Sticker Books I Want to Buy

I went down a rabbit hole last night and I am here to share the benefits of my research. I found out about the world of adult sticker books, or Paint-by-Stickers. This is exactly the mess-free meditation I was looking for! Today I’m sharing the best ones I have found.

So these are exactly like Paint by Numbers, but with stickers. there are empty templates with numbers and you put the matching sticker onto the number. How cool is this?

Mrs. Grossman has a series of mandala-style sticker books that I’m having a hard time chosing between. There’s this one with unicorns and rainbows, but also one called “Delightful Days” with symbols of general happiness, and another called “Animals All Around.”

If, like me, your Millenial is constantly showing, then this is probably for you. Sticking Together some Hogwarts Moments sounds hilarious to me. Looking at the reviews game me a chuckle.

The Art Masterpieces sticker book probably has the most, highest review. Renoir, Van Gogh, Monet, Michelangelo, Hokusai, Cezanne. This looks like just the ticket.

No More Customizable Postage Stamps

Every now and then I still get asked if I do customizable stamps like the ones pictured here. Unfortunately USPS discontinued this program in June of 2020 and you can no longer create customized stamps. However you can still USE them indefinitely.

If you happen to have stocked up on them and have extras, they still carry the value printed on them. Keep in mind they are not forever stamps so you’ll have to make up any additional postage necessary with vintage stamps or stamps from USPS. The postal service usually implements increases late January every year.

If you want to know how much your letter or invitation will cost to mail, I recommend going to the post office and talking to a clerk, but you can also check on the USPS website.

Custom stamp calligraphy and photograph are by Delighted Calligraphy.

Three Ladies

Stamp of the week features three beautiful stamps honoring women I admire

Grace Kelly, 1993

Grace Kelly (1929-1982) was a film actress famed for her beauty and skill. She won an academy award for Mogambo (1953) but my favorite of her films is Alfred Hitchcock's Rear Window. She also gained royal status by marrying the Prince of Monaco.

Frida Kahlo, 2001

Frida Kahlo (1907-1954) was a Mexican artist known for self-portraits that capture the struggles of a disability (polio and lingering affects of a bus accident), as well as the confinements of being a woman.

Audrey Hepburn, 2003

After surviving Nazi occupation of Belgium, Audrey Hepburn (1929-1993) became a famous actress and one of only 16 people to have attained EGOT status (emmy, grammy, oscar, tony awards). She dedicated her later years to humanitarian efforts, winning a Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1992.

Disney Postage Stamps

In the early 00s, USPS partnered with Disney to release a series of postage stamps featuring plenty of beloved characters. Each sheet was themed, and each sheet featured at least one Mickey. You can find these stamps here.

- 2004 The Art of Disney: Friendship

- 2005 The Art of Disney: Celebration

- 2006 The Art of Disney: Romance

- 2007 The Art of Disney: Magic

- 2008 The Art of Disney: Imagination

Interested in Wedding Postage?

This post is specifically for those interested in curated postage sets for weddings or large events. If you are interested in single stamps, find them here.

Now let’s talk wedding postage. If you want beautiful, memorable wedding envelopes, vintage postage is the way to go! My process is simple and straightforward and I do my best to respect your budget and make stamps as affordable as possible for you.

When you’re ready, send an email to gracie @ enfieldpost.com with the following info:

1. How many envelopes are you sending?

2. How much postage do you need per envelope?

3. What colors/themes do you want represented. 

I’ll respond with a PDF of options and pricing that you can choose from or we can tweak one you sorta like until it’s just right. When you purchase, it takes about 5-7 business days for the stamps to be in your hands. It’s a pretty easy process! My 2oz rates start at $2.50 per envelope. 

Please scroll through the pictures below for inspiration!

Current USPS Stamps to Buy

USPS is constantly releasing new stamps, some of which are winners. Here are the ones I would buy right now. You can get them all at the USPS online store.

By the way, USPS announced they’ll be releasing these Star Wars Droid Forever stamps on May the 4!

Stationery Sets I'm Eyeing

I was shopping around for new Just-For-Fun Stationery sets recently and thought I’d let you in on what I’m eyeing. Take a look!

Click on an image below to be taken to the stationery set.

How sweet is this air mail set?? We all know Air Mail isn’t a service provided by USPS anymore, but we can still embrace that signature blue and wide edge paper with enthusiasm! See this set here.

For my casual correspondence: tie-dyed paper that is nice and big at 8.5 x 11 and envelopes that have a side enclosure. See them here.

You can always count on classic Crane Paper. I have had this set before and I love it. Would definitely repurchase. Find it here.

This set is by Papyrus and I find it cheerful and adorable. Love the envelope liners as well! Was thinking it would be a great fit for my kids but I might keep it for myself. Find it here.

Mississippi Wedding Postage Set

I have rarely put together more elegant postage sets than when I work with Arizona-based Ink & Press Co. Her beautiful wedding invitation suites are equal parts understated, sumptuous and refined. When I was contacted about putting together a postage set for a wedding in Mississippi I jumped! I knew I wanted to included the Mississippi statehood stamp as well as the 1945 Armed Forces stamp (because of the couples’ connection to the army) and we built around it from there. Included in this set:

• 4c Simon Bolivar from 1958

• 15c Architecture from 1979

• 20c Mississippi from 1982 (from State Birds and Flowers sheet)

• 33c Bartram Magnolia from 1999

• 20c Concord (German Immigration) from 1983

• 3c Armed Forces from 1945

Interested in vintage postage for your wedding invitations? Email me.

All About Hand Cancellation

Let’s face it: those beautiful, vintage looking circular stamps with the date and PO location are more elusive than ever. With their efficient scanners, USPS is sending every envelope they can through them and forgoing the hand-cancellation you may be after. Here’s the low-down.

An envelope will get a hand cancellation stamp only if it is “non-machineable,” meaning it can’t go through the scanner machines. Examples of traditional correspondence that is non-machineable: square envelopes and envelopes with wax seals. There is a tax for these items called the Non-Machineable Surcharge. You may have seen this phrase on certain stamps, like the one below. In 2021, this surcharge is 20 cents.

So let’s do some math. Say you’re a bride with a wedding invitation and you want a wax seal. Your invitation, with the response card tucked inside perhaps, weighs 2 ounces. You’re at 75 cents of postage (this is the 2021 2 oz rate). Because you want your wax seal, you need to add on the non-machineable surcharge, so you’re now at 95 cents.

A Few Tips, FYIs, and Caveats

1. Using vintage postage does not equal a hand cancellation stamp.

2. If hand-cancellation is important to you, always stand in line and ask for it. Also, go at a time when the post office isn’t busy (as in, not Monday at opening, not Friday at closing and most lunchtimes) because this takes extra time.

3. Sometimes, even when you pay the non-machineable surcharge, your envelope will go through the scanner anyway. This is at the discretion of the Postal Employee who handles your mail. Like many things involving the USPS, once it leaves your hands it is out of your control. So let me say once more: The best way to get hand cancellation is to stand in line and ask for it and watch them do it.

Have questions? Please email me.

1993 Classic Books

The Classic Books stamps feature illustrations from four works published by American authors: Rebecca of Sunnybrook Farm (1903), Little Women (1868), The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn (1885), and Little House on the Prairie (1935). These are an instant shot of nostalgia to me. I hope you like them as well. Find them here.

This series was issued in Louisville, KY and had a print run of 37.5 milion.

The New USPS Trucks

There have been a lot of negative changes at USPS lately, so let’s rejoice in one very positive one: new rides for our mail carriers! In 2023 the USPS will start using a fleet of new trucks. They’re calling it a Next Generation Delivery Vehicle (NGDV) and will have upgrades like air conditioning and heat, back-up cameras, and better traction, making them more equipped for rural routes. It’s hard to believe but many of the vehicles in use now (those boxy, classic looking “mail trucks”) were first put on the road in 1986 and 140,000 are still in operation.

Is the design on the cartoonish side? Yes. Does it matter? Not really. It will be a huge upgrade to the daily work environment of thousands of mail carriers.

Learn more here.

A Few Great Washi Tapes

I was looking through the Washi Tape options on Amazon this weekend and thought I’d compile a list of what I was considering. I love washi tape for many reasons, but mostly for how it adds a little spark of joy to my mail and desk work. Amazon has a wealth of options…

Click each pic below to get the details.

French Blues Wedding Postage

I pulled together these beautiful blue vintage postage stamps for a bride looking for a just a few number of sets for her small wedding. The stamps come from 1949-2011, and include a Forever stamp. When most people think “vintage” they don’t include Forever stamps in that definition, but there are quite a few that are beautiful and can bulk up the face value of the postage in a significant way. I love the Hopper this bride chose because it’s what I used on my own wedding invites!

• 15c Globe and Doves Air Mail from 1949

• 1c Inkwell and Quill from 1977

• Forever Hopper from 2011

• 29c Grace Kelly from 1993

• 5c Audubon from 1963

Great Lakes Wedding Postage Set

I had so much fun putting together a wedding postage set for a couple getting married in the woods in Michigan near the Great Lakes. When it came to postage, they wanted their location represented above all. Together we put together a stamp set grounded by cool tones, natural flora and animals. The owls complemented to strong pine on the Michigan statehood stamp and the great lakes stamp was the perfect finishing touch.

• 3c Soo Locks Centennial from 1955

• 15c Owls from 1768

• 15c Endangered Flora from 1979

• 22c Michigan Statehood from 1987

Calligraphy on this envelope is by Nob Hill Jane.

My Top 3 Must Haves

One important part of stamp collecting & vintage postage is having the right tools. With storing them and using them, there are a few helpful things to know.

1. Whenever you’re not using your vintage postage, keep it out of direct sunlight and in a dry environment. I always use glassine envelopes to help with this. They are acid free and moisture can’t get in, so they’re sure to keep your stamps healthy looking for as long as possible. I don’t recommend keeping them in any kind of paper envelope

2. Glue stick is the way to go for adhering vintage postage. Ask anyone who knows and they’ll agree. Water won’t work because over time the glue weakens and becomes brittle. You may end up with wrinkled stamps that aren’t sticking to your envelopes. Licking is definitely out because of the amount of chemicals and weirdness they used back to create it. I always trust Elmer’s Glue Sticks but I’m sure there are plenty of others that work well too.

3. If you’re collecting stamps to enjoy them, store them in an album meant for just that! Here’s one I really love. They’ll be made with all acid free materials and will usually have a sheet of glassine between pages. It’s the best way to keep your stamps sage! This one comes in green and blue.

Air Mail Explained

I don’t know about you, but when I hear “Air Mail” I think long distance love affairs, wartime heroes writing home, and penpals from the days before email. These are all in the past, but there are plenty of unused Air Mail stamps out there that can still work on your letters. Don’t be turned off by this term on postage stamps, because today it actually means nothing!

Air Mail was a service provided by USPS from 1918-1995. It was an extra charge tacked on to the first class rate to ensure your mail would travel by plane (instead of the much slower ship or train option), guaranteeing a faster delivery. The term was printed on stamps until 1995, and nowadays use of an Air Mail stamp doesn’t get you any perks. USPS uses planes all the time now.

Here are some Air Mail fun facts:

• Air Mail is defined as mail that uses air travel for at least one leg of its journey.

• The first Air Mail flight happened in 1793 via hot air balloon. The message was a letter from George Washington addressed to the owner of the land where the balloon landed (wherever that may be!).

• Air Mail by plane began in 1911.

• The phrase “Air Mail” is a registered trademark with USPS (and “Pony Express” is too!).

Want more Air Mail stamps? See them in my shop.

Gold and Blush Wedding Postage

I was delighted to pull this postage set together for a lovely Ink & Press Co. bride. The blush, gold, white and citrus tones of the invitation suite guided the choices for the postage, whose face value needed to be over $1.00. We landed on a group that evoked old world romance with pops of white to keep it light yet contrast it to the blush envelopes. Here’s what I included:

• 13c 1977 Butterfly

• 20c 1983 Metropolitan Opera

• 33c 1990 Bartram Magnolia

• 20c 1982 Massachusetts (from State Birds and Flowers sheet)

• 18c Edna St. Vincent Millay

• 3c Louisiana Purchase

Interested in exploring wedding postage? Please send me an email and I’m happy to explain the process to you.

What I've Been Reading Lately No. 1

I’m going out on a limb and starting a new blog series that has nothing to do with stamps, but is definitely my top hobby: books! I hope some of you in this community of paper people and letter writers are also big readers like I am. I’ll be sharing the books I’m reading every once in a while here on my blog. I am always seeking out candid book reviews, so I promise to share everything, not just the ones I love. Would love to hear from you, especially if you have recommendations! You can always email me.

Starting with the one I liked the most. I am a pretty predictable NON-thriller type of reader. This book is really not the kind of thing I would pick up, but I heard it was fast paced and I was looking for something a little different. I got it through my book of the month subscription, and it was only going to be $10. I would have absolutely loved it except for there is a lot of triggering plot about small children in danger. Since my boys are five and two, I couldn’t give it five stars. Just a little too close to home for me. But if you can get around that, you’d love this one. Find it here.

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue was another Book of the Month pick for me. I’d heard so much about it, especially how it embraced historical fiction, a favorite category of mine. The book had some pacing inconsistencies and, bottom line, I couldn’t root for the characters. The main character was a bit too flawed for me, so not a 5 star read, but I did really enjoy it and scarfed it down. I got through it quickly even though it’s a pretty hefty book! Find it here.

The Switch is an adorable read, and might just be the literary equivalent of sitting under a blanket with a nice cup of tea. It was a delight to read. I actually did this one on audio for the sake of the British accents, but would have enjoyed the hardcopy just as much. It follows a young professional and her grandmother as they switch lives, and I have rarely met a more endearing heroine than that grandmother as she navigates the London dating scene. I recommend this one! Find it here.

Lastly, I listened to Amy Tan’s 2001 book The Bonesetter’s Daughter. Full disclosure: I thought I read this in high school and loved it. Turns out that was a different book that I have not figured out yet. Anyway, I loved Joy Luck Club so opted to read this and it was pretty interesting, following a modern day woman’s life in San Francisco and flashing back to her mother’s story in midcentury China. Pretty fascinating from a historical perspective. Find it here.

Lil Bunnies

The winter weather is really dragging around here and I have my eyes fully set on spring. With Lent started, I am thinking about Easter and how I will send special cards to my loved ones to celebrate the holiday. These 34c Rabbit stamps are my go-to for Easter greetings!

These stamps come from a sheet of stamps celebrating American Illustrators. This sheet was issued in 2001 (which was 20 YEARS AGO! WHAT!) and celebrates such luminaries as Norman Rockwell, N.C. Wyeth and Frederic Remington. I love this whole sheet and so enjoy each of the stamps. See them in my shop here.

1992 Wildflowers 29c

It's hard to believe now, but from the 1970s to 2000s, USPS printed 5 different sheets with 50 stamps in 50 different designs. Now, it's rare to have more than 4 designs on a sheet of stamps. It's clear that these ambitious sheets were complicated in terms of layout and printing. Otherwise they would keep creating them! But that makes them extra special. They were marketed towards collectors and appreciators of fine design, the same group that still seeks them out today.

The wildflowers sheet is from the early 1990s and each stamp is an individual portrait of a wildflower found in at least one of our 50 states. These stamps were released in Columbus, Ohio during AmeriFlora, a one-time International Floral and Garden Exposition, which was also a non-philatelic event.

These were designed by Karen Mallary and 11,000,000 sheets were printed.

Shop these stamps here.