Vintage finds and retro handmade--a sweet mix I know you'll love.

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Monday, February 10, 2014

I'm Writing Just to Say Hello...

Although social letter writing has declined in recent years, it is still a special thing to dig through a pile of envelopes addressed to "current resident" and find one personally written to you!  It is still a fairly inexpensive bit of fun in a world where cheap, clean fun is a rare commodity, and there is a certain rawness and genuineness to the handwritten note that you can't find in emails and texts.

If you are thinking of taking up letter writing in 2014, I have vintage stationery you can use, covering every topic from birthdays and special congratulations to thinking of you cards and get well soon notes.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/178761914/cute-kitschy-vintage-card-set-pastel?ref=shop_home_active_2
Here are some cute cards, mostly birthday themed, for the girlie girls you might know. These are from the 60s or 70s.


https://www.etsy.com/listing/177904125/7-assorted-stationery-cards-holly-hobbie?ref=shop_home_active_11
This set has a lot more variety of messages, including "thinking of you" type cards. They aren't officially marked as such, but they definitely are inspired by the Holly Hobbie art style of the 70s and 80s. Find them here.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/178310268/stationery-cards-north-american-birds?ref=shop_home_active_4
For the more grownup recipients, here are some backyard bird cards you might enjoy.

http://candyapplecrafts.ecrater.com/p/17897890/block-print-loon-bird-stationery
 The bird portrayed on this set of block print cards is a North American Loon, and these cards are blank inside, so you can figure out what you want to say with them. These are hand-printed cards by famous artist Gwen Frostic. They are still wrapped up in their original packaging, with matching envelopes.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/150013064/floral-mother-birthday-card-set-of-5-red?ref=shop_home_active_14
Write home to wish Mama a happy birthday with this set of 5 floral birthday cards from the 50s, 60s, and early 70s. They would also make a pretty cool shadow box display.

https://www.etsy.com/listing/153953280/two-vintage-dip-calligraphy-pens-carved?ref=shop_home_active_11

Finally, if you're really interested in letter writing the old-fashioned way, I have a cool set of 50s/60s era bamboo dip pens you can use. Just buy an inexpensive pot of ink at your local craft store and dip away. It's fun!



I have quite a few sets of vintage stationery not represented here, but you can find them by following the links throughout this post!

Bonus:  

Here is an interesting link from the Smithsonian National Postal Museum about the history of letter writing in the United States.

4 comments:

  1. I remember Holly! And I love handwritten mail.

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  2. Great post Rachel. My family & friends complain that my text messages are too long because I write way too many letters! You've seen my forum posts - they're essays!

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    1. Hehe, yeah, I often hit my cell phone 150 character limit on text messages! I had someone in a forum recently compliment me on my ability to hit so many keywords in my listings, which meant to me that I write a book every time. ;) But, hey, I think being able to put your thoughts into words is a useful skill that most people can appreciate.
      Thanks for stopping by! :)

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  3. I too love note cards. I always prefer sending them to a text or email, partly because of the genuineness that you mentioned, partly because envelopes are excellent canvases for stickers :) Your selection is lovely; I especially like the colorful roses in the first photograph. They remind me of a birthday cake.

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