Description:
The convenience of today's technology often costs us in unseen ways; all the e-mails that stream our way can't begin to replace the magic of one handwritten letter. Paper artist extraordinaire Diane Maurer-Mathison knows this well, and has set about redressing the situation in her exquisite The Handcrafted Letter. From improving our handwriting to getting over writer's block, Maurer-Mathison helps us hone our skills and overcome excuses for not writing. Then she inspires us with dozens of ideas for beautiful missives to friends, lovers, children; inventive thank-you cards, congratulatory cards, travel postcards; and unique holiday and special-occasion cards. A mixture of artful papers and attractive, mostly easy techniques (stenciling, embossing, collage, spatter painting, leaf printing, quilling, paper weaving) yield an array of correspondence that anyone would be thrilled to receive. Along with project directions and gorgeous photographs, the author provides suggestions for such thoughtful extras as special enclosures (a prepaid phone card, a favorite recipe, a lottery ticket, a packet of scented bubble bath, for example) and artful envelope designs. A brief rundown on making your own decorative paper and a good source list are also included. More than just the decorative veneer that many card-making books address, this guide teaches us how to put real meaning into visually appealing messages. --Amy Handy
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