altered avatar

I made this card using a talisman from Sanbutsuji, a mountain temple in Misasa, Tottori prefecture. I've been several times to the temple, but never up to its famed Nageiredo, a platform-style hall that seems to cling to the side of Mt. Mitoku. The ascetic Enno gyoja is said to have flung the hall into place in 706. This talisman shows the avatar Zao gongen. I confess that what I remember the best about the temple was the little shop nearby, selling local delicacies made from wild vegetables and homemade tofu. Misasa is famous for its radon hot springs. I once had an unforgettable overnight stay in the town.

more altered hearts

All of these altered cards are being sent far away so it's time to get going.

it's mozart's birthday!

January 27 is the day! I made this altered card for Priscilla.

stamps

Stamps from two different places I have called home.

venus rising

Lynn B. sent a postcard of a marvelous painting called Venus Rising from the Sea--A Deception. It was painted in 1823 by Raphaelle Peale, an American painter who lived 1744-1825.

rorschach girl

Sandy Sapienza sent this cool postcard made during a friend's visit. She says they spent some time playing with monoprints and collage. This is one of eight prints she made in a series featuring this girl.

altered hearts

Is it ever too early to make Valentine's Day cards? Yesterday's rain and wind got me started on these altered hearts.

extreme stamps

Two postal extremes came in the mail today. The top stamp was from a Finnish postcrosser and the bottom from a friend at the Had Yai airport on his way to Bangkok, then back to Japan. Wish I were anywhere!

chinese mint chocolate chip

This card from a Chinese postcrosser instantly reminded me of mint chocolate chip ice cream.

red remembered

An exercise in recalling a list of names for red (with one repeat) started with barn red, once a common color here in Pennsylvania. Barns now, however, are falling down almost daily. The card is for the mail art call listed below on January 17.

A Temple Rebuilt

Inside this altered card was the remains of this Israeli postcrosser's breakfast. A bit gross but funny.
Obama's ciggie seems to have ignited this temple.

Lots to Love

This wonderful collage card arrived from a Finnish postcrosser. My fat-rights friend would love this card.

Tall Ship All Aglitter

This Finnish postcrosser added glitter and silvery angels to her sailboat. I love receiving glitter cards!!

The Universe

I love the universe stamp this Estonian postcrosser affixed to her multiview card.

chinese birds

Pretty bird paintings on a card from a Chinese postcrosser.

Heart Cutout

A sweet heart card from a Polish postcrosser!

dreaming of butterflies

Another belated delivery, this one from organic farmer friends in Tono, who dream of having a butterfly garden this year. The husband usually does the illustration, while the wife writes the message. Good to hear from them!

"the post office and mailing"

On the heels of what I wrote below, I'm turning to a plea made by the folks at Sand Hill Preservation Center, a small family-run poultry and seed supplier in Iowa. Sand Hill has a great no-frills, no-nonsense catalog and for reasons of time and convenience accept orders only by US mail. Yes, email may be cheaper, faster, and more convenient but their theory is that in the long run the less we all use the mails, the more expensive they become. Sand Hill ships its chicks by mail and relies on six-day mail service. The idea being floated by the postal service of cutting Saturday deliveries would be a blow to the baby chick industry. Sand Hill's plea: "Send your order in by mail, support the system and support jobs and post offices." Hear, hear!

The mailing address for Sand Hill Preservation Center is 1878 230th Street, Calamus, Iowa 52729-9659.

late mail = belated greetings

Mailed at the end of last year, this New Year's greeting from an old friend arrived this week. The photo is of Japanese flowering apricots in his garden. I don't know what's going on with the international mail but it's working both ways. A card I mailed before Christmas reached a friend in China only yesterday.

rabbit no. 1

This postcard is from a Chinese postcrosser, who explains that the card shows a painting by an illustrator from Chengdu. The title of the work is rabbit No. 1. There's enough going on in it for me to want to see no. 2, if there is one. The sender also used some pretty stamps on the card.