This is not what I'm supposed to be doing right now....

I have a million things to do right now and making ATC's isn't one of the things on my list....

But -- seeing a bunch of postage stamps and rubber stamps sitting around on my table -- made me want to whip up a set (or two) of ATC's...

(I can't help myself)
This is just a real quick little post showing you what I just made today while I should have been doing other things....
it's fun.

Since I've been busy making rolo cards I neglected making ATC's so I've got to get my game on.

I love having a big pile of them to shuffle around...

OK, back to working on a PORTLAND PREP post and packing my suitcase....
I'm off to PDX all next week for mail art fun.
I can't wait!
Full Report to Follow.

SEND GOOD MAIL -- GET GOOD MAIL

J'aime les Cartes Postales - - Oh yes I do!

I have a thing about France. And postcards. And French postcards.

J'aime les Cartes Postals
I love the backs of them, the fronts of them, the vintage ones and the new ones....

The French really knew (know?) how to cancel stamps. There are often two, or even three, cancellations on each card.
(And, by the way, I could REALLY use some French mail artists to trade with if anyone in France is reading this).

And did I mention the handwriting?
The most beautiful cursive writing....

And they really know how to SQUEEZE a whole lot of cursive writing onto each little card...

Why don't we have lovely little paper bags made especially for postcards?

And look at this -- is it early mail art? Some little French kid drew on this card. Looks like a drawing of a kid riding a dog???

I also notice the hotels and tourist spots back in the day had had special stamps too....

I get endless pleasure out of my French postcards....besides admiring the postmarks and stamps and cancellations...I use them for art projects too. I found out you can get two ATC cards from each postcard. I love using them for ATC's and including some of the markings on the card into the ATC.

I spent all day last Sunday making Postal theme ATC's using French postcards as the starts...

So fun -- I got 25 ATC's -- and I'm still at it.
Want to see them all?
Let me know if you do.

Oui, it is kind of frightening, isn't it? But I work best with all my stuff out where I can see it...
I'll clean up...really I will...(someday).

I've always loved these rows of trees you see all over France...

Here's a photograph I took of French trees....same ones as the vintage postcard?

This is me in another life.
Oh yes it is!
I wonder I will come back as next time? Got to be something postal.
So, I hope you enjoyed the ode to postcards.
And, if you're going on vacation, I hope you will mail some postcards out and make some mailboxes happy.
Or, even if you are staying put, you can still pop a postcard in the mail and try to squeeze as much cursive writing on the back as those French people did...

SEND GOOD MAIL -- GET GOOD MAIL

Stamp Head ATC's

It doesn't feel like the cold season here in San Francisco what with the blue skies, sunny days and incredibly mild temperatures we have been having.
But I've been down for the the count the last few days. Haven't been able to summon enough energy to do much of anything.
But ATC's are small....

Stamp Head ATC
Karen over at Mail Me Some Art is hosting a Stamp Head ATC Swap. Since I love anything and everything postal I thought I'd make some....
but these are harder than I thought they'd be.
I am hearing I'm not the only one who thinks they are kind of tricky to put together which makes me feel better.
I thought maybe it was just the bad cold....

Stamp Head ATC

I don't like using "new" paper so I cut up a vintage children's game I bought at the flea market in
Prague and used the people on the cards as the base.
Added a couple of old postmarks.
I think they work.

What do you think?

This one works well....that was my favorite stamp.

Stamp Head ATC
These may or may not be finished as I am still looking at them sitting on my work table...

Stamp Head ATC's
These two were made using a vintage French postcard....

And this one has a stamp head on a vintage photograph.
See what I mean? I like everything old.

How did this one sneak in here? Not a stamp head...but made from a Russian postcard from a flea market there and Hungarian photo, stamp and paper ephemera.

Stamp Head ATC
After all this work I am not entirely sure I can part with the ATC's now....well, at least not all of them.

Two Soldiers.....
Stamp on vintage photo (this needs a little something else).

Stamp Head ATC - Dinner Time!

Typewriter ATC
The Stamps can't have all the fun, now can they?

So, what do you think? Do these work? Are they worth all the time and effort? The jury is still out.


And, on another note, I have a special offer for Cappuccino&Art blog readers from a friend.
My pal Anissa runs an ETSY shop
LePaperCafe
There is quite a lot of washi tape on sale in the shop and if C&A readers place an order for $10.00 or more (excluding S&H) Anissa will include a special washi sampler of one yard of each of five different tapes with your order.
Just send her the code "mailart" in the "message to sender" part of the order and viola - an extra gift for you.

Ok you all, just remember you've got to SEND MAIL to RECEIVE MAIL so get busy and have some fun.

Mail and the Meet-Up and More

SF Correspondence Co-Op
August 2013 mail art meet-up and a good time was had by all. The group was a little bit smaller than usual probably due to August vacations.
But you wouldn't know that the group was smaller by looking at the work table......

Our fearless mail art leader
Red Letter Day 
always makes the best signs. I may have taken one home but don't tell her....
and
be sure to read this link about the fabulous mail art event happening here in San Francisco starting the weekend of February 14, 2014.
I'm sure going to be there and I hope I see some of you too.

August 2013 meeting
We worked on postcards and ate cookies and made plans.  If you are local to the Bay Area or visiting SF you are welcome to attend one of our co-op meetings.

I just love to see all the mail art kits everyone brings -- photos of six mail art kits posted on the Cappuccino and Art Facebook page.
Another thing that is really great is to see how each person has a distinct style and even though we pool our materials and work from the same ephemera
all the collages look completely different.

Cut and Paste -- my idea of a fun afternoon!

Events are us!!!
SF Zine Fest, Mail Art Call and the fabulous Ex Postal Facto event on Jennie's blog.
Ex Postal Facto

When GOOD MAIL goes BAD
I have received a number of plates in the mail so when I saw this Lady of Guadalupe plate I knew I had to mail it to a certain person who loves the Lady......
I put loads of postage on it and dropped it into the postbox
but.....

....sadly...it never arrived.....
I am kind of disappointed in the USPS on this one....the friend who sent me a plate (which I did get) told me she sent several and one was returned to her in pieces in one of those dreaded
"We're Sorry" plastic bags...she thinks the postal workers were playing frisbee with it.

OUTGOING
I bought a big sheet of cool playing cards Italian paper for $2. Cut it up into eight double sided envelopes for some of my mail art friends...the washi tape is also playing card inspired...

OUTGOING COLLAGED CARDS
I just love to tear and paste and collage....so fun and relaxing...I could do it for hours. Oh yeah..I do do it for hours..

OUTGOING COLLAGE CARDS

OUTGOING COLLAGE CARD
(security paper and stamps)
And Winnie&39sGirl--you asked how I store my stamps--I sort a lot of them by color and by country and store in these compartment boxes.

OUTGOING COLLAGED CARDS
Among other things, I am working on a road trip/airplane travel series.

POSTAL ATC'S from the Mail Me Some Art swap.
These are just too wonderful -- what a fabulous package to receive in the mail.
I loved them all -- especially the two with letter carriers on them.
I hope Karen does another Postal ATC swap because if she does, I'm in!

Many thanks to all -- rhozza, Susie, Indigo, Ellen, Leslie, Colleen and Terrie...and to Karen for hosting the swap.

Just wanted to be sure you could see these two -- aren't they great?
Thanks to Christie (left) & Lynn (right)

And this one? Just so cool.....thank you to Julie


Ok, now I know you want to know who won the little Chinatown zine. Are you sure you didn't just skip to the bottom to check?
It's OK, I understand.

And the winner is..........TAMMY......
but wait...I got into the spirit and pulled two more winners
Melissa of craftgasm
&
TamoyoHime (I need your address -- can you message it to me please?)

Thanks to all who entered the drawing and commented. I got some good suggestions and ideas and really appreciated the input. It isn't always easy to know what to blog about so I need help thinking things up. I will work on some of your suggestions. Unfortunately the questions about how I organize maybe take a while to show you since I'm in the midst of a big studio re-organization project which will continue in to 2014.

I wanted to show some shots from yesterday's Zine Fest but this post is long enough. Check out the Facebook page for the blog for more updates and
SEE YOU IN THE MAIL!