The Handcrafted Letter

Handwritten correspondence is coming back into vogue. Letter writing allows us to slow down and consider our thoughts fully before we commit them to paper. And there is something intimate about a hand-written letter that e-mails, typed letters, and even phone calls can't replace. Sending a hand-written letter is like sending a small part of yourself.

Such a letter is more than just a means of communication, it's a gift - and sometimes a legacy. By sharing letters with family and friends, we maintain lifelong relationships and establish and build closeness with those whom we rarely visit in person.

Paper artist Diane Maurer-Mathison has used her design sense and expertise to create this stylish guide to preserving memories in beautiful, heirloom-quality cards and letters. Fully illustrated in color, THE HANDCRAFTED LETTER covers it all. Rediscovering your voice. Correcting handwriting problems. Choosing the best writing implements and paper. Planning and laying out letter projects. Plus all the tricks of the trade: cutting, gluing, cropping photographs, stamping, stenciling, and using decorative-edge scissors. An entire chapter is devoted to decorative paper techniques, including Suminagashi marbling and paste papers. And there are more than 40 projects that will inspire enthusiasts, from love letters and artful envelopes to quilled cards, annual holiday letters, and projects for kids.