Love Stamps

As a lover of handwritten cards and snail mail,  I am also a big fan of postage stamps. I love them so much that even when they are used and cancelled, I cut them out of the envelope and incorporate them in crafting and more crafting...TADA!

Did you know that every year, the United States Postal Service comes out with a new design for the LOVE Stamp? Here are the most recent ones:

via USPS designed by Antonio Alcala/Keith Haring

via USPS designed by Katie Kirk

via USPS designed by Ethel Kessler/Chris Buzelli

Aren't they the cutest? It's such a good excuse to support the post office and to bring a smile to someone's mailbox.

Not too long ago, I attended a virtual event hosted by the National Postal Museum. 

They had a presentation about Love Stamps. Just look at the many designs created over the years!

Check this one out, inspired by the Love sculpture created by Robert Indiana. 

Artist Katie Kirk, who designed this Love Stamp and these winter woodland animal postage stamps, talked about her design process. She even did a short demo on her digital illustration.

It's simple but very effective -- the love bird and the love letter...TADA! 

Here is a quick history of the Love Stamp: "a stamp made for lovers, so our letters may stand out among all others." *Swoon*

As part of the session, we got to design our own Love Stamps. Here's what I made:

My design uses a ribbon to spell LOVE and a visual of a gift tied up in a bow -- because cards in the mail give me the feeling like I'm opening a special gift...TADA!

I used watercolor paper, a mechanical pencil, and colored pencils. I had a lot of fun!

The next time you receive snail mail, make sure to admire the stamp!

May the little things like these bring you joy, or as I love to say, turn blah to TADA!

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Snail Mail Envelopes

A handwritten letter in the mail.

I consider this to be one of life's greatest pleasures. It takes time and effort. It's very manual: expressing one's thoughts through script and going to the post office to mail it. It also carries lots of hope, "I hope it arrives" or "I hope she likes it". 

When I write letters, I go all out. I even dress up the envelope because it's the first thing people see -- people at the post office, the mail carriers, and the recipient. The letter has to be dressed appropriately! 

Let me show you a few examples:

I used rubber stamps and washi tape...TADA!

I made my own stickers using plain adhesive paper and rubber stamps...TADA!

I made my own envelope using an old map...TADA! If you look at the bottom, there's a town called Jollyville (I love that!).

This envelope is looking blah.

It's because I saved all the embellishments for the inside! It's a card and envelope in one...TADA!

An old envelope was used as a template and I decorated with stickers, washi tape, chipboard letters, and printed card stock.

The next time you send snail mail, why not add an extra special touch to your envelopes? And if you'd like these blog posts delivered via e-mail, you can subscribe here. 

Used Postal Stamps

I've waxed romantic of my love for snail mail. What's not to love? An envelope arrives in your mailbox and inside it is a carefully chosen card or stationery, with handwritten words from someone who cares about you! And then it's taken to the post office...just the start of this letter's journey. 

I love snail mail so much that I've even kept the postage stamps! These are little pieces of art, a snapshot of history, and currency all rolled into one. Without them, the letter or package would never arrive.

Today, I'm using some of these stamps for something practical and extends the life of these cancelled stamps. 

First up, an empty plastic box.

Lay-out the stamps on top of the box and once you're satisfied with their placement, carefully stick them on using all purpose glue.

Allow this to dry.

I added a layer of dimensional magic glue for a glossy and raised look (this is an optional step).

And here is what the box looks like. It's ready to store desk supplies or small fashion accessories...TADA!

Experiments in Collage

Have you ever tried your hand at collage? I've played around with it to make DIY business cards, covering a plain box and turning it into a gift box, and crafting birthday cards.

Collage is a fun medium to play with because all you need are scissors, glue, and any kind of paper to create a piece of art.

I came across this book, Collage Your Life by Melanie Mowinski, and it encouraged to me try collage once again. In the book, Melanie describes collage this way:

"The word collage comes from the Old French coller, meaning "to glue." Collage is created from the actions of cutting to remove and pasting to add. You must have both. This double action can lead to double meanings and double entendres. For example, if you cut a human figure in half and then add bandage-like shapes linking it together, you are simultaneously showing its split and connection. As you cut and paste, explore how you play with these actions." - Melanie Mowinski 

One of my favorite takeaways from the book is to "Create parameters." Parameters, rules or a prompt are limitations that help you stay focused and get your creative juices flowing. Some parameters include: 

(1) Complete the collage in 30 minutes or less

(2) Use only scraps from your most recent collage process

(3) Take the first three papers from your collage bag and use only those papers 

(4) Only tear your paper, do not cut 

(5) Add a stencil element

Here are five different collages I made using some of the prompts in the book:

Prompt Number 1: Play with memory. Dive into your memories. Look for a picture, pattern, or text that reminds you of your childhood: 

A junk journal made from paper remnants with Snoopy and Woodstock cutouts

A junk journal made from paper remnants with Snoopy and Woodstock cutouts

Prompt Number 2: Create a collage that incorporates the patterns and textures from security envelopes. It can be part of the background or foreground or used as an accent:

Front of the bookmarks - security envelopes are the dominant pattern

Back of the bookmarks - security envelopes are the dominant pattern

Prompt Number 3: Use papers as paint. As you look through magazines, catalogs, and brochures, start to see how large blocks of colors are everywhere. Cut out just that, the colors. Look for different values, textures, and patterns, and then group similar ones together:

A beach-inspired postcard using magazine pages as paint

Prompt Number 4: You are going to make a portrait. Hopefully of yourself, but it can be of anyone. Perhaps you make an oversized head on a tiny body, or you exaggerate the size of certain features. Play. Have fun:

A portrait of my niece Kirsten made of magazine pages. I regularly
send her postcards and I think she'll get a kick of this one!

Prompt Number 5: Experiment with mixing mediums. This one uses a collage background, a neutralizing layer of gesso, rubber stamps, and packing tape transfer:

A plain paper bag is a nice background for a mixed media collage

Wasn't that fun? We can use collage in so many ways, instantly turning a blank page from "blah to TADA!"

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Oil Burners and Sealing Wax Spoons

Thank you for your company today!

I found this at the back of my closet. It was a gift that I used a lot when it was new and then had forgotten about. It's an oil burner. Fragrance oil is poured in the bowl on top and the scent disperses with the heat of the candle.

Scent diffusers have become popular in the past few years to help create a calm, relaxing environment. Instead of buying one, I should just use this again. My favorite scents are lavender and rosemary. Plus I'll get to use the bag of tealights that's also hiding at the back of the closet.

But I found a new use for my oil burner...something to use in tandem with my sealing wax spoon.

"Sealing wax what?", you ask?

This spoon is a tool for sealing envelopes with wax. 

The wax seal is reminiscent of the Middle Ages -- as  a way to close a letter, a decorative touch, and the seal that was pressed on was a signature, indicating who the letter was from.  

The sealing wax spoon has a pouring spout for the melted wax and a wooden handle to keep the handle cool.

I bought this at a gift shop but they are easy to find on-line. You can also try using an inexpensive measuring spoon; just wrap the handle with clay or well-padded cloth to keep your fingers from burning when the metal becomes hot. 

Put small pieces of sealing wax in the bowl of the spoon.

Put the spoon over the flame. 

The sealing wax melts in a matter of minutes.

Pour the melted wax on the envelope flap.

Firmly press your wax seal stamp and let it stand for a few minutes to get a good impression.

This is my "C" seal...TADA!

I use the tea light candle of this oil burner to melt the wax. I use the top part of the oil burner to park my spoon while it cools. It also makes the process mess-free (no wax dripping on my desk). 

I was able to repurpose my oil burner and with my wax seal kit, I turned some plain envelopes from blah to TADA!

How To Store Your Christmas Cards

Hello everyone! One of my favorite things about the holiday season is receiving Christmas cards in the mail.

I appreciate that we are part of a relative or friend's mailing list! A card from a boxed set, a personalized postcard with family photos, or an annual newsletter -- I love them all!  

I read in a poll on Twitter that not everyone keeps Christmas cards. Some people toss them out after the holidays. Gasp! I can't imagine doing that. I keep all of the snail mail I've received over the years in a big plastic storage box. 

If, like me, you keep all the Christmas cards you receive, you might like this idea:

First, get rid of the envelopes for less bulk. Then punch a hole on the corner of each Christmas card. 

String the cards through a binder ring or a piece of ribbon. Close the ring or knot the ends of the ribbon. 

All the cards from one year are grouped together...TADA!

It's easy to flip through the cards, too.

Just so we can identify the year the cards were received, why not make a cover page? 

It's a quick craft that uses paper remnants, rubber stamps, an ink pad, glue, and a cute gift tag that I wanted to save. 

We can also turn gift wrapper scraps and cardboard from blah to TADA!

By turning them into a cover for my 2019 Christmas card collection.

I hope this idea is helpful when it's time to pack away your holiday mail.