Sharing with you my last project – my own postage stamp set.
I’m definitely a travel dreamer. I believe the world is an amazing place, and before our final hour here, we should see as much of its beauty as we can.
Funny confession though — I’m scared of flying. And the weirdest part? My best friend is exactly the same. She hates flying, too… but loves traveling.
When we get talking about “where to go” and “what to do,” we fall so deep into our dreamy travel talks that hours pass without us even noticing.
And because real travel isn’t always as easy as we wish, we made a decision: we’ll plan one special journey every year. Somewhere beautiful, romantic, or dramatic.
So many places we haven’t seen yet: Iceland, Hawaii, New Zealand, Morocco, Vietnam, China… Honestly, we’d need 200 years to see them all 😊
But you know what? I believe the planning and dreaming are just as precious as the journey itself. So I started a little creative project to help make those dreams feel more real — and now, I’m sharing it with you.
Our Own Stamp set
Isn’t that exciting? It’s even more exciting for me because I recently decided to start keeping a diary again, after all these years. I used to journal through all my school and university days — hundreds of pages filled with stories, ideas, happy moments, and heartbreaks.
Then life got busy. Work took over. And the diary slowly disappeared from my daily rhythm.
But now I’m bringing it back. And not just the diary — I made an entire letter, with handmade stamps and all, and I’m sending it to my friend as an invitation to meet.
Sure, we’ll probably finalize the details over the phone. But I believe that an unexpected letter like this — full of love and paper magic — will be a delightful surprise!
In addition to the travel letter and dreams
Of course, I didn’t stop at stamps — I made my own washi tape, too! Well… sort of. It’s not real washi, not on a roll either, but it has its own kind of magic:
First, I didn’t have to buy it (or wait for delivery or pay for shipping) → money saved!
Second, it saves space. I just keep the digital file and print it whenever I need more. One A4 or Letter-size sheet takes so much less room than several chunky washi rolls. I can travel with my whole washi collection!
And third — the best part — I get to draw exactly what I need, in the colours I want. No compromises. Perfect!
If you work in Illustrator, Procreate, or any digital design tool, you can follow a similar process and make your own stamps and washi. You can use your own drawings, your favourite photos or even just hand-draw them from scratch — they’ll be completely unique.
Here’s a little trick I recently discovered — and I couldn’t wait to share it with you!
Did you know that hairdressing scissors can actually be a great tool for scrapbookers?
They give paper a slightly messy, uneven edge that I absolutely love — it adds character and a handmade touch.
I think they work especially well with small printed postage stamps, giving them that imperfect, vintage-style cut that feels just right.
A Note on Digital Use
I like to reuse my designs, so I’m keeping my stamps in digital format. That way I can print them again and again.
If you like how the Granada stamps turned out, tell me! And if you do — what other city or place would you love to see turned into a stamp?
They are Free for Subscribers
If you’re a subscriber to The Paper Heart, check your inbox — you’ll find printable files waiting for you in ThePaperHeart email! Feel free to download and use them in your own journals, scrapbooks, and letters.
(Just please don’t resell them — they’re for personal, crafty joy only.)
A Small Legal Note
If you decide to design your own stamp set or decorative postage, keep in mind that your artwork shouldn’t mislead anyone into thinking it’s real postage.
Here are a few tips:
Don’t add real currency values (like $1.50 or €2.00)
Don’t copy real stamps — especially current ones still in circulation
Avoid words like “valid postage,” “official,” “priority,” etc.
Do add a small phrase like “art stamp” or “not valid postage” in your design — it keeps things clear.
And enjoy your craft time!
P.S.
As always seems to happen when a crafter starts a “small” project… a whole new universe opened up. ✨
I didn’t just stop at the postage stamps and the cute letter template — I ended up creating a whole little collection of greeting cards too!
And now, I’ve decided (maybe a bit boldly 😅) to turn it into a full stationery set as a Christmas gift for all my friends.
It’ll be a lot of work… but also a lot of joy. And let’s be honest — that’s the best kind of project.
If you like scrapbooking, my article “Easy scrapbook paper embellishments” may be interesting for you. It gives a few easy steps on how to make attractive textured flower decorations for your albums, cards, journals, gifts wrapping and other paper-inspired projects.If you like my designs and want to buy them, please check my shop:
If you are more into paper flower making, check my shop for this easy tutorial on how to create Blue-eyed grass flower – it is perfect for wildflower lovers. By the way, I love how cute is this flower’s name!
