Monday, November 5, 2012

Of Envelopes and Embelishments

Question of the day,

When sending out your correspondence, do you add that little bit of flair?

I'm not taking Office Spaces Chotchkie’s (well Brian over there is wearing 37 pieces..).  I'm talking about that little touch you put on your envelopes or letters that make it yours.

For me it's stamps.  Some of you have asked where I get mine.  This one in particular.

Am I a "stamper"?  No, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night.



When I first started letter writing, I thought I should get something to say this is me. Something other than sending out just plain envelopes.  Now this doesn't work so well with made envelopes from maps and such, but for the  nice laid or cotton paper stuff I use they are really nice.

I tend to color with pencils, massage them (you guide me, you guide me.. OOooooo  right there..)

This weekend while taking a card making class, I discovered embossing powder (see the leaves on the picture above).  So I went and bought a heat gun and some various powders in assorted shades.  Makes for a really nice effect and unique textures.  Really works nice when coloring as there is no ink to smear (you can't help but color in the lines).  Where this comes in handy is when working with brush pens, you wont run your color over your stamp and trash you nice brush colors.

Stickers..






Some of you have received by Pot Brownie stickers (don't judge me), or station logos, or homer variants.  I try to limit these to hold them things closed uses.  Mainly because I don't have a large selection of them.

Lastly, I know some of you are mail artists and I REALLY like getting those in the mail from my favs.. (to many to list and I don't want to forget anyone (see ~cop out))

Now, for those of you who like the snail mail stamp.  I will be giving away 2 of them for the holiday season.  The stamps ( I just placed a LARGE order from them) are from Cat's Life Press.

So how do YOU dress em up.

21 comments:

  1. I think it is so cool that you know about embossing powder! I am a stamper and that's what got me hooked - the first time I saw it melt, that was it. Anyway, I don't stamp much on the envelopes (a cat or a "You've Got Mail" stamp now and again) but I have been sorting through my embarrassingly large stash of 12 x 12 patterned paper and pulling out pieces to make envelopes. I have stamped and die cut some white labels for the envelopes, does that count? I have received some beautiful ones made with maps, watercolored, done up with washi tape, and even stamped - I do love receiving mail art.

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  2. perhaps the better question for me is how *don't* I dress them up! seems to me I owe you some colorful mail.

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  3. O.K, maybe I should try that embossing powder. I have to admit...when I get something in the mail, the more embellished it is, the better.

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    1. I do have some regulars I write to regularly that really doll it up ( Karen, limner, Tamara, Laurie and others. Really I have to many to list). I keep every piece of mail I have ever received. Some placed quite prominently.

      Let's face it there are some pieces of mail we get where the package just has to be displayed.

      There was one drawing I received I desperately want a larger version I can get framed. Would go right along with my apple think different poster of Jackie robinson.

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  4. When I was living in Arizona I had a good relationship with my local post office. They even had me design special postmarks a few times. Then I got to make my mailings EXTRA mine.

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    1. That would be really cool to see your work go out on everyones mail. I like to catch the post office when they are at the state fair or gun shows occasionally, as they have one off postmarks there.

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  5. Hi Derrick - I like to decorate my bill payment envelopes. [Yes, I still pay some bills by mail!] A few stickers, or some rubber stamped images or sayings, or even just some colorful doodles. I figure, even in this automated world, there's going to be someone on the other end who has to manually open that envelope and take out my check...so hopefully I'm making them smile!

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    1. How sweet to care about the person who is opening your mail, even if it is a bill. That's generous and I'm sure the folks who have to open mail for part of their living appreciate a break in the tedium of plain envelopes.

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  6. I usually make the whole envelope out of magazine pictures, maps, childrensbooks.. anything paper, really.. At the moment I'm very into pimping them up using masking tape around all the edges or for the address label. On occasion though I use a pre made envelope, I love pimping those up by using a label for the address, with a little piece of rope on it and all! Or with mail-themed stamps, making the mail extra mailish... Or making the whole thing look like a present by wrapping some rope around it and all of that. I don't have one signature thing, but my regular penpals can tell an envelope is mine from the "style".. As I can with theirs! I guess you give it your own twist even without consciously decicing to!

    I LOVE that stamp though!!!

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    1. I have doen that as well. FINALLY bought a dot tape/adhesive thingy. Good grief how did I not do this earlier.. Makes putting envelopes together a snap.

      There is a scrap book shop closing down in the next week (moving to colorado) and I need to get in there and snag some paper while it's cheap.

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  7. Sheesh. I lost my entire post. Of course I don't recall what I wrote beyond blaming you for that Korean family gawking at me. It started with Homer. I'll tell you about it in the next letter. :)

    I learned to use embossing powder at Archiver's. I like their classes. Do you have a Cricut? Is that what they used in the class?

    I haven't embellished most of the letters I've written the last six months. The letters have been mostly thank-you notes for our family or condolence notes. Since I have way too much fun stuff that will probably not be used for a long while, I have decided to have a few major give aways. Am considering giving away my Cricut. I have used it once.

    You have awesome stationery. And the stamps make me drool. Jim Bridger reminds me of Robin Williams. LOL.

    Mail went out for you today. Hope I used your new address. I tend to get a little anxious when mail comes back. Gonna go check out Cat's Life Press.

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    1. Good, I always like to cause a scene. Ever stop in a store and answer the phone ringing with no one around. Try it sometime. Makes for good times in Wally world. Or walking around in a store with your friend singing random stuff?

      Cricut, NO and I WANT ONE. Been thinking about it, for Kaylee (that's my story and I'm sticking to it). Hold of on Cat's Life for a bit - Just sayin..

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  8. LOL! I am always tempted to answer the ones in Target. I even know what I'd say: This is KK. What up? Then I remember the cameras, and walk on by. And no, because I don't have friends in real time. I shop alone. I lunch alone. I sit in B&N alone. And, I will take up a booth at Carrabba's when I am a party of one. :)

    I am seriously considering giving away the one I have. I give you my word: It has been used once. To make letters. I want to give it to a grade school teacher, but I have just the one cartridge, and teachers don't make enough money to be buying cartridges for their class's bulletin board. I also want to sell it, but I didn't sell any of my big items, including the washer that came with our home. I feel so guilty for always giving things away. I'll post a photo of the Cricut on one of the blogs and you can take a look at it. Then, what if I change my mind? They're so expensive. To me they are expensive. Should I donate it to a school? I wrestle with angels all day long.

    Hahaha. For Kaylee, eh? That card you made is so cute Dodson. I am proud of your craftsmanship. Those demos are fun, huh? Which reminds me. I need to find the spatula for that Cricut. I still have the box. Maybe I've known all along, in my heart of hearts that I might give it away. Then something whispers, "Keep it." I am struggling here. Maybe a raffle? A dollar a ticket? I found the dvd just last nights! Spooky! It's inside an empty Ilford box. Plus, I wrote to Ten One Design about their stylus that doesn't work. I asked if they would let me return it since no one in my family wanted it either, and guess what. They wrote back. I can return it! I paid $29+some change for it. :) All a sister needs is faith.

    Oh! I checked out Cat's Life like I said, and wow. You know where the good stuff is. I can't buy any more such stuff until I get rid of some of the goodness I already have. I forgot to listen to Patty. I have run out of storage room; hence the give-aways. I'd have one for each of my 9 blogs, but then I'd have to get a job to pay for the postage.

    Am looking forward to your give-away! Clearly a sign of life here. :) Hey to Miss Kaylee. I miss my Bling Girlfriends. I found a tea set for them! Yeah! Must check with Anna before I buy it though. More later. G'night.

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  9. Dang! Shoulda saved all that for another letter. :( :) Sorry for hogging all that space.

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  10. TAPE. INK. PAINT. STICKERS. THREAD. STAMPS.

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    1. do you run those through a sewing machine? you would thiink it would tear..

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  11. I LOVE receiving envelopes that are interesting and I've just started embellishing my envelopes with my new favorite product....Washi tape. Mail should look as pretty going out as it does coming in! :D BTW I am a rubber stamper/card maker/scrapbooker. I'll apologize in advance, then, that the card you will be receiving from me very soon is not a handmade card.....next time.

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  12. I didn't realize you want me to decorate the envelope but I usually do add something on the envelope. I think you should received my letter by now. I still can't believe it..I need to pinch myself to see if I am awake.

    I know some are not a fan of "mailart". Next time I will decorate the envelope.

    I usually add maps, ticket stubs, metro pass, stickers, stamps...anything that is interesting.

    Annie from NJ

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    1. Don't "want" you to. I've just noticed that so many of the letters I receive have some sort of dressing on them.

      I think the bulk of mine just have the simple snail mail stamp on them. I did just get a large order of stamps from my place of choice. Cat's Life Press.

      I recently sent out something with some pretty glued up chip board. Still don't know if it made it there intact.

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