Pen-palling the old fashioned way

Does any one else miss the good old fashioned days when pen-palling was done on paper instead of by email? Ok... I know I'm being hypocritical. After all, I am communicating through this blog, online, at this exact moment.  It's great to have this convenience and I can't imagine how I would be keeping in touch with my college friends if I didn't have the internet. I would have to pick up a phone or something and that just wouldn't fly. 

BUT there is something to be said for the traditional route. Yes, I am talking about *GASP* good old snail mail. Even that term makes it sound sad and outdated. Who, asides from me of course, actually likes snails? Not many.

I love the feeling of getting letters in the mail: the surprise of opening my mailbox to see something personalized, the beauty and the feel of the paper card, handwritten of course, and the thoughts painstakingly written down instead of typed at rapid speeds.

Plus, I absolutely love card-making. As I have mentioned before, powder embossing is one of my favorite things. The simplicity of the craft is excellent and the result looks professional. The best part is that even the mistakes seem intentional, smudges appear whimsical instead of sloppy. At least that's what I tell myself.

I followed Martha's instructions for Heat-Embossed Personalized Stationary.

A few weeks ago, I went a little crazy because Joann's (I swear, I don't get any money for promoting them! I just love this place!) was having an intense sale on stamps. I bought approximately five hundred (only a slight exaggeration) clear acrylic stamps and the corresponding acrylic mounting mold. This is MUCH cheaper than buying rubber stamps one by one: each individual stamp was one or two dollars and the acrylic mounts go for less than three. Plus, the ones I bought were self-sticking so all I had to do was peal the stamps off and re-stick them to the mount. Once I was done, I simply removed the stamp and I can use both the stamp and the mount for another day.

I covered the stamp with embossing ink and stamped it onto some card stock that I cut and folded into a card shape. I bought tinted embossing ink so I could easily see the outline of the stamp. I poured plenty of embossing powder on the stamped area and poured the extras back into the bottle. After a few seconds of heating with the embossing gun, the resulting card was good to go.

Now I just need people to send these to...

Instructions (courtesy of Martha "it's cooler to send snail mail" Stewart):

Tools and Materials
 Clear acrylic stamp mount
Letter stamp set
Card Stock
Embossing pad
Embossing powder
Heat gun
Decorative stamps (optional; we used Martha Stewart Crafts Butterfly and Bird stamp sets)

Heat-Embossed Personalized Stationery How-To
 1. Arrange clear letters on stamp mount.
2. Press lettered stamp onto embossing pad. Stamp onto card using firm, even pressure.
3. Sprinkle embossing powder over stamped design. Tap card to remove excess powder. Brush gently with a makeup brush to remove any more excess powder around the design.
4. Hold a heat gun two inches from the design and move the nozzle in a circular motion, melting the powder-coated areas. Gently wave the card to cool and set the design.
5. Repeat with other decorative stamps, if desired.
6. If the paper curls after you have finished the design, heat the back of the card, and fan it again. Place the card under a heavy book for 5-10 minutes (this will not smudge the design).
Resources
This lovely craft is featured in "Martha Stewart's Encyclopedia of Crafts." Clear acrylic stamp mounts and clear acrylic stamp sets in Serif Font, Butterfly, and Bird, from Martha Stewart Crafts, are available at Michael's and Walmart. Embossing pad, powders, and heat gun provided by Ranger Ink. Be sure to read our new crafts blog for a behind-the-scenes look at our crafting department.

Read more at Marthastewart.com: Heat-Embossed Personalized Stationery - Martha Stewart Crafts