Here it is, the perfect stamp for the letter lover and just in time for Valentine's day too. I may just have to buy a roll of these. They'll be perfect with Diamine Oxblood ink. It can also be purchased with a set of eight cards for those of us who enjoy postal themed stationery. Even though I only purchase postage at the post office, I am glad to see them offer stationery goods. They are, after all and to my sadness, the only stationery store left in town.
0 Comments
To throw temptation by the way of the ink lover, I show you a winning combination embodying both beauty and patriotism. USPS has issued the Purple Heart stamp. I believe this will coordinate beautifully with Noodler's Purple Heart ink. Imagine this combination of ink and stamp on Crane & Co. Ecruwhite stationery sealed with lavender sealing wax from Letter Seals. Not only will this combination coordinate beautifully, just to make it sweeter, it is all made at here at home in the United States of America. I will need stamps soon. I still have lavender sealing wax and I still have a stash of Crane & Co. paper; I lack only the ink. Mr. Duffy, if you should read this post you will know what to do.
Seventeen months ago when I started this blog and began corresponding with new letter friends discipline was a struggle for me. I found that as simple as letter writing is, it takes discipline as does any other simple thing like brushing my hair every morning. Seventeen months later, writing daily is a struggle. To make the challenge greater I've been spread thin lately because I took an opportunity to earn some Christmas money. Home and fun things have suffered as a consequence. i won't post a picture of the piles of laundry but I will post some pictures of things that have tickled me lately. I have no grand thoughts to offer you, I just want to resume the things I enjoy (posting on this blog and writing letters) for a few minutes. Perhaps it will make me feel more balanced and help me through the next couple weeks. So I'll post some things that have given me pleasure recently. ![]() The first two pictures came from Kathleen. The first stamp says, "SNAIL MAIL It might be a little slow, but it's well worth the wait!" Love it! I like the frogs too :o) The second stamp says, "AIR MAIL This is for a very important person. Please deliver it quickly." The above image is from Jan who also likes flex nibs. I'm afraid I got a drop of water on "Mrs." She also used a Gregory Peck stamp, something on my stamp wish list. He'll look great on my gray Original Crown Mill envelopes. I have a few left but don't know where to get more now that Swisher Pens has closed. If anybody knows, let me know! That's all for now and I hope to catch up on my letter writing SOON.
I had been expecting a letter from Sweden because Lennart told me he would send one. I was therefore not surprised to find a letter from Sweden in my post box the other day but I was, however, absolutely delighted. The delight was partially due to fulfilled anticipation, and partially due to the beautiful stamp attached to the letter. I had not noticed this before, but I like stamps. Naturally, I keep envelopes and and their stamps along with the letters they contain but now I am toying with the idea of starting a collection of the stamps I receive and putting them in a book. The trouble, however, with that idea is that I will never want to remove the stamps from the envelopes they came attached to. ![]() Take a closer look at the stamp. It is gorgeous! It is also a special commemorative stamp honoring the marriage of Princess Victoria. I am quite certain that when I go to the post office to mail my return letter on Monday I will not find a suitable rival for this stamp. But then, when is the last time we had a royal wedding in the United States? ![]() Lennart made mention of Margaret Shepherd's "Art of the Handwritten Note" and I wondered why on earth I did not own a copy of it. I went then to Amazon.com where I found a copy of "The Art of the Personal Letter" by the same author. Intending to be more frugal this year than in the past I searched for a used copy and was quite pleased to find one for 96 cents. With $4 shipping I still got a bargain. This book may just start a new collection of letter writing books. If I continue to find books at this price they will be well within budget; and being within budget will surely aid my pursuit of more books. Thank you, Lennart, for the letter, the inspiration, and the beautiful stamp!
I've been browsing stamps at USPS.com lately and decided to go to my local post office in hopes of buying the Winslow Homer stamps. Our little post office didn't have Winslow Homer, but they did have Sunday Funnies. These stamps brought out the kid in me and made my day. They're larger than most stamps and oh so fun! for mailing I choose the stamps I think people will most enjoy and if I have no idea, I coordinate the color of the stamp with the envelope. I wouldn't use these stamps to mail a sympathy cards but for general use they're light hearted and fun. I hope they bring my letter recipients smiles. I know they did for me!
I recently received a letter from The Missive Maven herself. As anyone who follows her blog knows, The Maven is known for mail art and vintage stamps. I want to show off the envelope I received from her. The stamps are the art. These stamps are BEAUTIFUL. They are works of art. My favorite is the one posted below of the woman writing a letter. Below is the caption, "Letters mingle souls." Not only is that a great slogan, it should be the result of meaningful correspondence. When we write letters we impart something of ourselves to others that can not be imparted electronically. Much more is involved in handwritten letters than in "digital grams": the choice of stationery, ink, stamps and more importantly, words. Written communication requires more investment of thought, caring and resources than does firing off an email or posting a tweet from one's cell phone. We really do give of ourselves when we write letters. ![]() Not only did The Missive Maven give of herself, she also gave of her stamps which she inherited from her grandfather with instruction to enjoy them. I notice that generous souls enjoy giving things away. Receiving this letter with it's charming contents was a delightful moment of my day. I enjoy receiving letters as much as I enjoy sending them, but don't we all. Reflecting on this lovely letter I realize one thing I can improve on is making each letter a gift bearer. We all enjoy small gifts and I want my letter recipients to experience the same enjoyment I did. I'll have to be on the look out for small tokens of thoughtfulness to enclose in each envelope I send. Thank you Missive Maven for your letter and for your inspiration. |
Letter Matters
|