom tray I have and add paper.
That's pretty much it. Leave it in till it looks nice and dyed and vintagey. Just be careful taking it out because wet paper years very easily.
I put it on top of granite counters in my laundry room and blot it with paper towel (or a cloth) and let it dry. It gets kind of bumpy, which I like but if you prefer flat, put it under very heavy books when it is dry. And, there you go.

Yep, that's right....the tea bags make nice splotches on the papers....I love the randomness of tea dyeing....

Of Course! Bien Sur!
These are my initials so it's my tea dyeing tea of choice.

That's right...FREE from ScrapSF. Boring white paper.....
UNTILL....

it comes out of the tea bath looking quite different and much cooler. And you can throw in all kinds of papers....I have tags and library pockets and index cards all happily soaking as we speak.

Yes, that's a great stack of paper but what will I do with it, you ask.
Well......

It makes a really nice substrate for collages.....

Also, a nice background to photograph things like ATCs on...or you could fold the sheets of papers in half and make signatures for a book.

(You know me, I cannot leave a postcard or a card alone....I have to customize...)

The backs of the postcards in case you were wondering...

Making a little folder for a pal...

Look at this gorgeous mail from @papertalking on Instagram.
She lives in The Netherlands and just sent me some wonderful mail. Now, I've got to get creative and think of what to send her back.

Another altered Cavallini card going out.

I've got some ATC postcards going out too. I'm busy, ok. Places to go. people to see. And, paper to play with! (and dye)
What about you? Is it summer where you are? We don't have hot weather here in San Francisco but the sun has been shining and I love our cool natural air conditioning.
We don't pools or beaches or swimming in SF.
But we have a lot of fun anyway.
Hope you do too.
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Let's Go to Chinatown!

With all the crazy weather we have been having here in SF, it hasn't been easy to get to Chinatown....but I have been determined to try..

You've gotta pick your days...
Things are rarely closed in Chinatown but Chinese New Year is the exception and a lot of places are closed for the holiday.

I went the day after (the first day of) Chinese New Year purposely...because I know what I will find all over the streets....

Lots of fire crackers wrappers and red papers and torn red envelopes. So many things to collage with....I only got a few odd looks while picking up trash...er...treasures off the sidewalk...
and I had to get there before it rained again and everything got soggy.

A lot of the paper displays are outdoors too so a rainy day wouldn't be ideal.

I'm sure you all know it's the Year of the Pig...
oink!!

Red envelopes with pigs on them are all over the place...I must have  red envelopes with all of the twelve animals on them...
I've been at this for a long time.

I love the joss paper shops -- inside the shop it is about 99% paper! Who doesn't love a shop filled with paper?

You need some new clothes?
Probably better to hang on the wall than try to wear though..

This paper outfit is quite fetching, don't you think?

Short on money? Here you go.

All kinds of pretty paper envelopes to choose from.

So, my rule is, if I bring it into my studio I've got to USE it. I have a vintage Chinese notebook and I am filling it with papers and photos from Chinatown...and...

I made a set of Chinese New Year artist trading cards and put them in a take out container a pal sent me...

I had fun using the papers I picked up and the fire cracker wrappers and even some pieces of the firecrackers I found...

So, today is a good day to post since it is pouring rain again...I'm glad I got to go to Chinatown in between storms...and now I have paper to play with on a rainy day.

Have you found anything interesting on the streets lately?
I'm always looking...

Gung Hay Fat Choy
&
Send Good Mail to Get Good Mail

Best Laid Plans

Last week my plan was to have a busy week but that's not how things turned out...
I got a bad cold and was grounded all week. Lots of hot tea and books.
Not the worst way to spend a week.

Normally I am a coffee/cappuccino drinker but when you are coughing and your throat hurts....
I had picked up this book The Painted Journal at the library and enjoyed
paging through. I liked it but I'm not sure I'd buy it. But worth checking out from the library for sure.

More tea....and a look at an old autograph book I bought a while back. Why are they just so charming? I seriously think we need to bring them back.

Two Recommendations
I love The Collage Ideas Book. It is quite small and easy to toss into your bag and have with you to read on the streetcar or at a cafe....or waiting for the streetcar...lots of interesting pages.
And, I am a big fan of the collage magazine kolaj. (Just google it) You can order a sample issue to check out. It is kinda pricy but I think it's worth it. I enjoy every issue.

Can you resist this?

(This is a good idea for a couple of pages in a glue book.)

I know I couldn't....a friend showed me her copy and I had to have one. I don't really like the book design -- it is an oversize book and I don't like the layout with the image in the center and the binding down the middle BUT....it is still really fun to look at and pretty cheap used on (the dreaded) Amazon.

Just in case you need the info.....

THIS ONE!
I am pretty sure most of you know about the already (especially if you are on  Instagram) but just in case......
A fat and fabulous book of beautiful paper ephemera from Uppercase. And that's my pal, Michelle's beautiful Dennison ephemera up top.
I am savoring each page.

I finally managed to make it into my studio and had fun playing some wax seals. I know a lot of folks have been using wax seals for ages but I have only recently started and I love it.

I want to put them on envelopes in the mail but I don't think they will make it through the postal system...

Made up a small batch of mini collages on ATCs....

Don't you love his hair?

So, I am on the mend and hope to get out there and get busy this week. I also planned a trip to Chinatown to photograph but that got canceled due to pouring rain. I will try to get there soon to check out The Year of the Boar (sounds better than Pig).
SF Scrap may have been lonely without me visiting so I plan to go there. The Film Noir Festival is also happening and I need to go and get scared.
And I need to start working on my travel journal and plan my trip....

And what are you all doing this January 2019?
I know if any of you are in Chicago you are freezing. I can't believe what I'm reading about your crazy weather. Stay warm and healthy everyone and see you soon.

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Back To Basics

Mail Art OUT
It's all about the mail....

Cutting and pasting and playing with old photo postcards and off they go....

OUTGOING...inspired by my Postage Stamp Art workshop with Monica Lee.

OUTGOING
Sending off some ATC's and Altered Rolo cards in a little folder

Why send it plain if you can send it fancy?

OUTGOING
Collage still traveling to Russia

A BIG pile of OUTGOING surprises and a birthday postcard....

Sometimes you've got to write a letter....Mr Zip card by Jessica Manack

OUTGOING

OUTGOING
A little birthday surprise to my pal Patti in an altered Altoid tin

OUTGOING
Thank you tins to Linda

Ain't it the truth????
Rule certainly applies around my house -- nothing is safe! And I love to re-purpose.

So, I've been busy. And you?
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