Busy Week

San Francisco
It was an interesting week here in the cool, gray city --  the temperature hit 93 degrees on Wednesday. Wild!
If you know SF, you know that is very odd and unusual especially in April. Or in July (when we all freeze in the fog). There was a lot of whining. Ok, yes it was me who was whining.....
but really...it was way to hot to do anything at all.
(SF Thrift store painting I bought about 25 years ago).

This is from an old cookbook I bought at the library book sale a couple of weeks ago -- people in SF on a warm day on a rooftop.
There were a lot of folks out in the heat and on roofs but I can safely say no one really looked like these folks.
Times do change.

OUTGOING
In just ONE WEEK from today, my mail art pal and the fearless mailer, Kelly P will sweep into town for one day.
We have so many things on our to-do list -- Scrap, Japantown, Daiso, lunch, Chinatown, my studio -- well, it isn't going to be easy to fit everything into one day.
But we are sure going to try...

OUTGOING
We want to send some joint-mail art to some mutual friends so I have gotten started collaging some cards. I figure we won't have enough time to do everything so why not be prepared?

It was really too hot to do much of anything but I did manage to tear and paste.....found this book a while back at a thrift shop and got inspired to collage some postcards...

I had to dig out anything I could find to do with playing cards....this is why I hate throwing anything away. You never know what you are going to need.
Right?

OUTGOING -- Italian Candy Wrapper collage cards
And -- I went to a wedding on Monday. I was the cake picker-upper, the Matron of Honor (no comments please) and the photographer.
Busy, busy.
These candy/cookie wrappers were in the gift bags and what else to do besides eat the candy and then make collages with the wrappings?
What would you do?

OUTGOING CHICKEN.....

Bird of another feather?
I found these little envelopes at the Japanese dollar/yen shop and of course  I scooped them up.

A Little Texas gal I know loves squirrels. Don't ask. I found some paper I had with squirrels on it and I'm working on a surprise for her.
Well...it may not be a surprise now....I'm not sure if she reads my blog...

INCOMING FROM the UK
Great stamps, great envelope and a new mail art pal. She tells me  that in the UK the post offices do NOT want to put actual stamps on outgoing international mail. They want to use those machine generated stickers. Isn't that strange? I had never heard that before. Who wants that?
No way......I want beautiful stamps on my mail.

INCOMING
From Stan Askew in Pasadena
Stan is very prolific and I have been lucky enough to get some terrific mail from him. I just love how he rubber stamps the envelopes that he puts his collages in...so cool.

And this one is rubber stamped with a Stamp Head on there! I think he has been looking at my blog and seen my obsession with Stamp Heads. Thanks, Stan!

Collage by Stan Askew
Hum.....and here is another Stamp Head on his collage. The possibilities are endless....

INCOMING from Allan Bealy
Allan is a superb collage artist and he has a new book out that I can highly recommend
Mud Bath
Get it while you can -- only 100 copies are available and I know a lot of folks are buying.

Starts & Finishes
Starts/Allan & Finishes/Pamela Gerard

INCOMING FROM NINA HERMUS (The Netherlands)
Great Stamp Heads! Thanks, Nina.

INCOMING from Cuan Miles (South Africa)
Some great collages from Cuan on playing cards.....

INCOMING from Stephanie Blake (Alabama)
Collage pack #119......anyone who gets a collage pack from Stephanie is very, very lucky...and I've been lucky enough to have received several.

I am really, really trying to stay NEAT and organized in my studio these days....
I even have two drawers set aside just for rubber stamps....

BUT somehow things still end up looking for like this....well...I like it messy! But I will get it picked up again for the royal visit from Miss Kelly P! And maybe I will even bring my camera along on our play date and do a blog post -- that way all of you can come along with us too.

SF has (thankfully) really cooled off and I'm back in business again working in my studio and I'm not too hot to have fun.
You can see that with all this great incoming mail I now have a big pile "to answer" so I better get busy.
Because we all know, IF YOU SEND GOOD MAIL -- YOU GET GOOD MAIL.

And what was your busy week like? Anything like mine?

Bringing It All back Home

One of my favorite events every year -- in fact, twice a year -- is the SF Public Library Big Book sale.
This year I skipped the member's preview. Too many people, long line to get in, re-sellers with scanners, difficult parking. Instead I made a leisurely trip over to Fort Mason the following morning and found all sorts of treasures.
I don't know what I missed by skipping the preview but there was still plenty of great stuff the next day.

I grabbed a shopping cart when I went in -- thinking I didn't really need one because I wasn't planning on buying much....
I actually didn't buy much but what I did buy was HUGE. I could not resist this fabulous old (1958) dictionary for $3.
The marbleizing caught my eye right away...
It came home with me but don't tell my husband. He thinks I am cleaning out my studio, not bringing giant books home with me.

Did someone say Secretarial Training?

I am a bit surprised there needed to be a lesson on how to fold a letter....I mean, it isn't exactly rocket science....I do it all the time..

Filing anyone? Do you all know your A B C's?

And then there was the gardening section......

The first thing I did when I got home was tear up the book with all the color pictures of flowers....
so I would be sure to use them...and then I spent all day Sunday working in my studio and making cards and collages....
very relaxing!

Here are two of my favorite cards.....like them? Kind of fun for Spring...

Here are two more....

Here's one I didn't buy....but I enjoyed a good look at it.

The photos and captions inside were pretty funny.

This one went in my cart but I actually took it back out (believe it or not). I have quite a few of these how-to-type collage manuals already and thought I'd leave it for someone else to find.
Hope it got a good home.

How to make a Leather Letter Folder -- you always wanted to do that, right?

I found a giant cookbook with loads of great photos that I just could not pass up....

OUTGOING
A candy-making envelope for a pal who just spent a day making candy.

OUTGOING
And adult beverages for a friend who wanted my lemoncello recipe.

OUTGOING
An avocado card (I have a running avocado joke going on with someone).

OUTGOING
Mailed this little packet off today to a pal.....I hope she will enjoy getting it.

That huge dictionary has the most wonderful pages to play with....I am going to making a whole lot of mail art and collages with it....

And I've still got flowers to play with too...got any ideas for me of what to make with them?

The building on the right side is where the big book sale is....not only is it incredibly fun to look at all the old books but just look at that view.  Such a great location. Greens restaurant is right there and picnic tables....come for the books, stay for lunch and the views.
If you are planning a trip to SF in April or September you just might get lucky and be there when the four day book sales are.

I think I will go back to tearing and pasting and collaging now but that's what I have been up to the last few days.
And you?
What is everybody doing out there? Thanks for reading the blog and please, stop in and add a comment to encourage me to keep going here....I like to know you're all out there!

SEND GOOD MAIL -- GET GOOD MAIL
SEE YOU IN THE POST! 

The Last Two Weeks....

Hello you all.
I have been just a little bit too busy these days. The studio is slowly coming along.
No art on the walls yet.
And the work table is pretty clean.

I have been pretty busy sorting and organizing and tossing. I treated myself to a flat file and it has been so wonderful to sort my big stack of sheets of paper into the five drawers.
Now I can finally find what I'm looking for.
This is BIG!

Children under twelve should not see these next photos -- in fact, they make break the hearts of you mail artists out there -- brace yourselves!

A POST BOX GRAVEYARD

Behind the North Berkeley post office is a very sad sight -- lots of old PO Boxes left outside to rust and fall apart.

This is too sad.....

The pal who showed me this pathetic sight told me she talked to the people inside the PO about buying a box but no one knew anything about them.
She also wrote to the postmaster -- no answer! I am pretty sure a number of mail artists would buy boxes to stash filled with mail art in their studios or maybe out in the backyard.
A win-win situation.
The PO would make some money, the mail artists would be happy and they wouldn't end up in the landfill.
But the USPS doesn't seem to be at all interested in selling them.
What a shame.

North Berkeley PO -- I think it could use a face lift!

On another note, I came across this rather charming book on Amazon. The  Stamp Head lady on the cover really caught my eye. Oh--and the fact the book is one cent. That's right, one cent.
And worth every penny.
(Sorry, I couldn't resist)

Inside cover

More Stamp Heads inside.
Those are the only Stamp Heads but the book is rather charming. And for a penny, why not get a copy?

Other than crying over sad post boxes and sorting papers and eating lunch with my friends I have been working on getting some mail out as well....

Origami Folders
Made some of my old favorite origami folders to mail out....

Picked up a pack of brown craft paper blank cards and envelopes and I've been having fun making cards with those...what you can do with a few rubber stamps and a cancelled stamp!

Here's a card that got collaged on the front and the back of the card stock...I even get ideas in the middle of making dinner....

Oh -- and I have been having a whole lot of fun putting my postal treasures on the new shelves.
Arranging and rearranging.
So much to do and so little time.
Today is the Library Big Book Spring Sale. And no, I don't need more books.
And yes, I am going. I can't resist. And, I do have more shelves to put the books on....

Bought the beautiful new bird stamps yesterday. Looking forward to the very cool circus stamps coming in May. Hoping to get the studio finished up, artwork hung and invite my pals over to play.
Getting out the mail.
And what about you? What is everybody else doing these days?
Do tell.


Happy Spring to everyone!

SEND GOOD MAIL --- GET GOOD MAIL

Let's Do Lunch

Lunch in Chinatown on Stockton Street
Mailartists have to eat too.

Clay pot and Shanghai noodles on Balboa.
And, you can keep an eye out for terrific take-out menus to make mailart with.

Tortilla Soup in the Mission District.
You know you want a tortilla chip.

Coconut Chicken Curry Soup at PPQ.
And, course chopstick wrappers and cartes de visite and take-out menus are good ephemera for mail art.

Dim Sum cart at City View on Commercial.
There is no city view there but you won't care.

Lots of great places for Mexican food in SF
I like tostadas best myself.

Caffe Puccini lunch in North Beach
(try the carbonara)
and go for a long walk afterwards.
A very long walk....

Sanruku at the Metreon downtown for a Japanese bento.

Delfina Pizza
Try not to miss this one.

Middle Eastern food right near Golden Gate Park
(you can walk to the Japanese Tea Garden)

Chicken, leek, carrot, and pan fried noodle PHO at Turtle Tower
on Larkin Street in "Little Saigon" (also known as the TL).
Near the SF Main Library.

Ramen at SUZU
Every kind they make is delicious
(in Japan Center)

Save room for cappuccino and writing some postcards......

San Francisco is a great place to eat and these are only lunches.
Dinner?
I recommend going to the Zuni or Absinthe late (if possible), after a concert or movie.

People are always asking me about what to eat and where to go in SF so I thought I'd do some random posting on my town for your visitors out there.
Of course I should have posted this in time for Ex Postal facto but I didn't...

Come to San Francisco and have fun with food. And mail art.
Hope you enjoy the pix!

I am so busy these days I've had no time to post so I thought I'd tempt you with some eye-candy.
My studio is coming along but it has been so much work. And I am trying to squeeze in art when I am not organizing and tossing and shelving....you will see photos soon, I promise!

So, what are you all doing these days??????

SEND GOOD MAIL ---- GET GOOD MAIL