Springtime Envelope Art

Have you ever had an extra special card or letter to send, and a plain white envelope just won't cut it?  Today I wanted to share my take on the "mail art" trend with these pretty springtime designs created on Cryogen White and Raw Finish A7 envelopes.

The type of envelope you choose will depend on your coloring medium.  I wanted to color using alcohol-based markers, so I decided to try Cryogen White A7 envelopes because many stampers love the corresponding cardstock for their Copic coloring.

Begin by stamping your images onto the front of the envelope in an alcohol-friendly ink.  I used a stamp positioning tool for this step to ensure that the seams on the back of the envelope did not interfere with my stamping.  Space your images so that you leave room for the address and return address.

Insert a piece of scrap cardstock into the envelope to prevent ink from seeping through to the back and color the images with alcohol-based markers.  The Cryogen White envelopes allowed me to blend colors perfectly and with no feathering, but because they are thinner than a typical sheet of cardstock, you will have to be careful about how much ink you apply.

To give the scene atmosphere while still leaving a clear space for the address, apply blue and purple ink to the edges of the envelope with an ink blending tool.  Using more than one color gives it tons of depth!

Address your envelope by hand, stamp, or printer (mine were added digitally here to protect my recipient's privacy) and don't forget to buy coordinating postage.  If you love the look of hand-lettering, try out some of the fun calligraphy tools that CutCardStock has in stock!

For a different look, I stamped my images onto an Environment Raw A7 envelope and colored them with colored pencils before inking the edges with brown ink.  The raw finish is perfect for blending pencil because the surface has plenty of tooth to catch the color.

I hope I've inspired you to try out some mail art of your own.  With the right envelope to match your coloring medium, you can surprise your recipient with something truly beautiful.  Be sure to visit the CutCardStock store to purchase any of the supplies showcased today.

~ Annie

Products used in this project: