It's Going to be a Book Making Summer

I started looking at some old books I made.....and that me started thinking...
I WANT TO MAKE MORE BOOKS!
(I'm not yelling - I'm just excited)

Everyone has a style and I like things fat and happy, bursting the seams and tabs sticking out the sides and tops.....

I like re-purposing mail art I get into book pages. A fun way to keep mail and be able to sit and look at it.

This one is going to be my summer altered book -- looks very summery, don't you think? A lot more summery than it actually is here in San Francisco but I do get out of the city on weekends alot and actually see some sun.

Look at this marbled beauty - the covers and endpapers are all beautiful. I am cutting up some old file folders from Scrap SF for pages for this one. The colors are the same in both the marbling and folder (burgundy and brown).

This little cutie is much smaller than the others -- postcard size....

Look how much better the cover looks with a coat of Liquidex  Gel Medium and some roses.

Since this one is postcard size I decided to add some vintage postages to the pages....

Look at these two beauties! I am making twins for myself and one for  someone special, who I will be visiting for Thanksgiving....we are going to work on the pages inside together but I am prepping them now.

Pretty but plain...hum...I am going to have to add something to this cover.

I love finding different things for the pages....bingo card? Yes!  I have used blueprints and menu's and map pages .....and I cut up a lot of file folders (again, from Scrap) for pages because they are thin and strong. You can collage on top of them.

A very kind mail art pal turned me onto colored rings and she sent me these. I have got to find more,

Being an Aries and being me, I never do anything half way so now I am working on at least six different books all at the same time.
Keeps me out of trouble.
Thanks to Linda F for sending me some of these great RD covers and the blue marbled ones. 

I just love the way the books looks all fat and happy.
If I make enough maybe I will sell a few. Maybe.
So, what are you all doing for fun?
We don't have beaches or hot weather and it doesn't feel too much like summer in San Francisco so my fun is playing with paper.

Anybody else out there doing anything fun?
Do tell.I love to hear from you.

SEND GOOD MAIL -- GET GOOD MAIL

Save The Earth

Every city and town should have a center for creative reuse. It makes so much sense. Let's keep things out of the landfill.
It is just such a great idea. We have SCRAP here in San Francisco and I took a little field trip over to the East Bay to visit The Depot for Creative Reuse.

I'm all for creative reuse (as you already know).

The fun starts right out on the sidewalk....books anyone?

Nicely organized store with lots of things to ponder a use for....

Lots of books inside too.....

It is just amazing to me all the STUFF that exists on our planet Earth...and I am happy to see some folks are really trying to limit what goes in to the landfill.

My favorite color is green! Did they know?

Definitely better to use all these pens than toss them away....

I don't actually sew....but I love old wooden spools of thread....and a pal is going to help me learn how to thread my sewing machine so I can sew some mail-art envelopes.
(Right, Dorothy?) 

Check and see if there is a Center for Creative Re-use in your town -- or in a spot you are traveling to. I guarantee you will have fun poking around -- and you'll actually be doing something good for our earth at the same time.

We also went to the dump...er....recycle center on that same field trip and we got FREE books.
My idea of a good time.

Any of you have these creative re-use centers? Let me -- and my blog readers know -- because people keep asking me about them.
San Francisco, Berkeley, Portland all have them but there have got to be more out there...
so, let us all in on the secret if you know about any others.
I finished a little zine, worked on envelopes, painted some stuff -- I'll show you next time.
Right now, the sun is shining here in SF and I'm going for a walk (to the mail box!).

SEND GOOD MAIL -- GET GOOD MAIL&
Make things from re-purposed materials -- you'll be glad you did!

A Dirty Job but Someone Has Got to Do It!

Mail, mail and more and more mail....
Can there ever be too much good mail?

Sorry to have to admit it, but yes....there can be too much mail, especially when you've been at it for as long as I have....
I have boxes and boxes and boxes of it plus shelves and cupboards filled with it and some mail hung on rings...

I have officially run out of storage room. So, what do I do?
Well, recycle and re-purpose it, of course.
I have been sorting through endless boxes of mail and sorting things into piles...

Some of it I am just admiring....looks how pretty these piles are....Before I put the mail into boxes I sorted it by who it as from and wrapped ribbons around it...

And -- NO -- of course I didn't put it all in the recycling bin. I saved A LOT (hence how this whole problem started in the first place....). I saved the most amazing mail art, my favorite pieces and collections of letters from folks who are my dear friends...I tossed old mail from people who only wrote a few times and stopped....

I have two envelopes stuffed with postage stamps I tore off the envelopes......

And I found some terrific stamps to use for making "Stamp Heads"....(I wish I had more of these, aren't they perfect?)

And I started a "collage papers" pile and started layering the papers into the sketchbook I am filling with collages...
Here is a "start"....

and another......pasting down the first layer and covered with a little gesso to mellow it out, leaving the images still showing through...

All of this is from one dear friend....

Lots of stuff still in the art cupboard!
The things in here are my most favorites -- but I think I need to sort  it and maybe wrap up the mail by  artist. 
I always think a stack of mail with a ribbon around it looks like a present.
And then I can grab a  bunch at a time and browse through it....

So???? What are you doing with your good mail? Do you keep everything? How do you store it?
All ideas and suggestions welcome.
I am still organizing.

I think I still have a lot of sorting and repurposing to do.....
I should invite some of my more organized friends (you know who you are) to come over and help me. I'd give you treats.
Any volunteers? 

Send Good Mail -- Get Good mail