So hands up who still writes letters to friends and family …. anybody? I love the idea of it but in principle it doesn't really make sense anymore with Facebook, Twitter, etc. But just like receiving a birthday or Christmas card through the post, doesn't it warm your heart to just think of receiving a handwritten letter on your welcome mat?
I started working on a new product recently and that is where this thought process started. I set out to create a fabric stationery set any girly girl would be proud to possess.
Here is the result - a work in progress that will soon have 4 different fabric designs and labels. It will also come personalised for those that want something even more special.
After creating the stationery folder I started to investigate good old fashioned pen pals. I had a pen pal when I was a kid. He was a boy from Austria called Christian.
This started me thinking - does such a thing still exist?
I found this fab site through the lovely Charlotte of Card & Gift Blog
It's a great concept organised by Claire to get people writing again.
"a little occasional event called Letter Lounge – a space where you can come along to write the letters you never have time for and enjoy a bit of a social".
She brings the cake, tea, coffee, paper, pens, and stamps. All you need to bring is the address of the person you’re writing to and a sunny disposition. She will even post your letters for you.
For the most part the sites I came across offered pen pals by email too & a lot of searches throw up dating sites disguising themselves as pen pal sites. But I did find what seems to me to be the original most genuine "club".
IPF is regarded as the oldest, biggest and best pen friend organisation in the world. Imagine my joy to find it had been established in Dublin, Ireland in 1967!!
Hopefully you are now inspired to get out that lovely paper that excited you when you bought it or received it as a gift & get writing. Your letter will put a big smile on their face!!
