Incoming: Flow Magazine wrapping paper

As a total surprise I found these inside my letterbox! Flow Magazine wrapping paper and labels! Aren't they wonderfully colourful! They are printed both ways which make them great for making envelopes out of them! Or to wrap presents but with a bit of paper folded over, tie a piece of bakers twine around them and stick a label on it. How lovely would that look, like you don't want to unwrap the present!

Inspiration: table mats

From cheap, but from lovely table mats, I've made several small purses which are great to use in mail. I've made one that was big enough to fit a packet of sticky notes. I've made a pencil case out of it and I've made one for a stationary kit. They are quite straight forward to make by the way. On one I used vintage buttons, on the other a rope to tie it together. They all fitted into envelopes and through mailboxes. And that's my only criteria by the way, as long as it fits through the mailbox, I'll send it away!

Inspiration: vintage matchbox labels

Just somewhere there was this man who collected matchbox labels. I think it was a man anyway. But somehow these albums full of them, I think maybe 2500 or so, ended up on internet and I loved them so much! All these vintage prints! There was no particular order in them, just randomly put into an album. Ranging from the sixties till the seventies I think. The time when smoking was still cool and lighters were to expensive. So everyone used matches.
I have these a while now, but didn't want to share them yet, I felt like they were my little treasure. And then I saw them on another blog, and I remembered them. And I spent a whole night in, just sorting out one album. That was a Zen thing to do. There was some order! Pictures of sixties fashion, birds, typo, famous people, etc. I love these!

Inspiration: vintage business cards

I found these cards on the internet some time ago. I was in love, I needed them, no I wanted them! So after careful negotiation, they were mine for the amazing amount of €2,50. A bargain!
But I love these, the letterpress vintage printing on these small businesscards. The typo I love! Nothing like Arial or Times New Roman. They are simple, yet elegant. It made me want to have my own business cards!
These probably came out of someone's collection from when a dear one passed away, since most of them have written on them "with sincere condolences". I think they are from the forties or fifties, I can't really decipher the postagemark.
But what a great era, when you just send your own business cards to someone.

Inspiration: Bookfair

Last week I've been to a bookfair with the kids. I wanted to go last year, but I was to busy or I forgot about it, I don't remember really. But since we were having a week off, me from work and the kids from school, we decided to make a trip to the bookfair.
And we had a good haul! It was a bit of a search through all the tables, since it was quite massive and full of books. Of course I wasn't looking for a new novel or something, I was looking for craftstuff!
I did find some books though, like this one for the amazing costs of  €1,50. A book about the life and work of Charles Dickens with tons of cool reprinted ephemara hidden away in it. I'm not really a fan of Charles Dickens to be honest, but the book is just full of old pictures I really like. I found another book about New York as well with again lovely vintage prints inside!
The kids were happy as well, they were having good finds as well, drawing books, reading books, Angry Birds books, a book about Anne Frank, etc. I think they spent way more than I did! (of my money ofcourse).
In the craft section, which was not as big as the book section ofcourse, I found some cool stuff. Really lovely tissuepaper for wrapping, washi tape, some stamps and a small stationary set which was quite sweet I thought. Lovely small envelopes with small writing paper and small stamps. I also found some more stuff which is not in the picture, like black writing paper, origami paper and some postcards.
And the thing I love most about these things, is hunting for good stuff! I'm a stationary hunter by heart.

Outgoing: turquoise

In the Project Life kit was a lot of this light turquoise colour. This is such a beautiful colour! I wanted to make a mail for Christel in this theme. I just happened to have ink in this same colour!
With washi tape and Project Life cards I've made this small booklet with totally useless information about myself (like: I've never been to a pedicure).
I've included some paper hearts cut from a painting strip, made my own stationary, a mailtag, sticky notes and some small gifts. One is an egyptian scarab which I bought last summer at the Rijksmuseum van Oudheden. I was meaning to give it as a little present for the kids, but they were just so obnoxious that day, that I would be a silly mom to reward that behaviour. So I kept it for myself. And when I was looking trough my stuff I found it again. It had to go in this mail, the colour is just so matching. And it's for luck as well though.
I stamped away on the envelope with this cute snail stamp I received from Mimstasjes and my homemade Dennison label stamp (in blue this time) and wrapped everything in tissuepaper tied by a ribbon. It looked really nice though, I wanted to unwrap the whole thing myself. Hope Christel liked it!

Outgoing: Russia

Julia had send my this lovely mail via Postcrossing. She didn't have to, but she did. I've asked if I could send something back to her. But what could I send her that would match up to her brilliant paper cutting? I've seen beautiful stuff on her blog that it took me a while to think of something. But then I just sort of got on with it. Origami stars, a drawing in white ink (my first ever attempt to draw with white ink, it's kinda hard! Because you are drawing white, what actually should be dark. So it's a negative) and a matching postcard. She likes peonies, and it's a fragment from an old painting with peonies on them. The painting is from a castle across the river here by the way.

Outgoing: stationary kit

I've made a stationary kit. Or at least I think I did. I've sewn a small purse to fit in homemade envelopes, small paper bags and note-cards on which I stamped away. There is just something relaxing about stamping. I know, it's stupid, but I don't care. It's my little Zen moment.
For all you Valentine lovers: there is a little piece of ribbon with hearts on the side of the purse. So, that's that covered.
I've used my vintage coupon to make a nice backdrop for wooden beads. I'm still really happy with my vintage coupons! I've included some Project Life cards and stamped some labels on Kraft paper. I even made a crane bird out of Kraft paper. Some ribbon and a Mailtag! That's a brilliant invention which I came across on Instagram. On a mailtag you write some questions on which your penpal can answer in the next letter, and you can ask whatever you like really. I've asked things like: something special the kids gave you, your favourite socks and why, what made you laugh this week, etc.

Inspiration: Project life

And suddenly there was Project Life. In short it's an easy way to sort your favourite photos in an album with pocket pages in which you slide your favourite photo or a Project Life card. You can make an album for every week of the year, or from your favourite holiday or whatever you want really. You can use all kinds of craft stuff to put inside the pocket pages as well, or cut your own paper, receipt or whatever.
Because the cards are standard size (big and small) you can do whatever you want with them, cut them, write on them or stick something to it. They have colourful prints, beautiful sayings or just a picture. I saw them at a craft fair last year and I was sold! Not because I'm into Project Life or something, I have my own journal, but because they can be used for mail and journalling! Perfect size and weight! And just because I love paper, I decided to treat myself to a Project Life Kit. So every 6 weeks I receive a pizza box full with paper goodies, embellishments, stamps, ink and what you not. I'm a happy person! This was my first kit. A pink and light turquoise theme. Washi tape, ink, embellishments, ribbon, paper, a selection of Project Life cards. Can't wait for the next one!

Inspiration and Outgoing: Dennison labels

I have thing for vintage labels, and especially Dennison labels. These kind of labels don't exist anymore nowadays. It turned into a big company: Avery and Dennison. What makes these vintage ones really brilliant though, is that they are gummed labels. Nothing like a shiny sticker. It's paper, writing on them is so much easier. Although I think it is, because I never actually owned a Dennison label. I want too though. So I searched the world wide web. Found them in the US but shipping would cost me a fortune. So I decided I make my own Dennison labels. Well, at least I was trying to make my own. Turns out that stamp carving is not really my forte though, and since that night I realised why. I'm in need for reading glasses. And that really really made me feel really really old. And that's not a nice feeling, that's for sure. I felt like an old grey grandma in a rocking chair and knitting away with a little kitten on my lap and my glasses on the top of my nose. And all this because I tried to carve a Dennison label stamp.
I've put my stamp to good use, on an envelope and a little notebook for my friend. Alongside with my favourite new stamp, the one with the pointy hand.

Inpsiration: vintage ephemera

When I was looking for labels on the internet when my eye glanced over these vintage coupons. But I scrolled further down looking for the labels I wanted. They were now where to be found unfortunately. After my brains processed this image I had to scroll back up to check these coupons out. Suddenly I needed to have them. So I made a reasonable bid, since who wants vintage coupons anyway I thought (well, me! me! me!) and now they are all mine! Unfortunately the guy who sold them didn't send the tin with it. But I have my own tin thank you very much!

Inoming: Message in a Matchbox

This mail arrived from Carin some time ago. I just was so in love with these vintage style airmail stickers. I want them too!
She had stuck little flowers on the envelope with washi tape, and she was curious how many would arrive, they all did! Although some should have been given a little water by the mail man. The ones on the back still looked really perky!
She had written me a nice letter, a postcard and a really cool MIMB (Message In MatchBox) with a recipe for a cherry brownies, a yummy recipe that made my mouth water! Love the vintage prints she has put inside the little booklet.

Outgoing: #SecretPenpalScavengerHunt2014

I joined the secret penpal scavenger hunt hosted by Fab from wreckthisgirlsblog. Randomly I was matched to someone and the scavenging could begin! And today is reveal day! Finally I can show what I've sent.
You were to find/craft 5 items out of 10 possibilities and include a small present. I was matched to Fangni from cutekawaii96. There was little information to go by:  
“I am a high schooler in my last year before University who also studies music at a Conservatory and loves drawing and crafts. I am a huge fan of a K-pop group called Exo, I like languages (I can speak Spanish,Catalan,English,Chinese(and the Shanghainese)”
Oh, hmmm, well. That's a challenge! But after reading it over and over again, checking her blog and other accounts I sort of got an idea what to do and ended up with these wrapped parcels!

1. A letter writing kit
I've made stationary from music books since she studies music: envelopes, little bags and notecards. And I've made a stamp of some music notes which I glued onto an old stampholder. I stamped away on the little brown bag!

3. Something of fabric
I've made a pencilholder, since Fangni likes to draw I thought this would become handy some day!

3. A happy day kit
I googled what Kawaii actually means, since Fangni's blog is called cutekawaii96. "Kawaii is the quality of cuteness in the context of Japanese culture." I hope this tin sort of turned out like Kawaii. I've put some hearts inside, a lollipop, a bag of confetti and a bracelet with a little heart and a music note.

2. A mailart kit
I've stuffed a plastic bag full of mailart stuff to the max! Stickers, ribbon, tags, labels, postagestamps, doilies,  etc.

5. Something quirky
A fake moustache is kinda quirky! And quirky moustache tape.

6. A present
A Facebook like and dislike stamp.

7. A letter
I've made some stationary on which I wrote a letter and found a Manga postcard from the wereldmuseum we visited this summer where was an exhibition about Manga. I found out that Fangni loves drawing Manga style.

Fangni received her parcel and was really happy with it!!!! Yay! I'm so glad she liked it! Hopefully I will receive my secret parcel some time soon, can't wait!