Another post, so soon after the last! Oh My.

 I've been making more finger-less gloves/mitts/wrist warmers, whatever you call them, and noticing my palette. Very orange! I'm not even a big orange fan! The pair on the left is made from English organic cotton and organic merino wool Very nice feeling. The pair on the left is from a blend of silk and cotton, not so silky but nice, and good for someone who can't wear wool. My next pair - a different color for sure. By the way, I'm selling mitts at NEST.

#360

I am so close to the end. Notice the number on this mail art! I put a little English girl on a postcard of an English painting. She so HUGE. I think I wrote on the back something about her "playing loudly and enthusiastically hoping to distract the hunters and hounds, thereby saving the fox. "

Ta Da! Her's our girl, doing some fancy footwork with a knitted boa. She's 9 months old and walking! Yikes!

Have any of you taken the dialect quiz? I've been placed in Richmond and Arlington, VA & Washington D.C. based on two words, but the dark red areas show were my speech is most like other speakers in those areas. My natal city isn't so dark, and what about that spot in the west that so deep red, in Colorado? And is that little dark patch by the gulf Alabama or Mississippi? Take the quiz and let me know how you fare.

Mail Art, the mess, and, of coure, a little more.

365.3 #234

#235

#236

 This is the last of the water color pieces of Mail Art until I can find my water color paper. This is another attempt at doing an over head view of the shore line along the Chesapeake Bay.  I want to try more of these.







So yesterday, I had to go back to what was at hand, color paper. 4 colors.













For this one, I did the color pieces first. It was very minimal and I wanted more, so I added the circle on the right and the random letters & number. In the end, it makes me think of some kind of scientific equation or explanation.

This is the view of my hall and front room on Friday morning. The painters were starting to work on the rooms.

Here's the very front of the room. It looked like an art installation. This is still part of the water damage we had last June. But as of today, it's all taken care of, the work is complete.

Except for this - the boxes came back from storage and have to be emptied. Most of the stuff goes into my studio - and they're stacked up in it. See Bizoo inspecting the site? Wish he could help me clear out the boxes.






Here's Bizoo with a "friend." 

The shelves in my studio and the tv/guest room had to be painted, so we hired a terrific handy man, who helped us before. He's a musician, actually. He had his ukelele with him and played a bit for me. Wow, what a nice treat. Newly painted shelves and live music.

365 days of making Mail Art daily.

365.2 #365

365.2 #1

Here it is, my 365th Mail Art piece. I can't believe. One year ago at this time, we were in Chicago visiting family and friends and I decided to start another year of making daily Mail Art.

The year has gone by quickly.








Here is the first card that I made, while in Chicago, using bits that I'd brought with me. I decided that the last one of the year should have a similar look to it. I used the map and random letters but instead of a postage stamp I used found negatives.

I will continue my 365.3 project. 

Wednesday, already?

#184

#34

 These are the last of the vintage paper and map cards, for now. I followed my own rule and started to make a new series on Monday.










I used quotes from the Dalai Lama XIV and was happy with the reception when I posted them on Facebook.

The quotes have nothing to do with the images, totally unconnected except in the way that we make connections, ourselves, in any randomness. Know what I mean?



New stamps! I'm so happy that my new international forever stamps arrived in the mail, followed a day or so later, by the new postcard stamps - apples, illustrated by one of my favorite illustrators: John Burgoyne.

I don't mind the price hike. Still inexpensive for the service provided, getting my mail art out into the world.

185

When Monday arrived I had NO idea what to do for my next series. I pulled out a portfolio from under my work table and found a bunch of prints of my moving car photos - taken along the New Jersey turnpike several years ago.

#35

Okay, what can I do with these? I remembered how much I like the mail art card I received that had inlaid circles in it. I'd try that. I punched out circles in different sizes from the print. I then punched out circles of different colors and set them into the print. Very cool, inlaid circles. I like it. To get the full effect, one needs to see these in person. On the screen, hard to tell what's going on.

Here's the big salad that I made for dinner a few days ago. This is one of our favorite things to eat. 

More on Saturday, Mail Art plus

#181

 The quotes on the reverse of these cards are from the Dalai Lama XIV.

They have been very satisfying for me and seem to "resonate" with people.

The Lama surely knows what he's talking about!

#183

#182

#32

#33

For instance, the quote on this one:
"If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion." 









And this one: "Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible."













The source of material for these cards is an old Paris guide book, VERY old, and old receipts for goods, that are also VERY old. I add the rubber stamp image, reproduction post marks.








With this one, I got daring, I broke the grid and angled the paper. It give the composition more action.

 This is a treat from my friend Dean, in Paris. I joined his banana group. I'm not sure what I'll do in the group but it's got to be banana related. Dean made this digital collage for me. How perfect that he lives somewhere that there are Mim stores.

This past week, I got a wonderful surprise. Mary E, a mail art buddy, sent me this gorgeous tiny tea cup, and an extra tiny saucer. It's just so gold and blue. I love it. Thanks, Mary!

Saturday - Mail Art and more

#29

#30

#31

 My 365.3 series started the 1st of 2013. This week's series was made using very old paper, VERY old paper. I'm anxious to see if they'll survive their journey.







I've sent out a couple of them, but I'm waiting for the new postage stamps. I've used up all of the old denominations, adding 1cent stamps, but now I've no postcard stamps or any to make up the new amount. 33 U.S. cents. My branch post office had no new stamps. grrrr.








I'm hoping that the stamps I ordered via the internet will arrive today. I'm eager to send these on their way. Also, I've ordered a set of vintage post marks. I'm happy about that, since I've enjoyed using the ones I already have. They add such an old time-y look to the cards. Right?

 On Friday morning, I did volunteering at a nearby elementary school. It was first Friday reading day. I picked this book to read, purchased it at the local children's book store, and it was a winner! The kids loved it. I donated it to the school library. Don't you love the expression on the dog's face? The kids did.

This is just a sweet little image - these birds are salt and pepper shakers and I mostly forget that's what they are, so they sit on the shelf above the sink, looking sweet, near the bunny, waiting to get shaken.

Catching up on Mail Art & a fun something to see.

#144a

 I'd been saving this wonderful tea pouring hostess for a good background and found it in one of my husband's assemblage cards. He's made lots of cards of his images and the first batch wasn't to his liking so he was going to discard them. HAH! No, please "donate" them to me, I'll alter them! I think this one worked out perfectly. Oh can I stand it!? When something turns out so good, I just love it!



Last week, I began a series of minimal, 3 bits only, cards.

#145

#146

I added quotes to them -

#145 "To see the world in a grain of sand and heaven in a wild flower in the palm of your hand and eternity in an hour."  William Blake



"Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice." Baruch Spinoza

#147

149

##148

 "You cannot make yourself feel something you do not feel, but you can make yourself do right in spite of your feelings." Pearl Buck

#144

"If you want peace, work for Justice."
Henry Louis Mencken











"Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere."
Martin Luther King












"You may say that I'm a dreamer, but I'm not the only one. I hope some day you'll join us, and the world will live as one." John Lennon

#143

This vintage vehicle is parked on a side street off of Monument avenue and every Christmas it's embellished with lights, objects, and inside Santa! A wild sight to behold and we appreciate it's fun presence.








"Can I see another's woe and not be in sorrow, too? Can I see another's grief, and not seek for kind relief?"
William Blake


What to do as the new year approaches? I'll surprise myself, no doubt. What about you? What will you make?

Back on track!

 We went to Chicago for a quick visit with my honey's cousins. The five cousins came together in the city for 2 days, then 2 days out in the corn and soy bean fields at the home of one of them. It was a lovely trip and I felt inspired to begin my 2nd 365 Mail Art project. Here is card #1 using some scraps I had in my traveling Mail Art kit. I'm labeling them 365.2.

 This is the second day, using scraps from things that I picked up plus some bits from the travel kit. I had taken blank cards with me, knowing I'd be making Mail Art. I just didn't think I'd make the commitment to a daily practice again. But I did.

 This is a view from the Charles City Tavern. It's a lovely location on Route 5 east of Richmond. Very historic area of the country, this route leads to Jamestown where the earliest English settlement was established.

 I never tire of taking cloud photos, or photos that include Robinson House, on the grounds of VMFA.

These are glass pieces, reeds, set in place behind the museum's main building. They are, in my mind, one of the nicest installations of Chihuly glass pieces. The red glass is gorgeous in the sun and the reflections are so nice.

Mail Art, the canal & the bird feeder

 Do you remember those little hard disks that we used to store data from our computer? I have a lot of them left from previous "careers." The data is no longer accessible nor needed.
Last week, I saw that a member of the Mail Art Union used one to make Mail Art. How fun! Why hadn't I thought of that.

 Despite dealing with my cough, hackhackhack, I managed to make several collages using the disks. I mailed the yellow one first. I sent it far, then wished I'd sent it to a nearer destination to test the waters so to speak. Will it arrive? I hope so. This blue one will also go far.

The disk in the center still moves, but the black slider is immobilized by the collage.

 This one is #918. It was sent some where closer. The reverse has a label for the address and a smaller one for the date stamp and number of the piece. There is no return address. I can't wait to hear when they arrive and in what condition.

Sunday night, we met up with our niece and nephew to hear a concert outdoors on Brown's Island. I seemed to have my cough under control and wanted an outing. The is the view looking west as we walked over the bridge to the island.

 This is the view looking east. In the background is the bridge that goes over the island and the James River to southside Richmond. I like this view very much and wish that the entire length of the canal were accessible for walking and picnicing.

This is the new bird feeder. We moved it back so the pole goes through the bamboo leaves, hoping to deter the squirrels. One of them was spotted inside enjoying a meal of sunflower seeds. Two cardinals checked it out but so far, it's not been used. We may turn it into a planter if the action doesn't pick up. I like the way it looks. The orange is such a nice bright addition to the green-ness of the little garden. Do you have a bird feeder? Do birds use it? How do you deter squirrels?