We Are Family

For various reasons, I have been thinking a lot about family lately.
Most likely because I just lost my beloved, ancient father in law. Some families are being split apart by politics and others by a member being deported.
When you lose someone, I think you start to realize how important it is to keep your loved ones close.
Your friends, your family, your tribe.

My career and first passion has always been photography. I had a Nikkormat in my hands when when I was just a kid and never put it down.
And, I collected vintage photos, tintypes and old albums for years and years. I just took a bunch of them out to look at some of those faces.
Someday someone at a flea market or vintage paper sale will probably be looking at my old photos someday (hopefully not too soon though).

I have a teeny tintype album given to me by my step-father (now gone) and he was so excited that it was dated March 25 because my birthday is March 26. I kind of have to laugh every time I look at that -- I mean, it is a day off -- so really.....
The rest of that date is 1874 and no, that isn't my birth year.

Don't you just wonder about all these people? What were their lives like?

Another thing that got me started thinking of family and photos is that a member of my mail art group brought a lot of his own family photos to the swap table. He said no one in his family wanted them and he thought (correctly) that those of us in the mail art group would certainly know how to put them to good use.
I used the photos in making collaged postcards and sending Jerry's family members all over the world...

Jerry's family sitting on lawn chairs in Spain -- I bet they didn't expect to find themselves there!

So, now I am inspired -- I've got out a bunch of old photos and glue and scissors and Rolodex cards and passports and I am getting to work.....

I'm sending JB, my lovely FIL, on a long fishing trip.....working on his passport is a good way for me to honor and remember him.

Have passport -- will travel

Thanks to all of you who comments on my last post. Your kind comments -- and the emails and cards -- were all very much appreciated.
It's been a rough few months and I've been sad but having my tribe sending kindness has most certainly helped. A lot.
And making art helps so I'm off to my work table....

SEE YOU IN THE MAIL!!!!

This Time It's Japan

Hanging out in the studio on a rainy afternoon......who should I send on a trip this time?

I love passports -- have I already said that? Well, it's very true. I love the covers and I love the stamped pages even more. It's a sad passport with no stamps in it. (But no worries, I can add my own stamps to cheer things up)
This one has seen some travel.

I'm finding, with making my altered passports, a lot of the stuff I've collected over the years is coming together.
So great to find the perfect use for things.....like this old Japanese paper...

First off, I always change the passport photo to one I like better...I added in the black & white photo.

I bought an old family photo album from Japan at the Pasadena Flea Market years ago and found the perfect use for some of the photos....they pop out very easily and are moving in to their new home...

See what I mean?

I might add in some Japanese language flash cards too....you never know...

My faux passport stamps are getting a good workout  this afternoon....

I always leave the real ones alone.

Here's an almost finished page - turned out quite nicely I think.

All this Japan travel (in my mind) make me really need some ramen so I had to go off to Japan Town and get a bowl.
I wonder where I will go when I work on the Russian passport?
We do have Russian markets in SF and I bet we have a Russian restaurant too.
But first I need to finish up with Japan....

A big thank you and shout out to DD, JU and GM for giving me some passports to work on. You guys are just so great. 
I don't feel happy unless I have some passports sitting around waiting to be altered.
I am seriously looking for a French passport. I'm just putting it out there.

So, I've been busy altered passports, going to co-op meetings, making mail art, visiting Scrap hitting the Hero Arts Flash sale....

& You????
What are you all up to these days?
Do tell.

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Altered Passport Project

In the fall, I am usually dusting off my own passport and getting ready to go on a trip.
This year, my trip sadly got canceled so I may have to send some others off to travel instead of going myself...
The travel journal was all prepped and ready...

I love to travel and I've always loved passports....little books filled with exotic rubber stamps? How could I not like them?
So, I started picking them up any time I got a chance....and one thing lead to another....and....
I started creating fantasy passports for imaginary people going on imaginary trips...
just my type...

When I found these small, vintage photos at the Vintage Paper Fair I knew these ladies were going to have to go on a trip.

I change the photos of the travelers. After all, who ever likes their passport photo?
We need new and glamorous photos for our fantasy trips.

I collect small photos (especially when I travel in other countries) to add -- and I add in rubber stamps and postage stamps and really, anything that seems to suit the trip...

Sometimes I give the pages a watercolor wash....or collage on them...

A trip to Morocco inspired this page....I didn't see any camels but I saw donkeys.

A France inspired page...

Those two ladies look like they would enjoy an English Tea - so I sent them to the UK.
(real immigration stamps)

I always leave any existing  stamps and visas showing and work with them. This is a real visa for a trip to Japan so the two pages are Japanese.

Japan Passport picked up at the VPF
I found a Swedish one too....
You want to see them? Let me know in the comments.

This Japanese passport had A LOT of wonderful stamps from entering and departing Japan....
I think I will just leave them as-is. So cool.
One thing that really bugs me is that many times I just breeze thru immigration and my passport doesn't even get stamped at all. I really hate that.
If I am talking to a person I ask to get it stamped, but
I took a train thru a few countries in Eastern Europe and it was oddly like there were no borders,
No stamps in my passport at all....

A Russian Passport
Don't you love that handwriting? I am going to have fun with this one. Since I've been to Russia I have some wonderful bits of old ephemera from flea markets there to add....

I find that passports are difficult to find. They are very expensive on eBay. I have gotten lucky a few times at the Vintage Paper Fair.
But -- that Japanese store - Muji - has little, inexpensive notebooks (pictured) that come in red or blue and are the exact size as many passports, rounded corners and all.
So now I think I will be making a few of my own own passports -- I wonder if I will have to invent a new country?
Himmmm......I could give a workshop in my studio on making these......that would be a lot of fun.
Would you come?

I am kinda sad because of my trip....but the best remedy for that is making a lot of art in my studio so that's where I am headed off to now...

Ciao bella.

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Start Your Day With Art

Good Morning!
I try to start out every day with an hour of art (no matter how early I have to get up). Some folks like to work at night....way into the wee hours....but I always feel like I have to start my day with art if at all possible.

First off, a mug of very strong, black, hot coffee and a book or magazine about art or art techniques.
(This book has been around a while and is called The Pressed Plant - it is very nice).
I like to browse UpperCase and Somerset Studio magazines.

But, Sundays are for the SF Chronicle and the New York Times.....

Oh! And happy T day to Elizabeth and the T gang. I am invited to join in this week and I hope you enjoy the beverage of choice here -- cappuccino.
Thank you
Elizabeth - Altered Book Lover

Looking at some cyanotypes...and getting ready to g to the studio and make things.....and there are so many things I want to make....

For example, I've been into bird envelopes these days....and bird rolodex cards.....

.......yes, and even more bird envelopes.....

Which, in turn, lead me to making altered book pages with birds and a teacher's notes from a bird class....

Sometimes I just make collage cards from things sitting around on my studio table....like this...

Considering I just went to the fabulous Vintage Paper last weekend and came home with lots of vintage paper there is always something sitting around I can use to make some something....25-cent snapshots...

I was very happy to find a Swedish passport for $2 (thanks to Annie) and I changed the passport photo from an old lady to this perky miss. (sorry, I couldn't help myself). I did just notice the passport says she had dark brown hair.I thought Swedes were blond. Oh well. This is added to my altered passport product....
WARNING: The next two photos might make you a little crazy!

I got a bunch of twenty cent postcards just for the fabulous stamps/post marks/cursive writing. Aren't they wonderful? I am kicking myself for not getting more. In my defense, I WAS running out of money....(This photo has gotten the second most "likes" on Instagram that I've ever had)

I just had to show you all this beauty. Some of you have seen it already on the blog's FB page or on IG I know but it is so wonderful I have to share on the blog....A lovely woman (pmarti5) on IG made me this for no reason other than to be wildly nice and generous. It is a cloth journal cover for a Moleskine journal in postal fabric. I am going to treasure this beauty.

So, there you have it -- coffee and reading, making things and surprises in the mail, wonderful old postcards. It's all good. When is your favorite time to make things?
Morning? Night? And, what is everybody out there working on? What do you like to read -- am I missing any good books or magazines? Do tell.
And have a good day you all!

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