I love receiving mail! I still remember the letter I wrote to my first pen pal. I was so excited but at the same time unsure what to write or to do! I did some quick research on social media and saw how others carefully put together bits and pieces of lovely things into beautiful packages waiting to surprise their receivers. My first mail was not the fanciest, but my pen pal loved it and our friendship grew much further from that first exchange. The funniest thing about this is that I would have never met my pen pals if it wasn’t for social media! There is something special about exchanging words and preparing mail for a complete stranger. I remember strolling through markets and thrift shops with the hope of finding interesting items for a particular mail. As your friendship grows, the mail becomes increasingly personal. This physical connection between people through words and carefully curated letters is truly precious and I think this is something that cannot be replaced by any kind of new technology or gadgets. I must admit that I am possibly the worst pen pal ever as I still haven’t replied to any mail I received in the past 5 months due to many excuses I made up for myself! Even though I have already collected a whole stack of stuff for my dear friends, they are still sitting on my self waiting! So after receiving my November box, I started preparing mail again last weekend to get back on top of it.
Apart from writing the letter, my favourite part about snail mail is the extra goodies that go with it. Think washi, twine, vintage paper, special little notes, dry flowers, stamps, watercolours, old photographs and wax seals! There are endless things that you can use to create a special package. I like to create my mail based around a theme. This time, I decided to play around with textures and layers using items from past and present boxes. As there are so many things I like to include in this pack, I decided to limit my colours to bring them all together, and of course Green is my favourite colour!
I played around with the arrangement a few times, keeping in mind that each item adds something to the visual whole.
You can add a personal accent by writing a small note or create a simple watercolour painting layered with delicate stamps.
I use a paper clip to secure everything in place and tie it all up with a string of Avril yarn!
For the final touch, I used the amazing wrapping paper from the November box to create a slip to hold everything together by folding the paper at an angle and then sealed it with my Classiky clover stamp with a twig of dried pine.
I found the entire process of making mail very therapeutic and expressive, it is almost a form of Art! And the idea of someone else on the other side of the world opening this special package in their mail box just brings a warm feeling to my heart!
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPeltku--Y0
Are you a snail mailer? What are some of the things you like to put in your special package? You can share with us using #thestationeryselection on your feed.
Best wishes!
Connie @peppercornarts
Beautiful Connie.