You know who you are.

A very happy Valentine's Day to Phoebe D., who sent Castle in the Air this lovely handmade card.

Custom Made Love

If you've ever visited Castle in the Air, then no doubt you have been enchanted by the simple charm of Diva Pyari's Linea Carta greeting cards and sheet paper. Diva draws, calligraphs, and silkscreens all her own designs. Tomorrow (Saturday the 6th) Diva will be at Castle in the Air from 1pm-5pm making custom Valentine cards. She let us look at one such amorous note, but we couldn't peek inside because of the wonderful twine and wax seal! (It didn't seem to be addressed to us, anyway.) Come by tomorrow afternoon if you're able, and Diva will put you well on your way to making your Valentine's Day the most romantic yet.

Custom Valentines at Castle in the Air
by Diva Pyari of Linea Carta
1805 Fourth Street
Berkeley, Calif.
Saturday, February 6
1pm-5pm

The Blue Castle Badge

What's that silver glint on the lapel of the boy you just passed on the street? What's this blue enamel pin on the blouse of the woman standing next to you in the cafe line? Why, it's none other than the Blue Castle Badge, the official sign of noble and noteworthy individuals!

The Blue Castle Badge is awarded to those who have accomplished one or more of the following achievements:
* They have sent a real, paper letter to Castle in the Air illustrated with some of their own artwork.
* They have sent a real, paper letter to Castle in the Air telling us of a good deed they have performed.
* They have been mentioned favorably here on the Castle in the Air weblog.

Scores of people have already earned their Blue Castle Badge. Maybe you'll be the next!

Send your letters to:
Castle in the Air
1805 Fourth Street
Berkeley, California 94710
USA

By participating, you understand that Castle in the Air may use your letters for promotion or as a basis for store merchandise and may display your letters in the store or online. All of us at Castle in the Air understand that your privacy is very important, and we will always do our best not to reveal your personal information.

Rubber Stamp Carving with Alice

We only stock blank cards at Castle in the Air, because we figure people already know what they want to say when they're sending a message to a friend or loved one. Why use someone else's words? And if this sentiment is taken even further, why even use another person's pictures?

Rubber stamping is the best way to print beautiful, inexpensive cards with a personal touch. We're so lucky to have rubber stamp queen Alice Armstrong as a regular teacher at Castle in the Air, and this fall she'll be in the Studio for the Imagination showing how to transfer found or drawn images to your own rubber stamps. The pieces pictured here are from some of the cards she's made with stamps she's carved herself.

To learn more about this class, which will be held on Sunday, October 4, visit the Castle in the Air Online Shoppe.

The Art of Sealing a Letter

Alongside our seals and sticks of sealing wax at Castle in the Air, we offer a free little handout from the early 1900s describing how to properly seal an envelope. If you're one of our readers who hasn't yet made it into the store, this one's for you!

Do not begin by thrusting the end of the wax into the flame and conveying it in a flaming spatter to your envelope. Take plenty of time and hold the wax above the flame of the candle, but not near enough to burn (about one inch); a burnt wax makes a streaky seal and is hard to manage.

When a marble-sized amount of wax has gradually softened, but is not dripping, apply it with a circular movement upon the place to be sealed, rub it around and down until you have a circle of proper size and thickness, then pull straight up and apply the seal. The result should be a clear-cut impression.

And remember, if you're planning to send your wax-sealed envelope using the U.S. Postal Service, it will need another 20 cents of postage for hand-cancellation.

Be Mine

There is just over a week left until Valentine's Day -- are you sending any cards this year? We found several vintage Valentines during a recent dig through our postcard collection. Here are some of the ones we've reproduced to add to the Castle in the Air postcard rack this year. In my opinion, the old card-makers had more fun!

















Which key will open the lock?













I've always preferred Cupid's use of his arrows to that of his keyring -- gotta love the direct approach.













This one is sweet, and of course I love it all the more because of its nods to Fairyland.


















I can figure out the significance of the Two of Hearts, but one shudders to think what this fellow might be suggesting here.













And just like at Christmas, all our nears and dears can join in the fun of Valentine's Day.

"Mr. Postman, look and see..."

What is a blog, anyway? For many artists, it’s the online equivalent of leaving their studio curtains open after dark, so passersby can peek in and see the creative process in action. And in a way, blogs are also like the typed form letters we all get at Christmas from distant relatives, telling us all the news of the year in little bite-sized portions.

As impersonal and corny as those form letters can be, it’s sometimes the only piece of written correspondence we might get from that particular aunt or cousin in a given year.

Maybe it was this that inspired Victoria Heifner of Milkfed Press to start her “Letterwriting Campaign.” We got one of her lovely invitations recently in our mailbox at Castle in the Air. The regular card-sized envelope contained a small blank envelope and blank card, along with a letterpress note from Victoria:

Hello! I hope that this little note finds you and your loved ones happy and healthy in the New Year!

In an effort to spread the good word on the fun and fine art of correspondence, I thought I’d put thoughts into action and simply send out some pretty things that might inspire people to reach out to their loved ones.

Please enjoy this little package and write a note to someone today.

xoxo Victoria