Penpalling & Letters

Saturday 21 August 2010

Covered of Cuteness Giveaway!

Today we have a special guest with us. Her name is Michelle and maybe you don't know who is she, yet... What about if I mention about Lettersets.com, TheCutestStickers.com or Shelley.nl? Do these names ring a bell?
Surely some of you already know that Michelle together with Henk run these lovely online shops full of the cutest items for a while already. Michelle is here today to talk a bit about her penpalling experiences, her online shops and to offer a very special gift to the readers of Penpalling & Letters as well as to the loyal customers of Lettersets.com and TheCutestStickers.com.

But go on reading to find out how to participate in this "Covered of cuteness giveaway":

Hello Michelle! It is a big pleasure to have you here, at the Penpalling & Letters Blog, sharing with us both your penpalling experiences and your love for the cutest penpalling supplies.

Hello everybody! I am also happy to be here and spend some time with you talking about letter-writing and cute penpalling items!

- How did you discover penpalling? For how long have you been writing letters?

I first started writing letters when I was about 12, with a girl I met on holiday. I then answered some penpal ads in a magazine and was soon hooked! I loved writing long letters and decorating the envelopes. And nothing beats finding a colourful envelope in your mailbox! I lost touch with some of my pals when I started university, but rediscovered my favourite hobby a few years later. I'm still in touch with my very first penpal. I even visited her last week and we caught up over coffee. Penpal friendships are amazing, it's such a special way to get to know somebody and especially in these modern and "fast" times I enjoy sitting down with a cup of tea and taking the time to write a long handwritten letter.

- Which "penpalling supply" is your favourite to use?

Personally I love using letter pads. They have lots of sheets in different designs and are perfect for my long letters. When the sheets don't have lines on them, I put a sheet with black lines underneath so my writing doesn't go all crooked... Then again, I also use lots of stickers on the back sides of sheets to make them look more colourful.

- How did the idea of Lettersets.com come up?

My penpals were asking me where I found the cute stationery I was writing on. I bought it at an Asian store in Amsterdam and soon discovered it was hard to find in the rest of Europe. I started selling some letter sets through eBay and then started a website consisting of just a single page of letter sets. I wanted to make it a place where penpals could come together, so I also added a penpal ad section, a part for swappers with info on FB's and printable label bags. At the time the webshops that did offer stationery, often charged ridiculous shipping charges to Europe or didn't accept Euros so we became popular very quickly. It soon took off so I decided to make a more professional website and Lettersets.com was born. That was in 2003 and we've been online ever since. We now accept both Euros and US Dollars and send everything worldwide. There are few countries that we don't have customers yet! A few years after the launch of LetterSets.com we added a separate website for stickers, TheCutestStickers.com. We have moved to England, Canada and Malaysia and always brought our shops with us. We're now back in the Netherlands where we are originally from.

- Had you ever thought that your letter-passion would become your own business?

Never! I feel so lucky to have made my hobby into a business. I also love bringing people together and so many penpals have found each other thanks to my website. We have so many penpal ads on our website now and it's such an easy way to find a new penpal or swapper.

- Which penpalling supplies do you offer to your customers at the moment? And which stationery brands do you work with at your shops?

We focus on letter sets, letter pads, memo pads and stickers. We sell mainly Asian brands, and mostly from Korea. They have really cute stuff which is also very affordable. We occasionally sell items from brands like Sanrio and San-X as well as some other Japanese brands. As long as it's pretty or cute we like it!

- Which penpalling supplies are the favourite ones of your costumers?

Letter pads are the most popular for using but there are also quite a few customers who order every new letter set we add and then keep one sheet and one envelope of each to collect. We also sell lots of stickers. I find they come in great use for decorating letters and FB's and also make a great small gift to add to a letter for your penpal.

- Are you interested in providing new items to your customers in the near future as well as different brands of stationery?

Absolutely! We always love hearing from our customers and always keep an eye open if there are any special requests.

- What's the aim of your online shops?

Spreading cute items worldwide against low prices!

Michelle, thank you very much for such a lovely interview and let us know the story of Lettersets.com and TheCutestStickers.com!

It was a pleasure to be here. See you all very soon!

By the way, Dutch speakers have the chance to enjoy the Dutch version of Lettersets.com, go and have a look at: LeukPostpapier.nl

And now, let's talk about the giveaway that Lettersets.com and Penpalling & Letters have ready for you!

If you enter this competition you can win a stationery goodie bag worth 25€/32$ offered by Lettersets.com! However, if you can't wait, you can order now by entering discount code "PPL" in the Shopping Cart in all the shops for an instant 10% off. This offer is exclusive for the readers of Penpalling & Letters!


How to enter?

1. Visit Lettersets.com/TheCutestStickers.com to see which item(s) are your favourite ones in the shop(s). Come back to this post and leave a comment here together with a way to contact you.

2. For an extra entry be/become a follower of Penpalling & Letters (notice that to be a follower you don't need to have a Blog of your own but an accessible Blogger profile) and tell us in a comment which stationery brands are your favourite and which ones you would like to see in Lettersets.com/TheCutestStickers.com. Make sure you leave a way to contact you.

3. Tell/link about this giveaway on your Blog/Website for another extra entry. Tell us which items from your favourite brands you would like to see in Lettersets.com/TheCutestStickers.com and again leave a comment in this post. Make sure you provide the link to your Blog/Website post together with your comment as well as your contact data.

4. Tweet about it on Twitter to get a new extra entry and tell in your comment here what you like the best about Penpalling & Letters and what keeps you coming up for more. If wished, let me know what you would like to see more of! Make sure you leave a link to your tweet and also a way to contact you.

5. Join Lettersets.com and/or TheCutestStickers.com on Facebook at Lettersets.com and TheCutestStickers.com (if you have already joined you are in) for a fourth extra entry and leave your Facebook name or the e-mail you are using in Facebook here and, of course, a way to contact you.

So, as you can see it is very easy! Everybody is welcome to enter so remember to spread the word! Deadline is the 21st September and the winner will be drawn shortly after. Remember that the lucky one will be given a cute goodie bag full of penpalling supplies worth 25€/32$! For those who cannot wait remember that as long as the competition is running you can do your stationery purchases at Lettersets.com, TheCutestStickers.com or LeukPostpapier.nl under the discount code "PPL" for a 10% discount!

Good luck to all and hope you enjoyed Michelle's visit!

70 comments:

  1. This is a fantastic interview and I hope you get lots of people passing by and joining in. I love this website as its great to find friends and of course cute stationery but with not really having taken on new friends for a while I haven't been past but I can't stop browsing now :D.

    Here are the first 2 answers

    1. I went to cutestickers and I love the rainbow stickers (the umbrella,butterflies, stars, fruit, keys and hearts)

    2.My favourite brand is Kamio as they do around 50 sheets in a set and I can get at least 3 letters out of it. Also the lines are thinner so you get more written. I'm following

    3. I will blog about it tomorrow

    4&5 I don't have twitter or facebook

    Good Luck Everyone!

    ReplyDelete
  2. 1. My favorite items are the Kamio Juicy Friends sticker sack and all the Panda letter pads.


    emilieftw@gmail.com

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  3. 2. I am now following penpalling & letters. My favorite stationary brands are Mindwave and Crux.


    emilieftw@gmail.com

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  4. 5. I have joined thecuteststickers.com on Facebook. My name is Emilie Proctor.



    emilieftw@gmail.com

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  5. Awesome interview. It's nice to learn about the person behind the website!

    1. I love the letter pads with so many different designs!

    PikaJ20 at hotmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love most of the stationery in lettersets.com but my favorite are the Panda letter pads. They are perfect for long letter writers :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Thank you for hosting this giveaway!

    1. My favorite items in lettersets.com is the panda letter pad and at thecutestickers, I love all The Cute Family stickers. My contact e-mail is redfish0002000 at yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  8. 2. I just started following your blog :-) I think my fav. stationery brands are San X and Q-Lia

    redfish0002000 at yahoo.com

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  9. 3 I blogged about this giveaway. My blog - www.lovemaddy.blogspot.com

    redfish0002000 at yahoo.com

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  10. 1 - Tough to pick a favourite, but I love the new Peppermint Letter Sets, especially the watermelon design.

    snailmail.blogger [at] googlemail.com

    ReplyDelete
  11. 2 - I'm following you! My favourite brand is probably Sanrio, but I'm not so picky about the brand, it's more whether the design is cute (o:

    snailmail.blogger [at] googlemail.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. 5 - ...and I've joined on Facebook too (Jane Ashford).

    Thanks for such an interesting interview and giveaway!

    snailmail.blogger [at] googlemail.com

    ReplyDelete
  13. Hi! Thanks for this great giveaway! I guess I love those with animals most! Espaecially the letterset with this cute little elephant!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Hi there!
    I just became a follower of your great blog :)
    MY favourite items at LetterSets are letterpads, especially the ones with Panda. I also like lettersets, Simon Art are so cute!
    My favourite brand is Sanrio :)
    Hugs!

    inesdias81@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  15. Oh, I am also connected to LetterSets on Facebook :) My name is Inês Dias Pires!

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi,
    This is my second participation. I've become a follower of your blog.
    I just like anything of letter pads because I love writing long letters and letter pads are just perfect :)

    ~Aida~

    ReplyDelete
  17. From Lettersets I like the Simmon Art Letter set the one with the Bears and Pink Clouds, from Cutests Stickers I like the rainbow hearts sticker sheets.

    unforgetable_dreamer_always(at)hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  18. Hi! I like the Simon Art letter set. All of your items are really cute! :)
    Thank you for a cool giveaway!

    ReplyDelete
  19. I adore LetterSets.com and my favorite are the letter pads especially the ones with pandas Thanks so much for the awesome giveaway
    tanyainjville@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  20. I am a LetterSets.com facebook fan (Tanya Riley)

    ReplyDelete
  21. I blogged here
    http://kindnessandmail.wordpress.com/2010/08/25/win-some-stationary/

    and would love to see more items featuring Tare Panda

    ReplyDelete
  22. I am following your site and my fave brands that I would like to see are Sanrio and Happy Go lucky
    tanyainjville@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  23. I love all of the Panda letter pads, as well as the D-japan, any of the sets. It's all cute.
    jhbalvin at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  24. @Connie: You forgot to leave a way to contact you. Your Blogger profile is inaccessible so no way to find you in the Internet. If you are back, let me know your e-mail or any contact data, OK?

    @Jane, Tanya904: Please, make sure you did well step number 2. You aren't showed as followers yet...

    ReplyDelete
  25. I like the Happy Birthday blue sky stickers. Thanks!

    gsyed1120 at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  26. i love the cute animal stickers with the little bears and all. TOO cute.

    -lauren
    lauren51990 AT aol DOT com

    ReplyDelete
  27. I like the Hand Made Stickersheet Blue and the food stickers.

    sonflower277(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  28. My favorite on Lettersets are Nan Pao A4 letter pad in boat flavor and the funny sticker sheet of cat faces. On cuteststickers I like the cute animal stickers with cats and animalbrellas. I am ginigin at google or cooper at swva dot net.

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  29. I am following you on Google Reader and my favorite stationery sets are the fold and mail sets on Chronicle Books. Stuff on my Cat is good way to send a giggle along with letter.

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  30. I like the happy elephant letter set the best.

    Thanks for the chance to win!

    --Liza

    ejm6x (at) yahoo (dot) com

    ReplyDelete
  31. Hi again,
    I've already a follower of lettersets.com in facebook. I can be reached at mxaidee@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  32. I've linked this entry to my blog. So, this is my third participation and the last one. Sanrio is my favourite brand but I also like other cute though not so popular brand. Wish I'll be the lucky one :)

    ReplyDelete
  33. I got your email about not following correctly and hope to have fixed that. So this is entry two. I'll add my favorite stationery here in case you delete the other. Chronicle Books has the neatest fold and mail sets and I love the Stuff on My Cat set.

    ReplyDelete
  34. And now I've added Lettersets to my Facebook page to share the penpalling goodness.

    ReplyDelete
  35. Oh boy, all those rilakkuma set got me! And I'm addicted to panda and everything kawaii, so I really don't know what to chose!

    farasn at tin dot com

    ReplyDelete
  36. I'm a follower!
    I'd love to see kawaiitape and phoophie added to the list. Also Kamio Japan got super cute notepad.

    farasn at tin dot it

    ReplyDelete
  37. I love ALL of the cute stationery you sell, and am a follower on Facebook! Kris aka Caregvr1

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  38. I like the milk themed memo pad.

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  39. I especially like the "Nan Pao A4 Letter Paper Lamp" letter pad, as that's representative of where I'm usually writing from!

    craftgasm @ gmail . com

    ReplyDelete
  40. My fave item from Lettersets.com is the "Hello Kitty Letter Set". So cute! You can contact me at raiasandbook@gmail.com or raia84@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  41. It's me again... I have already added links to PenPalling and letters to my website (www.sandbook.net - Penpal and Swappers Site). I would like to see more of the Kamio Stickerbags on the sites :P). You can contact me at raiasandbook@gmail.com or raia84@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  42. I also tweeted about the competition... ;)http://twitter.com/raia84 contact me at raiasandbook@gmail.com or raia84@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  43. Joined lettersets.com and the cuteststickers.com on Facebook with my user Raia Alexieva, email: raia84@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  44. I adore all the Japanese letter sets; the animals are so cute, especially the pandas!

    urchiken at gmail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  45. I love that happy letter elephant set. So cute!

    writeme at heidimail dot com

    ReplyDelete
  46. I LOOOVE the blue sky stickers and clinsy sticker :) Any of them :)
    My e.mail : saori_kido25@yahoo.com
    I'll write again :)

    ReplyDelete
  47. Just became a follower of the blog :) I honestly looooved it and I'm going to tell all my friends about ii!!!
    My e-mail : saori_kido25@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  48. Just twitted this post :DDDD
    saori_kido25@yahoo.com
    My twitter : @Morgen_Ster

    ReplyDelete
  49. I love both sets of the cute animal stickers :)

    so cute.


    Lnordquist@live.com

    ReplyDelete
  50. I always loved Nan Pao A4 Letter Paper I wished it could bring like 50 sheets or more! :D

    my e-mail is noaguerra@gmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  51. I'm following here for a while shall I do something to prove it? :) I really like Happy Go Lucky stationery and Amy & Tim, to some people they can be just ordinary but I think they are really cute and paper from those "brands" have proper space to write, they aren't full of drawings all around the whole page.

    ReplyDelete
  52. I'm going to add the link in my sidebar right now *

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  53. i joined the letterset.com on facebook with the user name hina laeeq.i liked the panda letter pad.my email id is : hinalaeeq@hotmail.com

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  54. i also liked the D-japan letter set

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  55. Im a big fan of lines... I am a horrible at writing in a straight line so I really liked the Simon Art Letter sets... I love all the "love" sayings. My favorite is the one with the small animals across the top. I love your store!
    www.etsy.com/juniestars

    ReplyDelete
  56. @Lora: You forgot to leave a way to contact you! Your Blogger profile is inaccessible and your Etsy Store cannot be found! If you are back, let me know your e-mail or any contact data, otherwise I won't be able to count your participation!

    ReplyDelete
  57. Hi there! I used to have a look at the Letterset penpal ads regularely, but must admit I had never taken a look at the shop yet. :) But now! :)

    My favourites are also the Panda Letterpads, because as a long letter writer I always need a lot of pages for a single letter. I also like the Stickerworld Stickersheets a lot. :)

    My email: longletters@hotmail.de

    ReplyDelete
  58. My favourite brands are Forever Friends and Panda Letterpads. I like the brands on Letterpads, I just wish they could have more sheets as Joana G. said...

    I'm already a fan of Lettersets.com on Facebook, my name there is brunikabubu.
    My email: missyyy@live.it

    ReplyDelete
  59. Love the Panda letter pads and the Vintage letter sets!

    My e-mail is barack98@yahoo.com and my Facebook profile is sarasidle76 (I'm already a fan of LetterSets.com there)

    ReplyDelete
  60. hi michelle,
    it's jen. how are you and the family?
    i liked everything. i'm not crazy about memo pads as i don't use them much. i can be reached at: jenniferschober71@yahoo.com
    i am also on facebook as jenniferschobergordon.

    email back. i miss you

    ReplyDelete
  61. I really love the vintage lettersets and strawberry garden :)
    My email address is: bontkwagga@gmail.com and on FB I'm bontkwagga

    ReplyDelete
  62. All the stickers are so lovely!!!!
    I could not decide which i like best, but the bibim brand caught my eye right away!
    I really like to use stickers in my letters and postcards =)
    I'm from Chile by the way! if anyones interested in a flash postcard swap please contact me at eleni_pavlov@hotmail.com
    Love ya all!! ♥

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  63. I'd love to participate! I adore the kitty sticker sheet, it's something I could sweeten the letters to my penpals :)

    <3
    K

    karigirl_k@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  64. 1. I visited the site and I cover the Mindwave Letter Set!

    kandulidemusikken(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  65. I visit those sites for a long time ...
    I have a link on my Twitter page (The_Lady_Blue) and I'm a fan on Facebook.
    I love Hello Kitty and San-X :))

    xladybluex(at)yahoo(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  66. great contest! thank you very much for this opportunity!
    so my first entry:

    - I really like the Simon Art Letter sets; as for the stickers, they are all lovely...i use different ones on my letters each time, depending on the pen colour i write the address with, i try to use matching stickers, and also depending on what the other person is fond of, i try to find some stickers like that, for example, animals, lighthouses or so

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  67. second entry: I am a follower...as for my favourite brands...well, i must admit im not much familiar with brands since we dont really have letter sets sold here, but i recall from when i was younger, there were letter sets in some denim style, with some guys and girls, single or in couples, on motorcycles sometimes...i really liked those, i just unfortunately dont know to which brand they belonged...I also used to have some reaaly cute ones with penguins and rabbits...i liked Paper Hearts/Forever friends....and there were ones with kittens and puppies, i think they were called Happy Times but im not really sure, just having some blurry images =/

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  68. entry number 3:

    I made a post about the contest some time ago, it can be seen here:

    Santander + Giveaway contest

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  69. ok, my last entry :)

    I am a fan of lettersets.com

    this is my FB profile

    http://www.facebook.com/#!/anagahan

    muchas gracias! :)

    ReplyDelete