So, what fascinates you?

I am fascinated by old passports. The stories they could tell. I wonder about the people who held them and the places they went.....
And, some -- like this one -- are so filled with visas -- I can't bring myself to cover them up.

This guy.

Bad hair aside....he looks a bit like a hippie....but the places he  went.
I had to google S.A.R. and I'm still not sure what country this is. Anybody know? Is it South Africa?
I love those postage-like stamps they stuck on there....

The visa on the right is for India..more cool stamps and writing...

Jordan is a little off the track.....

Russia

Iran

Bangladesh 

I can't even tell with this one is....

He had an Afghanistan visa in there too...

Nepal

The woman who sold me this passport (Hi Eleanor!) was joking it was a "hippie passport" but I think it was more than that, hippies didn't go to Russian and those Middle Eastern countries back in the 70's. It is a wonderful mystery to me. I would sure like to know his story......wouldn't you?

I went to multiple countries on my last trip and only got ONE crummy passport stamp....no fun at all. I'm trying again again this year.....if they don't start stamping my passport I might have to bring some rubber stamps and stamp it myself!

Flying High

Recently I scored some vintage passports and some of you said you'd like to see them. I got two belonging to Anne Marie...
Now what do you think her job was? Any guesses?

Stewardess!!!!
We call them flight attendants now....

Anne Marie sure got around a lot.....just look at those stamps. I traveled through four countries and my last trip, four borders and I got ONE miserable passport stamp.....
Now that Europe has go to the EU (mostly) no one seems to care when you cross a border and that's just no fun. But, I digress.

Look at the cool Chinese characters on that visa and stamps.

And check out this one -- Afghanistan! She really got around.

Is it me, or is it a little heart-breaking she had a heart and a four leaf clover glued into her passport?

Her other passport had a flower......you know, now we are not allowed to glue random things in our passports...and you know I'd like to.

We are also not supposed to write our social security numbers on things like this..times were a lot different back then (and it was all that long ago).

Apparently Anne Marie studied French in Paris. I really think we would get along. I love the outfits. I had white go go boots so I really shouldn't talk...

I found this guy's passport too....he looks like a player, don't you think? I wonder if he ever met Anne Marie?

So, my passport and I are on the road -- or, maybe I should say, in the air.
I'll keep you posted on Instagram (PamelaArtsinSF) and on the blog's FB page. Or, maybe by sending out a postcard or two.

I sure hope I come home to a BIG pile of mail. Not that that's a hint or anything.

Taking It On the Road (Again)

Fall comes and travel beckons.....
Time to start prepping that travel journal and packing up my art kit and hitting the road.
Actually, it would be easier if I were hitting the road -- we are flying to Portugal, Spain (Basque Country) and Paris and I have to pack LIGHT.
As light as I can anyway.....

I love travel. You might have guessed that by now. The anticipation......I don't think I am going to understand a lot of Portuguese....

I picked up some cookbooks and FADO cd's at the SF Library and I've been getting myself in the mood. Ok, it doesn't take much for me to be in the mood to pack my suitcase...but, as I said, anticipation is nice.

I have had A LOT of time to prep my travel journal. Too much so, in fact. I started over a year ago but the trip had to be cancelled because of the passing of my lovely father-in-law. 

I dragged it back out of the closet and of course I couldn't leave it alone....I had to add a bunch more stuff to it..

Here's how it was....

Here's how it is now....but it will look a lot different at the end of the trip with writing and lots more ephemera stuck inside...(I will be a week in each place so I counted the pages and marked with stick-it notes so be sure I don't run out of room. But, I can add to the book if I have to.

I've tucked in bits of ephemera to add as I go...and you NOW I will be looking for papers on the ground and on walls......
nothing is safe from me.

I've added lots of postage stamps too.....

Perhaps I should study my French?

I passed this baby up -- only $1 too - at the Library Big Book sale and now I am wondering why.
I'd like to speak Spanish with no study or effort, wouldn't you?

When I see grammar like this I just freeze....I speak French like a two year old...and they don't think it's charming.

Packed up and ready to go. I always keep my travel journal with me, in my carry-on. It is my favorite souvenir of the trip. I buy those giant zip lock bags and put the journal inside.
I put my minimal art supplies in another small zip bag and I am ready to roll.
I have a couple of small books to stash in my purse when I'm out and about and I usually work on my big travel journal with coffee in the morning at the hotel....
I can't wait!

I packed a small notebook for making a collage a day. I'm nothing if I'm not ambitious.
SEE YOU ON THE OTHER SIDE!!!!

Big Book Sale

The SFPL Library Big Book sale is one of my favorite events of the year....

And, it is set in an incredibly beautiful location right on the water...

So, when you are waiting in line to get in you have a great view.  I skipped the member's preview this year and went to Dollar Day on the last day instead.
It worked out perfectly.
This was the line at 10AM on the last day but everyone got in fast and I scored lots of great art supplies....er.....vintage books.

Vintage Rubber Stamp Catalog? $1? I think I will....

I loved this cover and considered it for a Paris altered book for my upcoming trip but it was so beat up I passed it up...
what was I thinking?

I scan the tables for the most tattered, old looking books....my favorites.

How could I resist this?

It was filled with cool old illustrations....I feel a collage coming upon me.

I cannot resist old, foreign language dictionaries. Especially ones in Farsi or Russia or an Asian language with a different alphabet.
I did get about six or seven vintage French dictionaries and language-learning books...

Can somebody tell me what language this is? Copyright1884!!! It amazes me I can get paper from 1884 for only $1.

Big book with gold edges and filled with old illustrations of London...

So, I have an endless supply of old paper to make things with. I have made a bunch of collage cards with the bits and pieces already....

And, I wrapped some tiny presents in book pages for a mail art pal in NYC.

I definitely find treasures just flipping through old books  -- like this! That Postage Due stamp is the icing on the cake.

After dragging 25 books to my car, I had 30 minutes left for parking so I did a last look through and found these!
It was meant to be.

I said I wouldn't get too many but old books are like catnip to me. Can you blame me?
I'll see you next September Big Book Sale!!
I think I have enough books to keep me busy until the next day.
But then they do have a $1 Steps Sale every week....hummmmm

I was considering to making up some paper packs to sell...
anybody interested in those?

Ok, back to tearing and pasting....

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