Have you ever gone a day without touching an envelope? Probably not! Whether you are getting your mail out of your mailbox, opening mail, or sending a handmade card . . . you probably touch an envelope each and every day.
Thanks to the internet we learned a few things about envelopes that may (or may not) be interesting . . .
- The very first envelopes date back to 3500 to 3200 B.C., when ancient people in the Middle East molded clay coverings over coins during business transactions.
- Paper envelopes were invented in 2nd century B.C. China, usually to enclose monetary gifts.
- While envelopes can come in all manner of sizes and thicknesses, there are 13 standard envelope sizes in the United States.
- The most popular envelope size in the United States is the #10 envelope, which is 4⅛ inches by 9½ inches.
- During the Civil War, many Confederate soldiers fashioned envelopes out of wallpaper when traditional paper and envelopes were not available to them.
- Each day, the United States Postal Service processes over 500 million letters each day. That is over 20 million each hour and over 5,000 every second.
Okay, that's enough fun facts. Now's the time for the challenge. Decorate an envelope and share a picture in the COMMENTS.
It's fun to decorate an envelope when making a card. It gives the person a little "tease" of what's inside!
This challenge is dedicated to Amanda Stevens of Pear Blossom Press. When she lived in Humboldt, she taught cardmaking classes at Scrapper's Edge and she always said "No Naked Envelopes!"
We hope you have fun with this challenge and look forward to seeing your envelopes.