On a recent Instagram browsing session research expedition, I accidentally stumbled on Amy (aka amyvnwijk)'s colourful account, and was immediately captivated. The stamps, the washi tape, the airmail stickers… Her creations are awe-inspiring, every postcard a miniature piece of art!
I was curious to find out more about her mailings, and luckily, Amy agreed to answer a few questions about it, so we had a mini-interview! Here she is to tell us more about her gorgeous postcards.
- Can you tell us a little bit about your decoration process? What inspires you?
I get most of my inspiration from the season we are in or the place where I’m at. I love traditional Dutch images or illustrations, flowers and nature, so I like to incorporate that in my mail as well. Along with lots of bright and happy colors of course! A few examples:
Dutch and holiday/summer themed mail
Christmas and color-themed mail
- Where do you start?
I start with choosing the stamps. If it’s a certain season or holiday I like to use stamps and tapes complementary to that. If I go for a colored theme I match the colors of the stamps together with a same colored washi tape. I always begin by making a border around the card with the washi tape. Sometimes I use small tape but if the tape is a little wider I cut of the excess with a scissor. Then I stick on the stamps and the priority label. Finally I use rubber stamps. While the ink of the rubber stamp is drying I go to the next card and when everything is decorated I start writing.
- Which materials do you use to decorate your postcards?
I mainly use washi tape and rubber stamps to decorate my postcards. My favorites are tapes with floral prints because they are always very cheerful. I also like using rubber stamps — for official Postcrossing cards, I use a Postcard ID-stamp. For writing I use colored gel pens or fine liners. As an extra stamp I like to use an old Dutch “gulden” stamp. They are no longer allowed as postage but I think they are beautiful and a nice decoration to the card.
Some other useful materials are a pair of (small) craft scissors, a ruler and a retractable knife. I try to stay away from glue or really sticky deco tape because it’s easy to stain the card and hard to correct when you make a little mistake. Paper tapes, like washi tape, are a lot easier to remove when you decide to go for something else or need to make an adjustment.
- What are the member’s reactions when they receive your postcards? Do they appreciate the extra effort?
I love choosing and decorating cards the best from the whole Postcrossing experience! I enjoy sending happy and colorful mail and when I read on the profile that the receiver likes it as well, I get excited straight away. Sometimes it’s a bit of a gamble if the receiver would appreciate it, but I’ve received a lot of positive feedback on my sent cards so far. A few weeks ago a woman wrote in her hurray message that she would frame my card — that really made my day.
- And finally, can you show us the place where the magic happens?
My desk is also my work and laptop table so when the addresses are requested the laptop goes to the side so I have enough room for my craft supplies. I keep everything in basic storage boxes in a cabinet so when the crafting and writing can start I bring everything I need over to my desk.
Thank you Amy, that was lovely — I’m really inspired to beautify my postcards now!
Do you decorate your postcards too? If so, share your own tips below!
79 comments so far
These are so beautiful! What a treat for those who are lucky enough to receive Amy's cards.
I enjoy making my own cards on the computer combining my own photos of birds, furry friends or my pets in collages to make it more personalized. And if the person asks for something specific like an airplane, I try and make the card with that on it.
I think that when people say they don't want hand made cards, they are really missing out. Store bought cards are never as unique and personal as the handmade kind which are made with creativity and love!
Amazing! I'm not a very "crafty" person myself, so only send store bought postcards and tend not to decorate them much. On the other hand, that's exactly why I find people like Amy such awe-inspiring. And that's also why I could never imagine putting "please no homemade cards" in my profile.
I'm glad that I received one official postcard from her - https://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/NL-3751383. :) I'm not so creative, but I try to make happy everyone who will my postcard (choosing postcard and stamp or stamps from interests of addressee). When I have more time I try to make design of own postcards (unofficial GF, Keep calm...)
Awesome! :)
Wow!
So beautiful. I would be honoured to get one of these cards!!
Gorgeous! I'm so impressed. There's so many creative people on this site. I would be honored too to receive one.
Amazing!
I love to make and send my handmade cards ,but a lot of postcrossers put on their profile they do not want handmade ones, I do not onderstand why .I receive mostly very positive comments back ,so i wil go on.
I love your work Amy! They really look amazing. The people receiving them are really lucky.
And I also love this is covered here. I've never received a handmade card but prints of own art twice. And I love it.
My recipients often exclude handmade cards as unwanted, which is kind of sad. I'd value someone creating a card for me and taking time to make it alot.
Awesome! You go girl! Keep it up, it makes the world more colourful.
I am sadly not creative but I too would love to have one of these awesome cards. I do try and match up instead one of the items off their profile if possible and I always write a lot but this is special. Keep on giving cheer to people with your unique cards. You are in a super league of card making.
Amazing! I hope, that I'll one day receive a postcard from Amy! I love well decorated cards, and have a big stock of washi tape and stickers myself. Can't send any undecorated cards (as long as the receiver doesn't write in her/his profile that he/she doesn't like deco.)
It's beautiful !!!! Dutch stamps are amazing !!!! I hope that we will one day receive a postcard from Amy !
I love colorful cards and creative people !
What a great idea, thank you so much
Love these cards Amy, keep blessing people with your creativity.
I use washi tape & puff hearts, smiley faces etc. I like to thank the postman on each card. Decorating the back is fun!
Thanks for this article, really nice!
really lovely
Helemaal geweldig, and great idea to use the old gulden-stamps as an extra, goig to try to decorate a little extra too, thanks for the graet ideas
I use stickers from what the person likes. Also like to use gel pens and draw around the address label. :)
wow this is amazing!! thanks a lot for your idea=]
Amy's IG feed was suggested for me, and I really enjoy following her. Her cards are such a delight and inspiration! I usually choose a variety of fun stamps, aligned to the receiver's interests if possible, and sometimes add a little washi tape. But Amy's cards are beautiful, creative works of art - to be treasured! I hope she draws my name sometime. :-)
I like to make one-of-a-kind cards for those who request 'handmade'. This hobby has so many creative and generous members!
Hope one day I get from u...
That's so lovely.😍
These are so pretty and I wouldn't have thought to decorate mine that way. I'm going to try it next time!
Hi Amy, Ik vind je kaarten collectie helemaal geweldig. Als ik al die kaarten zie ben ik weer terug in ons "oude" landje. Ik hoop dat ik ooit een kaart krijg van je, zou leuk zijn.
Hi Amy, I think your collection is amazing! When I look at your cards, it bring back memories from the country where I come from. I hope to receive one of your cards, that's nice.
TOP, hopelijk tref ik ooit een kaartje van je op mijn deurmat 😀👍🏻
Now am rethinking of how I should make my cards unique and beautiful as Amy's.... it just might unleash the artist in me!
Thank you for sharing
I only decorate cards when the user asks for it on the profile. That's because I've see people complain about decorations (on the forum and on the profile). I would love to do it to all cards, but some people can get really grumpy about things.
When I do decorate, I use mostly stickers and rubber stamps. I have Washi tape, but I can never get it on straight. Also, the US postal service has strict rules about things like that, and it seems that Washi tape impedes the processing of the cards.
Such delightful creations!
These are so lovely, Amy!
I'm inspired to use tape around the edges of my postcards :)
I don't decorate the postcards I send much, mostly because I usually fill it with my (admittedly terrible) handwriting. Occasionally I'll have a gap or space I might add a little sticker to (usually to cover up a barcode if the stamp doesn't do that) but on the whole I prefer to receive postcards full of stories and such so that's how I send them out.
If it's a card I've made myself I still don't really deocrate the back, since I did the front anyway!
Dear Amy, congratulation for your creativ work I love it.
Amy, good work) It will be great to recievecard from you. Thank you for some ideas and of course happy postcrossing
Oh how nice her card are! Sometimes I also use washi tape and stickers on postcards, but only if I think the recipient will like that kind of things. Sometimes I draw something, for example some plant inspired thing to separate the address area and the text on the card.
woww...
crafty and creative! send me a card please!
I love your pretty washi borders! Washi is always an after thought for me and I use it to fill in left over white space but I might start doing a border on the larger cards that can support the loss of space! Very nice cards!!
I was really surprised with this method of decorating postcards. If I had enough money I would send my postcards exactly like the examples of this Postcrosser. Sometimes, however, I decorate my postcards the way I can, because the most important for me in Postcrossing is art and I qualify a postcard for all its artistic iems.
Another way to add color is to use thin tip sharpies (markers that are water 💦 proof) to write the text on your card. I use this along with Washi tape, stickers, and fun stamps. (I found an antique store that sells old stamps at face value.) You can create a fun explosion 💥 of warm greetings that are fun to receive.
I started following Amy on Instagram long time ago because I love her way of decorating postcards and it's inspiring for me.. I didn't know that she's a Postcrossing member! And now I found this interview here!! It's amazing!! Keep going, Amy!!
Well done! I always love it when Postcrossers put extra effort into the postcards they send to me.
These postcards are awesome! I'd be honored if I received one of these little artworks. It's inspiring to see how they are created, and how much effort Amy puts in each of them. - And the dutch post has really lovely stamps. ;)
That inspires me to slow down and take time with the details. These are so lovely! Good job, Amy!
Your cards are beautiful, Amy. I hope my name drops down on your list one day.
Love it! I like to decorate and are obsessed with washi! I do feel sometimes my cards can look messy—the border idea makes it a lot neater, I will try that. Also based on a comment above, I wonder if my washi is why I have a few more expired cards than I should...maybe the tape makes them get eaten in the postal machines...
What the beautiful cards! For my cards, I search for the stamps that the receiver love from their request lists of cards. Then, I use my tidy handwriting and attach the address from the website. Sometimes when it's the receivers' birthdays or special occasions, I also attach the small gifts from my country and/or decorate the postcards and envelopes.
What an inspiring post! Thank you for sharing, Amy. I, too, love decorating my postcards and look forward to trying some of these happy, creative ideas! We postcrossers are an artistic bunch, which is a great part of the joy in postcrossing.
I love to decorate the post cards I send. I use washi tape, stickers and card making stamps, sometimes I try to draw specific items on the card such as lighthouses, hot air balloons and whatever the person likes. I use pinterest to look for ideas (under journal images). I love getting post cards with that extra touch and I have received quite a few, we have many talented people on this site!!
amyvnwijk's cards are inspiring - sending beauty all over the world! Kudos!
Wow - love the decorated postcards - they are so pretty. Thanks for sharing.
I like her instagram :)
Amyvnwijk's cards are so beautifully decorated that I have been inspired to try some of these designs on my next cards. I love Postcrossing and get a lot of joy in receiving lovely decorated cards. Thank you for sharing.
i wish i could have one!!!
I do the exact same thing, just not on all my cards. :D I know not everybody likes decoration and I'm not always in a creative mood either. I usually try to match the tapes I use to the user's preferences, or I colour-coordinate as well. But if I know I'll have a lot to write, I keep the decoration to a minimun so as to have more space for a message.
love love love that you interviewed Amy, Iv always admired her cards from IG.
Prachtig! I wish I would get one of those. I don't mind homemade cards at all. I love seeing someone else's creativity.
Geweldig om dit hier tegen te komen! Ik volg je al een tijdje op Instagram en ben zo fan van jou feed! Leuk om te zien hoe jij je creativiteit in de ansichtkaarten verwerkt!
It's so beautiful and I love it. =)
WOW!!
Her stamps are so cool! Where do you buy such stamps? Mine are just the USA ones with the moon and some with the flower. ??
I LIKE WASHI TAPE TOO!! I don't do as much with it as her, and I certainly don't have as much!! Sometimes I just do a straight line of washi tape down the bottom or the top or even down the center.
I wish more people did that to their cards, I will start to work a little harder to make my cards beautiful and I encourage all fellow postcrossers to do so! Think of if everyone did that then every postcard you received would be brimming with happiness and color!!!!
But seriously, help me out with stamp thing PLEASE.
-SUNSHINECECE
Hello Amy, this looks absolutely wonderful and colourful ! I used to correspond with people all over the world, before internet, before postcrossing, and I Always decorated my letters and envelopes with matching stickers, photo's, pics and decorations out of magazines, etc. I liked doing it. Now, with postcrossing I try to add some personal touch and your decoration surely is inspiring.
Leuk interview ! Veel groeten uit Zuid-Limburg ! Peter.
I really love creative talent. Really lovely, Amy!
I think a lot of us decorated the postcards/envelopes, it would be great if someday we can share all our work at least in a post, that would be great, a lot of art get lost..sadly.
WOW ! really love these creative postcards!
Beautiful cards! So creative! I hope I get such a great card!
What a nice treat to receive a card so thoughtfully made. Thanks for the inspiration!
@SunshineCece : Different countries issue different stamps. To use the same as Amy from the Netherlands you'd have to mail your cards from the Netherlands.
But in the US you can also use many old stamps. They are very beautiful too! I received many postcards with many different stamps from the USA so far. You just have to make sure that their value adds up to your current rate of postal fee.
I love her use of postage stamps! so beautiful. Thanks for sharing!
Oh my god! Such a great dedication indeed..I wish I could come across your beautiful works, Amy. Love them all!
@SunshineCece : I sent you a personal message through Postcrossing on where you can buy lots of different beautiful and colorful U.S. postage stamps, both current day stamps and vintage stamps. Have fun!
Enjoyed hearing about Amy...and she appears to be quite organized, too. (Wish I had such a neat space to prepare my cards) Yes, we do indeed have some very creative, dedicated, talented, inspiring, thoughtful people in our Postcrossing world. And I think sharing the stories brings us all even closer together. Bravo.
An inspiration!
wow lovely
Your cards are great Amy!
these are so beautiful and happy and fun, thanks for sharing! i would love to do an exchange if only if only.... what inspiration you've provided me!
I love the way you decorated your postcards!! I do the same :D
So beautiful!!!
Yes!! I'm 46 and still love glitter and shiny things on my postcards! If I can't match a postcard to a person, I usually have a large enough assortment of stamps to try and fit the profile. I'll admit I also have tons of Washi tape, too. By the time I put all the stamps and tape on the cards, there is no room to write, haha! Nothing as colorful and creative as this, though! I hope to receive a postcard from Amy, too!
I follow Amy! =)
Amy, your postcards are absolutely stunning! Keep going!
I'm fond of decorating postcards I send as well, but maybe I don't use much washi tape yet - only with weekdays maybe. I write quite large messages so I have to control myself a bit because I want to decorate each card with 2-3 stickers, even if they're just "Air mail" or "Thank you postman!" Usually I choose a sticker with a mailbox, but it depends on what my fellow postcrosser wants to receive.
Maybe I'd try to make a neat tape border next time :)
I actually decorate mine a lot as well, and have been following her instagram since I started! If anyone wants to do a decorated card swap, message me <3
Ziet er leuk uit, maar plak jij niet te veel aan porto-kosten op?
Hello my dear postcrossers.
My name is Salim and I am from Algeria.
I like so much decorating my postcards with different nice stamps and different colours of pens .i also write few words in Arabic. I also print the postcrossing logo from the website with its real colours. And I sometimes stick the Algerian flag .
I'm ready to swap decorated postcards with any one. Just contact me .
Wish you all the best and enjoy postcrossing and your life.
Salim Algeria
Great, have the opportunity to swap with you：）
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