The Last Two Weeks....

Hello you all.
I have been just a little bit too busy these days. The studio is slowly coming along.
No art on the walls yet.
And the work table is pretty clean.

I have been pretty busy sorting and organizing and tossing. I treated myself to a flat file and it has been so wonderful to sort my big stack of sheets of paper into the five drawers.
Now I can finally find what I'm looking for.
This is BIG!

Children under twelve should not see these next photos -- in fact, they make break the hearts of you mail artists out there -- brace yourselves!

A POST BOX GRAVEYARD

Behind the North Berkeley post office is a very sad sight -- lots of old PO Boxes left outside to rust and fall apart.

This is too sad.....

The pal who showed me this pathetic sight told me she talked to the people inside the PO about buying a box but no one knew anything about them.
She also wrote to the postmaster -- no answer! I am pretty sure a number of mail artists would buy boxes to stash filled with mail art in their studios or maybe out in the backyard.
A win-win situation.
The PO would make some money, the mail artists would be happy and they wouldn't end up in the landfill.
But the USPS doesn't seem to be at all interested in selling them.
What a shame.

North Berkeley PO -- I think it could use a face lift!

On another note, I came across this rather charming book on Amazon. The  Stamp Head lady on the cover really caught my eye. Oh--and the fact the book is one cent. That's right, one cent.
And worth every penny.
(Sorry, I couldn't resist)

Inside cover

More Stamp Heads inside.
Those are the only Stamp Heads but the book is rather charming. And for a penny, why not get a copy?

Other than crying over sad post boxes and sorting papers and eating lunch with my friends I have been working on getting some mail out as well....

Origami Folders
Made some of my old favorite origami folders to mail out....

Picked up a pack of brown craft paper blank cards and envelopes and I've been having fun making cards with those...what you can do with a few rubber stamps and a cancelled stamp!

Here's a card that got collaged on the front and the back of the card stock...I even get ideas in the middle of making dinner....

Oh -- and I have been having a whole lot of fun putting my postal treasures on the new shelves.
Arranging and rearranging.
So much to do and so little time.
Today is the Library Big Book Spring Sale. And no, I don't need more books.
And yes, I am going. I can't resist. And, I do have more shelves to put the books on....

Bought the beautiful new bird stamps yesterday. Looking forward to the very cool circus stamps coming in May. Hoping to get the studio finished up, artwork hung and invite my pals over to play.
Getting out the mail.
And what about you? What is everybody else doing these days?
Do tell.


Happy Spring to everyone!

SEND GOOD MAIL --- GET GOOD MAIL

At the Work Table

By now I think you all know how much I love to take a trip....I love the planning and the packing (sort of) , the plane ride (amazing, I know) or road trip. I like actually being there -- wherever that is-- and I like being home with lots of paper ephemera to play with. I like editing my photos and printing them and making mail art and collages and re-living the whole darn thing!

So -- come on into my studio and see what I've been playing with.....

OUTGOING
(to Kelly P) I think a letter is always more interesting when it is written on interesting papers and lots of postcards and menus and ephemera is all tucked in....

OUTGOING
....so all of that got tucked in to this map origami folder and put in to a vellum envelope and sent out on its way...

I like to make collages while traveling -- and I do -- but sometimes I am just too busy exploring and having fun to finish them so I bring an envelope of stuff I have torn from tourist brochures and collage when I get back home.
It seems to make the trip last longer.

VIRGINIA
After eating the boxed lunch at Sally Bell's I flattened the box -- and that cool checkered black and white paper -- and took it home.
Reconstructed the box and filled it with ephemera from my trip - postcards, matchbooks,
menus, transit tickets....a nice little souvenir of the trip....(and easy).

Collaged Postcards
Now put me in an airplane seat and give me a SkyMall catalog to tear up and I'm happy.
They have some crazy stuff in those SkyMall catalogs and I know how to use it!
The various airline magazines are fun to tear up too.

Boston
Now -- just pick up free stuff wherever you find it. I took the Dunkin' Donuts coffee bean bags and made envelopes out of them. And these little free booklets (for kids) at the Boston Museum made great little collaged booklets of the trip...

DC page

DC page

Boston page....you get the idea....or you could use the small hotel stationery pads and write a letter on them and stick the pages inside the booklet for a letter? 

These are just a few of the projects I've got going....I am making a book for all my Turkey/Italy photos and a Chinatown book of ephemera/photos in a vintage Chinese school book and I'm making envelopes and collages and writing letters. I sent off almost all of the little art pieces to be hidden in a book. (Still waiting for a couple of you to email your addresses to me so I can send you one).
(Want to see any of that? Let me know)

What are you working on?

Road Trip With Paper

Perks of Travel
I love to travel -- planes, cars, trains -- you name it and I'm in!
Recently I took a road trip to the LA area. I'm not very used to freeways.
Especially seven lane versions of freeways.
But there were postcards to cheer me up.

Highway 5
The main roue between SF and LA is Highway 5. I can't tell you the number of times I have been up and down Highway 5.
I have to think of things to do to keep me amused in the car.
Taking photos out the windows is one thing.
And then there is In & Out Burger.

This trip we had six hours of the most incredibly beautiful and dramatic skies
 which really helped to keep us entertained.

And then there is California Agriculture -- just like the postcard says. There are grapevines
and citrus trees for mile after mile on 5.
Lemons, oranges, tangerines...
And nut trees -- almonds and pistachios. The trees look different in every season.
I like looking for birds nests in the bare branches.

POST BOX
This time I managed to get my sweetie to stop in Bakersfield, CA so I could hit a
farm stand.
Score! Postcards and avocados and nuts and lemons....

I love that CALIFORNIA RAISINS postcard...
wonder who will get that one?

Menus from Musso and Franks and Canters
Another perk of travel is picking up maps and menus which can then be made into
all kinds of mail art...

LA Origami booklets

Mail art like these origami booklets that I stuffed with California postcards..
and I made collage postcards and envelopes too. I wonder if
Planet Susannia
has received hers yet? Mail can be slow this time of year.

OUTSIDE THE HOLLYWOOD POST OFFICE

They say everyone in Hollywood is skinny -- well, not this big fella.
People must be feeding him a lot of mail!

That's So LA

This is my 199th (?) post -- I guess 200 is sort of a milestone so I'll have to think
of something interesting to write about and photograph.
I have some ideas.
I thought a random LA travel post might be fun because personally I am tired
of holidays.
I want to get back into the studio and catch up on mail and collage.

I hope everyone has been having fun celebrating various things.
Happy New Year to All
and see you soon for Number 200.
Thanks for all the comments and support and good mail.

                             

Red and What Goes With It

RED & WHITE & BLUE
I know many folks out there are thinking of RED & GREEN but lately I've been on a red, white  and blue kick. I don't know why but these things just happen sometimes.
I've really been working on a lot of mail art the last few weeks, trying to
catch up after having been away. Twice. After Turkey and Italy I went to LA.
There's an LA post coming up too....

OUTGOING
Having fun with vellum envelopes lately -- did you know vellum requires extra postage?
Now I know too....
That bottom envelope has a coffee theme for a certain person with the initials M.W. who loves a good cup of coffee. Or two.

OUTGOING
Another vellum going out -- and a cheesy envelope for a certain cheese-lover I know.
It's fun to customize envelopes to appeal to people's taste.
I like postal-themed envelopes in case you wondered.

OUTGOING

OUTGOING

Jon already gave a shout-out for the plane collage  

OUTGOING
This origami booklet went out...

OUTGOING

And something out to Planet Susannia -- who sent me the most fabulous mail art booklet --click here and take a look.

VINTAGE SUPPLIES
I think I'll start with some red and green now....got out the vintage Xmas stuff.....

Checking those vintage cards to see if the somewhat odd shape requires any extra postage..
(I hope not because I am sending an awful lots of stamps these days)

Got out the box of holiday rubber stamps....

I've been wrapping.....

...and boxing things up.....

Planning on standing in line at my favorite Post Office this week....maybe I'll bring some cookies..
for the postal clerks, not for me..
Actually, maybe I should bring some cookies to hand out to the usually grumpy folks waiting in line to spread a little cheer. And maybe they won't sigh too much when I get to the counter.
Because I have a lot to send.

INCOMING

The "Send Mail to Get Mail" rule still stands. I got some great mail this week --
from Planet Susannia (see above) and fabulous artistamps from Jack at
Cascadia Artpost and a tiny accordion booklet of photos of Turkey from a friend who also took a trip there..

LIKE MONEY IN THE BANK
The more mail you deposit the more mail you are likely to get!

Buddha's Hand infused vodka

Another little project I am working on...you can't do mail art ALL the time, or can you?

I know it is a crazy time of the year but have fun out there people!