How to Find Penpals on Instagram, Part 2

So now that you have the background behind how I kind of stumbled into this penpalling thing, you know I am no expert.  But here I give you my perspective (geared towards making pen friends through Instagram) in 6 simple steps.


Step 1:  Write a letter to someone you know.  

If you are interested in snail mail and pen palling, I suggest starting with those closest to you--write a letter to your grandmother, your mother, your sister, your brother, your best friend from high school . . . or send a thank-you letter to someone who has had you over for dinner or given you a gift (no matter how long ago).


Step 2:  Take a picture and tag it.

How to Find Penpals on Instagram, Part 1

Recently on Instagram, Sarah asked me how I got into penpalling and if I had any information about this sort of thing on my blog.  I had been writing a little post in my head for a while now, and her question prompted me to finally get it together.  

How I got started

I have written to friends and family since I was little and have even had a couple of penpals (friends from summer camps and my friend Claudia in Germany), but only recently have I started writing regularly to people I've never met in person who live across the country and across the world.

Come say hello at Paper Pastries!

Happy Friday, friends!

I wrote a guest post for Paper Pastries, one of my very favorite paper blogs (and shops) about how I like to use rubber stamps and paper punches in my snail mail.  Come say hello and pick up a few ideas for a crafty fall weekend.

I hope you enjoy!

:)
amber

P. S. I guest posted for Paper Pastries last year as well, and you can find that post (all about tiny envelopes!) right here.

P. P. S. A big hello and welcome to Paper Pastries readers and new Instagram friends!  xo

diy envelope liner (from scribble art)

Yesterday, while Caroline and Lincoln were busy making cards for family members, Roman was busy scribbling with (and eating) markers.

Even though the activity ended in a meltdown for Roman (he was very angry after I took a bitten-off marker tip out of his mouth and declared marker time over), we did get a great piece of one-year-old scribble art out of it.

I copied it and made it into an envelope liner (naturally) for an envelope made out of black construction paper (I used the envelope and liner templates from Paper Source).

I really love the look.  I might just put Roman to work designing some more.  :)

(You can see some of my favorite diy stationery supplies right here.)

simple handmade sympathy card

Lately, I have been making my own sympathy cards rather than buying them at the store.  I find this works better for me for a few reasons--I don't have to go to the store to look for one--one less obstacle in the way of my good intentions; I can make it say what I want it to say; I can keep it simple.

I love buying cards at the store (I love it when I have the time to browse without hurry), but I usually have a hard time finding a sympathy card that feels authentic to me.  I know that good sympathy cards exist (I have been the recipient of some myself), but I guess it just takes a little longer to find the right one.

So I still keep an eye out for the good ones, but when I do not already have an appropriate card on hand for a situation, I make my own.

Because I am the type that can spend hours on a single card, though, I have to keep it super simple so that it actually gets done.   This combination has been working well for me lately:

a large flower stamp + a plain card + a lined envelope.

First, stamp the outside of the card and set it aside to dry.  (I tell myself to leave well enough alone--no writing or stamping a word or phrase on the outside--just the flower.)

While the image is drying, line the envelope.

Once that is done, write your message on the inside of the card.

I have used cream/charcoal, navy/gold, and kraft/cream for different cards.  I think the kraft color is a little casual for a sympathy card for someone grieving a death, but it could be appropriate for reaching out to someone who is dealing with an extended illness or something similar.

These cards may be too simple for some, but they work well for what I want out of a sympathy card--that it be respectful and pretty.  Keeping the design simple allows me to focus more on the message that I write on the inside (which is, after all, the most important part of a sympathy card).

***

I would love to know--what do you do when you need to write a sympathy card?  

Do you make your own or buy one?  

Do you find yourself going back to a certain line or brand of cards or an online seller? 

I always love finding new stationery shops and sources.

I ♥ Mini Envelopes

Happy Monday, friends!

I have a few posts in the works for this week, but today I just wanted to say hello and share a link to a guest post I did on the Paper Pastries blog this past Friday.  It's all about tiny stationery--so fun!  You can see the post here.

Margaret, the blogger behind Paper Pastries, has a neato stationery shop by the same name where she sells mini punches that make mini envelopes like the one above.  She has posted some fun projects incorporating the envelopes, and that's how I got the idea to share my mini envelope project with her.  

These are so fun and easy to make--I hope you enjoy the post!  Let me know what you think!  I will be back later in the week with a little more about tiny stationery, so stay tuned . . . 

:)