What Have I Done?

Where have I been? I just realized it has been about twelve days since my last post.
Time just flies by, I tell you.
I've been busy.

Working on my zine for one thing. The Correspondence Co-Op is having a
table at the SF Zine Fest next weekend.
You've gotta have a zine at a zine fest, right?
There is also going to be a table for creating mail art and all kinds
of other wonderful things to do and see so I hope to see some of you there.

I have had several ideas for postal zines but no time to make them.
But now I have this one all finished. I'll post some photos of the finished version next time.

We'll see if anyone buys these and maybe I'll make some more...

Is that a GREEN Dymo-taper I see?

You bet. Someone knew green is my favorite color and gifted with me
not one - but two - green Dymo's.
Vertical and horizontal.
With Red Dymo tape.
How cool is that?

And, oh yes, I did got to a wonderful meeting of the Co-Op last Sunday.
Lots and lots of show-and-tell and sharing and fun.
We really do have too much fun.

Of course my passport got numerous stamps--mailbox artistamp by JH,
Dahlia artistamps by GinaVisione and typewriter artistamps by JU.
How cool are they?

For once I actually sat and collaged some postcards with papers I found at the meeting.
Usually I socialize.
This time I managed to multi-task.

OUTGOING MAIL
And I've been sending out lots of mail. PLH is taking a train trip so there is a
definite train theme going on in the three envelopes I made for her.

OUTGOING (For Jon F.)
Collaged postcard made from purchased postcard.

OUTGOING
Collaged postcard for Karen to celebrate her summer vacation.

Postcard (from Vintage Paper Fair)

Zine-making, collage, mail art, meetings and yes, I do believe my OTHER passport
will be getting some new stamps soon too.

See you at the zine fest? in the mail?

And They Said It Couldn't Be Done

Recently some folks visiting SF met-up with me at my studio. Never having met them before
I decided I better do a little picking up....so as to not scare them away...
(some of you have seen how messy I can get).

It is really nice to be able to see the wood of my desk and not have it it all
covered in paper ephemera...
I am so pleased I decided to take a couple of photos to remind how nice it is to be
(somewhat) neat....

While I waited for the visit I typed a letter to KSP...

I unloaded the chair so you can have a seat and stay a while.....

INCOMING
Some great mail this week -- some artistamps I have really been coveting
made by Sally W. arrived in a super cool big black envelope and silver
stenciling...

These beauties are getting framed and going up on my studio wall.
Thanks Sally!

INCOMING
Another amazing incoming from Susannia of the Planet Susannia blog.
Handmade envelope packed with postal goodies from Germany
and best of all........

.....this absolutely wonderful handmade booklet of her own collage work -- made
just for me.
The pages are all so wonderful I am going to post them in a
photo album on the
Cappuccino And Art Journal Facebook page -- so be sure to check them out.

INCOMING
From Mike Dickau (IUOMA) a wonderful mail artist and prolific artistamp maker
this great little story about his dad's typewriter
which recently came to him...

INCOMING
From James Cline, Burning Man Postmaster and mail artist, an edition of artistamps
he created to protest the closing of the Berkeley CA historic
post office.

INCOMING
From my pal Kelly P--a very fun envelope of all kinds of post boxes made from a
page of a discarded children's book from the library.
And where did she get that stamp?

OUTGOING
Turn-around is fair play -- origami letter booklet going out to Kelly P.
I will post the inside pages of this one in another album on the blog's FaceBook
page.
See what you're missing if you don't "like" CappuccinoAndArt on FB?
It is just easier for me to update things and paste albums and links on there.

OUTGOING
A bit more outgoing. There is a whole pile here I have yet to photograph....
a watermelon envelope to cool a pal in NYC, Alice in Wonderland for Alice,
postcards, lots lots more...
Correspondence Co-Op Mail Art meeting coming up on next Sunday.
Went to a fabulous zine-making workshop on Thursday night (more about that coming up soon).
Now I need to think up a mail-art zine...
any ideas?

Send Good mail -- Get Good Mail

                                                                               

The Vintage Paper Fair (again)

OOPS I did it again.....
The Vintage Paper Fair is back in town and I had to go, of course.....
it's my favorite event
and it comes around three times a year.
Who could resist these wonderful old folding postcards?
Not I!
The graphics and colors are wonderful and there are so many fun mail art
things to do with with them...
How many did I get?
I'm not saying...

And how about a set of stamps of US Presidents? Perforated  and ready to go...
(they end with Reagan)
And these postcards...all 25-cents each.
Could you pass them up?

More 25-cent stuff --  Ink wells and birds...and a big set of coat of arms stamps

I ran into my pal Ryan (and Sally, Vanessa and Phyllis too) from the
Correspondence Co-op. Ryan found a postcard section called
DEATH.
That was a category we hadn't seen before.
Here is a lovely mortuary card for you.

Stencils

If you are anything like me, you might want to plan your next trip to San Francisco
around this fair.....

You can google the Vintage Paper Fair and check the 2013 dates
when they are posted.

This babe is writing a postcard and getting ready to stick it into
that green (green?) post box.

Typewritten letter
This is just so much better than e-mail......

"See you next week sometime -- MA"

LUNCH
After all that excitement I needed some lunch...headed out to the
Richmond for some Vietnamese food..

LUNCH
(This is for you, Christine H)

Another excellent adventure in San Francisco.
See you next time.

Send Good Mail -- Get Good Mail!

(Hey--co-op members--what did you find today?)

A Quick One!

SWEET!
Outgoing for The Elevated Envelope swap.
I had fun doing this swap - making envelopes from vintage cookbook pages
of sweets.

Check out Tara's blog for info about the swap--
The Elevated Envelope

This is the second time I've done this and it is a whole lot of fun.

Tucking little surprises inside......can't tell you everything or I will ruin the surprise.

OUTGOING
Lemon meringue pie, ice cream floats, cookies and jello envelopes going out....

OUTGOING
Some more outgoing, including the hamburger cookies to the kids at The Beam Camp
in New Hampshire.
Hope those cookies didn't melt in that heat you have going on back there..

Wrapped Presents
These aren't mail art but given my love of paper and cleverness
and great things to look at I thought I'd show you these lovely presents wrapped by J.U.
in in SF.
These are so pretty I'd hate to unwrap them (but I would!)

Envelope Cookies!
All that work on the Sweet Swap makes me think of cookies.
Sally and Kirsten's cookies...

Library Pocket
Made a few library pockets to tuck small things into like Jennifer's artistamps

Origami
My son made a bunch of these two-toned little origami folders. His idea was to
put stamps inside but they are a bit small for that.
We'll think of something!

Antiques
Summer is such a great time to travel around the Bay Area and browse...
maybe pick up some paper ephemera to play with....

Speaking of that, this coming weekend, August 4&5 is the Vintage Paper Fair here
in San Francisco -- maybe I will see you there!

And be sure to check out the Felt and Wire blog on Friday
for a post about the
SF CORRESPONDENCE CO-OP!
With some photos by me.

See you.

Lots to Do Around Town!

Look what I found!
No, I didn't buy it but I got a photo--
a small consolation.

Friday afternoon was a postcard swap hosted by
the lovely ladies of the LWA.
Here are my contributions--
the fronts.... 

And the backs....

Of course you all know about the LWA, right?
If not, get over there on the left and
click!
You have been missing a lot.

Kathy, Annie & Donovan on a warm San Francisco
afternoon (at Rare Device)

It's always fun to share.....

Magda the Mail Art Dog
accompanied by Catwrangler
(I just could not resist putting this on the blog)