How To Dress Up Your Notecards

---

The Answer is in How You Write the Envelope

These past few weeks I have been playing with envelope designs…and I wanted to see if they made a difference to the receiver of the notecard.

When we get a handwritten note in our mailbox we get excited …but what about when you see a fancy designed envelope with your name and address?

I love this Facebook post from my sweet friend Karrie in Ohio. I sent her a beautiful vintage notecard with a note to let her know I was thinking about her and I also created a beautiful printed envelope to send it in…I love how she noticed the envelope immediately.

It’s that extra added beauty that makes people feel loved. And don’t worry…you don’t have to run yours through a printer to make it beautiful…you can create a gorgeous envelope through art, beautiful lettering, and stickers.

My handwriting is not the greatest. I suffer from arthritis in my hands and so writing can sometimes be painful for me. But I have a system that helps me…I use a piece of hard backer board to help me keep my writing straight and more consistent. It improves my handwriting, keeps my lines straight and uniformed and for whatever reason…my hand hurts less.

Here are some fun ways to make your envelopes beautiful:

1. Rubber Stamps - I have some beautiful rubber stamps that are bordered and one that says ‘Kindly Deliver To”’ that I love to use. They can be used around the mailing address to give your envelope an extra pop.
   

2. Try mixing up the sizes of your handwriting for the mailing address. For instance make the name a bit bigger than the mailing address (line 2 & 3) and then drop the zip code down on a line by itself and make it the same size as the name.
   

3. Instead of writing your return address on the front of your envelope…buy some beautiful return address labels to add the back of the envelope flap. We also will print your address on the back flap of your envelopes that come with your notecards - we can make them look beautiful for you.
   

4. Another fun add is to use washi tape on the back flap of your envelope. Make sure you really seal it on the envelope or it will get ripped off during the mailing process. I have also added clear scotch tape across it to hold it in place. It really depends on the stickiness of the tape.
   

5. You can also add stickers to your envelope - again making sure they adhere to the envelope really well or you will lose them.
   

6. And my favorite…if you are an artist or just creative you can create beautiful designs on your envelope.
   (Just make sure your address stays clear and readable.)

There are so many ways to dress up your envelopes - tell me what is your favorite way to make your envelopes stand out?

AN INTERVIEW WITH A PAPER LOVER . . . FEATURING BRANDY THORNTON

Paper notes and notecards carry so much intent and meaning, and we wanted to hear some paper lovers put that meaning in their own words. We hope you enjoy this first installment of our Interview series! If you’re a paper lover, and you’d like to send in your own responses to these questions and be featured in our next blog, please email shop@beamazingpaperco.com with your responses! We can’t wait to hear what a handwritten note means to you.

Question 1: What makes a paper note or card special to you?

The message written by a friend or loved one makes the note or card special to me.  While the words written are what I love the most, also just knowing that someone thought of me and took the time to write out a handwritten note and put it in the mail to me in this time of text/email means so much!  I love friends and loved ones that, like me, favor snail mail over digital correspondence!

Question 2: How do you typically craft the messages you include in your cards?

OFten times, I'm writing someone to say hello, to check in and see how they are doing, or I'm writing them for a specific occasion such as a birthday.  I also like to send cards to friends and loved ones on the anniversary of a loved one's passing or a day that I know is hard for them for whatever reason just to let them know they are thought of and prayed for as they face that hard day.  I also love to send cards out to remind friends and loved ones that I am thankful for them and their friendship.  Those 'just because' cards are so fun to send too because you know that the person receiving it will be so surprised to receive a card and that's just so fun!

Question 3: What feelings or emotions do you experience when you receive a card in the mail?

Opening up the mailbox to find a card from someone instantly puts a smile on my face! Receiving a card in the mail makes me feel loved and special.  Receiving a card in the mail reminds me that someone thought of me and that's a wonderful feeling! 

Question 4: Have you ever kept a card for a long time after receiving it? If so, what made you hold onto it?

A fun fact about me is that I've kept all the cards I've ever been given!  I have boxes of cards and letters I've received throughout my lifetime! I have the birthday cards from my first birthday and every card, note, and letter I've received since!  I keep these cards in boxes I call my "Joy Boxes" because it brings me such joy to look back through those cards.  It makes my heart smile to know that I am loved by so many people. Now that I've lost all of my grandparents and my Mama, the cards and letters they gave me over the years are some of my most cherished possessions.  

A couple of years ago, I decided that I wanted to keep the cards I receive in a year on display throughout the entire year.  There's a fun, colorful, garland of pom poms hanging above the doorway in my living room and since New Years Day of this year, I have clipped each card I have received in the mail to that garland.  At the end of this year, I'll take down the fun cards I received throughout the year and add them to my "Joy Box" to make room for the Christmas cards when they begin to arrive!  I love walking into my house and seeing these cards hanging above the doorway and every time I glance up at those cards, I smile!  

Thank you so much to Brandy for sharing your thoughts and feelings about paper mail and writing messages from the heart. Let us know in the comments what resonated with you most.

Show Someone You Care...Send Them a Card!

Sending cards is a passion we all share here at Be Amazing Paper Co but sometimes we feel like there aren't enough holidays to show the people in our lives how much they mean to us. Luckily, with National Send a Card to a Friend Day, there is one more day of the year to show your appreciation for their influence in your life. We love filling our friend's mailboxes with something unexpected and kind to brighten their day. 

Shaking up how you acknowledge the people in your life will make them feel special and loved, and we've designed and printed the perfect card for you to send! 

You may be asking, "What makes a card better than a text or a social media post," so we prepared a few points to consider. 

• It's an act of love. Thinking up your message, writing it in your own hand, and putting it in the mail lets your friend know you're taking the time to make them feel seen and appreciated.

• It's a memento. Cards can be saved and looked back upon. Social media posts get lost in your feed, but a card can be put on display for a time on the fridge, the counter, and then put away to be looked back on when walking down memory lane. 

• It's more intentional. Writing out your message lets you pull from the heart and writing thoughts tends to go deeper than anything you would put in a text message or an email. It allows you to relay thoughts and feelings that you otherwise would never "voice" through other mediums of communication. 

You can purchase single cards or a pack of 10-cards! Stop by the shop and pick yours up or order them online!

Adam Trest & Elizabeth Fanslow Partner to Bring You New Stationery!

Elizabeth Fanslow, Be Amazing Paper Co & Adam Trest, Adam Trest Studio at Mississippi Made.

I am thrilled to share Adam’s art with our customers - you can click over to Adam’s page on our website below and review the 8-notecards that are available now.

Adam Trest & Elizabeth Fanslow announced their partnership on Saturday, March 12, 2022 at the Mississippi Made Event at The Yard at Laurel Mercantile.