Making

Happy 2020!!!
Ok, a little bit late but it is still early in the year. And, a long time since I've posted. But I do post regularly on Instagram....
Of course I am busy making things.....like these fun gusseted folders made from old legal files I picked up at ScrapSF and covered with pretty paper.

They are very handy to pack up with letter writing supplies to take to a SF Correspondence Co-op Meeting or to a cafe on the chance you might want to make some mail....

I put a bunch of velum packets inside to organize things.....and they look good too. I find these folders really useful -- I had a Christmas one with all my Christmas supplies supplies (cards, stickers, stamps etc) so when I had a few minutes I could grab it and write a card. And I have some for putting travel ephemera in for each country I may visit on an upcoming trip. All ready and waiting when I want to make a travel journal.
Speaking of travel, I have plane tickets to Beijing.....and, given the circumstances, it sure doesn't look like I will be going....

Made some little pocket folders from the Cavallini Sale postcards I had sitting around...

...and I gave them to the pals I stood in line at Cavallini with as a little souvenir.....

I collect pressed souvenir pennies. Any of you want to trade pressed pennies with me???
Just let me know. I'd especially like some from New York City but anywhere would do...

Of course there is cappuccino.....and Happy Lunar New Year to all who celebrate. The BIG Lunar NY Parade is this Saturday here in San Francisco and if you are looking for
fire cracker wrappers to collage that is where you want to look (down)....

Made my 2020 datebooks. Old school. I like pen and paper.....I had a Japanese theme going on but I'm not sure I will be going to Japan this spring with all the chaos going on....we'll see...

That didn't stop me from working on an altered passport from Japan....
work in process....

Here's one of those gusseted file folders at a SF Correspondent  Co-Op meeting in action....and Italian pouches with mail art supplies made my my pal Dori.

I've been making ephemera packs too....

I'm not sure what I will do with them...trade them? Sell them? 

I'm having a love affair with fabric scraps......These beauties and that gorgeous pin cushion came from ScrapSF. No, I really can't sew but I am determined to hand stitch a fabric book or two so stay tuned...

See? There is a seat at my table just waiting for you. Who is coming over? We could have tea....or coffee.....and I almost always have something around that I baked. And, we could make things....
I was happy to have the holidays over with and a brand new year but it is zipping by so incredibly quickly.....How can it be February already?
And, what are you all doing and making?
Let me know...and also let me know if you want to trade pressed pennies....or ephemera?
HAPPY 2020!!!!!
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Mail Art Meet-Up!

We had our first 2019 mail art meeting and it was sure a fun one. We had a little theme -- can you guess?

I enjoy seeing what people bring to the meetings....

I love all the art supply boxes , bags and tins..of course I want them all....

We had TOYS!!!!

You don't get your hands on an electric typewriter like this baby every day. And, we learned the SFPL has one you can use for free.

Dymo typer! Always fun to play with too.

We had an origami demo......

Being an origami klutz I didn't "get" it so don't ask.....lol....sorry....

We had a large group and a big table to make things on...
and brownies.

There is always some Show & Tell
These beautiful books are by Gregg and I am inspired to make some more of my own after seeing his.

I sat next to Margarete and you know that was fun. Look at this collage she made -- don't you love it?

There is always a swap table....the good stuff is snapped up super fast.

I am sick of Xmas but just wanted to show you the little Xmas book I made this year.
Every year I save pretty scraps of Xmas wrapping paper and they sit around till June and end up getting thrown away....
(Isn't this UK Holiday card from my pal Dori the BEST?)

So, this year I put wrapping paper scraps, holiday cards...all my little bits and pieces of Holiday ephemera into this little book so I can enjoy looking at it all whenever I want.
Good idea, yes?

This is a nice memory of Christmas 2018. Too bad I didn't do it sooner....

Public Service Announcement
Someone at the mail art meeting told us about this Rubber Stamp online shop in case you want to take a look....
I am just passing it along because I had never heard of this rubber stamp company and maybe you haven't either.

We are getting buckets of rain here in San Francisco this week. My plan to go photograph in Chinatown for Lunar New Year was thwarted and I am hiding at home staying dry.
But next week the sun will be shining and I will be on the hunt for Year of the Boar lucky envelopes and papers in Chinatown and photos will be coming your way.

Keep those ideas coming....I really appreciated all the comments I've gotten about what you are interested in seeing on the blog.

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Anybody Miss Me?

I miss you guys. But, it is hard to motivate myself to work on the blog these days. I am on Instagram the most and I really like it.
I don't want to repost here what is on IG but I do know some loyal blog followers are not on IG and miss seeing things...
What to do?
I have a whole new (very old) stash of wonderful papers like these and old, old books and I have so many projects going on you wouldn't believe it.
That's the way I like it -- busy, busy with lots of ideas.

We've had two - count 'em - two - mail art meetings since I last posted and they have been great.
My artistamp passport is really getting filled up too.

For our September meeting, we were very lucky to have Mandy Ross  speak and do a slide show of her fabulous collection of old scrapbooks.
Mandy is @paperofthe past on Instagram and
here is the link to her website
She just happens to live in San Francisco and was nice enough to come and talk to us. You've got to check out her website or IG, you're going to love it.

She loves old paper too.....and she joined out group...

Some scrapbook pages....pretty wonderful, right? I keep thinking (and hoping) someone will collect all the stuff I make one day when I'm gone...

For our October meeting, Deble did a demo of making fan books. She inspired the whole group and I think we all went back to our studios and made them. So easy and so much fun....

You can see why they are called fan books. Very cool.

I went home and made this one for a certain little kid I know! Pretty cool.  You can use them as a birthday greeting and put dollar bills inside for a young child....I can think of lots of themes for them and all those pockets..

And, here's an accordion book I made using airmail envelopes. I like anything with an air mail theme. Those stripes! Those colors! These two book styles are quite similar and both super easy and fun to make.

You can't just make things ALL the time so I invited a couple of pals to lunch on one of these very fine fall days. Fig tart and friends and fun. A nice way to spend an afternoon.
LOTS going on here -- SF Library BIG Book sale coming right up, a couple of trips for me, loads of art projects happening all at once....
I'll post more photos soon.

And just remember --
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Over and out.

With A Little Help From My Friends....

Happy 2018!!
I really do hope your new year is starting off better than mine.....my sweetie got the flu,  my very old car died and went to car heaven, some personal family issues......not the best start to year.
But - I had fun on Sunday at the first Mail Art Meet-Up of the New Year.
We get by with a little help from our friends, right?

We came, we stamped, we talked, we made things....
(and thanks to Margarete for bringing the cool vintage USPS stamps to play with).

Just being around busy hands and a creative mess cheers me up.

We played with lots of postage stamps thanks to Margarete and Brianna.....

We made Valentine cards.

We pawed over the well stocked swap table.

I had my eye on Barb's postal pouch....

We made cards....

These are some that I made....

We got our artistamp passports stamped (thanks JU)

No idle hands here...everyone was making something.

Here's a blank card for YOU. What would you like to make?

If you are thinking of starting up a mail art group ( NYC peeps I'm talking to you!) I say get busy and do it! It is wonderful to share supplies and inspiration with like minded people.
Now, I'm just hoping my 2018 starts improving. 
Fingers crossed.

How is your new year so far?

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