Calligraphy love (& stamps too!)

I think the combination of lovely calligraphy and a variety of stamps on pretty letters might be my new go-to design obsession (see current exhibits A and B). Whew - thank goodness - because my silhouette obsession was getting quite out of hand (exhibits A, B, C, D, E, F - yikes).

Adding fuel to the paper-craze fire? These cards by Jenna Hein, which couldn't be more lovely:


Don't you agree? If not, speak now or forever hold your peace, because there may be a lot more of these where they came from (as evidenced by my previous posts - reference above in the plethora of slightly scary exhibits). ;)

Originally spotted on Clover and Bee.

Squared away: a new stamp

Remember when I espoused my love for good stamps (they really are icing on the cake to a beautifully hand-written note!) and the round-up I did of my favorite stamps? Well things in the stamp department just got even sweeter.

The new 64-cent butterfly stamp - designed especially for square envelopes - was introduced in May and is available for sale online or in post offices.

I know this is the dorkiest thing ever, but I'm really excited to go out and get some of these stamps! I love square envelopes and always end up having to use two stamps to compensate, plus I think this butterfly design is really pretty. Kudos, USPS!

You can learn more about the stamp here or buy it for yourself here (or just go to a post office).
Originally spotted here.

Pretty, pretty paper & stamps: Unruly Things invites

I can only see the outer portion of these invites by Unruly Things, but I can already tell the whole wedding invitation suite must be drool-worthy. The slightly rustic kraft-paper color of the envelopes is perfectly offset by the more formal, yet totally gorgeous calligraphy and the amazing collection of colorful, vintage stamps. I wish I were getting one of these in my mailbox!

Invites by Unruly Things, calligraphy by Kathryn Murray, stamps from various eBay sellers. So cool.

Send me a letter

I don't think most people are as obsessed with sending real mail - actual letters with handwriting and stamps - as I am, but I like everything about it. Selecting just the right stationery, taking the time to sit down and write by hand, dropping the note into the mailbox and eagerly waiting to hear that the recipient got it; it's all so personal and thoughtful. Did you ever notice that choosing the right stamp is like the icing on the cake? Take a look at these pretty examples:


Perfectly coordinated Greta Garbo stamp from Neither Snow Calligraphy


A cluster of vintage stamps from B Dunlap

Since the postage rate rose so much in the past few years (and I was not a fan of the eternity stamp's look), I have a bunch of outdated stamps, like these:


How cute are these children's book illustrated animals stamps? I have to use two when I mail a letter with them, but they're perfect for my friends and family members who are teachers or have kids.

These are my favorites from 2009. I'm just crossing my fingers that the rate stays at 44 cents for a while...


These dragonfly stamps were also beautiful, but at 62 cents each, I felt kind of wasteful using one on a single letter (though it didn't stop me!).


Now that 2010 is here, that means the USPS is releasing new stamps. I'm loving these newly issued stamps, all available here:





So hopefully next time you write a birthday card in June, you'll think about this before you slap on that old Christmas stamp and mail it out. :)

Stamping Techniques Continued...

We've been talking this week about how easy stamps are to use, and how many projects they're perfect for. Today's stamp project is a lot like Monday's notebook - we're taking an existing item and using stamps to personalize it.

Which item, you ask? Containers. Specifically, I'm focusing on using stamps on the little metal tins that you can find anywhere and everywhere these days (Altoids mints, AOL cd mailers, etc.) I wouldn't say I collect them, but I do hang on to them when I find them in good condition. They're ideal for so many crafts, for giving small gifts, and for treasuring little nick-knacks and keepsakes. Here's just one way to dress them up with stamps...

Idea #3: Stamped Traveller's Paintbox

If you're going to re-use a tin for something involving water or anything moist, make sure it's actually made out of aluminum. Most tins are made out of - yep, you guessed it - tin! The edges are usually curled down around an iron wire too, and both tin and iron rust very easily. But it's not too hard to find a tin made from aluminum (search etsy.com for "aluminum tin"), and the aluminum ones won't rust.

The aluminum tin I used for this project came with a deck of cards in it, and I love the finish just like it is - all shiny and satin-smooth. So I stamped on the bare metal with the scroll from the Windsor stamp collection in Ocean Deep ink. To make it permanent and durable, I set it with embossing powder and a heat tool. I bought a $1 watercolor set from the local dollar store, removed the lining, and cut it down to fit inside the tin. I bought the brushes on clearance at Walmart for about $2.00, cut them to fit in the tin, and sanded the ends smooth. Last but not least, I cut several little cards of watercolor paper, rounded the edges, and clipped them together on top of the paints and brushes. Voila!





That's it! And this is just one out of hundred of possible uses for these little tins, from portable sewing kits to gift card carriers, and travel games to mini jewelry boxes. As a matter of fact, leave a comment while you're here - what are your ideas for metal tin projects?

Thanks!

--Josh

About Stamps

Stamps scare people.

I know, you're probably thinking, "Whatever, stamps don't scare me. Stamps are little and charming and easy to use." Then why don't scrappers use them more often? I'm sure that some of our readers are avid stamp collectors and use them as much as any other embellishment. But for the majority of you - when was the last time you used stamps on a layout or card? If you're like me, it was quite a while ago (even here at SEI, where we design the stamps).

So what is it about stamps that make us afraid to use them? Even if we're not afraid of them, why do we seem to push them way back in the scrap tote and reach for the rub-ons or die-cuts over and over again instead? Maybe because stamps can be used in so many different ways, they push us a little bit too far out of our creative comfort zone. Well, in the next few posts we're going to conquer our fear of stamps and use that creative freedom to make some very meaningful, personalized gifts and keepsakes.

Idea #1: Personalized Notebook

Do you know an aspiring artist or writer that goes through notebooks and little pads of paper like they're going out of style? Or maybe you know a mom, or maybe you are a mom, looking to get a little more organized with receipts and coupons and everyday to-do lists. A notebook is a clever idea for a quick and easy gift, and there's no reason it has to be the boring office-store variety with a screaming yellow cover that says "Mead" on it. And nothing makes personalizing a notebook quicker and easier than a good set of stamps.

To start with, I bought a perfect little blank notebook with clear covers at Borders for just over $5 (regularly $6.99, with a 30% coupon). This is how it looked right out of the wrapper:



My sister is a busy mom with three kids, and she also clips a lot of coupons, and saves all of her shopping receipts. I spent the 4th of July with her and her family, and I thought a pretty little notebook would be a nice way of saying thank you. To make it personal, I stamped the leafy scroll from the Bridgeport stamp collection in Moss Green ink on the front page and applied one of the Bridgeport rub-ons. Then I stamped the butterflies from the same Bridgeport collection in Ocean Deep ink on the inside of the front cover, to get a nice layered effect*. Lastly, I stamped the same scroll and butterflies on each of the dividers inside, and on random page corners throughout the notebook. This is how it looked when I finished:




That's it! I have a beautiful, personal gift for my sister that cost $5.00 and took about 15 minutes! And there's no limit to the blank items you can stamp for your own personalized gifts.

Do you have any great stamping ideas? Leave us a comment, or send us an email, and share your favorite stamp projects!

-Josh

*When stamping on various kinds of plastic, test your inks in an inconspicuous area to make sure they will dry without smudging.