Ikuta Shrine in Kobe

My mother sent this retro postcard for Christmas. The Ikuta shrine is located in downtown Kobe and is still active today. The city has grown up all around it and no rickshaws are in sight, even for touristic purposes. The big mountain looming in the background must be Mt. Maya. It is considered one of the oldest shrines in Japan. Love the hand-coloring of this reproduction postcard. 

Christmas Tree

A simple embossed card from friend Geoffrey. Made by Austin Press at Hunter's Point. I must go check them out sometime.

Gollum Maxi Card - Altered

A fabulous maxi card from a New Zealand postcrosser. She added a messy mop of hair on top of Gollum's head. Actually he looks like a surfer dude with that hair. 

Christmas Beauty

Here's a lovely winter card from a postcrosser in Belarus. She illustrated the back of the card with floral decorations. The front is my favorite kind of card - lots of glittery snowflakes and snow-covered trees. I don't know why I love glitter so much. It is such a magical element, particularly in the winter. 

Het!

A fabulous Soviet-era anti-drinking postcard from a Russian postcrosser. I can't imagine anyone saying "no" to Stoly, however. Even I drank a glass or two when I visited Vladivostok back in 1999. I loved my trip to the Russia Far East. riding the overnight train to Khabarovsk and driving along vast stretches of highway with nothing but snow and pines.   

Red and White

An elegant Christmas card from Audrey. I got together with her and several other writer friends for a fun tapas dinner a few weeks before Christmas. This group has kept together for many years now over a play or simply a fun meal somewhere. We met at a writers' circle but few of us are still writing fiction. However, this is a great group to get reading lists of interesting novels.

Handmade Christmas Cards 2014

Susan quilted a vintage, repurposed Christmas card. Note the use of photo corners - something that seems to have disappeared along with photo albums.

Irma painted the remaining FIPs partners with knitting in the background.

Tanya created a lovely abstract card that incorporated staples.

Yuriko used silver and gold joss paper, and bits of paper scraps for a festive card.

I promise to get back into creating Christmas cards in 2014! In fact this is part of my New York resolutions. 

Lady Pumpkin

Friend Susan made this lovely Halloween card of seemingly random scraps of paper. I had to rub my fingers over the pumpkin - it looks like fabric. There is actually a ribbon tied on the pumpkin stem. Went to Half Moon Bay and picked out a pumpkin but never had time to carve it. When my niece and nephew visited over Thanksgiving, I did my annual pumpkin toss - a big heave-ho down to the garden from our second floor deck. 

Madonna Open Studios

Work has consumed me. Time has passed and I am just now getting around to posting some interesting cards. Here's an October Open Studio card from Paul Madonna. His pen & ink drawings and stories are quintessentially urban...it's a snippet of conversation you might overhear while walking around a San Francisco neighborhood. This one reminds me of the financial district, where I used to work in the 1980's and 90's. 

Rockpile

I love this amazing pile of rocks along the ancient coastline of Lauhansarven. Thanks to the Finnish postcrosser who sent it. How did these rocks form? Did a mountain crumble? Mysteries...mysteries...

Thunder Bay Pagoda

The Canadian postcross sprinkled glitter in the area around behind the pagoda and added a couple of stickers. This pagoda has nothing to do with Chinese pagodas. It was built as a tourist attraction for people arriving in town by rail or boat. It is designated as a national historic site.

Humor, Bathroom and Otherwise

Korean character, Jetoy choo choo cat postcard, altered. Card sent by a Dutch postcrosser. I have never heard of Jetoy cats, and this one is really sweet! Interesting assortment of toilet, bidet, towel for bidet, and toilet paper roll.

Altered card from Germany created by kids between 3-8 years old! I especially like the fangs on the girl!

An altered card from Germany. I love the way she traced the lines on the scale on the green background. And the fat lady is a collage! 

Special Delivery

A great mail card from a Dutch postcrosser. I suspect mail-themed postcards like these will disappear soon. If not for postcrossing, there wouldn't be much in the way of interesting mail. Sad that two of my letter-writing friends are no longer here. 

Oakland, My Oakland

My friend Susan sent this marvelous card about Oakland. It is a city much-maligned, but I love going there for their great art, restaurants, baseball, and many other amenities. 

Art for the House

Hospitality House is doing a fundraiser in our gallery next week. This nonprofit provides a daycare art center for the homeless. I've bought many pieces from artists who use their services. I hope we have a great turnout for the fundraiser! 

October 24, 6-10 pm at Arc Gallery, 1246 Folsom Street, San Francisco

A Gritty View

This card was sent by a Dutch feminist postcrosser who was disgusted by the misogynistic portrayal. She punched holes around the portrait punctuating her disgust at the words on the card, which reads something like "Happy Birthday, you have a great ...age." Thanks for making me laugh, dear postcrosser! 

Shanghai Beauties

A vintage reproduction of Shanghai beauties from a postcrosser in Nanjing. I saw a lot of these retro reproductions when I visited Shanghai way back in 2001. I am glad they're going through their archives and bringing these old designs back.

Marilyn with the Red Dress On

This card is going to a Finnish postcrosser who wanted something erotic or something Marilyn. This card certainly fulfills both wishes.

Rail Themes

This card was purchased in the Grand Canyon when I was traveling around with Jacqueline. I can't remember if it was 2009 or 2010. I think it was 2010. Somehow I had come across the brochure for a Grand Canyon train and we decided to ride it. Alas it was very touristy, with a staged, costumed holdup thrown in for the ticket price. Still, the Grand Canyon was breathtaking and it ended up being the last trip we took together. Sending it off to a postcrosser in Japan who likes vintage trains. 

This is a functioning train in Shikoku, Japan. Named "Botchan Ressha" after Natsume Soseki's famous novel, my mom and I took this little train to Matsuyama. I remember it was quite a trip, starting with the bullet train flying over an incredible stretch of rail over the ocean from the mainland to Shikoku. The card is going to a couple in the Netherlands.

Pleasing Graphics

A USPS postcard of a 1947 stamp depicting the NYC skyline. It is going to an Australian postcrosser who requested a postal-themed card.

This is a favorite, depicting the fleet of vintage streetcars (the F line) that run on Market St and along the Embarcadero. These recycled streetcars from all over the world continue to flourish thanks to a long-ago decision made by then-Mayor Dianne Feinstein to resurrect streetcars while our cablecar rails were being replaced. Even after the cable cars returned, we've continued to run these vintage streetcars, and in fact have increased in number each year. It makes me smile each time I see one of these beautiful cars go by and it is one reason I love living in this city.

A Nancy Drew card to be sent to a mystery-loving postcrosser in Switzerland. For some reason the whole series was available in Japan in the 1950's. Though quite expensive in hardbacks, my mom bought me a couple whenever I needed to be consoled. Example: when I had to get my baby teeth pulled at the dentist's, with no anesthesia.

A hot pink Wonder Woman card for a young Polish postcrosser who loves anything pink. My friend Tanya did a mixed media piece on this Amazonian superheroine. If I remember correctly, the character was modeled after creator William Moulton Marston's wife. She was quite a dominatrix.