Hello everyone! I’m here
for another week of snail mail tips!
Today I’ll tell about packages and/or parcels.
It is very
common to find snail mailers exchanging and swapping creative packages and
collection things. People sometimes ask me what I send or what I like to
receive when it comes to small parcels. Whenever it's not for specific items/collection swaps, I personally prefer
that my pen pals find their ways to surprise me. It is often used as way of sending for
instance some 'higher' scale goodies, some contribution for a pen pal collection
or a birthday gift. I often do send these as well, not only for specific swaps
(especially with tea and/or stamps) but also to surprise those important pen
pals that come across us and stay forever. We all love to surprise others!
Hi everyone! I'm still fighting against the flu, but who can stay in bed for days without doing a thing? Today I bring you day 3 of my recent creative challenge: envelopes.
It was an "easy" theme of course, but useful for keeping some ideas for next letters! :)
You can check all post about this 31 draws in 31 days challenge, here.
With love, M.
I started my 31 draws in 31 days challenge. I told a little about it. If you haven't read it yet, you'll find it here. Anyways, today's day 2 of my creative challenge, and the theme is teacup. Here's mine:
With love,
M.
Hello dear friends! Today I'm here to tell you about something that I started for myself but wanted to share with all of you. Every time I have some time for myself I really like to use it wisely to invest in the things I like. Well, most of the things I like are actually work, so I end up surrounded by computers and cameras all the time. I do love what I do, but we all need a break sometimes.
I can't tell you how much I feared for Claudia's letter, while I was in Porto for holidays. I kept reminding my boyfriend to look for it in our building, everyday. When it reached me, it really was one of the highest points I had for a whole week, and it mean a lot to me to be blessed with so much love in such a hard time. I really was looking forward to do something special for this lovely lady, and thought a booklet wouldn't be such a bad idea. I used one of my handmade postcards as a cover, added an envelope with my leter, and several paper bags with some surprises for her. I also included a handmade wooden yellow butterfly part of a small collection my mother gave my years ago in a kind gesture that made me smile. I added some craft supplies that I hope she'll find useful and some stickers to challenge her for our tag. And I was finally able to gladly recover one of Coimbra's old bus traveling tickets for her collection!
I hope the parcel will reach her soon, but mostly safe and sound.
With love,
M.
Hello everyone! Hope you are all enjoying this cold days writing lots of loving letters. As for me, I've been enjoying my cat's company while working on my delayed tasks. One of these days I've decided to take a little poll among our Facebook group, about what themes would readers love to find on the blog, and the most chosen were snail mail tips. In fact, it makes sense, and its kind of odd that I never started it before. Anyways, I'll try to come every week, to give you my snail mail related tips, based on my journey and personal experience with letter writing. I'll start today by telling you about first letters: Presentation Letters!
It's nice to find that good people are meeting and finding nice friendships throughout letter writing. I couldn't be more happy when I saw that Shonazee had received a kind letter from Rita, that she cared to share with all of us. I decided to ask her those three usual things. Lets see what she shared :)
Snailmail is... is like a journal. You open up to people you've never met about things that matter to you the most. Your life, goals, dreams, disappointments, regrets, hopes. It's beautiful and poetic. And the fact that those words, travel such long distance to reach you makes it even more special.
I'd like to send forward words. Happy, sad, exciting, dull, various combinations of them. Just to see the face of the person receiving it, light up with a smile :)
One story, something good that happened wich was provided by the joy of letterwriting.
I'm very new to pen-palling. Ive hardly exchanged a couple of letters with my penpals so far, so I don't have many exciting stories as of now. But one that I can think of is the letter I got after 6 months of it being posted. One draw back of snail mail is that the letters sometimes are lost, so when I never received this letter from my beloved pen pal Bahanur, I thought it was lost. But no, it found it's way to me after SIX months. Such unexpected happiness is what snail mail is all about and I'm very much glad to be a part of this wonderful community :D
Feel free to join the community + Keep tagging your pictures with our hashtag #senditforwardp for a chance to get featured.
With love,
M.
Today is about giving away some postcards + freebies because I just can't help myself on send cute useful things.
I can't hide my excitement when it comes to old postcards. Every week I try to take some time between shopping groceries and going to post office, and go in the search for the most unique vintage postcards I can find. I'm almost sure I have bought at least five postcards in every local store downtown, and I always like to share them with a few friends and penpals who are, as me, postcard hunters. I found these in one of those local shops, but the most special one. This only sells antique stuff, not only postcards, so you might imagine the handful of treasures you can discover in that little corner store.
I started by sending one to Maggie, the most lovely girl I've had the pleasure to meet via instagram, actually. But turned out to be the most nice company for coffee and treats. I had already sent her another postcard recently, but since we both thought it was forever lost, I prepared this one.
Last, but not least, I also wrote something to my dear mother in Porto. Added some tea and a Portuguese lottery - an inside family joke :P I decorated her envelope with this cute pictures of paper sculptures, and a page of a Literature schoolbook.
I'm praying these letters will reach their rightful owners safe and sound, and sooner the best! Hope it'll put a big smile on your pretty faces :) Wish you a lovely week!
With love, M.
Hello everyone! I could not be more happier to finally be writing to you about my collective ongoing work: a travelling notebook. Have you heard about these?
Words matter a lot,, from since we can remember. And nowadays, despite electronic contact, writen words matter not only on snailmail world. This is not a recent movement and I've already tried this before within my project contact list, but it is the first time I'm taking it to this level. Well, a travelling notebook is nothing more than a blank notebook that will travel from one to another, regardless their gender, age, country, ... There can be a theme, for example, and each person writes/draws something. Then they send the notebook to the next person. In the end it will be back to his home, hopefully. Many people are trying this recently; some of my own pen pals are making their own travelling notebooks fly from mailbox to mailbox. So, I decided to make a new one of my one, to travel along the year.
I wanted to chose a meaningful theme, and was struggling among all type of ideas. But then, it crossed me that it should be a letter - since I wanted it to be related to my own snail mail project - and who/what should we write to?
There was a time (around 2010) I started to include the phrase "Write a letter to the world" in my project's challenges. Not many people came up with writing that letter, in fact. But those who did really said some surprising things. I kept using this as a part of my challenge, but now found it was a nice way of actually gather a genuine archive of letters to the world written by genuine people who meant to participate.
Also I've decided to invite some people I know- and some that I don't - but who I admire to be a part of it too. I chose those that seem to have something meaningful to say, and the proven will of wanting to change the world in every step they take.
I made a notebook nature inspired, of course. And every page states "for you" in the end. I want you to keep in mind that this book is not for me, is for all of us.
For those who felt insterested in joining this travelling notebook, but don't know how to do it, please e-mail me via psenditforward@gmail.com
With love,
M.
I like to start every year by doing some good. There's something motivational on giving away smiles and love. Besides letters, I now some of the participants of my project are very much in love with crafts and decors. First kit packages are ready to fly to their awesome future owners. I hope everyone find this modest package a useful resource for 2016 first sendings :)
Nícia shared with us her upcoming challenges for this early 2016. I asked her to share "the" three things with all of us, and she took the opportunity.
Snailmail is... to rediscover myself while connectint to others. It is to find myself on others while I find new stuff in me. It's an incredible joy!
I wish to send forward... words of happiness. (Do you know a way which I can do this?)
One story, something good that happened wich was provided by the joy of letterwriting.
Once I messaged a very sweet girl asking to be penpals. When it was my birthday, and we didn't have yet share correspondence, she sent me some small gifts. Along with them she wrote me some words in a postcard, wishing me well. I was very touched by this because we weren't friends yet and I already felt a great love coming her way. She have put so much care on that package that it blew my mind.
Once I messaged a very sweet girl asking to be penpals. When it was my birthday, and we didn't have yet share correspondence, she sent me some small gifts. Along with them she wrote me some words in a postcard, wishing me well. I was very touched by this because we weren't friends yet and I already felt a great love coming her way. She have put so much care on that package that it blew my mind.
Let's hope she'll later tell us what ways she found to accomplish her challenges. Want to be a part of the game? Join in "The Random pen pal" section + Keep tagging your pictures with our hashtag #senditforwardp for a chance to get featured.
With love,
M.
Or what I was doing for the past weeks.
Most of you might already seen some of my handmade items, but I decided to show the most special order I've had, wich brought a happy feeling while creating and crafting.
I don't do equals except when I'm specifically asked to. I feel that our place for words must be as unique as the words itself. I love to draw with marker instead of printing, and have the most joyful moments while sketching stickers with ink and aquarelles.
And the best part, because these where Christmas gifts, I has the chance to over-create a little, and decorated the packages with handmade roses and other cuties.
I am a notebook collector, so "having a notebook" of ours is something that I see as a very special connection between us, memory, what we live today and somehow wish to leave for tomorrow. Well, maybe I'm not making any sense, but as notebook addict, trust me when I say it is the best to have a notebook that reflects a bit of who we are, and what we eager to be, I am wrong?
Well, but I'm not here only to show this little word keepers. I'm also here to bring you a new letter set, that I really hope you'll like and find useful. This set includes three examples of letter pages, one of them ruled, and also an envelope! You can download both here and here.
I'm always open to your ideas and tips, feel free to share it with me! :)
I'm always open to your ideas and tips, feel free to share it with me! :)
With love,
M.
I can't find the right words to describe how I hate post services during holidays. That's why I decided to send letters addressed to Portugal only after Christmas. Well, this one is for Rita, and arrived in her mailbox today!
The postcard is a painting of Palamós, her summer village and the most lovely heart shaped papercut that reminds me the portuguese typical ones. So beautiful!
Nowadays I'm a bit behind in all sorts of things. I have some letters in my pile, some pictures to be finished and some orders to be shipped. I'm hoping to find the time I need to catch up with this lovely young lady, as soon as I can. And I hope someday we'll be able to share a nice talk+walk, a hug and the delicious treats - that I miss so much - from "la Boqueria" :)
With love,
M.
This was sent a while ago, but I had some troubles with my computer. For some reason we didn't seem to be recognizing my SD memory card - panic situation for any wannabe photographer. Finally, my mum was able to recover my USB cable. Because later is better than never, and because it's the kind intention that matters, here I am showing what I made for our dear Nícia.
For almost 7 years I've been living between cities. Although most of my heart, mind and soul will always be in Porto, living alone and "away" made me grow and be able to recognize myself in a way I never thought before. Being alone in a different town, when you're still practically a child can be - at times - a hard lonely road to run. One of good things is the chance to meet nice people.
Hello everyone!
I'm finally here after holiday time at home. Have you enjoyed your festivities?
Here in Portugal, there's a traditional way for things both at Christmas and New Year's eve.
I've always seen the people of my country as family type, with all of it's nostalgia and warm love, always finding a good excuse to get everyone together, enjoying the most delicious plates, and the company of their loved ones. My celebrations are not that different from what you imagine in a Portuguese family. We love to eat, so there's always all types of snacks and sweets for everyone to taste. My grandmother loves to cook, and these times are perfect for her to cook some special exclusive dishes. Also, and to keep memory for our roots in Lisbon, we sing Fado. Well, not all of us, but those who feel brave enough to try.
Here in Portugal, there's a traditional way for things both at Christmas and New Year's eve.
I've always seen the people of my country as family type, with all of it's nostalgia and warm love, always finding a good excuse to get everyone together, enjoying the most delicious plates, and the company of their loved ones. My celebrations are not that different from what you imagine in a Portuguese family. We love to eat, so there's always all types of snacks and sweets for everyone to taste. My grandmother loves to cook, and these times are perfect for her to cook some special exclusive dishes. Also, and to keep memory for our roots in Lisbon, we sing Fado. Well, not all of us, but those who feel brave enough to try.
Every time a year changes, I feel like I'm leaving something behind, and sometimes even let a tear or two out. But, nevertheless, I feel specially thankful for everything good that's happened to me, and the bad that in the end taught me something for life.
As you already know, I always have a warm feeling whenever I receive a letter from my own country, specially for places that are special to me.
And our dear Rita was point perfect bringing all that good nostalgia back, sending me the most traditional nice things. First, I'd never had received a letter kept within a lottery (Christmas Edition) envelope, and it was such a nice surprise - I truly smiled! There's a story behind it, a good memory I guess... My grandfather used to buy those - some years ago - to an old man that was always by the road. Somehow, I never saw that man again, and my grandfather never bought the lottery again.
Anyways, with her coolest letter she also sent me a nice Christmas card, one of the coolest postcards I've got for my b&w collection and the sweetest cutest handmade postcard with a quote from one of my favorite writers: Miguel Torga. It says something like "you loose life, wishing it so much".
I am so very thankful for having such amazing people in my life :)
2015 was after all, a nice year.
With love,
M.
M.
Since my snail mail project started - and even before - little messages were sent and left to strangers. Same kind of messages that I send to my penpals. My main purpose is to give a little unexpected light to each one's day, leading them to explore and enjoy simple things we humans often pass by.
So lately I've been working on new messages but I turned all of them into stickers. This way, people can share them just like I do, or just use them anywhere they wish.
I am a lover of every kind of sticker cute thing I can find. I always find some useful purpose for them. But isn't it nice to have a world of stickers with kind challenges and nice words?
If you are interested in having some of these, or if you're looking forward to enter the challenges just e-mail me via psenditforward@gmail.com (NOTE: free of charge only for project subscribers)
With love,
M.
