New York, New York

New York, New York....
.....it's a beautiful town. I have always loved NYC. OK, maybe not so much in the 80's when things were kinda nuts there -- but before that and after.
And now.
NYC here I am!
The Ink Pad? Junior's?Some plays?MOMA?
You bet!

Every time I visit I make collages and keep a little travel journal. I found this one from the last time....

....and got inspired to make a little booklet to collage in this time...

Here's the start of it -- doesn't look like too much now so I will show you when it's filled up with ephemera from The Big Apple. I prepped the pages (inspired by my pal Dori who showed me all her prepped pages for her Japan journal). Nothing too fancy -- just some watercolor washes and some rubber stamps....

Ok, so then I decided to make a separate travel notebook too -- here's the cover! I am going to cover it with some paper ephemera/map I pick up in NYC.
I always take a pencil and stick it notes so I can mark the journal with notes about what photos I want to add in later on and leave room for them....

This time I prepped the journal pages a la my mail art pal Dori Singh.....and of course I just happened to have quite a number of NYC postcards at the ready...

...another prepped page.....

When I think of NYC I think of Yellow Cabs!

Need to tuck a few things into the mail art travel kit.....colored pencils? black Micron markers?
Glue stuck?

These cool little ABC stamps (thank you, Miss Polly!) fit snugly inside an Altoids tin.

After my last NYC I made a large origami folder and tucked in ephemera that might come in handy this time, like subway maps. and take-out menus...

It's fun to make an origami folded for each trip -- maps are good for this since they are large.
I like to fill the folder with ephemera that didn't fit in my travel journal. All of this stuff is a handy reference for the next trip or for a friend who is traveling to the same spot.

All prepped and ready to go....

Only I will be home by the time this post is published and you are reading it! Maybe you'll get a postcard from me.
Next up -- I'll show you some NYC sights and scenes.
The Ink Pad? I think so.
Some deli sandwiches? You bet?
Tearing and pasting in a hotel room -- now that you know will definitely be happening.

What has everybody been doing while I've been gone?
Do tell.
Happy Mail to you all.

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