Monday, Mail Art and more!

#224

#223

 I'm still making water color Mail Art. I feel like I have a better idea of how to handle the non-waterproof ink.











This is yesterday's, which I felt was too pale, so I did a bit more with today's. I'm excited about this series.

 This morning, it was overcast when we went to the pool. I like the way the light worked in the photo of these flowers. Kind of dramatic!
 

 I took this photo before C. got into the pool and disturbed the stillness. I like the reflections very much.











Here's our little Z this afternoon. I stopped by and got to spend a bit of time with her. She seems to recognize that she's seen me before.

When I stopped working on the computer for a minute, Bizoo strolled over, lay down on the keyboard, and promptly fell asleep. How nice take a nap wherever, whenever.

Sunday - continuing quiet time.

 We went to the pool this morning, a gray day to start out, but we went anyway. The water was chilly but the swim time was good.

365.2 #359

3653 #209

I save my scraps from preparing vegetables to give to the neighbors' hens. The other day, the gate was open so I could just go in and say hello to the "ladies." There are three of them - vanilla, pepper, and a reddish one, whose name has just now escaped from my brain. They enjoy the scraps and I'm glad that they don't go to waste.




Here are today's Mail Art pieces. I can't believe that in 6 days I'll have finished my second 365 Mail Art project. Crazy!











I'll still have my 3rd 365 project to complete but at #209 I'm more than half way there. I don't think I'll do another. I'll keep making Mail Art but - differently.

Mail Art & more

 Isolating fabric gives it a whole new meaning. This has such a floaty, under-water feeling to me. I had to put random letters on the card. The little "z" is for our little Z.

 I have a small collection now of fabric bits. I'm always looking for more, of course.

 Yesterday the pool water was cool, the air was warm, it wasn't humid - a lovely day to swim. Today, not so much. A rainy start to the day. This is it for today's weather in Richmond, VA, USA.

Bizoo loves to be where I am, or if I'm not accessible, he's where my honey is. He's such a puppy! We can't get over how big he is and still growing! Here he is laying on my Philately catalog with his paws on a recipe for a clafouti. He's learning a lot!

Baby Z, Mail Art and more about my new vehicle.

 This is Baby Z. Oh My, she holds her head up. Her Mum makes funny noises and she laughs out loud for real. Her Da sent this photo this morning.

365.2 #352

365..3 #202

Today's Mail Art is about my new Vehicle. I'm making them to send to the guys at the dealership to thank them for making the process easy for me.









They'll be surprised, for sure. Check out the numbers. I'm almost done with 365.2! I've said it before and I'll say it again, ALMOST finished with year 2 of daily Mail Art. Can't wait!

Here are two of the people who made me feel good about buying a car from Richmond Ford. 

Can my grin be any bigger?

Here's what I saw at the pool the other morning. These two noodles sharing a chaise, chillin' out beside the pool full of hot water ( 92F/31C .)

Stay cool best way you can, my friends in hot climes. And hydrate!

Getting ready

#993

 I'm back to my Tiny Town shenanigans. I found this wonderful sad dog in a 1962 magazine. He's perfect! Here's my story on the reverse: "Tiny Town residents liked dogs with sad eyes; however, training them to move about carefully was difficult." Notice how the little person is looking up at the dog (whom I named Étienne) whose paw is soooo close to her.

 We preparing for a short trip and I've cleaned out my travel kit, added new bits, dots, glue, and card blanks, but NO scissors as I'm doing all carry-on luggage. I'll be looking for scissors on the other end or just tearing paper. I'm prepared for several days.

The air was cool, the pool water warm, and the sky a bit overcast, and exercising was quite nice.

Mail art, of course, and more.

 I used the last of my Louise Nevelson post cards, to alter and send off as Mail Art. This one has a stamp that shows Geo. Washington on a hill over looking rural Brooklyn, NY. It says "Washington saves his army at Brooklyn."

 I was pleased to find two items that matched this golden sculpture by Louise. This is #992, oh my, so close to 1000.

 I'm the August Mentor for IUOMA and I decided to create a Welcome image. I used one of my old altered cards and added the type. I'm really excited that I know how to add type. As mentor,  I say hello and welcome to new comers to the Mail Art union, and offer them any assistance. Today, I welcomed someone in Brazil, and 2 people in the U.S. of A.

 Yesterday, I did more baking, because the Amazing Award winning brownies had been devoured. I had 3 very ripe bananas in the freezer. I defrosted them and made a banana chocolate chip cake using the recipe from my
1965 cookbook. It was super good and we think it's because frozen bananas when defrosted have more liquid to them. You can find the recipe here.

It was sunny this morning and the pool water was a refreshing temperature. Ducky was back in the shady corner, getting some respite from the glare. This is the 2nd day that we've found him there. Hmmm.

We were fortunate to have the rain hold off until afternoon, so we could swim. And we're fortunate to have rain.

Mail art and calm waters

 My Mail Art buddy Mary sent this card to me, thanking me for sending her some Mail Art; but, I added the postage stamps, couldn't help myself, and sent it back to her. Somehow, those mountains and the water called for alteration. I was in an altering mood! ha haha ha. Again, the scale changes so much with these alterations.

 A letter writing friend of mine, whom I bought postage from via Etsy, sent me a couple stickers of old timey girls. Here's one that I altered and added to a composition. I think what happens for me with making these Mail Art pieces is that I amuse myself. How good is that?

 Someone sent this ATC to me recently, but I took it out of the envelope and then didn't remember who it came from. It's dated 2003 and the eMail address is no longer in existence. I really like it. It's a paper geisha on a piece of silk fabric background. 2.5" x 3.5" I just had to share it with you. It looks lovely and feels really nice.

 I received this sewn card from a member of IUOMA, Rebecca in Arkansas USA. It arrived in a clear envelope, with the notice that the envelope can be recycled. You know, of course, what I'm going to do. Use it for something else, right?

Here's a calm, serene, water view to keep us cool on a very hot day (in RVA.)

SO sunny!

 I arrived at the pool a bit earlier than usual this morning, and it was already sunny and hot. Ducky was taking shelter in a corner!

 The water was cool and still. Just looking at this image makes me feel cooler and serene. I hope it does that for you, too.

 Lucky me, I was able to "grab" these off of Missive Maven's Etsy shop. Letter writing related postage stamps are so perfect for Mail Art and letters.

 Yesterday, I met up with my amiga, Ann, to practice our español. We sat on the cafe deck and it was so lovely. Low humidity, a light breeze, and a view of Jun Kaneko's sculpture and my favorite tree grouping.

I spotted this as I walked into the supermarket. I'd never seen this brand of beer before.  What do you think? Should I try it? Or just buy it for the graphics!

The usual, Mail Art, Pool, all good!

 I'm sending this to Monkey. I altered one of Monkey's Postcards to give the kids in my workshop an example of altering, before I handed out Monkey cards to them. They did an amazing job of altering. You can see examples here.  There's an interview with moi and Monkey, which includes the kids Mail Art.

 I had some scraps of matt board so made these two dotty cards. The dark board worked out well and now I'll peruse my stock to find other dark boards.

 Again, I like the ambiguity of the dots, on top or a punched hole?

 Here I am with this morning's Mail Art. I switched back to altering an existing postcard, having re-discovered my collection of Canadian landscapes that my friend Alexis sent me last year. This makes me laugh, seeing that guy peeking over the landscape, maybe he sent the stamps down the stream. Isn't the scale changed by these bits?

 This morning, the pool water was refreshing, the sky clear, the sun bright, and NO humidity. Oh my. A day's reprieve.

I snapped this with my phone last night after the rain storm. More rain came on a bit later, too. We are a very lucky part of the country right now. Drought going on elsewhere.

Mail Art & water

#974

 I created this as an example for the children in my workshop last Tuesday. I wanted them to choose a person or animal, some texture, a word and something they could repeat several times. They did a great job! I'll eventually post some of their work.

 

#977

 Here's another of the Louise Nevelson postcards that I've altered. I was right in thinking that it'd be fun to play around with them.









  Here's a boring postcard that I altered. I gave some boring postcards to the children in the workshop with the instruction to make them less boring. They really enjoyed that one.

#978

 Here are some water photos taken at the pool yesterday morning. It was sooo sunny, and we love the way the light plays on the moving water.

Someone remarked that these could also be sky. I think the one above is especially ambigous. Like a science-fiction sky! Right? Some other planet.