Ephemera Just Finds Me

Truly, vintage ephemera just seems to find me. Ok, I admit I am open to the possibility....I just love old paper.
Want to see some?

You can never really have too much wonderful old paper, can you?

September seems to be peak ephemera month.....There is this sale a friend puts on up in Marin and the Vintage Paper Fair (we all know how much I love that one) and the SF Public Library Big Book Sale ......

Old book parts anyone?

Tarot cards

And, let's not forget, the fabulous SFPL has an outdoor library "Steps" sale every week -- $1 for any book your heart desires. I have posted a lot of photos of these on Instagram #tornandtatteredbooks
(PamelaArtsinSF)

My favorite spot for .25-cent postcards and this year I found eight passports.
I will show you those in another post -- they are amazing. I cannot wait to alter them.

Look at these beauties! I collect them for the beautiful cursive writing, the stamps and the postmarks.

No Sharpie cancellations here.

That cursive....

This one I didn't get -- it was in a set of six called "Spy Passports" and the guy had a bunch of UK passports with all different information -- only $600.00 for you to bring home....

Peek-a-boo!
They just don't make postcards like they used to. People keep asking me where I get ephemera....
Maybe I should be a PERSONAL SHOPPER? You think?

Look around for library book sales, old foreign language dictionaries, 1950's National Geographic magazines, thrift shops, estate sales....ask your old relatives if they have any stacks of old letters in the attic......
The Big Book Sale is THIS WEEK -- Wednesday thru Sunday and everything is $1 on Sunday (always good stuff to be found). So, if you're near SF, you can go.
Anyone want to go with me?
A few more old books just might find me this week...

SEND GOOD MAIL --  GET GOOD MAIL

Santa Baby

Dear Santa,
I would really like mail art for Xmas.
Thank you.

I am not the most easy person to shop for unless you are another mail art/postal/paper/ephemera nerd like I am.
So, in case Santa is wondering about some things I might want, here is my list.
Well--MAIL, of course! Lots of mail art in my mail box all year long would be very nice.
And some little parcels too.
Just like in this picture. Did I mention how much I love mail?

And..oh! A nice little portable typewriter would be very. very welcome. I would like one to toss into my car when I go on road trips so I could type letters on the fly. Wouldn't that be nice?
I'd also like some vintage ads for typewriters to frame and hang in my studio.

I really wouldn't mind a pink typewriter if anyone has one sitting around that they might like to send me.

Mr Zip Anything -- thermos, lunch box, rubber stamps, buttons....I do have a little crush on Mr Zip!

Paper Ephemera? Bring it on! And free postal forms from post offices all over the world would  be great to find under my tree...

I love typing instruction manuals.....so many great photos and diagrams inside. And  the pages make great envelopes. I just might have gotten these two for myself in case Santa doesn't see this list.
I really have been good.
Well, pretty good.

I bet all of you have been good too. Now, tell me, what would YOU like for Christmas?

Happy Holidays to all who celebrate.

(a little note to my friends, believe it or not, I did not send out any Holiday cards this year. I decided to concentrate on mail art instead -- not to say the two can't be combined).
So, here is a little holiday card from Thelma instead.

SEND GOOD MAIL -- GET GOOD MAIL

Prepare for Take-Off

Anticipation
Preparing the mail art kit and getting the travel journal ready is my favorite part of the trip.
Ok, two of my favorite parts....but the exploring and eating out and adventures are great too.
I love packing art supplies but clothes? Not so much.
By the time you read this post, I'll be back from my big adventure to
St. Petersburg, Krakow, Budapest and Prague.

You probably know I am always collecting paper so I had a lot to draw on for my travel journal -- even before I left home.
A mail art pal recently went to St. Petersburg and she donated some lovely papers with Russian Cyrillic writing on them (thanks, Sarah). And another friend had given me a big box of old postcards and I found a set for St Petersburg.
Got the little nesting Russian dolls envelopes in Japantown. Maybe not authentic but fun. 

This brochure came in the mail....we didn't go on a tour...just the two of us braving four languages we can't speak....but what a fun photo that is.....

The Vintage paper Fair came through with a couple of nice old postcards and an envelope to paste in my journal. Every year I try to pick up postcards at the VPF of places I may be visiting. I like to use them in my trip journals or just to mail out...and many times there are really cool old vintage stamps on the backs of them I can use too.

Budapest
I tore out some photos from a travel magazine of a cafe in Budapest. I can stick some  white stickers on them and write about the fabulous pastry and coffee
I enjoyed there while soaking up the atmosphere.

Vintage Prague Postcards

These are real, black & white photographs of Prague. Really beautiful. Some to paste in my book and some to mail.

And thanks to my mail art pal Dori for giving me some beautiful printed paper  to enhance my trip journals.

Stamps!
Kelly P gave me a whole book of stamps from Hungary and Sylvia  B bought some Polish stamps for me in Paris at the Stamp Market.
Thanks you two. They will be put to good use in my journal.

I always put vintage maps in my trip books and another friend brought me back that tiny Polish calendar a couple of years ago....I knew it would come in handy someday...

See what I mean about the cool stamps on the back of the old postcards? I like to pack some DOTS and labels and vellum envelopes to add in. I divide the basic journal into sections for each country ahead of time. I have A LOT to cram into this one. Last trip I used the same size book for two countries. This trip it's four countries -- six if you could the airports in Finland and German. But who's counting?
So I plan it out ahead of time and then add in extra sheets of onion skin paper using washi tape as needed.

Collaged Postcard
This is basically my packing philosophy. Take it with me. I try really, really hard not to but I am just not good at packing light.

Now you've seen the BEFORE of the trip journal -- do you want to see the AFTER?
I love collecting paper and every night I sit down and do some writing, cutting & pasting.

After I get over jet lag. I've got stories to tell and photos to share. And yes, I did visit a post office or two I can tell you about.

One Too Many

Noooooooo I don't mean too many of these.....I know my limit......one martini and I'm done.

I just have too many ideas, projects and things going on. But that's the Aries way....we do like to be busy.
Birthday boxes and cards to send, mail to respond to, blog posts to photograph and write, trips to plan, mail art kits to pack, travel journals to prepare, zines to make, ATC's to design....

So one idea I had was to make a Typewriter zine....working on that....
and BTW if you are a typewriter nerd like I am you have GOT too see
Populaire
This is a riot--a French film with a speed typing contest and typewriters galore.
Even my husband thought it was charming.

Ok, and how about making little booklets to write letters in? that's a good idea, non?

I thought so....so I made a few of these....

The insides are all a bit different..and so are the covers....

Then I figured I might as well make some more Postal ATC's trade.
My friend Connie Rose
just made some and inspired me to make more too -- even though it's possible I should be doing other things..

Postal ATC's

Postal ATC's

Oh yes--and in between all of the above I am still trying to clean and organize my studio. I came across a big box of my vintage greeting cards. Looking through them, I was happy to see many cards featured mail boxes and letters.

That got me thinking....instead of leaving these cuties sitting in a box, why not cut them up and make a zine out of them -- then a lot of people can see them.

So now I'm working on a mailbox/letter zine....got the images cut down to size and now I've got to write...er...type...captions...

And, of course, there is always outgoing mail....

Whew!!! I am busy. But, you know what? It's mostly pretty fun. I do get a little crazy when I think of everything I have to do but too many ideas and are better than not enough.
Don't you agree?

Go see that typing movie -- and have a martini afterwards -- that's what I do!

So, what are you all working on these days?
Inquiring minds want to know.