Summery September in SF

SF is too warm and too humid. We don't do "muggy" here in San Francisco.
The coolest place in San Francisco is in my studio. Cool in more ways than one.....
so, of course, I am hangin' in my studio...

.....playing with old photos and paints....
Don't you think this is an odd photo? It looks like a little girl's head on a woman's body or a woman's head on a little girl's body or something like that....it just doesn't look right, does it?
And the caption on the back --
"Mrs. Carty by Addie"
This couldn't be a MRS could she?

A nun stamp-head

I couldn't find a stamp for her head but I kind of like this the way it is.

I wonder if Einstein played the piano? He does now.

Stamp Head Couple
wonder where they are from???

Look at that guy in the front...and the kid in the middle.....don't you wonder about their stories?

Some painted photos made into cards....

Painted Card

OUTGOING
Envelope to Canada -- road trip inspired!

OUTGOING
Air Mail inspired....

OUTGOING
Play-with-paint folder

Here's the inside......with a letter tucked inside....

OUTGOING
Envelope/Folder

Presents for me -- some rubber stamps
(like I need any more...)

To/From Russia with Love
Some incoming mail from Virgo in Russia and outgoing from me....

Why do I think Stamp Head when I see this?

And this?
Amazing what you find when you are cleaning. Some money from a trip to Taiwan.
I'll think of a project......

Pack it up!
Tomorrow is a three hour gelli block workshop and I am packing up  some paints, work apron,  show-and-tell....
don't you like this bag?

This is the little pocket inside the bag....how could I resist?

Anything ARMAIL and I'm in!
I found these two sheets of airmail stickers in my cleaning frenzy too.....they are almost vintage. Shows you I have been liking mail art for a long, long time.

Things have been pretty busy around here (and getting busier).
I have to rest up for the Library Big Book Sale on Tuesday afternoon.
I will be carrying around a very heavy bag of books for sure.
And then there's the pushing and shoving....
(you think I'm kidding?)
Some travel plans in the air.
I still am working on a thank-you post.
Just thought I'd  check in and say HELLO.

So, how about you?
What's everybody working on? Let's hear! And hey -- what would you all like to see on the blog?
I'm open to suggestions (as long as they are nice ones!).
It isn't easy thinking up with you all might want to see.
help me out a little, ok?
Enjoy the rest of September and remember --

SEND GOOD MAIL ---- GET GOOD MAIL

More Rubber Stamps -- and Stamp Heads

Here is the second stamp post....Starting off with a box of vintage stamps I bought at the flea market years ago...

I haven't really used them much but they are really fun.

And you can tell by this price -- $8.00 for the whole box -- that I got them ages ago.  I doubt  we would be that lucky now.

With my studio all cleaned up and new cupboards and drawers I've been having a good time getting myself organized. I have several drawers of rubber stamps all organized.....
(but I am still not cleaning my stamps....)

I like these rather shallow plastic containers with lids that I buy over in Japantown  for storing my stamps. I put them in the boxes, loosely organized by theme, and because the plastic is clear I can see what I am looking for pretty easily. I just stack these boxes in the stamp drawer.

I put the very small stamps together in a smaller box. 

THE SECRET
Well, maybe not a secret to all of you - but if you don't know about
100 Proof Press
you really, really should. This is my go-to catalog for stamps, as you can probably tell by the stick-it notes. And if anyone asks me what I might want for a gift....well...I know where to look.
Anybody want to know?

Page after page of deliciousness......

Casey's in the East Village, NYC

I just keep an eye out for stamps everywhere I happen to go. If you are in N YC, check out Casey's and The Ink Pad. Look in thrift shops, flea markets and centers for creative re-use. Teacher's supply sites online (or in person) often have interesting stamps. I got my days of week and French language stamps at a teachers supply.
And, if you are a traveler, it is really fun to pick up rubber stamps in other languages. I have some fun ones from Russia and Turkey.

I love my days of the week stamps -- just wish I knew where I actually got them.
I know it was a website for teachers.
The red MAILED stamp is a little find from Scrap.

Assembling pages for Planet Susannia.
These aren't finished -- but I got out my rubber stamps to work on them. I have started  getting custom made stamps too -- like that mailman you see there.
If you have a good image for a rubber stamp, you can get them made at
Rubberstamp.net

Top -- by me
Bottom -- by the wonderful Cleo Allen

Besides playing with rubber, I have been doing lots of other things -- like making envelopes....

Large and Small
Outgoing mail -- one oversized interoffice envelope and a tiny little one that is the minimum size for mailing.

Making a box of my photo cards as a gift for someone who especially loves them.

And I have been back it it -- yup, making more stamp heads.
Somebody -- stop me!

Stamp Head Postcard

Stamp Head Postcard
Come on...admit it..this is funny...

Stamp Head

What can I say?

Stamp Head
Now George is playing cards with himself.

Stamp Head in booklet
Made two little booklets -- one for Vizma and one for Planet Susannia.

So.......playing with stamps, making Stamp Heads, a zine, two booklets, photo cards...
and this afternoon I hung artwork ion my studio....busy...busy...

So, I shared -- now how about YOU guys????
What web sites do you get your stamps from? Inquiring minds want to know.
I am looking for postal related stamps -- anybody have a good source for mailman stamps?
And has anyone ever seen a woman mail carrier stamps?
Come on, I know you are out here, share the love -- where are some more places for good rubber stamps?
I keep seeing stamps on mail I get that I can't find...I know there there are some mailman stamps out there waiting for me to find them and give them a good home.

Friday Night and the Week That Was

OUTGOING TYPEWRITER ENVELOPES
It's been a pretty good week around here and I made it to Friday night....I  was on another typewriter envelope binge for a few days.
I love those typewriters.

OUTGOING TYPEWRITER ENVELOPES
Here are a couple more -- told you I was on a binge. And my old Royal  Deluxe typewriter has frozen up on me. The carriage won't move. I know I flipped a switch or did something when I was
carrying it around from room to room...I'm going to have to Google to figure out how to get it back in action.
Unless one of you might know how to fix it?

OUTGOING SF COLLAGED POSTCARDS
When I travel I always buy local postcards and collage over them. Why not do it when I'm not traveling?
My grandmother is one of those people on the Lombard Street postcard -- she never traveled at all, much less to san Francisco, so this is my way of having her visit!
I think she'd like that.

COLLAGED BIRTHDAY POSTCARDS
I have soooooo many Aries friends that I have been busy making birthday cards and wrapping up gifts like crazy. And I'm an Aries too! This is party month around here.....

STAMP HEADS
By now you all realize that I just cannot stop with these Stamp Heads. And I don't even want to stop.
Now I am collaging the Stamp Heads on vintage photos and vintage postcards.....
Here's James Dean with his grandmother ---- or maybe with a Cougar girlfriend? 

Here I go again.........a vintage French postcard...

INCOMING STAMP HEAD ENVELOPE
And it seems to be catching! Tallie sent me an envelope she made with the stamps being Stamp Heads. How cool is that?
I love how everyone takes the idea and runs with with it and does something different.

Stamps Heads from Karen's MMSA trade -- I loved the ones I got.

INCOMING STAMP HEAD
S Wurlitzer sent her Stamp Heads on a postcard she made.....Hemingway and Dorothy Parker....now that is an interesting combination...

My collection is growing! And Tallie's envelope is great to put the ATC's in and tote around with me for "Show & Tell".
There is a SF Correspondence meeting tomorrow and I will bring them to show the gang.

The Studio is coming along....look at that pretty floor and those white walls....I can't wait to get in there and hang up some art! My work table top got refinished too and there it is waiting to get put back together....

INCOMING MAIL

The week before last was a crummy mail week. Not crummy mail but almost no mail. That's not a good thing. But this week!! Oh lala.
Here is a tiny little handmade book that is a letter from Annejo in The Netherlands.
So cool.....

And this -- from Christie J -- is absolutely amazing. She made me a small accordion book with pockets using gelli printed papers and washi tape AND she inserted stamp head ATC's inside many of the pockets.
I wish you could see it in person with all the beautiful papers, stamps and Stamp Heads.
Thanks so much, Christie.

Here's Christie's terrific little book sitting on top of two early birthday presents.
Not a bad mail week this week, that's for sure!

Scott (from Positively Postal on faceBook -- check it out) sent me a sheet of Royal Mail stamps from London. Why doesn't the USPS have fabulous stamps like this?
The sheet includes the Royal Red Post Boxes and some vintage postal pictures.
Swoon.

The full sheet -- I really think I should frame it and hang it on that white wall -- don't you agree?
Thanks Scott!

The rug arrived and the work table is set up again....things are progressing around here and the weekend has arrived....
What's in store? Well, the mail art meeting is at SF Center for the Book tomorrow afternoon.
You know that is going to be a lot of fun.
I'll report back on that.
 And I'll show you what's inside some of those intriguing birthday parcels.
AFTER my birthday, of course. I wouldn't think of opening them early. Or shaking them.
Or trying to peel the tape off.....

or would I?

I couldn't post all the great mail I received this week but I loved everything. What a wonderful thing it is to get such terrific mail.
Pass it on -- SEND GOOD MAIL!

Thanks for stopping by and reading the blog.