Travel Journal Prep

Part of the fun of travel is the anticipation...don't you think? I certainly do!
I go crazy getting ready to travel and then I fling myself on a plane and collapse.

I like to work on my travel journals  in stages--the pre-boarding stage (prepping the travel journal), the in-flight (in the country) stage and the after-party (when I'm back at home).
I start off by collecting ephemera before a trip as soon as I know where I'm going...
I filled up this plastic box with all kinds of good stuff -- vintage postcards, maps, language books, stamps....

Let the playing begin!

I hunt and gather stuff on my own but I also have good friends who give me things too. JU found a stash of old currency for me to play with. They are on the euro now...

$1 at the library book sale -- a great book of etchings -- including several of places where I'll be off too....

Vintage postcards from eBay and a cool stamp.

I found a few dictionaries and language books at the book sale to cut up and glue in...

Travel journal taking shape....arranging things on the inside front cover....

I covered both my big journal and a mini in a vintage map....this little one gets tucked into my bag for notes on the go and the big journal stays in the hotel rooms.

Found at the paper ephemera sale I went to in September...$1 also. This is definitely going into the travel journal.

Vintage postcards and stamps.

What cool writing! I am sure not going to be able to read any of that tho....

And I was very, very good and I prepped all the pages with watercolor wash. That took quite a bit of time but it will be nice not to face all white paper.

On the road I will write in it, paste as much stuff in there as possible, leave room to add some photos when I get home and I plan on hinging some pages into the journal because I just know I'm going to run out of room.
My travel journal and photos are always my most favorite souvenirs from every trip. I am thinking of various little arty projects on the go -- like bring a large size coin envelope booklet and collaging the pages and filling the sleeves with ephemera right while I'm away....and how about writing a vintage(or new) postcard every day and then punching holes and putting them on a ring when I get home?
What do you think?
When I travel I am out and on the go a lot but I love working on my journal with a coffee in the morning to start the day or maybe a bit in the evening before dinner. 
And, since dinner starts at 10PM in one of the spots I am going to I think I will have some time to create before going out.

Now where am I going?

Bits & Bobs

So many people have generously given or mailed me bits of ephemera....a lot of it was sitting on my work table and I challenged myself to use it for mail art....
I had 8x8 decorative paper squares, plain library pockets, pieces of paper from India, some stickers..
(thanks to Harriet, JU, Connie, Monica and Jessica for the ephemera)

First thing I watercolored on the library pockets -- they were just a little too plain...and  after that I rubber stamped on them..

I had some library catalog cards too so I sponged watercolors and stamped those too and typed some lists on them..you gotta put something in those pockets!

I like making little bundles of things to mail off...

I folded up that 8x8 paper into little folders and put letters inside. Tucked them into the library pockets.
I'd like to get this in the mail, wouldn't you?

I tucked everything into envelopes I made from paper I got at the Co-Op's swap table and off it goes to cheer up some mailboxes.

I confess - I had to keep this little cutie for myself. I love the colors and the roses and I think it would be perfect to tuck some stamps into and put in my bag.....

And now I've got to get back to making things....see you....

You Know Where I Am

If it's Sunday....I'm usually in my studio....and very happily so.
Not always, but a lot of the time...including today...

And, I am on a playing-with-paints binge. A very fun and non-fattening binge.
I can't stop.
And I don't even want to stop. Everything sitting around my studio is fair game.

Oh yes -- rubber stamping is fun too.....right on top of the paint. But I have to wait for the paints to dry...and that is a good lesson for me...
patience..not usually one of my many (ahem) virtues....

See what I mean? I started playing with some old photos ..... wait till you see all of them! Very cool. That's for another post..

Hummm....I think this envelope looks much better now. Don't you?

Library/Book Lover ATC

FANCY
You know what I say -- Why send it plain if you can send it fancy?
Well, yesterday I found this vintage FANCY stamp in my travels....perfect for my mail.
The stamp was in a group being sold from a Sonoma apple farm -- they had Golden Delicious, Red Delicious, Medium, Jumbo....I wanted them all but settled for fancy...I may not be too patient but i do have self control.

Waiting for the paint to dry, I am playing with some stamp heads...

Tags and folders....

These could be bookmarks or gift tags.

Back to School
This was one the back of an old photo -- Don't Forget Your Schoolmates.
Sweet.

So that's it, folks. Not a lot to share. Just playing with paint and ink and rubber stamps.

What are you doing?

I have been so lucky to have received some lovely ephemera in the mail lately from my wonderful blog readers. I am working on a post showing what I got and what I did with it..
and (don't tell anyone) I think I will do a give-away too.
So, stay tuned.

SEND FANCY MAIL -- GET FANCY MAIL

Making Stuff

Oh yes, I've been busy. Besides exploring my friend's studios and going a little crazy at the Vintage Paper Fair, I am always making stuff.
These tri-fold pockets were inspired by one my mail art pal Dori Singh made for me.
They are so fun to make (and to receive). I like to fill them up with little surprises or letters.

Thank-you folder for j

Here is the folder opened up and filled with small surprises.....

....easy to do -- just either use double-sided paper or put two sheets together -- and do a tri-fold.
Then, fold up the bottom part way to make a pocket.
You can either sew the pocket closed or (as I do) use some double stick tape
and punch a hole on the front, thread some ribbon through and
fill 'er up!
Thanks for the inspiration, Dori.

Outgoing to the UK -- vellum envelope with airmail folder tucked inside.
This one did NOT make it to Alex in the UK.
I wonder what happened to it. I took it to the PO to be sure the correct postage was on it and had it hand cancelled.Very frustrating.

Little rubber stamped zine -- an edition of only six! 

But -- you can all take a look inside!

I spent one chilly, foggy SF summer day making loads of envelopes -- very fun!
The kangaroo is for Vizma in Australia (of course). I bet she's seen a real kangaroo or two.
Now she'll get a mail art one.

Support Your Local Cow -- do I have to say any more?
(to KSP)

Some summer farmers market inspired envelopes -- the giant tomato goes to
Miss Millicent.
The only thing about making loads of decorated envelopes is that you've got to actually FILL them up.
I'm working on it.

I got out the watercolors and started splashing and dripping and dabbing (and then stamping) on papers......that was fun. A lot of fun!
But waiting for everything to dry is hard on an Aries...

Allan Bealy/Pamela Gerard
Took a little time out to collaborate with AB on a collage postcard. 

Remember the postcards I was working on in the Collage post? Well, here they are all finished and going out to Jon Foster and Stan Askew....

A couple more envelopes ready to be finished up, filled and sent off into the world....
This week was all about farmers markets, summer produce and vintage kid's books...

An Empire State of Mind -- outgoing to SW

Playing with paint...
I have been having so much fun just fooling around with paints, inks and rubber stamps.
Getting your hands dirty is really fun.
And my motto is
Why Send It Plain when You Can Send It Fancy?
These sheets of lined paper just needed a little something...

It was quite entertaining to flick paint around and dribble and stamp some distress ink and generally make a (beautiful) mess. I am really getting into this...

After the paint comes the rubber stamping -- now I'm ready to write some letters to fill up all those envelopes I've been making!

A couple more envelopes....coffee inspired....

And some postcards.......Avocado cards and  a postcard I made while fooling around with paints and stencils...

Now I'm just sitting around waiting for different paints to dry.....gathering up my nerves after a 3:32AM wake-up call in the form of a 6. earthquake.
I really can live without those suckers.
We are fine here in SF except for jangled nerves but I really feel for those folks up there in Napa who really took the hit.
I guess earthquakes are the price we pay for living in one of the most wonderful places in the world.

I am happy today to be safe and work in my studio. Thanks to all of you who contacted me to ask if I was OK. Such a lovely, international mail art community.

SEND GOOD MAIL --- GET GOOD MAIL
So, what are all of you working on this week? Envelopes? Collages?Letters?
Do tell.