Last year, around this time, I decided to take on a challenge from Fawnsberg – 60 days of letter writing. New(ish) to Instagram at the time, I began to document my letter writing there. Through documenting my progress, I met other people who were taking part in Fawnsberg’s challenge; two in particular were as avid about letter writing as I was. As 60 days drew to an end, one of the women suggested that we continue the challenge for 365 days. I couldn’t resist the idea. In the first 60 days, I’d met lovely people, and found penpals! The last time I had written a penpal was sometime in the 1980s, so I was very pleasantly surprised to find that there are still loads of people trading letters. It turns out snail mail is alive and well! I love that it takes the connectivity of the internet to bring people together to send missives the old-fashioned way.
I have loved everything about the 365 days of letter writing challenge. Besides feeding my already mildly out of control stationery and washi tape obsession, this challenge has allowed me time to reflect each day while sending a little love out into the world. I’ve reconnected with old friends who share a passion for snail mail and I’ve met such lovely, generous people who send mail that brightens my day. I’ve also discovered card lines that I wasn’t previously aware of, some local to me, and some international. Over the course of the 365 days, I have received happy mail on days when I truly needed a smile. I’ve continuously seen the kindness of people. I’ve been fortunate enough to meet Julie, and to contribute to this blog. Here are some of my favorite cards from #365daysofletterwriting. First up (above image) is this smile-inducing, super sweet card from Hooray Today. This has to be one of my favorite lines of cards. This card went out to Kristine, one of the lovelies who I met at the beginning of my letter-writing journey, a fellow paper lover, who I so enjoy corresponding with.
I am such a sucker for letterpress cards. I love the feel of these cards and the idea of the cards being printed this way. Archivist Press is a stationery line from the UK. These cards are truly a thing of beauty.
I’m such a fan of florals. I also have the habit of card shopping while travelling. One of my fave shops is Wild Card in Pittsburgh. This one came from there, and went out to a penpal I met via a Valentine’s Day card swap. She is one of the most creative and thoughtful people I’ve met. This Little Otsu card features a painting by Becca Stadtlander.
Repping for my hometown. I found a number of great Toronto cards featuring the city’s landscape. This is one of the holiday cards I sent out from Flakes Paperie.This card went out to another old friend I reconnected with through this project. She’s living in Brooklyn now, but a piece of her heart will always be in Toronto.
This Warren Tales card is so sweet. Lindsey, the creator of Warren Tales is the wise person who suggested that we take on #365daysofletterwriting. She is a poet with an appreciation for puns and good design. I feel a kinship with Lindsey though I’ve never met her. We believe in something simple: send more mail. This card went out to a dear friend, who is always supportive.
This project has brought me such joy. I’m not sure what I’ll do in 2015 – if I’ll send a letter a day. I know I’ll still be snail mailing though. I can’t help it. It’s pure joy.
Continue to follow Andrea and her beautiful finds on:
There’s no doubt I love all the cards I post on 8Balloons, but every so often one shop stands out from the rest and I found that with the awesomely witty illustrated cards by Diamond Donatello, based in Toronto. Her cards resonate with everyone because of the pop culture and hip-hop references. If you follow me on Instagram, it’s no secret I have an affinity towards all things paper and hip-hop…especially Wu-Tang Clan. Don’t believe me? Just review all the Wu-themed birthday cakes I’ve had over the years.
