envelopes | The Postman's Knock

How to Make Your Own Envelope: A YouTube Tutorial

January 31, 2019 by Lindsey Bugbee 15 Comments

Handmade Envelope | The Postman's Knock — The envelope template and printable fox illustration on this DIY envelope are from The Letter Writer’s Complete Resource!

Did you know that you can make your own envelope? Really, if you think about it, an envelope is just a folded piece of paper that’s designed to hold another piece of paper. You’re more than capable of making folds and gluing! In today’s YouTube tutorial, I’ll show you how to make an envelope out of pretty much any piece of paper that catches your eye. All you’ll need is a commercial envelope (or a template out of the LWCR), a piece of decorative paper, glue, a pencil, and scissors!
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TPK’s Top 8 (Free!) Printable Mail Art Templates

January 15, 2019 by Lindsey Bugbee 8 Comments

Sometimes, the amount of content on this blog amazes me. I mean, I’ll be browsing Pinterest, and *pow!*, a TPK post from yesteryear will pop up! I always have this moment of, “Huh, that photo looks familiar,” followed by, “Ohhh — right! I made that … wow, I forgot how cool that was!” That happened this morning when the Luminous Printable Mail Art Envelope Template showed up on my Pinterest feed. Its appearance was the catalyst for today’s TPK blog post, which highlights the top eight free printable mail art templates on the site! The templates are ordered by popularity (number of downloads):
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How to Address an Envelope – Simple + Chic (YouTube Tutorial)

January 3, 2019 by Lindsey Bugbee 47 Comments

When I started the TPK blog in 2012, I tried to focus on long and complicated project tutorials. I always skipped the simple stuff because I thought it would bore people! The older I get, though, the more I realize that sometimes simple projects are all we need to wind down after a long day because they don’t require a lot of energy. It’s a bonus if a project can be used in a “real world” context — like sending snail mail! With that in mind, today I’m going to show you how to address an envelope.
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Studio Oudizo Envelope Lettering Template Review + Giveaway

December 5, 2018 by Lindsey Bugbee 102 Comments

Regardless of your calligraphy skill level, you can bet that planning out the spacing of your calligraphy on an envelope takes time, concentration, and — in most cases — frustration! Thus far, shining up a guide through a light box is the best solution that I’ve discovered for making envelope guidelines. However, that technique only works on light-colored envelopes! Darker envelopes require more patience and flexibility, plus a willingness to try new things. The latest tool I’ve tried is an acrylic envelope lettering template from Studio Oudizo (formerly known as Ollie’s Studio). Today, I want to talk to you about how this supply can come in handy!
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Nine Halloween Paper Projects

October 10, 2018 by Lindsey Bugbee 10 Comments

Halloween has always been my favorite holiday because … candy. It also offers the opportunity to make some playfully macabre creative projects (while you eat the candy)! Today’s blog post outlines my seven favorite Halloween paper projects on the TPK site. You can start making them now so the holiday doesn’t sneak up on you!

The Letter Writer’s Complete Resource: A Guide for Writing Letters

September 14, 2018 by Lindsey Bugbee 15 Comments

I don’t know about you, but my interest in calligraphy and hand-lettering actually stemmed from a love of writing letters. As a young child, it amazed me that something I created could end up anywhere I wanted it to! I still get a thrill when I send off a letter or open my mailbox and see that I’ve received something.
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How to Make Your Own Printable Mail Art Envelopes

July 13, 2018 by Lindsey Bugbee 129 Comments

My family first got a scanner around the year 1998, and I remember being fascinated with the concept. You could draw something, and all of a sudden, there it was on your computer screen! And then, you could take it a step further and make copies of what you’d drawn. Amazing.
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Monochrome Mountains Mail Art Tutorial + Free Printable

June 29, 2018 by Lindsey Bugbee 64 Comments

The Nikko G nib is a fantastic calligraphy nib — but did you know that it was originally developed to be a drawing nib? I’ve used it to illustrate several fun projects like a lace butterfly and a henna bluebird! The objective of today’s mail art tutorial is twofold: first, I want you to end up with an artistic envelope that you love. Second, I want you to get a basic introduction to drawing with the Nikko G because next month I plan to explore pen and ink drawing techniques a bit more with you!
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12 Artistic Envelope Ideas

June 19, 2018 by Lindsey Bugbee 126 Comments

There’s hardly a better canvas to practice your art, calligraphy, and lettering skills on than an envelope! Envelopes’ practical, temporary nature makes them great for trying out new techniques and exercising old favorites. In this post, you’ll find 12 artistic envelope ideas to fire you up for making your own mail art!
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7 Practical Uses for Calligraphy

June 12, 2018 by Lindsey Bugbee 45 Comments

I recently received an email from a reader asking me about the practical uses for calligraphy. This reader works in the corporate world, and she was having trouble justifying taking the time to learn the art. I get it! We constantly have to make choices about how to manage our days, and oftentimes you can’t justify indulging in an enjoyable creative pursuit. However, the more I thought about it, the more I realized that calligraphy can be incorporated into your day-to-day with good reason! Here’s what I came up with:
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