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.

Reclaiming Stamps Tutorial 2 - Self-adhesive

Some weeks ago, in my first Free Stamps Tutorial, I shared how I went about reclaiming unused gummed (vintage) postage stamps if you mess up addressing an envelope. I promised to write up something for modern, self-adhesive stamps at some point in the future. Well, the future is here!!

Disclaimer: as always, I'm not an expert. I'm also not a "real" stamp collector, in that I'm generally interested in reclaiming unused stamps to put back in my collection, although I'm starting to use canceled stamps as part of collages. To separate stamps in order to store them in albums probably requires special steps and gloves or something like that, so if that's your goal, I advise seeking out advice from professionals. 

First, let me show you why you can't just use the soak-in-warm-water method for newer stamps. This was a stamp that I cut off one of my turquoise envelopes that I messed up.

Not only did some of the dye from the paper leach onto the stamp, if you look closely, you can see that it's wrinkled and messy. It is probably still usable, but certainly not pretty.

I tried a couple different methods with the stamps I had saved. None worked, so I had to wait until I had more stamps. I received an envelope with a stamp that I really wanted to keep and display (it was sent for that purpose), so I decided to try something besides the non-effective water methods and hit the search tools.

I landed on the American Philatelic Society's Tips and Links page, and followed the link in the "Soaking Self-Adhesives" section to a PDF about the magic of  removing self-adhesive stamps from envelopes. I recommend that you read the article, but here is my experience.

Materials: The article recommends one of two products: an adhesive remover called "Bestine," which I could not find locally, or a 100% natural citrus oil product. I was able to find "Pure Citrus," the exact product recommended, in the air freshener section at Home Depot for $4.97, so I'm basing this entry on using that. You want one labeled 100% natural, containing just orange oil. (OdoBan makes an air freshener/adhesive remover (right on the label) that's 99.5% natural and costs $1 or so less. It may be perfectly fine, but I went with the 100%.)

In addition to the Pure Citrus, you need some paper towels and cotton swabs. I suggest having a piece of parchment paper handy as well.

Instructions

1. For plain paper envelopes*, cut out the stamp, leaving a little border of paper. 
2. Spray a little of the oil into a small dish (disposable plastic cup, etc., is great, but regular dishes will wash up fine with soap & hot water). 
3. Put the stamp face down on a couple of layers of folded paper toweling.
4. Dip one of the swabs into the oil and rub it over the paper until it's lightly saturated. Wait a few seconds. The stamp should easily peel away from the paper. If it doesn't, just add a little more, wait, then try again. You can also spray directly onto the back of the piece, but when I did it in a dish, the next stamp was saturated (it's fine, but I wanted to avoid that). 
5. There will be some adhesive remaining on the stamp. The article suggests rubbing a little talc on it, but we didn't have any, so I took another swab with a little oil on it, and gently rubbed the back of the stamp. Most or all of the adhesive came away.
6. Let it air dry for a few minutes, then store in a folded piece of parchment, keeping the stamps separate. After a while, you'll know if any adhesive remains and you can store those stamps in a glassine envelope or folded parchment paper until ready to glue onto envelopes and use.**

*If the envelope is thick, you can work on the stamp where it is, face-up, but slowly. Don't soak the whole thing, just wet an edge with the oil, get the edge up, then gently rub the swab between the stamp and paper, pushing towards where they meet, peeling slowly until it comes away. Then, follow steps 5 & 6, above.

**If the stamps are from another country, you can always keep them just to look at if they're awesome - like this one - or share with a collector.

Seriously, isn't this stamp awesome?! I couldn't tell until I saw it close up that they were indoors, in a blanket fort, which is even cooler than outdoors in a tent, which is what I originally thought. Because I've decided that this older child is reading a ghost story to the younger one, it's going to look wonderful next to my Haunted Canada stamps...as soon as I figure out how and where to display them! They're really about storytelling and pretend, but hey, I used my imagination to create a back story!

The little flecks are from the envelope, which was very heavy-duty, with a gold foil pattern. 

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)

Vintage Postage Stamps Series: Halloween + a Giveaway!

February is the perfect time to write about Halloween-y postage stamps. At least it is for someone who loves all things creepy and eerie. I recently started reaching out to my pen pals to see who might want to get Halloween-themed envelopes (or letters) year 'round and immediately started in on decorating envelopes. My one (small) fear is that I'm going to run out of ideas and have to send plain envelopes come October. (I'll share some of those images in a follow-up post; this one is going to be long enough.)

As per usual with my vintage postage series, there's a giveaway (my best yet)! I hope you stay long enough to at least scan the post, but definitely check out the end for contest details.

As mentioned earlier, vintage Edgar Allan Poe stamps were the philately equivalent of a gateway drug and led me to start gathering/collecting postage stamps. I don't believe I've exhausted the theme, but I'm pretty ecstatic with what I've managed to gather. I have started spreading them out a bit, so I'll mix a couple of my spooky postage stamps with some modern ones, so I can make my "supplies" last longer. If you're interested in growing your own collection, check out my tips at the end of the first vintage postage post.

There are actually two Poe stamps: a 3¢ from 1949 and a 42¢ from 2009. The latter is pressure-sensitive (sticker-style), so it may not truly count as "vintage," but in my book, anything I can't buy at the PO right now qualifies. I like to use these together, with a modern, lower denomination stamp to round out the current rate.

If I was excited about the Poe stamps, I was over the moon when I discovered the brightly-colored 10¢ The Legend of Sleepy Hollow stamp (1974). I have a love/hate relationship with the original story by Washington Irving, but I love the imagery! It also has a sentimental significance, not to mention all of the works it has inspired. In addition to the stamp featuring Ichabod on the run from a headless horseman, there is a 1¢ stamp from 1940 featuring the author. This stamp has a little-known dual purpose: Mr. Irving sort of invented Christmas as we know it (in the US anyway), so you could use them on holiday cards in December.

The 32¢ pocket in my stamp notebook is the fattest because it has both Alfred Hitchcock (1998) & Classic Movie Monsters (1997), among others.

In addition to being a fan of such classics as The Birds, Psycho, The Lady Vanishes, etc., I introduced my goddaughter to Hitchcock movies when she was nine (Rear Window was her favorite for a long time). I put one of these stamps on almost every letter I send her (along with a Sleepy Hollow one), so I tend to hoard them. Note the sweet laser-cut profile in the upper left corner of the stamp.

The Movie Monster stamps are just so...well, they're the perfect Halloween stamp. I have done a Frankenstein's monster-themed envelope and am contemplating what I might do for the other three monsters in the set. I have a candelabra rubber stamp that might do for the Phantom; the Mummy & Dracula would probably be easier.

The Night Friends sheet (37¢, 2002) features four different American bats. These are just fun.

Honorable Mentions

• Harry Potter series
• Circus stamps (current Circus Posters (forever) or vintage (29¢,1993)): at least the damn clowns (I am actually not afraid of clowns*, but I recognize their potential as scary creatures and have totally used at least one clown stamp as part of a postage collage.) 
• Carnivorous Plants (34¢, 2004).
• Coming sometime in 2016, the USPS is releasing a Jack-o-lantern stamp, so there will be one more to add to the collection. 
• You can always make your own! 

Outside the US? Canada still wins for its Haunted Canada series. I'm not sure what else is available - some countries have more fun than others with their stamps, but you might have to get creative when it comes to stretching the theme. 

Giveaway Time

One lucky commenter will win the 18 stamps pictured in the "giveaway" image, left. Anyone is eligible - even if you've won before - and I'll ship anywhere. There is at least one of each stamp mentioned in the main part of the story (plus one from the honorable mentions category (Carnivorous Plants)). Bonus: one of my custom (ghost) postage stamps that you cannot get anywhere else. All of the stamps are unused and unhinged (cannot guarantee mint condition), and can therefore be applied and included as part of any US postal rate.

To enter, simply comment here and tell me which of the above is your favorite OR suggest a themed stamp not included in the post. That is it!! I'll pick a winner on March 5th or 6th. Shares are not required, but will be rewarded if I'm aware that a winner shared the link. Important: make sure I have a way to reach you if you win!!

----------------
*Clown dolls are a whole 'nother story.

Reclaimed Postage Stamps Tutorial

This tutorial will show you how to reclaim non-canceled vintage (gummed) stamps from messed up envelopes (or for collage purposes).

Far too often, I mess up envelopes I'm planning to mail, or decide not to send something, so I definitely want to get those stamps back before the envelope goes in the trash! Because I order stamps via eBay a lot, I sometimes get cool stamps on packages that I might be able to use in a collage. Older, gummed stamps are far easier to reclaim than modern, pressure-sensitive (sticker) style stamps*; I have not had wonderful luck getting the sticker-style stamps off of paper, but have had amazing luck reclaiming vintage/gummed stamps.

This how-to is not for stamp collectors who put stamps into albums. You really want to find an expert (there are probably several on YouTube) who will demonstrate what tools, etc. to use. 

First, cut off the section containing the stamps (top pic). 

Cut out each stamp close to the edge without cutting the actual stamp. (If the stamps are still connected, you can leave them that way.)

Next, get a large, shallow bowl or dish and fill it with hot tap water. 

One by one, add your cut-apart stamps and tap them gently to submerge. Just do a few at a time - a little gumming may remain and you don't want them to stick together!

Wait a few seconds. It may take longer, but in the batch I did this morning, one stamp was floating free from its backing before I had added them all to the bowl.

Remove the stamps from the water with your fingers or tweezers and lay them on a paper towel. I usually set them out face up, flip them after about a minute (shown, right), then cover them with something lightweight & water-resistant to keep them flat (and safe from the cats' antics). 

When they're completely dry, put unused ones back (wherever you keep your stamps (I keep mine in a 3-ring binder, with one labeled sheet-protector for each denomination)) and toss the used ones into your ephemera collection.

When you're ready to use your reclaimed stamps, you'll need a good adhesive (I use Elmer's extra-strength office glue sticks; some craft glue sticks don't hold as well).

*Bonus pic, and a promise: I'll put together a tutorial showing how to retrieve modern, self-adhesive stamps from messed-up envelopes (or SASEs included in begging envelopes).

Update: done! See tutorial, here. 

Vintage Stamps Series: Space part 1, & another Giveaway!

Happy New Year! The closest I'm coming to making a resolution is a desire to post here more regularly and continue to learn new stuff. Maybe get off my ass some. But resolutions seem designed to make people feel bad about themselves and go buy gym memberships, so I avoid them.

I'm continuing the vintage stamp show-off series, and, to celebrate making it to 2016, giving away some stamps, too. Before we dig in, make sure you read to the end for giveaway details, and check out my first vintage stamps post for some tips for getting started.

Update: The Giveaway is over - the winner has been notified. 

I love myself some themes when it comes to stamps (wait until I share my Halloween-theme collection), and lately have been getting all the space-themed ones I could find (and justify the cost of). I've been wanting to show off my collection as it stands but have optimistically called this part 1 of the Space miniseries, because I hope there will be a part 2 (I'm missing several!).

I can never travel in space (claustrophobic, so the idea of being trapped in a small enclosure for any length of time...shudder), but I have been fascinated with it since my early days of watching Star Trek re-runs. One of my favorite books is The Moon is a Harsh Mistress, and I love old sci-fi movies, so fantastical/fictional imagery is fun, too. Here are the space-themed stamps I currently have, in no real order. I just re-read that and realized it sounds like I only care about fictional space. Not true. Not at all.

The 1981 Space Achievements (18¢) stamps were the first I acquired, starting with a pane of 8 tucked into a lot of loose stamps ordered from an eBay seller. They led me to start looking for other space-themed stamps.

I didn't think that these 1997 Space Discovery (32¢) stamps were real when I first saw them. I haven't done any reading on them, but the location is obviously Mars, so this fits in with my love of the fantastical and fictional, do you grok?

These 2000 Hubble (33¢) stamps are breathtaking. There are 5, with each row having a different order.

Here are a few random, loose examples:

• 1948 3¢ Palomar Mountain Observatory
• 1962 4¢ Project Mercury, honoring the John Glenn-piloted Mercury-Atlas 6 flight)
• 1971 8¢ Space Achievement Decade (pictured here in reverse order)
  
  Below:
• 1975 10¢ Mariner 10 (launched Nov. 1973 for a 2-yr mission to explore Venus & Mercury)
• 1975 10¢ Pioneer (10 was launched in March 1972; 11 in April 1973)

Giveaway

Thanks for reading! I can't promise to always give away stamps when I do a vintage post, but I am this time! Winner will get the stamps in the image at top of this post (or to the right). All stamps are unused and unhinged, but not necessarily mint.

How to Enter: It's easy! Just comment here and share your favorite scientific or sci-fi work (any medium). Sharing is appreciated, but not required. I'd like to grow my readership, but I don't think that forcing people to repost and tag friends is a way to do it for real. The contest will end on January 15th. Make sure I can find you!!

Last time, only one person commented :-( , so this time, I'm hoping to DOUBLE that :-)

Immortalized: Or, Photo Stamps on a Budget

I recently found an eBay seller that helped make my desire to have custom postage stamps a reality, and for a reasonable price! (After it was all totaled up, I actually paid less than face value (FV) for my first order!) This is in no way an ad or sponsored post - I'm simply a happy customer who wants to share her source! Disclaimer: this is my own experience. Your mileage may vary, buyer beware, etc., etc.

Custom postage stamps have been available for several years, but I never felt like I could justify the cost. A few weeks ago, however, I saw the Haunted Canada* stamps, and started wishing in earnest for postage stamps that were more fun. The USPS has some good stamps, but they are really behind when it comes to some other countries. I checked the prices online for ordering customized stamps and realized that even with my little obsession and growing collection, I still couldn't bring myself to pay over twice the FV for stamps ($1.10 plus shipping).

As you've probably guessed by now, I spend a bit of time on eBay, looking for good deals on vintage postage. I had seen this listing come up repeatedly, but paid little attention until I found myself really wanting custom stamps. I read the listing very carefully. The seller, pnmsales, had (has) a 100% rating and tons of glowing reviews indicating that this was the real deal, so I took the risk and ordered some.

How it works: some time ago, a photo stamp company sold a stamp creation kit, with software and a gift code that allowed purchasers to design and order a sheet of first class postage stamps. Those gift certificates are still valid, and good for one sheet of whatever the first class value is on the date of order, minus about 1.5¢. The seller I've ordered from (account linked above) sells the kit for $9.75, with free shipping, and (at this time) offers $1 off for every two kits you purchase. So, if you order two, they are $9.25 each. When you order the actual stamps and  redeem the gift certificates, you pay shipping plus a couple of cents per sheet.

While you wait for your eBay order to arrive, plan your stamps. The Photo Stamps site does not offer guidelines for sizing images, just on subject (important) and actual file size. You need to read the guidelines, re: what you can put on a stamp. You can use your own art, logos, etc. as long as they don't violate any decency rules. The fewer subjects the better. To make ordering easier, use editing software to crop your images into squares, and make them as high resolution and size as you can, while keeping the file size under 5mb. (Stamps.com could learn a lot from Moo.com and their excellent image sizing guidelines.) I do not know at which point in the process "improper" stamps are halted - the company may print your stamps and the USPS may refuse to deliver, or the order could be rejected. So make sure you read carefully and follow the guidelines!

For my stamps, I ended up using some digital art images done by myself or my husband, a great picture of one of our cats, and a creative commons-licensed image of Herman, the sloth at the Detroit Zoo. (I "met" Herman several years ago, and have several videos of him, hanging out just over my head, but none of the angles lent themselves to a stamp, so I had to make due. I made sure to get one that was licensed for re-use.)

Once you receive your eBay order, and you're ready to create your stamps, open the boxes and tear off the little strip that seals the CD envelope (you don't need the CD; do not install the software).

Side note: while the site is functional, I cannot access it with my login any longer (successful log in, but site "cannot be displayed").  I placed a second order as guest and will do the same in the future. I hope it's just a glitch and not them trying to prevent me from using the gift certificates!

Visit  Photo.Stamps.com and create your stamps, following the directions on the site (the current first class postage rate should be selected by default). When it's time to check out, there will be a space to redeem gift certificates or coupon codes. That's where you will enter the code from the CD envelope(s). Just keep entering and applying the codes until you've entered one per sheet. You should see a small balance - a few cents per sheet, plus shipping. Pay that, and wait for your stamps to arrive.

For my first order, I created several sheets, for myself and gifts, and paid $3.11 at checkout, bringing my cost per stamp to just under 49¢ each. Ordering two sheets today cost me $3.03 at checkout (see screenshot), bringing the cost per stamp to a tad under 54¢ each!

[Beware: The stamps are shipped in fairly flimsy envelopes with no support, so unless you have a huge mail box, the envelope will be bent slightly (or possibly folded in half), and so will the stamp sheets. All of my sheets were bent and there is a bubble down one row on each, but they weren't seriously damaged and are usable. I'd be pretty annoyed if I'd paid full price for them.]

*Regular stamps available from Canada Post. They did a set in 2014 and a set in 2015, I have one sheet of each, even though they're useless to me as postage. They are that cool.


(Sorry about the delay. I've had a rough couple of weeks.)