Create: Stationary by Envelope

Have you ever stopped and looked at the designs inside your security envelopes?  Aren't they awesome?  They are all different kinds and colors and types, all to make sure that your personal information is not seen by anyone who isn't supposed to see it.

I received an envelope the other day, as I was contemplating my lack of stationary, that had a wood grain design.  Now, I seriously thought about going to a store and buying stationary because it's thicker than the printer paper I have.  But I decided that I should take that pretty wood grain and make use of it.

So I made stationary.

For the top sheet, I used the flap portion of the envelope on top and the same angle for the bottom.  So it looks like the top 'arrow' is going to descend and fit into the bottom.  Like Tetris.

The second sheet has wood grain around all four sides.  I like how it looks like the writing will be in a frame. 

Once I had my design cut out, I used my handy dandy glue stick and stuck them in place.  Then a quick visit to the copy machine gave me a stack of stationary to use with my pen pal. 

Have a great weekend!

Write: To Whom It May Concern

Exercise:  Write a letter to a person you choose.  It could be a friend, a relative, or a complete stranger.  It could be to a fictional person or a character you are writing.  Or, come up with a list of questions you would like to know about your character and have them write you a letter with the answers.

It is up to you if you want to mail the letter when you are done.  The exercise is just about writing it.

Enjoy!

Dear Crystal,

Thank you so much for your letter.  It is always nice to know that someone finds history interesting enough to ask questions.  Through my long years, it seems only scholars and hero-worshipers have been interested to know what I have seen.

I was born in Nassau, in the beautiful islands of the Bahamas.  My mother was English, and my father was Spanish.  Between the English and the Spanish, they tore our island apart, but my mother managed to stay safe and sound, raising my older brother and I while my father was off to sea and war. 

I always say that my father was the reason I took to the sea when I was older, but he was only  half the reason.  As a young girl, my mother would let me tag after my brother, running to and fro on the soft sands, running errands for the sailors, and making mischief.  The sailors were great, but the pirates were fascinating. 

 Being able to throw off the shackles that told me I'd only be a wench serving beer?  Being able to say no to the highest goal of wedding the tavern owner?  There was no reason for me to serve, hiding my true sex, toiling under harsh orders with no gain when I could be myself earning enough to buy a tavern of my own as a pirate.

How did I, a child of sun and sea, turn into a vampire?  That is a question with a many shaded answer.  I could tell you that my Master was lonely, and it was slightly true, but he had a whole court of vampires with him.  I could tell you that I was sold to him by a jealous sailor who didn't think women should be in a position of power, and that was true but not all.  My reputation had reached my Masters ears, and he went searching for me.  Was there an offer?  Did I go willingly into the deepest night? 

Maybe those questions will be answered in the next letter...

Inspire: To Pen a Pal

I've had one pen-pal in my life.  And it was in school.  Each class got teamed up with another class in another elementary school in town.  We swapped letters then we went to meet our penpals and share lunch with them.  I never really thought much of it, and I don't remember anything that we wrote about. 

But every once in awhile, I really like sending mail. 

Email is one thing.  You can send a note quickly and know that they probably will read it in a few hours or days.  With mail, you have to get a stamp, hope they can decipher your writing, and wait for the mail to make it through. 

But yet, it's great to have something in the mail that isn't bills.

I recently joined Swap-bot and just signed up for a writers penpal swap.  It's, you'll never be able to guess, a swap about hooking up writers with penpals!  I've gotten a message from one of my penpals asking a question before she sends out the actual letter and I'm excited!  I think this is going to not only help my writing by sharing it, but it will be a place of support and friendship.

I'm also going back and forth on joining the Letter Writers Alliance.  I think I should make sure the pen-pal thing works for me before I spend money on a membership.  But the lure of stationary is hard to avoid.  Some people get stuck in the shoe aisle, I get stuck in stationary. 

So this week I am inspired by pen-pals.  The joy of getting something in the mail, learning about something new, having a long talk with a new friend.   Do you have pen-pals?  Have you ever wanted any?  Do you do anything with mail art?