I’m finally making some progress in my mail pile! Over the weekend and each night this week, I’ve tried to tackle a letter or two. When I get behind, I always have high hopes of catching up in one sitting and then I get burnt out before even starting the first letter. (The same thing happens with cleaning–I have high hopes of cleaning the WHOLE apartment perfectly, then I just give up and don’t do anything.) Taking the pile one letter at a time has been a lot less stressful and way more productive! 
I have a drawer in my desk that is dedicated to random paper scraps (used wrapping paper, junk mail, stickers, scraps, bits pen pals send me) to use for mail art. That drawer has gotten so stuffed that I couldn’t close it! So, I’ve decided that a “use it or lose it” policy needs to be put into effect. If I’m going to save something, I need to use it right away, even if that means making an envelope ahead of time. The colorful paisley paper has been around since 2014. It was wrapping paper from a gift Cath sent to me. It was really a joy to use on these envelopes. 
The green and white Japanese paper was from a gift Jess sent. I used it on her (late) thank you note and some other (late) thank you notes that day. 
I’ve shared this before, but I always take an extra popcorn bag when I go to Rural King. I like to think of it as spreading the good word about my favorite farm equipment store. 
I’ve barely made a dent in the map from the Letter Writers Alliance Mail Art Workshop kit. But at least I can close my drawer now…almost!
kimberly ah
kimberly at home
Tag Archives: washi tape
Pilot Frixion Stamps
I’ve never done a post about Pilot Frixion Pens, but they are my favorites. (I’ve mentioned them in these posts.) I love that they are erasable, because I’m a perfectionist at times, and I love the way my handwriting looks when I use them. I use the pens mostly in my calendar so I can easily erase appointments when plans change. When I read about the Frixion Stamps, I immediately put them on my shopping list for Japan. (This should tell you so much about my Tokyo shopping addiction!)
I sometimes regret not buying all of them (they are sold individually, but you can see all of the options here on Amazon), but since I also have a planner sticker addiction, I chose the four that I thought would be most useful for me: the umbrella for tracking rain in the garden, the coin purse to mark pay days, the birthday gift to remind me to buy or send a present, and the birthday cake for noting birthdays. Just like the Frixion Pens, the ink is erasable, so if plans change, you can erase the stamp with the rubbery edge of the cap. The stamps themselves are about 1/2 inch square and a little over 2 inches long, so they can easily fit into a pencil pouch for on-the-go planning. The stamped images are about 1/4 inch and fit perfectly in smaller calendar squares. 
So far, I am using the coin purse and the cake on my monthly calendar spreads. 
And I’m using the gift and the umbrella on the daily pages. (I guess mainly because buying and sending gifts is more of a to-do list item which I put on daily pages and because this summer has been rainy so I don’t have room for a hundred umbrellas littering my monthly calendar spread.)
Like any new stamp, using the Frixion Stamps takes some getting used to. At first, I was pressing too hard and the images were getting all muddled together. They really take a gentle touch. And, though the stamps dry pretty quickly on normal paper, they dry really slowly on the smooth Tomoe River Paper in my Hobonichi Planner. (But, if the ink smears or transfers to another page, you can just erase any mess.) Now that I’m used to them, I’m really enjoying using these little guys.
(Rumor has it that Jet Pens will be carrying the Pilot Frixion Stamps soon!)
Simple Spring Birthday Invitations
Continuing the cherry blossom mail theme…
Peggy and I are hosting a tiny birthday celebration for Karen and Susan in May. I thought I’d try to set a special tone for the celebration by sending out paper invites. There are only four of us, so it was an easy task. Using my trusty typewriter, some washi tape, those cherry blossom cellophane bags, and some 4-bar cards that magically fit inside, I came up with a simple spring design. 
My only regret is that I placed the mailing labels over the information. I think they would have been more fun and colorful if I’d left the invitation side blank (as shown above) and put the mailing label and the stamp on the reverse side. That way, the cellophane didn’t even need to be opened. 
But I do like seeing the stamp on those washi tape stripes, so all is not lost I suppose.
Sigh…I do love a paper invitation, don’t you?
Cherry Blossom Mail
I’m a bit late for cherry blossom season, but last week, I sent out some pink blossomed mail to a few pen pals. What can I say? I’m inspired by those postage stamps. 
When we were in Japan last year, I picked up a bunch a sakura stationery and of course I tucked it away to use this spring. I wrote letters on the kaishi papers, folded them around a Japanese tea bag and tucked them inside these sakura printed cellophane flat bags. The tiny sakura flowers on the papers showed through the bags…flowers everywhere! I sealed up the bags with washi tape and used labels for the addresses. Easy!
I got a bit behind last week on the Write On Challenge and National Letter Writing Month but I’m all caught up and looking forward to finishing strong. I can’t believe April is almost over! How has the challenge gone for you?
Hasegawa Happy Hour Menu
In a sign that I *may* have too much time on my hands (or that I was avoiding doing something productive), I typed up a menu for our Hasegawa Happy Hours. And when I say “typed” I mean typed on the typewriter because that’s how I roll. I know a menu seems weird and excessive, but honestly, if I didn’t have a set cocktail planned for our HHH guests, I was looking through my archives for suggestions. This way, I have all of my favorites in one place. 
I typed the menu on a piece of 8.5×11 card stock scored and folded the long way. It’s very simply “formatted” since it was done on the typewriter and it’s spring-centric, which means I can type up another one for summer (ooh, for balcony cocktails! I can’t wait!) 
I have a section for “Think Spring” cocktails, which are coincidentally all gin-based. (Eagle eyes will notice that I messed up on the Vieux Mot and typed the wrong ingredients. Womp, womp.)
Then there’s a section for “Cozy Nights” that includes mostly whiskey cocktails, perfect for right about now when it’s damp and cold outside. 
In the “Deliciously Bitter” section, I have a small list of bitter cocktails. I’ve added several bitter liqueurs to my collection this year and these four are tasty winners. 
And, on a removable tiny business card, I typed up two Hasegawa originals, the CAP Cocktail and Pining for the Queen. It’s harder to keep those ingredients readily on hand around here, so I like to be able to remove the card if we don’t have any pomegranate juice or rosemary in the house.
We tested the menu out last weekend when we had friends over for a little sushi-making party. It worked like a charm!
Postcard Race
Last week, Carolee tweeted a question: Do postcards really take longer than letters to arrive?
A long time ago, someone told me that putting a first class stamp on a postcard would help it arrive faster than it would with a postcard stamp, but of course I’d never tested it. But Carolee’s tweet made me wonder how it all worked. So this week, I decided to create a little postcard race. I sent a postcard (or a letter) with a Forever stamp and a postcard with a postcard stamp from the same blue mailbox on the same day to the same address and asked each recipient to let me know when the cards arrive.
Here is what I’ve sent so far:
On March 14–
To Washington DC: a postcard with a Forever stamp, a postcard with a postcard stamp
On March 16–
To Tacoma, WA: a postcard with a Forever stamp, a postcard with a postcard stamp, a letter with a Forever stamp + 21 cent stamp (because it was rigid)
To Wheaton, IL: a postcard with a Forever stamp, a postcard with a postcard stamp
To Washburn, IL: a birthday card with a Forever stamp, a postcard with a postcard stamp
I figured I needed to try out different distances, so I chose different parts of the country, a nearby suburb, and a “faraway” place in Illinois. Depending on the results, I may send a few more out.
I promise to report back on my findings! In the meantime, does anyone know the answer?
Final Thoughts on Letter Month 2015
It felt weird not to write a letter on Sunday and not to have anything to mail on Monday. On Saturday when I checked my mailbox, I only found junk mail, so my inbox is officially empty, my letter ledger is turned to a fresh new page and my stationery is all organized and ready for action. I’m not feeling the same burn-out I’ve felt after previous Letter Month attempts. I’m not exactly sure why. Maybe because I sent more postcards than usual, maybe because I didn’t write much in January, maybe because it’s been snowy and cold and letter writing is the perfect indoor activity and a much-needed break from technology. Whatever reason, it feels good to be done but it feels sad to have an empty mailbox. I hope I can continue responding in a timely manner–it feels good to have a nice flow of new mail on my desk instead of the same letters languishing for weeks.
My totals for the month:
- 36 letters/cards
- 8 postcards
- 4 international letters/postcards
- 3 packages
- 51 total mailings
I also visited seven blue boxes, which doesn’t sound like a lot, but it’s six more than I normally visit. Mostly, I drop my letters into our lobby box or into the blue box near work. I visited six other mailboxes, and four of those were mailboxes I’d never used before. Now that spring is on the horizon, I hope I’ll get out more to mail from some more blue boxes around Forest Park. I’m also making up a rubber stamp that says FEED YOUR MAILBOX as a good reminder to frequent those blue boxes.
How did your Letter Month go? Did you achieve your personal goals?
Letter Month 2015 Week 4
Letter Month is OVER! Week four started out pretty weak, but I finished strong–replying to every letter I’ve received during the month (and some lingering in my inbox from January!) I relied on my lobby box, but also visited the mailbox by work, the River Forest snorkel box, a new-to-me box by Penny’s Noodles in Oak Park and one in Chicago’s Wicker Park on a ramen date with Donovan. She and I walked for blocks looking for a mailbox…it’s nice to hang out with someone who is willing to hunt for a blue box with me.
My totals for the week:
- 12 letters/cards
- 1 postcards
- 1 international postcard
- 0 packages
- 14 Total mailings
It feels good to finish strong and not burnt out…but more on that later this week!
Letter Month 2015 Week 2
We are at the halfway point in Letter Month! Last week’s mailings were all about Valentine’s Day. And, as much as I love sending out Valentines, I’m a little relieved that they are mostly sent out (I have a couple to send in this week’s mail) and I can go back to returning letters and sending postcards.
I didn’t do as well last week with visiting new mailboxes, only mailing out of the blue box in our neighborhood once, and the box by work once…the rest of the time, I relied on the box in our lobby. (What can I say, I hate the cold weather!) Today is a mail holiday (Presidents Day) so tomorrow, my goal is to send my Sunday, Monday & Tuesday mailings out of another box in our neighborhood. It will be good to get out of the house, right?
My totals for the week:
- 19 cards
- 0 postcards
- 1 international
- 0 packages
- 20 Total mailings
This week, my goal is to put away all of the pink and red stuff and respond to all of the letters I’ve received this month.
Cheers to more letters!
Vintage Stamp Valentines
I’ve been making some handmade Valentines for pen pals and friends since January. Yet, somehow, I am not done. I get distracted too easily, and Presley joins me and naps on my supplies, which slows things down too.
I decided to make some cards that looked a little bit like envelopes (similar to my calling cards for ex Postal Facto last year.) I started with some 4-bar cards and added pink and red vintage (or Japanese) stamps and a variety of washi tapes. I typed the message “You put the stamp on my envelope, Valentine!” on labels or directly on the cards. The labeled ones kind of look more like envelopes, but hopefully the silly message kind of makes sense.
They were a lot of fun to make and I was happy to be able to spend out some of my vintage stamp collection…although now I feel compelled to build up my red and pink stash again!
Happy Valentine’s Day! I hope your mailbox is full of love this weekend!
kimberly ah 