Greetings and salutations, my lovelies! I can't believe it's been a week already since my last post! Time's gone by crazy fast, so while I'm slowly but surely working on some writing and web design posts, I thought how better to tide y'all over than with something a little different!
I'd like to introduce y'all to my latest artistic venture...
mail art
Mail art allows for the creative freedom of junk journaling within the confines and simplicity of an envelope. Or, in layman's terms, it lets me go wild with washi tape, stickers, deco paper, and more without feeling overwhelmed by big, empty pages. 😂 I've also tried out some sketches, but I don't have good pictures of those, so we're just gonna stick to these fun junk journal-style kraft envelopes (which four lucky followers will be receiving in their mailbox soon)!
Mail art is actually extremely multifaceted with so many different options and additions, and if y'all wanna see some of the best of the best, y'all can check out my mail art board here!
Now, without further delay, our first envelope!
I wanted to shoot for something simple with this first one, so I used a giant flower bouquet sticker with a butterfly sticker and washi tape. That made this design super quick and easy, but also really cute and springy!
Mail art doesn't have to be hard or require a ton of artistic talent! Just gather some on-sale craft supplies or junk hangin' around, and see what kind of lovely designs you can whip up!
For my next design, I had a very specific vision in mind: nautical academia. Y'all, Pinterest didn't even know what this is. 😅 So I did what I could to bring this idea to life, combining a nautical sticker and scrapbook paper with a classical literary themed paper and washi tape. Something was missing, so I drew a horribly disproportionate compass and taped it down. All in all, I think it pretty much captured the vibe I was going for!
Speaking of tape...I HIGHLY recommend getting a tape roller. When I went in search of some kind of tape or glue to make adhering all these different materials together, I stumbled upon the glorious doubled-sided sticky tape. And I don't mean the crappy stuff that comes like regular tape. I mean the stuff that looks like white-out but it actually a roller of the stickiest tape known to man! It is SUPER easy to apply and works better than a charm!
So, for this design, I used a lot of sticky tape to achieve my 1940s musical look, complete with sheet music scrapbook paper, a sheet music sticker, and vintage deco paper! I'm quite pleased with how this one turned out!
My fourth and final envelope was a struggle. I wanted something that screamed spring in England, with delicate cottagecore vibes. But I have nothing cottagecore (even though it's, like, one of my favorite aesthetics of all time). So I downloaded and printed these free designs from Nanda Anderson that gave off a lovely spring vibe! This one was also super simple, but I think that fits my simplistic cottagecore theme!
If you're interested in trying out mail art, I would LOVE to share links to some of my favorite supplies, offer ideas for designs, or give a couple tips!
Have you taken up any new hobbies? Which envelope is your favorite? What's your favorite aesthetic? I'd love to hear all about it in the comments!
OOoooo these all look SOOOO GORGEOUS!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE your mail art designs!! I wish I was more crafty like you, but everything I try to create ends up looking... let's just say terrible is putting it nicely. XD So I must instead content myself at looking at all these beautiful things you've come up with!!! The first two envelopes were my favorites but they're really all just GORGEOUS!!!! *all the heart eyes* The nautical academia one was giving me Prisoner at Heart vibes which just made it THAT much cooler!!!
These are so pretty! I like the nautical academia best. What does academia mean?
Girl... this is so cute! I love that you are being so creative. Keep shining, Gracie!
Oh Grace, their sooo pretty! Now you've inspired me lol. AND THERE'S A TAPE ROLLER??? How did I not know of this!!
Oooh, how fun and lovely!! They're all so good and I especially love the fourth one. I love decorating envelopes for letters, and this has given me some new inspiration! (Letter writing is so fun and special-- nothing can beat a letter through the door, especially when it's so beautifully decorated!)