DIY Revival

There has been a real resurgence in the lost art of DIY and creativity over the past few years, not least amongst my own circle of friends, which is really inspiring to see. Adrian runs a record label with a friend and so much of that is based around a very DIY ethic; there's a self reliance there which diligently drives the label, Howling Owl, forward. My friend Steph recently coordinated the launch of Box, her selfmade zine which chronicled a who's who of female talent in Bristol, showcasing the written word, illustration, photography and audio.

DIY can be nostalgic, and I wanted to revisit the lost art of letter-writing within this post, thanks to the motivation provided by these lovely materials from World of Envelopes.  I used to be very keen on writing letters; I have a whole box full of letters from pen friends and even my best friend Casey, who spent the extra time at the end of her mock GCSE exams providing a social commentary on the teachers dubious fashions or what she would be doing at the weekend (she could have just told me after the exams, I suppose, but when you're 15 (in 1998) it was all about committing to paper)

Of course, this is a digital age, and with the advent of Myspace, Facebook and even prior with emails, and texts the letter became something that was more frequently used to communicate thankyou's to grandparents after Christmas and birthdays than finding out what friends were up to. There is a definite place for the humble letter, though; when I first moved away from home the letters from my mum, simple postcards or notes enclosed with forwarded mail were the things I looked forward to the most, that helped me ease that sense of homesickness. There's a definitely feeling of sentimentality that comes through with a letter; the handwriting, the envelope carefully addressed, the time that someone has invested in the writing, that is lost completely through digital media. That's why letters are kept, treasured, in a way that emails, despite their content, are not.

If you are lacking in inspiration, World of Envelopes has just about everything you could possibly hope for in terms of making a letter look as pretty as possible. From amazingly intricate pouchettes to the pretty lined 'fancy envelopes' in a multitude of colours and sizes, there's something for all types of letter. There are also themed envelopes for special occasions or suitable Wedding stationary if you are looking for something pretty to house your invites! Check out the full range on the website here.

XO Amie