You Know It's Coming....

You know what's coming up in about a week(ish). You know, that day with hearts and flowers and chocolate and romantic dinners.
Who care about all that?
WE WANT MAIL!!!!!!!! RIGHT?????
So if you want good mail -- you gotta send good mail and you better get busy.

Funny thing is, I wasn't even going to make Valentine cards this year.
No Way.
But then I looked around my studio.......

We've even got Cupid cutting and pasting.....so who am I to argue?

(MY PO has TWO kinds of LOVE stamps.....)

I saw those LOVE stamps and rubber stamps and white and red lace hearts and vintage Valentine cards and, well.....you can see what happened......

Is it me or does that Cupid on this vintage card look a little demented????

(Shhhhhh......good thing my husband doesn't read my blog...hummmm and why not?)
Anyway, I made him a tiny little accordion book filled with love...because he is the BEST.

I think he's going to like it. I might have to tuck in a piece of chocolate with it or take him out for some NYC cheesecake......

What teacher wouldn't like to get this cool vintage mailbox card? In fact, probably even someone who isn't a teacher would like it. I'm just sayin'.
Valentine's Day is for EVERYONE. We are inclusive here -- no body left out.
You have a 101 year old father in law like me? Mail art pals? A great next door neighbor? A friendly letter carrier? A helpful librarian? 
Make Valentine Cards
Let's spread some love around. The world could certainly use some. I can't show you the cards I sent out because it would ruin the surprise but those envelopes are pretty too.
(I'm not even going to be here in SF on Valentine's Day so I had to start early)

I am spreading the mail art love.
You can do it too.
Everybody loves to get mail -- on Valentine's Day -- and any day.
Now, who do you think you should make cards for???

SEND GOOD MAIL --- GET GOOD MAIL

A Little of This and Some of That....

Incoming
Some lovely incoming mail with Valentine themes and Typewriter themes.....

Fabulous Valentine mail from Dori Singh, mail artist and pal extraordinaire!

Bet you didn't know there is another mail artist in my family -- my sweetie! He hand lettered this envelope and made the heart out of torn chopstick wrappers -- what a guy!

From Tough City Writer I got a fabulous tri-old card with tattooed and half dressed guys inside!

More Valentines.......love that bikini gal on the card from Garci and the heart made of cancelled stamps she tucked inside.
Maybe next year I should make some Valentine cards....since everyone was so creative in the ones they made for me. 

A-mazing mail from Liz in New Zealand. I know some of you don't like FaceBook but I really have fun with it. Liz posted on her FB page that she was sending out 49 pieces of mail art -- no strings attached -- to the first 49 folks who asked for it. Well, of course, I asked -- and got this fabulous piece of sewn, painted, stamped, collaged mail art a couple of weeks later.
And inside were two little sewn pouches with tiny books inside with watercolored pages.
Now that is the true spirit of mail art -- just send it out and make someone really happy.

Here's the back of the envelope -- i would sure like to know how she did it -- it seems like she gessoed paper ??? Liz -- feel free to leave a comment and tell all.
Check out
Book Art Studios
to see some of Liz's work. And if you happen to live in New Zealand you can go see the art exhibit Project 49.
She is on Facebook too --
facebook.com/BookArtStudios
VERY cool -- many thanks, Liz and I will be putting something in the mail to you very soon.

Another surprise in the mail -- from Sharon. Sharon reads the blog and saw the post about the Vintage Paper Fair where I was drooling over the Japanese First Day Covers I couldn't afford to buy..she emailed me and asked if I would like her to send me a little packet and of course I said yes!
She sent a whole set of wonderful First day Covers postcard from Japan with drawing, a stamp and beautiful red cancellations of them.
And this one is of Japanese postal workers.
How cool is that? What a fun surprise to get in the mail -- just because someone was being nice and generous. Many thanks, Sharon.

A creative Valentine mailing from Niko who does bad things in the name of art --
see for yourself
Philatelic Atrocities
He started the PDX Mail Art Group too, just so you know. He set three different sheets of artistamps he made.....

OK, now this is what I'm doing......
Vintage Book
Have you seen those little secretive nooks for "Free Books" tucked away in your neighborhood?
There seems to be a movement going on of sharing books -- and I like it! I found this old book tucked into a little nook today and figured it is just what I needed to make an altered book like the one my pal Barb showed at the last co-op meeting. I loved that cover of the woman cooking. I kind of like to cook myself. When I'm in the mood. And, when I'm not busy with art projects. I think it is Swedish.....(anybody?).

I buy those cheapo sets of ABC stamps at Michaels and store them in a box. They aren't the greatest stamps. The rubber falls off sometimes. But hey -- they are cheap and fun to mix and match and sometimes sort......

I finished up some little RAM booklets and a NYC book....just puttering at the work table...

And I've been making some nice origami folders for friends.....you remember, I did a tutorial on how to make them a while back. The tutorial on how to make the origami folders is right here on "Most Popular Posts". I actually saw an online class on how to do it and you had a PAY. Mine is free! 

I made four....and one for me too....

I love the way the look all stacked up and filled with little surprises. They are six pockets in each one that you can fill....

Put a Bird on it!

OK, kids, that's it for now. We are having crazy warm weather in SF right now. It feels like summer and I am not liking it at all.
So I have to go in my studio and make stuff to cheer up.
I know...I know...those of you in the snow (Hello Boston) probably think I'm crazy but I just don't like 75 degrees in February. I don't like snow either.
But I do like mail art!

Many thanks to all of you who have sent me great mail lately. If you don't see yours here you might see it on the blog's FaceBook page.
I enjoy and appreciate every piece of mail I get.

And if you want to see Cappuccino & Art on FB look HERE

Hope you all are having a good day and making some good mail.
No Mail Monday = No Fun

But at least it gives me a chance to catch up. What are you all making? Sending? Doing?

SEND GOOD MAIL -- GET GOOD MAIL