Enter The Graceful Envelope Contest!

Have you heard of the Graceful Envelope Contest? I know there are a lot of kids (and adults) out there who love stamps (hello…philately), writing and art!!

The contest has been in existence since 1995 and was started by the Smithsonian Institution's National Postal Museum. I am the coordinator of the contest and have managed it since 2017 as a board member of the Washington Calligraphers Guild. The guild took over ownership of the contest back in the early 2000s. There may be restrictions with your mail (I’ve heard especially with international mail) right now but not to worry—the deadline isn’t until March 2021.

The contest is open to ALL ages (you should see the adult entries, you will be blown away!), with separate categories for children. The theme for 2020 is “Double Vision.” This is the perfect opportunity to show off your cursive handwriting (although cursive is NOT required)! The design needs to be artistically rendered and successfully make it through the mail. Be imaginative with your use of color and design and incorporate postage stamps into your creation.

To read more about the contest and to see previous winners, visit the links below.

Here is the call for entries and rules for the contest: https://www.calligraphersguild.org/envelope.html Here are the winners from 2020. https://imgur.com/a/rWGZiL8 Do not be intimidated by the beauty of these envelopes... the most important thing to do is to get started! Feel free to contact me directly with any questions about getting started, contest rules, brainstorming, you name it! My email is peonyplumecalligraphy@gmail.com.