July's Planner Society Kit

This month's Planner Society Kit was an extra special one because it was my birthday month! Or maybe I convinced myself that Christy added more cuteness just for me? LOL Regardless,  I loved the tropical, hot pink feel and flair of the whole kit. It just worked! And those flamingos? They were my besties. I loved them to bits! Check out this Midori process video I made showing how I used this month's Planner Society Kit.



You know what else I love? Being on this crafty kit design team! I'm serious, the other ladies on the team are so inspiring and delightful!


PS. To purchase your Planner Society Monthly Subscription, click here. Next available openings are in September.

PPS. If you'd like to be my twinsie, you can purchase your own Midori here.



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5 Things To Know Before Becoming a Penpal

  Even before Pocket Letters, I was delving into the world of “penpalling”. I stumbled across Madison (@lettersfrommadison) who was sending letters all around the world and showcasing her snailmail creations on Instagram. I was HOOKED! I jumped in headfirst and went to Michael’s the day after I found her account and bought heaps and heaps of stationery supplies to start my penpal letters.  (Watch this video for more on my Snailmail Story or watch below).  In retrospect I wish I’d given it a little more thought because I was soon overwhelmed by a few different things in the penpal world. I want to share a little bit about what I learned along the way so you don’t encounter the same misunderstandings and problems.

1.       There are different kinds of penpals and swaps.

I had this idea in my head that all penpals swapped the same things, letters and goodies. This is far from the truth. Some people like to exchange letters, others like to exchange parcels, and others exchange a mix of both. Some only exchange postcards. When you start out make sure you know what it is you are exchanging. I was under the impression everyone exchanged parcels/packages, so I spent a lot of money buying journals, candy, stickers, and other trinkets to send my first penpals.  When some people didn’t reciprocate, I was a little taken aback, but then realized that some of my penpals didn’t want packages of goodies, they wanted letters. Actual, handwritten letters. There were other penpals who only sent goodies to me without letters. Not gonna lie. That was fun too. But I enjoyed the letter part too much… I soon found a happy medium and started arranging swaps that involved a letter and a few goodies. It’s important to find out what kind of penpal you want to be to avoid misunderstandings, which brings me to my next point.

2.       Communicate. Communicate. Communicate.

Since there are different kinds of exchanges and swaps, make sure you communicate with your penpal about what it is you’re going to send and how and when are you going to send it. Will you send first? Will you have a “send by” date or deadline? Will you only exchange letters? How often will you write? Will all your letters be handwritten? Will you email the person when you receive their package or letter? Once these questions are addressed, your swaps will be a lot easier to manage.

3.       "Penpaling" is pricey!

The cost of postage is constantly increasing. Sending a letter costs almost $.50! I remember when postage was $.28. Sending a parcel can get very expensive too, especially if it’s going international. I remember the first time I sent two packages to my first UK penpals, it cost me about $36! I couldn’t believe how expensive it was! I say all this to remind you to take into account the cost of postage. Yes, the things you send will be one expense, but don’t forget to consider the cost of postage. Having a penpal can be very costly.

4.       You will have a bad experience at least once.

Whether your mail gets destroyed in transit, lost, or a penpal fails to respond…you will have at least some sort of negative experience with penpalling. It’s a given. The important thing is how you handle it. Will you let a few bad experiences spoil the good ones? I hope not. Take it with a stride and focus on the positive. I’ve had many failed swaps, and I’ve been outright scammed too. lol But that’s okay. You can’t let the negative experiences put a damper on the whole thing.

5.       It’s OK to say no.

Since sharing my creations on Instagram, a lot of people would message me asking to be my penpal. I agreed to about 80%  of the requests I would get, especially one-time swaps because I honestly felt like a bad person if I said “no” to someone. In fact, it got to the point where I got really overwhelmed with my penpals (toward the end of 2014) and I even ended some of my “parcel penpalships” (swaps that involved parcel exchanges only). Of course I parted ways by sending some awesome “last parcels” that didn’t require reciprocation. It’s so easy to get overwhelmed, so learn that saying “No” is okay. You are not a bad person for not wanting to take on more penpals.

There are more things to be said about "penpalships" and swapping letters, but I will save those for future posts! I hope you found these tips helpful! If you’d like to share things you’ve learned about penpaling , please share your wise words and experiences in the comments below! Thanks for reading!

Pocket Letter $1 Ideas & Tips

I know that making pocket letters can be a pricey hobby, but it doesn't have to be if you think a little creatively and "out of the box"! I went to the Dollar Tree a while ago and found some cute things to make pocket letters on a budget. I'm sharing some pocket letter tips in this post and also in the video below. With a little imagination, it's easy to think of inexpensive ways to make pocket letters and goodies too!

Pocket Letter Tips

 -Silk flower blooms: A whole bouquet won't fit in a pocket, but if you pluck off the blooms, you can fill your pocket letters with flowers that will last!

-Use a kids tutu: Kid tutus are colorful and frilly. You can use the material to make a wrapping for your pocket letter. (Check out Aideen's post on creative pocket letter wrapping ideas)

-Sticky notes that are pocket letter size: You can find a lot of sticky notes at the dollar store. I like to stamp mine with cute images in the corner to personalize them.

-Stickers for $1: The dollar store is probably the only place you'll find a large selection of stickers for cheap. You can use them to decorate your pocket letters or to send as goodies!

-Gift Wrap: Check the gift wrap section for cute paper to use as your pocket letter backgrounds. Especially if you're doing a certain theme like a birthday or wedding. Or if you find a print you like, say with popsicles, you can cut out the individual shapes, laminate them, and send them as die cuts for your pals! (Watch my video to see what I'm talking about...)

-Hair Accessories: Barrettes or hair clips can be sent "as is" to your pal, or you can make embellished paperclips with a little hot glue!

Themes 

-Beach/Hawaiian/Luau Theme Pocket Letter: Use some beach-themed napkins to fill a pocket. Also check the party aisle at your dollar store. There are so many things you can use there to fill your pocket!

 -Graduate Theme Pocket Letter: Around graduation time there were a lot of grad goodies, like tassels that could be tucked into a pocket for a graduate.

-Wedding Theme Pocket Letter: My dollar store has a large selection of wedding or bridal shower party goods and favors. You are bound to find things there for a wedding theme pocket letter.

-Baby Shower Theme Pocket Letter: The same goes for baby showers. Check for little booties, or even send a bib that you can decorate with a simple permanent marker.

Pocket Letters for Kids

It's amazing seeing children get involved in this hobby!

-Send some glow in the dark shapes for a Glow in the Dark Pocket Letter!

-Send little costume bracelets, sheriff's badges, or jewelery tucked in the pockets so kids can play dress-up! You can even fold a kid's tutu to send in your pocket letter.

-Send barrettes or little hair ties for goodies!

-Plus candy!




Watch this video to see more of these budget friendly tips!

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Here's some links you should check out too if you're new to Pocket Letters.

What are Pocket Letters?
Janette Lane's Pocket Letter Guide
Pocket Letter Basic Tutorial
Pocket Letter Ideas
Pocket Letter FAQs.

Pocket Letter™ Shop

PURCHASE INSERTS FOR POCKET LETTERS HERE:

 

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What to Write in Your Pocket Letter

I love reading the letter portion of a pocket letter (Click here to read about all the components of a typical Pocket Letter). It gives me insight about the heart behind the art! (Hey! That rhymed!) Personally, I want to know a little more about the creative mind that sent me a piece of their work. It makes it more personal, more real.  A lot of people have asked me about how to write the letter that goes in the Pocket Letter. The Pocket Letter letter. (Say that 10x fast!) I think this proves challenging especially when you're doing a one-time exchange with someone. What is it that you want to say? Do you want to keep it short and simple? Or do you want to be detailed? 

I’ve included some tips as well as an example right below my suggestion.  Keep this as simple or as elaborate as you’d like, but try to hit each of the following suggested points. Once you get better at this, you can leave out or add more “talking points”. And remember, all these are just suggestions. If you don't want to send a letter, make sure you tell your pal during your email exchanges, just so they know what to expect. Some people value the letter highly... others don't. That's completely fine, but always communicate with your pal!

-Greeting 

-Who you are and where you live. (Again you can be as detailed as you’d like) 

-What you do for a living. 

-What you do for fun. 

-How you found out about Pocket Letters & what you like about them. 

-Thank you for exchanging. 

-Information about where to find you in case they want to keep in touch via social media. 

-Closing. 

You can elaborate on each point in one sentence or one paragraph. It’s up to you! The following is an example of the above points in action:

Hello there! 

My name is Janette and I live in sunny California! Southern CA to be exact and pretty close to Disneyland. I’m a craft designer and blogger. Aside from arts and crafts, I enjoy traveling, reading, thrifting, and making YouTube videos. I also love going out to eat. I found out about Pocket Letters earlier this year when I stumbled across Janette Lane’s post on Instagram and Youtube. I’ve been having fun getting to know people from all around the world. Thank you so much for agreeing to do a one-time swap with me. I hope that we can at least keep in touch via social media. Or if you’d like to continue swapping, let me know. You can find me on YouTube (The Janette Lane) and Instagram. (@janettelaneblog) 

Take care and I hope you enjoy my Pocket Letter creation. 

Sincerely, 

Janette 

I hope this  has helped you in some way with the letter portion of the Pocket Letter. Thanks for reading!

 

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Here's some links you should check out too if you're new to Pocket Letters. 

What are Pocket Letters? 
Janette Lane's Pocket Letter Guide
Pocket Letter Basic Tutorial 
Pocket Letter Ideas
Pocket Letter FAQs.
Pocket Letter™ Shop

 

Brianna's Pocket Letter Story

I was asked by Janette to be a guest spot blog entry, of course I jumped on the chance. So here I am. Let me introduce myself. I am Brianna Holifield. Mother of 3, married for 18 years. I have been scrapbooking since 2003. My crafting addiction began when my husband was deployed to Operation Iraqi Freedom. To keep my mind from constantly thinking about his safety, I picked up some scrapbooking items from our local craft store. I was literally hooked from the first day I came home and made my first scrapbook. I have done scrapbooks, mini paper bag albums, project life albums, greeting cards, you name it I have probably tried it.

One day I was blog hopping and came across Janette Lane's blog. There was something called "pocket letters" on it. I read all about what she had written and was very intrigued on how to make one. I watched her YouTube video https://youtu.be/C551yphwG_o and then went to work.

I am absolutely in love with the creative process of taking a 9 pocket baseball trading card page and turning it into a beautiful letter for someone else. The picking out of 9 cards, washi tape, ephemera, die-cuts, ribbons, buttons, sequins, stickers, paints, stamps. Whatever your heart desires for that particular pocket letter on that particular day.

My style is using a mix of project life cards, die-cuts, and ephemera, and using a layering effect on 3 or 4 of the pockets. As I tend to always decorate the outside of the pockets, rather then the card itself. I fill each pocket in the back with either coordinating goodies or just randomness. Which is another reason I absolutely love pocket letters. There is no right or wrong way to create your pocket.

I found out there was a Facebook group for the pocket letters,  https://www.facebook.com/pocketletterpals  which I joined back in February 2015. There is nothing but wonderful, supportive, creative ladies on that site. They share tons and I mean TONS of great ideas for pockets, embellishments they have made, card ideas, and mostly they share their friendship. I have made tons of new friendships from all over the world, all because one lady [Janette] decided to share her wonderful idea with the world of making a pocket letter for a friend.

As of today's date I have made over 125 pocket letters. I use to be a die hard project life junkie but since finding pocket letters, I have totally changed my project life albums to pocket letter albums. I love the style and flow of the 9 pockets.

A couple of tips I would like to share with you that I have learned over the 5 months of making pockets. I have bought several different versions of the baseball card sleeves and to me the best ones that I love to work with are the Ulta-Pro 30 pages brand. You only get 30 pockets but the quality is very good. I tend to use my glue gun a lot on the pockets and these hold up perfectly. If you have a printer USE it. There are tons of embellishments you can print off Pinterest to use in your letters. If you have a local Dollar Tree or Dollar store near by, get in there. They have great $1.00 items you can use in your pockets. There is an entire craft/stationary aisle! And let's not forget about the Target dollar spot. They have stepped up their game when it comes to the craft world, offering crafting/planner goodies for 1.00-3.00 dollars. It never hurts to pop in and see what they have.

If your interested in seeing any of my pocket letters please feel free to follow me on any of these sites!

Instagram: [brianna.holifield] https://instagram.com/brianna.holifield/

My blog: http://luvmyarmyboy.blogspot.com/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/luvmyarmyboy/

Welcome to the wonderful world of pockets. I will warn you now, these are highly addictive and contagious. You're going to love this new found craft.

Happy Crafting lovelies,
Brianna Holifield

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Thank you SO MUCH Brianna for sharing your pocket letter story! I loved hearing how you got into this new style of crafting. Please make sure to check out Brianna's blog and Instagram: 

 http://luvmyarmyboy.blogspot.com/

 

Here's some links you should check out too if you're new to Pocket Letters. 

What are Pocket Letters? 
Janette Lane's Pocket Letter Guide
Pocket Letter Basic Tutorial 
Pocket Letter Ideas
Pocket Letter FAQs.
Pocket Letter™ Shop


**All photos in this post are by Brianna of Luv My Army Boy and used with special permission. 

Pocket Letter Inspiration with Araceli Espindola

Hello! My name is Araceli (AKA Ara), I am a papercrafter from Texas. I love creating anything that involves paper. I love cats and Chapstick. Today I want to show you 3 recent Pocket Letters I made and share some tips. I love creating these and swapping with other crafters. So let's get started!!!!!

 For this Pocket Letter I was going for a Vintage Inspired/whimsy style. I used brands such as Tim Holtz, The Girls Paperie, DCVW, Crate Paper, American Crafts, Sizzix dies, Glitz Designs, labels from Dollar Tree, and Cavallini Papers and CO.

Here is a close up of the shaker card I made for this pocket letter. I have a process video on Youtube if you would like to watch it: Click Here. I used beads that I purchased from Dollar Tree, sequins I purchased from Wal-mart and Hobby Lobby, wood veneer sequins, glitter and a gold paperclip. I then sealed the pocket using the Photo Fuse Tool by WRMK. The "so very lovely" chipboard is on the outside of the pocket which I attached using glue dots.

Pocket Letter#2. The theme for this pocket is Planner Addict. I used a variety of different paper lines. The majority of the stickers are from The 9 to 5 line by October Afternoon. Other Items I used are from MAMBI, Basic Grey, Target Dollar spot, Studio 112, Sticko,  The girl's Paperie. The middle Pocket holds 3 paperclips (from left to right: Maggie Holmes, Kate Spade and Freckled Fawn).

What I like to do before starting any pocket letter is gather as many items  I think will look good and bring everything to my craft desk and only work using those items, no grabbing more or as we usually saym "Oh, I bet blah blah would look good on this," lol. This helps me not over-think and cuts down wasted time.

When I have extra time; I like to wrap up the pocket letters as "gifts".  What I used here is a paper Doily (You can find them in the cake making section at Michaels/Hobby Lobby/Joanns), a scrap piece of patterned cardstock adorned with Washi Tape, and a "thanks" label, a laminated Stag, a Gold glittered heart, and a pink paperclip to hold them all in place.

And lastly, the final Pocket Letter for this post. This was a Tim Holtz Inspired Pocket Letter. Tim Holtz was one of the first Artist's I started following back in the day when I first started scrapbooking. He is sooo dreamy, lol! For this pocket Letter I used Tim Holtz, American Crafts, Prima Marketing, October Afternoon, Sizzix Dies, Basic Grey, The Girls Paperie, Maggie Holmes, and Websters Pages.

Here is a close up of the bottom pocket. I painted a piece of chipboard and once it dried I ran it through my Big Shot using the Sewing Room Sizzix die. I then added a picture (also from Tim Holtz), a flash card that says, "today" (also by Tim Holtz), and layered a Prima Marketing Flower along with a butterfly and safety pin from Tim Holtz. I then added some gesso to the "today" flash card to give it a little texture.

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Thank you Ara for sharing your creative pocket letter designs! You are so talented and I loved learning a little bit more of what you like to use for your pocket letters. If you'd like to see more of Ara's awesome papercrafts, please check out her blog, The Paper Treasury or find her on Instagram at www.instagram.com/ara_esp. She's also on the Marion Smith planner design team, so you know she knows her stuff!;)



Here's some links you should check out if you're new to Pocket Letters.

What are Pocket Letters?
Janette Lane's Pocket Letter Guide
Pocket Letter Basic Tutorial
Pocket Letter Ideas
Pocket Letter FAQs.
Pocket Letter™ Shop

Pocket Letter Creative Process w/ Jessicka Moran

Hello Hello!!

Jessicka here on this wonderful Wednesday! I have lived in Texas for most of my life. I'm married and a mommy to three boys. I've been crafting since my husband joined the military in 1999. I love anything crafty: from scrapbooks and planners, to lists and diy home decor..plus now, Pocket Letters!  I am feeling completely honored and excited to be able to share a few tips with you from my pocket letter process. 

Remember, the creative process of a pocket letter should be completely your style. I created my first pocket letter at the end of April.  Since then, I find that staying true to what I love is by far more gratifying for me than struggling to copy someone else. 

Now on to some organizational tips to make your pocket letter creation easier and quicker! You can do these in whatever order you'd like.

1. Pick your color combination. 
You can start by picking out a background, whatever that may be. I usually use cardstock paper or project life cards as shown here.  However, you can use tags, pretty tissue paper, cut up gift bags and even wrapping paper. 
Just trim them down to size (2.5 x 3.5)

2. Shop your stash to decorate your pockets! Shopping is fun but I always check what I have on hand first. Anything Goes!

-Washi, paper clips, note cards, doilies, and enamel dots. Make Your own: search for free printables and use your punches. 

 

-Make sequins shaker cards or make your own embelishments out of cupcake liners or by layering different elements together.

-Design and cut out your own ephemera with an electronic cutting machine.

TIP: If you are pressed for time:  Group & Store all these items in ziplock bags or mini boxes. You'll have your own pocket letter kits ready for your next "Crafty Day".

3. Keep a pocket letter tracker!  
There's a few out there that you can print out and use. But if you want it to be personalized to your needs or your system, just make your own. 
Perfect way to keep track of all the pocket letters you've sent and received! 
Here's  one I made on MSWord to keep in my planner. Nothing fancy, but it is a L i f e s a v e r ! 

I hope you enjoyed my post. But most of all, I hope it helps you or inspires you to start creating pocket letters! It is THE funnest thing ever (yes, funnest)!

I'm so grateful to Janette for sharing this passion with us! 

Be Sure and stayed tuned tomorrow for another blog post! 

Huge Hugs!

Jess

Blog: http://myhappyistooloud.blogspot.com/

Instagram: jessicka.moran 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jessicka.moran

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Thank you SO MUCH Jess for sharing your pocket letter creative process! I loved your ideas and your creations! Please make sure to check out Jess's blog:
http://myhappyistooloud.blogspot.com/

 

Here's some links you should check out too if you're new to Pocket Letters.

What are Pocket Letters?
Janette Lane's Pocket Letter Guide
Pocket Letter Basic Tutorial
Pocket Letter Ideas
Pocket Letter FAQs.
Pocket Letter™ Shop


**All photos in this post are by Jessicka Moran of My Happy Is Too Loud and used with special permission.

Wrapping and Packaging Ideas for Your Pocket Letter

Hello lovelies, Aideen here from emilyandaideenloves-my bestie and bloggy partner Emily popped by yesterday and gave our blog a lovely little intro! Do drop by and say hello to us....

 

Like Emily, I too am pretty new to pocket letters but am already loving this fun new snail mail trend. Today, I am going to show you some ideas for wrapping and packaging your pocket letters and hopefully give you some ideas-here is just one that I share:

I put together a video to show you all my ideas and to tell you exactly what I have done, so please do check it out!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voiAftYgsgI

Thanks so much for checking out my guest post here on the wonderful Janette Lane blog and a HUGE thanks again to Janette from both Emily and myself.

-Aideen xoxo

Blogs: emilyandaideenloves.blogspot.com and piecesbyaideen.com

Twitter: ealovesblog

Facebook: emily and aideen loves

YouTube: Aideen Fallon

Pinterest & Instagram: Aideen Fallon

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Thank you so much Aideen for sharing how to wrap up your pocket letters. Loved having you and Emily on my blog! Also make sure to check out Emily and Aideen Loves blog.  And please come back tomorrow for another special guest blogger!

 

Here's some links you should check out too if you're new to Pocket Letters.

What are Pocket Letters?
Janette Lane's Pocket Letter Guide
Pocket Letter Basic Tutorial
Pocket Letter Ideas
Pocket Letter FAQs.
Pocket Letter™ Shop


**All photos in this post are by Aideen of Emily and Aideen Loves and used with special permission. 

Pocket Letter Pretties- Emily’s Top Picks!

Hi there!
Emily here from Emily & Aideen Loves or EAL for short, which is a lifestyle blog that my bestie Aideen Fallon and I started. We share our many loves both crafty and non crafty related, review products, share our current fashion obsessions, basically anything fun that we think our lovely readers would enjoy hearing about! Aideen and I actually first met through the online crafting community, so crafty trends like pocket letters and mail art, are super exciting to us and we love connecting with crafty peeps from around the world! 

 I am still fairly new to the whole pocket letter trend, and I think what I am finding most helpful as I navigate the land of pocket letters online is seeing what people are filling those 9 little pockets with. The decorating part comes pretty naturally to me, but often times I find myself wondering what kinds of goodies I should include for my partner. So I thought it would be fun, and hopefully helpful to other newbies like myself to create a little list of my favorite items to include and receive in my pocket letters.

 Pocket Letter Pretties- Emily’s Top Picks!

-       Bunny, Deer, or Bird themed Die Cuts and Ephemera – I guess I’m just lovin’ the woodland creature motif trend? lately.

-       Silver and Gold Sequins - I love making little sequin pockets!

-       BOWS – Ok, but seriously who doesn’t love a nice bow clip or die cut?!

-       Gold Glittery Heart Stickers – OBSESSED!! They just add the perfect touch to any pocket letter. I use these both to decorate and as little goodies inside the pockets.

-       Tea – who doesn’t love a nice cup of tea mmmm

-       Clips – I like to use various clips to both attach decorations to my pockets, and as little goodies inside them too… This is something I LOVE to receive so I figure they will be fun and useful for my partners.

-       Wood Veneer – this is another fave of mine to receive so I am always sure to pop a few cute wooden bits into every pocket letter I send out.

-       Washi and Twine – need I say more hehe! These are both so handy and fun to share and receive! I have been on such a gold washi kick lately. It adds such a fun and sparkly touch to any project.

-       Mini sticky notes- Since getting into pocket letters I have been growing a little collection of cute little sticky notes. I love using them, and I always love getting samples of ones I haven’t seen before!

-       Tags- Tags are just fun, and a nice filler when I’m not quite sure what else to add to a pocket… when in doubt add a tag!  Lol

So that is a list of my current pocket letter faves at the moment and a pocket letter sample I created as a bit of inspo using my very favorite pocket letter pretties! I hope you enjoyed my little post, and stay tuned tomorrow for another fun pocket letter post by my partner in crime Aideen,

-Emily

Blog: emilyandaideenloves.blogspot.com 
Twitter: ealovesblog 
Facebook: emily and aideen loves

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Thank you so much Emily for sharing the pocket letter goodies you like to include in your creations! Stay tuned tomorrow to hear from  Aideen! Also make sure to check out Emily and Aideen Loves blog.

 

Here's some links you should check out too if you're new to Pocket Letters.

What are Pocket Letters?
Janette Lane's Pocket Letter Guide
Pocket Letter Basic Tutorial
Pocket Letter Ideas
Pocket Letter FAQs.
Pocket Letter™ Shop


**All photos in this post are by Emily of Emily and Aideen Loves and used with special permission.