INCOMING: B is for Batman

About a month ago, Ingrid and I started our ABC-snailmail project. I sent Ingrid a strawberry themed package, and a couple of days ago it was my turn to find this envelope in my very happy mailbox!

Yup, that's right! I received this super cool Batman snailmail! Such an original theme, and I just LOVE the combination of black, white and yellow.

When you follow Ingrid's blog, you will know she is the uncrowned queen of homemade stationery. Her blog bursts with great tips for making your own stationery. For this snailmail, she printed her own Batman paper for the gift envelope, and I am guessing the cool Batman sticker is homemade to. And confetti is always a good idea.

Speaking of homemade stationery and cute paper gifts, these Batman quote labels are super cool! She packed three of them in the snailmail package.

I am already contemplating my C-theme, I have got some big (Batman) shoes to fill!

Love,
Anne

TRAVELLING NOTEBOOK: Smash my mailbox #2 - Sarah's notebook sneak peek

Our travelling notebook round robin is fully up to speed, and last week I sent off Sarah's notebook to the next in line: Emilienne. I can't wait to show you the pictures, but of course I am not going to spoil the surprise for Sarah. So today I am just posting a little sneak peek, you will have to wait for the rest of the pictures until some time early next year I am afraid.

So Sarah gave her notebook the theme "quotes", such a great idea. Every now and then when I stumble upon a beautiful quote, I add them to my Pinterest board. This board definitely came in handy for Sarah's notebook!

I used Sarah's notebook in an art journal kind of way, I didn't do a lot of 'real' journalling (as in keeping a written diary for some days, notice the quotation marks: I DO consider art journalling REAL journalling!) In total, I decorated eight pages. And I had sooo much fun! It made me realise I should start my own art journal some time soon (as well as start learning Spanish, make a stew every weekend, work out three times a week...could I please please please add a few more hours to every day? Especially the weekends, kthxbai).

I decided to show you one page of the notebook! One I think turned out pretty nice. In the notebook, I wrote down an alphabet of positivity: 26 words that give you a positive feeling. This wasn't as easy as it sounds, even in Dutch it is hard to come up with 26 words like that! First, I started writing down the words that came to mind, and of course there were some letters left I could not come up with something for. I used this AWESOME list! Awesome blog as well, by the way. Guys, we should seriously fill up those dictionaries when it comes to Q, X and Z.

Well, I hope Sarah's notebook travels safely to Emilienne in France, and ultimately back to Canada! I received Ninni's notebook a couple of days ago, and will start filling it soon. When you think about it, it's so much fun to send something beautiful around the world! I wish I could travel with it. Wow, that would be one heavy package.

Love,
Anne

OUTGOING MAIL: I'm an open book

My dear penpal Rinske loves reading, so I decided to send her a letter using scraps from an old book. It somehow physically hurts to tear pages from a book (and I don't mean paper cuts, although they hurt too, and by the way, have you ever cut your tongue licking an envelop? Ouch.), but this book is very old and by one of my least favorite dutch writers (Simon Carmiggelt), so I did sleep at night.

I think decorating writing sheets is one of my favorite parts of snailmail. I rarely buy stationery in the store anymore (unless I accidentally step into Paperchase, but I protect myself from this happening very very often). For these writing sheets, I used two sheets of plain white A4 paper, which I cut in half. I tore bits and pieces from my book, and made some fringes. And cute yellow heart stickers from one of my new favorite shops Sostrene Grene (it's a good thing this store is a three-hour drive from Rotterdam!).

Again, bits and pieces and a hole-puncher do the trick! And the yellow cuties ofcourse.

And then for some goodies to send with my letter. I cut two pieces of about 9x5 cm from old bookpages and with double-sided tape I stuck them to white cardstock. I decorated the cards with a quote about reading. For obvious reasons (instant happiness) I made a garland from bookpage scraps, using baker's twine, glue and a flower-hole puncher.

I'm back to experimenting with handlettering again, so I wrote Rinske's name in huge polkadot letters on the envelope. Also pictured: some other snailmail gifts. A sheet of the cute yellow stickers, and decorated white labels (used that flower puncher again).

It went out like this, baker's twine always does the trick doesn't it? I have a thing for bundling up everything I send before putting it in the envie.

That's it, hope you gained some inspiration! Lesson of the day: don't be afraid to tear up an old book every now and then. Oh, and stick yellow hearts everywhere. Just because.

Love,
Anne