Happily Handlettering the Holidays (Digital or Handmade)

The jury is out on this one...but only a little bit.

In an effort to avoid the madness I indulged in last year’s holiday season, I am designing my cards digitally this year. Part of me died a little inside because I love the whole handmade aspect (and if there’s time, I may still do a few). But, this way, I’m actually not killing myself to get everything done.

Make no mistake…handlettering a handmade card is one of my favorite ways to give art. It’s like a performance on a paper canvas. It’s also very intimate to me….kind of like how you just wouldn’t knit any old someone a sweater, you won’t just handletter something for anyone you don’t believe won’t appreciate it. It’s so endearing to see the medium interact with the surface of the paper…even to see the mistakes the artist may have made in some cases- or to gawk in awe at the lack of them! And, the icing on top-to get a well-composed, artfully-lettered envelope is a dream to see. 😍

But, there are pros to digital too. For one, I can send it digitally (duh) and skip snail mail altogether using Punchbowl or a similar service to add my own photo/artwork. Another plus is that one design can be used for many recipients without having to do any extra work at all besides type in another email to the recipient list. 🙌🏾 And, if I get particular, and I decide snail mail is the way to go after all, I can have them printed in multiples and glow up the envelope anyway.

Not a bad deal, if I do say so myself.

How are you handlettering your holidays this year?

In the spirit of giving, the sticker of the image above is currently available in the Giphy universe. 😊 To use it, search @staceyscribbling on Giphy or in any Giphy-powered platform where you would normally search for stickers and gifs for your IG stories, FB posts, etc.