Decorated Envelopes: Alfred Hitchcock

I haven't abandoned the blog, just been crazy-busy. Doing a quick lunchtime post today to share pics and resources of another fun envelope theme: Alfred Hitchcock. I started out combining two movies (Psycho and The Birds), but have since gathered enough great rubber stamps to focus on each movie separately. While The Birds is my favorite of the two movies, I prefer Psycho for envelope themes.

Note: envelopes are available (with postage) as custom orders through my Etsy shop.

On to the sources! Goodness, this was such a fun search. I've been looking for rubber stamps to do this theme for months!

• Hitchcock vintage postage: eBay. (1998, 32¢, Scott #3226). See my buying vintage postage tips, here (end of post). You've probably noticed by now that my themes start with the postage. It's not essential, but a wonderful addition. 
• Rubber stamps:
• Mr. Hitchcock, standing, "Woman Screaming" (obviously Janet Leigh), and Hitchcock profile (not shown): Carmen Veranda. The website is fairly awful, but their service is good and these stamps are excellent quality! Luckily, they're all on the same page. 
• House, Four Birds & Bird on Branch: Cherry Pie Art Stamps (don't forget to color in that one window with a yellow pencil!)
• Curtain, left (also available in opposite direction) & Flock of Birds: 100 Proof Press
• Butcher knife: Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers (Out of Business (OOB) but I just spotted a similar one over at Leavonworth Jackson (direction flipped))
• Light switch: neato stuff (OOB)
• Small blood splatter: Hampton Arts - found a link for you at 123Stitch.com
• Large blood splatter & blood spray: Inkadinkado Bloody Scene (love this set!)
• Ink: London Fog, Gray Flannel, Tuxedo Black & Rhubarb Stalk, all from Tsuineko Memento
• Envelopes: PaperSource.com

Just a brief word on tips and/or my process, since I've covered the topic multiple times in my decorated envelope series:

• I'm a big fan of monochrome with a dash of color (often red), so I couldn't do these envelopes without a combination of gray and black inks. I prefer dye inks for easy clean-up.
• The largest envelope you can mail without incurring extra postage costs (barring weight and thickness), is an A9. It easily holds 8½"x11" letter paper folded in half and gives you plenty of space for stamping. A7s are also great - they are the size that I sell (so I can mail them in an A9). Envelopes shown here are not to scale. 
• Plan your layout a little. If you want to (or it looks like you might have to) overlap a stamp (see the curtain on the bottom right envelope, above), you should stamp the image that will be on top first, then mask it, so when you stamp the other image, it doesn't overlap (see top image - the knife was stamped first, then masked). Here's a link to a basic masking tutorial, but if you search for "rubber stamp masking technique" in any search engine, you should find what you need. No need to bother with masking for the blood splatter. That way lies madness. 

Next up: evil clowns or The Mummy? (I'm also working on The Wolf Man and Dracula themes, as well as The Thing from Another World.)

My Etsy Shop has been reopened

I finally took the plunge and reopened my poor Etsy shop, after I got some stock together.

The shop is at stitchymel.etsy.com & you can get updates on Instagram account @epicmel.shop (there is already a coupon code* over there and I'll be putting together some kind of follower contest soon). To get started, I'm focusing on my love of snail mail, but may expand into other areas in the future.

I'm most excited about the note card packages. Since decorating the envelopes is my love, that's where I decided to focus, and naturally had to include coordinating vintage postage! Each envelope also comes with a flat note card with the option to have it blank or with a design stamped on it.

I only do these envelopes in limited runs. At this time, there are three each of four designs available. I'm working on some other ideas and don't know when I'll repeat the themes.

*I'm new to the coupon thing, so I messed up and put in a minimum ($9) when I meant it to be for any amount, but I'll refund the difference for smaller orders.

Decorated Envelopes - Legend of Sleepy Hollow

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow had a place in my heart long before I read the original short story by Washington Irving. I was probably introduced to the story via an installment in the Trixie Belden mystery series (#26, The Mystery of the Headless Horseman (1979)), but it has been referred to so much, and adapted so often, that I really can't pinpoint my first exposure.

I do know that I didn't actually read the real thing until three or four years ago. I think I must have whizzed through it, because I would have told you that, while it was a well-told tale, it was not actually that spooky; however, a second read-through is proving me wrong. This time, I slowed down to let Mr. Irving set the scene, and found that if you remember that all of these things are happening in a creepy place that everyone believes is haunted, it's way better (and more fun).

My goddaughter and I share an old connection related to the book, which is the main reason I started compiling materials to create Sleepy Hollow mail. Writing this post has encouraged me to a) watch the film Sleepy Hollow, which I love, and b) re-read the story. While I do that, here are some recent images of Sleepy Hollow mail, with comments. I'll list all sources at the end.

Stamping on poly envelopes is tough, but not impossible. You need a "sticky," permanent ink (I used StazOn) and some patience, because you need to take it slowly and lift your stamp straight up, then wait for the ink to dry.

These are the three main stamps I have for the Sleepy Hollow theme. I'm on the lookout for more, but some of the usual Halloween favorites can be put into play (bats, jack-o-lanterns), plus anything that would be woodsy - trees, birds, etc.

Whenever possible, I like to send "haunted mail," and this sticker is a great addition (see sources).

My first Sleepy Hollow envelope, shown with a hoarded sticker. (One of my pen pals sent me two - I have used one. Since they don't seem to be available, I'm going to work on creating my own.)

I love the lighter gray envelopes for the themed mail because it's already gloomy (white is so stark). On this, I used a fine mist of red spray ink, and medium gray and black stamp pads.

To use the spray ink, get a deep cardboard box and hold the spray bottle as far away from the envelope as you can. Be prepared to try a few times (one pump should do it). This stuff can be pretty nasty if sprayed anywhere else - it was damn hard to get off my fingers - so take care!

While I was working on this post, I starting thinking about how I could make the envelopes even more epic, without spending any extra money. The photo here is the result (so far). I'm still working out the kinks, so follow me on Instagram to see further developments!

I scanned a couple of pages out of an old copy of the book (shown open, above), glued a laser print to an envelope, then hit the edges and random spots with a spray stain (behaves much better than the spray ink, above, but I'd still follow the same steps). I recently found a small Xyron sticker maker in my craft room, so I printed a few images (labeled for reuse) onto photo paper, cut them out using postage-edge scissors, and ran them through the sticker maker. Viola! Faux postage. Inks used were black and dark gray.

Honorable mention, to show off the other Sleepy Hollow Special Delivery sticker. I didn't take a clear picture of it (alone) before mailing. All I used here was the road sign and the sticker, plus the vintage stamps.

And, of course, what started it all. As I mentioned in the Poe envelope post, many of my themes are inspired by the vintage postage stamps I have collected. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow stamp is a favorite (read more about it here) and its natural companion is Mr. Irving's stamp.

Sources

• Free download of the short story from Project Gutenberg. I am a fan of reading original works (someday, I'll get through Frankenstein). This is a slice of Americana that has inspired much of what we know of Halloween, so it's good to know the origins! (Not surprising that Irving impacted my favorite holiday (Halloween), since he also kind of invented Christmas as we know it (repeat link).)
• Interested in getting your own Sleepy Hollow envelopes to send? Contact me via the email link in my profile. I'm working on some ideas and it would help to know if anyone was interested.
• Rubber Stamps
• Horseman: Butter Side Down stamps (unmounted, cling-mounted or wood). They also have an Etsy store, where they sell just the wood-mounted stamps.  
• Try Not to Lose Your Head & Road Sign: Impression Obsession - both are cling only. Linking each to the shop where I bought them. 
• Bats: from a set by Momenta (gift from a friend)
• Bird stamp: hand-carved gift from a pen pal.
• Headstone: unknown, although I think it's from Rubber Baby Buggy Bumpers, which is out of business. Cemetery stamps are available from other sellers.
• Inks: StazOn black, Ranger Archival in Jet Black & Watering Can (dark gray), Tsukineko's Memento in London Fog (medium gray). Spray ink is from Ranger's Dylusions line in Postbox Red. Spray stain is from Ranger's Distress line in Hickory Smoke. 
• Misc:
• May be Haunted sticker: Evil Supply Co. They also made the Sleepy Hollow Special Delivery stickers, but do not offer them in their shop at this time. 
• Tape: This is Spinal Tape by Copernicus Toys (Amazon link). I already own this, so I use it, but it is pretty much crap. It doesn't stick to paper well & I have to add a layer of clear tape over it. 
• Paper envelopes are from PaperSource (#10 & A9), document box was a re-use, poly envelope was from a bulk purchase.

Decorated Envelopes - Poe and the Raven (Nevermore)

Since remounting and reorganizing all of my rubber stamps, I've felt compelled to use them more. Naturally, being me, I've also felt compelled to add to my collection, with one main goal in mind: to decorate my outgoing mail! Since I love themed mail, that's where I've been focusing my attention.

I decided to go kind of meta on some envelopes and include some vintage postage stamps from my collection in the theme. What ended up happening is that I started planning envelopes based on what postage stamps I could incorporate, and scouted out rubber stamps, etc. to fit the theme (it's just how my brain works). First up are some Edgar Allan Poe-themed mailings. I hope you enjoy! (See end of post for sources.)

[Disclaimer: none of this is necessary. The letter in the envelope is what counts, not what's on the envelope or, for that matter, the goodies inside. It's just another way to have fun with mail. I don't elaborately decorate every envelope, just some of them.]

To be honest, the first Poe/Raven envelopes didn't start out to be quite such a production! I found and ordered a Poe rubber stamp to go along with my postage stamps. I stamped it on white tissue paper, using a dark, solvent ink pad, mainly so I wouldn't waste envelopes if I messed up. That's when I discovered something that's probably common knowledge to other stampers: this ink was so dark that I could flip the paper over and use the mirror image. (Note: if you use this method, the ink will go all the way through the paper. I was luckily able to clean up my desk with alcohol swabs, but if I'd stamped on a different surface, I might have damaged it permanently. Next time, I'll have some scrap paper underneath!)

Poe facing left is a mirror image (back side of tissue paper).

I used modge podge to affix two of the images to envelopes, then decided that it needed more. I used some spray stains I have (that I still really haven't figured out how to use) to give the background some more detail. Should have done that first (which I did for the next two)! I then pulled out the small raven and "Nevermore" stamps that I had already planned to use, and also grabbed a new raven and candlestick and tried several variations. I tend to do "limited edition" runs, and quit at four.

But then... I realized that I had STUFF. I had some old recordings and put together a mini mixed CD. Ribbon became bookmarks, I split up a small sheet of raven stickers (only six to a pack) and, finally, remembered the Edgar Allan Poe bandages I had in my goody drawer. This is totally overkill, but it was so much fun to put together! Future envelopes will not be this extensive! (It was kind of exhausting. And, like I said, overkill.)

I will definitely not do the mini-CD again, since it appears that not many people have a drive that will accept them. It was fun, though, because it fit in the #10 envelope.

One last touch: I realized that if all of the little items ended up bunched together in the envelope, this could put the thickness into "package" territory once a letter was added. It's my goal to avoid this extra cost*, so I cut some thin cardboard (I save all of the sheets that come with postage stamps) to fit the envelope and taped all of the items to it. (It would also help protect the CD.) I also added a washi tape tab at the top of the card to help the recipient get it out of the envelope. I had to add an additional 22¢ stamp for the weight, not shown in bottom pics, but my goal of keeping it under the thickness restriction was met.

Later, I found a background rubber stamp with some of The Raven as text. I'm still experimenting with those, but they've been fun so far. The one pictured here went to the winner of the Halloween vintage postage stamps from a previous post.

*71¢ to 93¢ for a heavier envelope, but minimum $2.54 for any weight that exceeds the height/thickness limit. That's a pretty dramatic difference.

I recently posted a question on Instagram, asking my current pen pals to let me know if they would like (or wouldn't mind) getting Halloween-themed mail year 'round. I'm also sending out these little cards as letters go out. For any that say yes, I'm marking their page in my log accordingly. For those that are not interested, no worries. I have other ideas.

(l): normal stamped image; (r) reverse side of tissue paper

Sources

• Ink for the tissue Poe & CD: StazOn black. Other stamped images: Ranger Archival in Jet Black.Block of text background (red envelope) used Ranger Archival in Watering Can. The spray stain is from Ranger's Distress.line.
• Envelopes: The #10 gray envelopes are from Paper Source ("cement," being discontinued). The red envelope is from a random office supply store, left over from Xmas.
• Sticker from Little B (technically a crow, but they're related)
• Ribbon: sorry, can't give source. I bought it at a rubber stamp store in Northville, MI called Stampeddler Plus last fall.
• Bandages: Archie McPhee (for added fun, I bought mine in Hell, MI)
• Stamps
• Poe & Tree on Skull: Cherry Pie Art Stamps on Etsy.
• Small Raven: Lenore (small), from Stamp Francisco
• Large Raven & Tiny Bat: Paper Parachute (JoAnn Fabrics online)
• Nevermore: No longer available, but there are several on the market.
• Candle: Inkadinkadoo "Nevermore" set (Joann Fabrics online)

When Good Envelopes Go Bad

That title might be a little extreme, but on Friday I did mail out some letters in envelopes I'm not terribly excited about or proud of. I keep buying new craft supplies and just play with them. Nothing wrong with that, in the least, but this time, maybe, I should have looked up some directions or something.

I hope my pen pals are still excited about getting letters, even though the envelopes are kind of hideous.

They didn't start out ugly. These are all PaperSource #10 envelopes in Curry. I just love deed-style envelopes (open on the short end) and theirs come in gorgeous colors and are nice and sturdy.

I got these spray inks and had a vision of lightly flecked colors across the edges of the envelopes. It's not quite how they turned out, but I just kept going, thinking I might end up with a tie-dye kind of thing. Not so much, but at least they're BRIGHT.

I added some washi tape here & there (mostly on the left edge that isn't shown above). Then I discovered that I didn't have a pen that really made the addresses stand out, so I had to use labels on a couple.

Basically, they're a hot mess that I hope actually arrive at their destinations. I also hope that the fun postage stamps and the letters will make up for the chaos on the outside.

There are too many individual stamps to list here, but you can always leave a comment if you want details.

"Let me know if you don't receive this" is one of my favorite rubber stamps to use for the first time I'm writing to someone. It's quirky and a little Discordian. Kind of like me.

I also received some mail! I had to cover most of the blue envelope, but my address was written in calligraphy and there are little flower stickers all over the back.

The big envelope is from someone with a way better & bigger rubber stamp collection than me! Seriously, @fairyartmother is a snail mail and mixed media artist that I was matched with for a swap recently and we agreed to continue exchanging letters. Gotta say, I get a kick out of being referred to as "the Mel..".

Thanks, pen pals, for bringing light to dreary days.

Halloween 2015 Snail Mail

I'll elaborate more on pen pals in upcoming posts - how I find them, how I attempt to stay organized, etc., but I will say that I am lucky to have found so many people who love Halloween. I'm having so much fun that I'm hoping to continue the theme with a few people! Here are some things that went out in the last few weeks.

My first attempt at decoupaging an envelope. 

I saw @dovbee on Instagram posting decoupaged envelopes, realized I'd gotten a similar package of napkins as a gift, and knew I had to try! I will continue to work on my technique, since most of what I do (like "painting" the envelope with ink) feels half-assed, but I sill love the result!

Envelope: #10, curry, by PaperSource; Pen: Sharpie Water-based marker in white, vintage stamps from my collection. The napkin was a gift but the label says Paperproducts Design U.S. Inc.

When I learned that one of my new pen pals love The Bride of Frankenstein/Elsa, I knew I had to do something special. I found a high-res image of the iconic scream, printed it on 11x17" paper, and made this envelope. Then I had to use a Frankenstein's Monster stamp!


Template from JetPens, vintage stamps from my collection; pen: Uni-ball Signo broad, also from JetPens.

I've not found fun/affordable catalog envelopes, and recently landed on a way to fancy them up! I found this fun Halloween-color zigzag sticker paper at a dollar store and cut it to fit (I think I taped around the edges for security) & used a 4" circle label for the address*. With my letter, I included my Pen Pal intro & quiz card (I'll post about that sometime soon), my 2015 Halloween mix & a pen pal merit badge patch from the Scout Project.

Can you guess this was a Halloween-themed swap package?  I was pretty excited to only have to use one non-themed postage stamp to send.

Vintage Stamps used on this envelope: American Bats 37¢, Edgar Allen Poe 42¢ & 3¢, 3 Universal Monsters & Alfred Hitchcock 32¢, Legend of Sleepy Hollow 10¢ & Washington Irving 1¢ (author of Sleepy Hollow). Current stamps: Harry Potter** 49¢ (Forever), & 4¢ chair.

Just a little fun writing thank you notes with some Halloween washi tape (in one of the gifts I was thanking someone for). The motif for the party was skeleton keys (for a haunted house), so all of the related correspondence came from my hoarded collection of key stationery.

The pen is my favorite for addressing, just above the white pen linked above. It is literally an "envelope address-writing pen," comes in 3 sizes and I just love it!

*You'll notice one thing very quickly: I display as little as possible of my pen pal's addresses & names. I can't keep straight who would be okay with showing that info., so I err on the side of caution, since I know I do not want my info. out there like that!

**No longer selling at the Post Office, but still available for regular price at the online USPS store.