Writing Christmas Cards

[PeterBeoworld]

Interesting release by the Bishop of Liverpool - He says he will be writing all his cards by hand using a fountain pen.

[peterg]

I hope he will be using a Summit (made in Liverpool) when writing his cards

[Mari1013]

This is an important message. I like e-cards and email is convenient and quick (haven't been swept up by the Twitter wave yet). But there's nothing better than a card or letter in your mailbox that you can keep and look at and read over and over. I recently joined Postcrossing and am really enjoying the postcards I'm getting from total strangers, as well as the ones I'm sending. And I've bought a variety of holiday stamps and just started reviewing my Christmas cards to decide who gets which. (Now if I could only keep up with my letter-a-week pledge!)

[gweimer1]

I was addressing my cards for the year last week. I've done it by computer in the past, but I'm out of color ink, and my printer won't work without it.

 

Soooooo...I decided it was a good thing, and I'm hand-writing them. I used a Conway-Stewart aeromatic that has a nib with some personality to do the addresses, and I'll write a note inside each of the cards.

[VivienR]

Well, I'm planned to do, although I'm bit running out of time, but will try to escape a bit earlier from the office. There is small store called BomoArt here, and they have beautiful post card sets, post cards and many wonderful stationery. They continuously increasing their presence in world wide, also a few of you know them here at FPN. Although I not tried their post cards, yet, their diaries are very fountain pen friendly.

[Chrissy]

I have handwritten some Christmas cards already to my US penpals, although thank goodness I don't have as many to write as the Bishop of Liverpool.

 

I wish him luck in writing 60 per day

[BillZ]

I got back into the habit of sending Christmas cards about 7 years ago when I got back into FPs. Biggest problem is finding cards and envelopes that are FP=friendly. I Right now I have my Visconti Rembrandt(F)loaded with MB Irish Green. I'll try it out and hope. I can always move to a Japanese F nib and hope again!

[Bookman]

Congratulations to Bishop Bayes. Welcome back.

 

I do understand, however, that clergy and politicians operate in a world where they have to use whatever means of communication they find effective for the given message. By the same token, I realize certain people need an autopen to sign the snail-mail Christmas cards they do send out. A pope, for instance, can't hand-sign every card, and the people who get such a card would rather have an autopen-signed card from a pope than no card at all. For the rest of us—at least those of sound mind and body, and with so many technologies to help people keep in touch 24/7/365—I would respectfully disagree, nay quibble, with Bishop Bayes to this extent: E-Christmas cards and group mailings are never OK.

 

I don't send many Christmas cards—between 30 and 40, usually. I've always handwritten them, always handwritten the envelopes. When I was practicing law I would start preparing the cards and envelopes as early in the season as possible, carrying them in my briefcase along with everything else, fitting the task in where I could, sometimes finishing only one card before having to get back to work. In years when I had trials underway in December I frequently didn't get the last of the cards finished and mailed until a few days before Christmas. But I never considered running the envelopes through the printer or using a stamp or a sticker for the return address.

 

As to the FP-friendliness of the cards and envelopes, I guess I've been lucky. I just buy the cards I want and let 'er rip. They've all been FP-friendly or FP-friendly-enough.

Edited November 30, 2014 by Bookman

[wlwilcox]

One of the problems I have found with Christmas cards is the type of gloss that is on them. The cards are not very FP friendly. Does anyone have thoughts on this?

I'm really not trying to hyjack the thread, just trying to help others that may hay a similar issue.

[Indiana.Matt]

One of the problems I have found with Christmas cards is the type of gloss that is on them. The cards are not very FP friendly. Does anyone have thoughts on this?

I'm really not trying to hyjack the thread, just trying to help others that may hay a similar issue.

 

 

I'm new to fountain pens, but you could get blank cards and make your own folded inserts from your favorite paper. Attach the insert with double sided tape or a metallic cord. Write on the inserts first...that way, if you make a mistake, you won't waste your card.

[Lorna Reed]

I hand write about sixty cards to send out. (glad it's not 600)

This year I used an Edison Collier with 1.1 nib, inked with Rouge Hematite. For the envelopes to be posted I used De Atramentis black document ink. I do send e-cards as well though. I like the Jacquie Lawson ones.

[ac12]

I gave my sister-in-law a Sheaffer Imperial desk set for an early Christmas present. She is my only relative that has an office desk that she could use a desk set.

A few days later she told me she signed about 2,000 Christmas cards with the pen. That was a heck of a breaking in session.

[Chrissy]

I hand write about sixty cards to send out. (glad it's not 600)

This year I used an Edison Collier with 1.1 nib, inked with Rouge Hematite. For the envelopes to be posted I used De Atramentis black document ink. I do send e-cards as well though. I like the Jacquie Lawson ones.

That sounds like a great way to write your Christmas cards.

 

Because I was sending mine to the US with economy stamps I wrote a couple of sheets of TR paper in with them as well. It took me a while.

 

Sadly, I don't have many UK ones to write though. In past years I have inked up my 149 BB, but this year I want to use my new Kobe Monet Violet, so I might choose a different pen. A stub sounds ideal. Thank you for the tip

[sharonspens]

I gave my sister-in-law a Sheaffer Imperial desk set for an early Christmas present. She is my only relative that has an office desk that she could use a desk set.

A few days later she told me she signed about 2,000 Christmas cards with the pen. That was a heck of a breaking in session.

Uh, WOW!!!!!!!!

 

I need to get started on my cards, but I definitely don't have THAT many to do. I think the red this year will be Herbin 1670, and the green will either be Rohrer & Klingner smaragdgrun or Private Reserve ebony green.

 

 

Sharon in Indiana

Edited December 1, 2014 by sharonspens

[ac12]

Uh, WOW!!!!!!!!

 

I need to get started on my cards, but I definitely don't have THAT many to do. I think the red this year will be Herbin 1670, and the green will either be Rohrer & Klingner smaragdgrun or Private Reserve ebony green.

 

 

Sharon in Indiana

 

Yeah she is the director of a nursing home, so my guess is that it was probably to all the people and companies who donated money to them, and the families of the patients. At least it is just signing them, and not writing the card.

Edited December 1, 2014 by ac12

[jmccarty3]

Noodler's Hunter Green got a good review on Goulet as a waterproof ink for addressing Christmas card envelopes.

[Guernseytim]

I hate cards of any ilk.

 

Nobody will get any birthday nor Xmas cards from me. Commercialism at its worst.

[ScienceChick]

I don't mind the glossy cards, I just set them aside to dry. It's the crummy paper the envelopes are made of that irritates me.

[SockAddict]

I'm doing my Christmas cards today, and I'm almost ashamed to admit I'm going to be using ballpoints on them. I don't have any waterproof ink yet, and that's a necessity in my part of the world, as well as most destinations I'm sending too. I'm making a note of Noodler's Hunter Green -- does anyone know of a good waterproof red?

Edited December 7, 2014 by SockAddict

[ac12]

Ran into a problem, the card took Diamine Ultra Green really nice.

But the envelope was the problem. The FP ink would not penetrate the surface of the envelope. I had to switch to a ball pen so the ink would stick to the paper.