Rating: 
Summary: Create some of the prettiest mail out there
Review: As someone with a lot of loved ones out-of-state, I usually give the post office a lot of business. I also like dabbling in crafts so I saw this book and decided to give it a try. Am I ever happy I decided to! I've created some beautiful pieces of mail and then some.This book has got some of the greatest, easiest projects out there. The instructions are really clear and the authors' creativity really shines though in the photographs. They give loads of useful tips and instructions holding back nothing that could be useful to the reader. I have a few books of this genre and I must say I greatly appreciate the suggested variations on the projects as well as the detailed stencils and patterns they give for you to use in your own creations. Anyone can easily follow the steps and work with these ideas. They're simple and fun. This book also turned me on to rubber stamping. I'm only stating but they make it seem so easy (it really is!) that it gave me confidence to go out and try it with beautiful results. It doesn't only restrict itself to creating new cards, envelopes and paper, though. The section on deocrating paper is, I must admit, my favorite of the whole book and the one you'll usually find me following most often. The best part of all of this? My mail has gotten SOO pretty and everyone tells me so. I've also created a few cards that some people have seen and asked to buy. My creativity is constantly tickled and I'm always trying something new. I like doing this and haven't yet seen a better card & letter creating book than this one. I recommend it wholeheartedly to everyone. Get it, you won't be disappointed.
Rating: 
Summary: unique ideas to create personalized mail
Review: Book is great for someone who likes to be creative, really caters to those who like to express themselves in abstract art. Has step by step pictures, definitions and explaination with variations of ideas. Fantastic value if you are able to get it used.
Rating:
Summary: Creative Correspondence by Michael Jacobs, Judy Jacobs
Review: Fantastically inspiring book. Made me drop it and make a unique piece of correspondence!
Rating: 
Summary: Not quite as good as I'd hoped...
Review: I'd been eyeing this book for sometime when a friend gave it to me as a birthday gift. Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed with it overall, as I've found much better books.
The book does offer some good tips on creative techniques that can be applied to a variety of paper crafts, including various forms of mail pieces. However, the actual finished pieces were really quite a turn-off for me, and all seemed reminiscent of graffiti or even colors and fashions from the 80s. While I was able to get at least a little bit from some of the concepts and ideas, the execution of the examples just looked really tacky and clunky.
I'd say that this might be worth buying if you can find it used or for very cheap, but I wouldn't waste your money on buying it new. Instead, I'd recommend looking into The Handcrafted Letter or The Envelope Mill instead; the former has some really nice projects and the latter (sadly out of print) was a great inspiration to me and comes with plastic templates.
Rating:
Summary: gets ya thinkin'
Review: This book may tend to be a bit artsy or cutesy for some people, but is worth a browse nonetheless simply for the fun of it. I just can't see myself making a cute folded booklet to tuck inside a pocket in a letter, but some of the letterfolds are unique (even among origami letterfolds) and the usage of windows for including photographs, as well as unique ways to re-use junk mail are just great. Someone far more 'artsy' than I would find this book an absolute pearl without price. Me, I see ways of stepping up from just plain ol' stationery, and having fun. Who knows, I may eventually do some of the wilder projects! Worth a look, and if you're really up for some fun and creative, and VERY approachable stuff (nothing beyond a glue stick and a stamp pad, really) this is definitely up your alley.
Rating: 
Summary: Better books out there....
Review: This book truly has some creative ideas for fashioning folded notes and letter sleeves. The authors start by teaching the basics of measuring, scoring, creasing and cutting paper so that corners are true and lines straight and smoothly cut. Few tools are needed for this: a bone folder (<$5), a metal ruler, 2 exacto knives and a paperclip (one exacto knife handle is formed into a creasing tool with the paperclip). The authors give a couple of ways to decorate plain paper, give the post office's size regulations for not incurring extra postage (very handy!), and then it is on to the projects. I have tried several and the directions are quite clear and easy to follow, and there are several variations for each project depending upon what the purpose of the correspondence (ways to send pictures, booklets, inserts, etc.). For several projects you can make use of old mail and junkmail, transforming it into beautiful pieces of correspondence. This book teaches ways to make letters as artful and creative as greeting cards.
Rating:
Summary: creative correspondence
Review: This book truly has some creative ideas for fashioning folded notes and letter sleeves. The authors start by teaching the basics of measuring, scoring, creasing and cutting paper so that corners are true and lines straight and smoothly cut. Few tools are needed for this: a bone folder (<$5), a metal ruler, 2 exacto knives and a paperclip (one exacto knife handle is formed into a creasing tool with the paperclip). The authors give a couple of ways to decorate plain paper, give the post office's size regulations for not incurring extra postage (very handy!), and then it is on to the projects. I have tried several and the directions are quite clear and easy to follow, and there are several variations for each project depending upon what the purpose of the correspondence (ways to send pictures, booklets, inserts, etc.). For several projects you can make use of old mail and junkmail, transforming it into beautiful pieces of correspondence. This book teaches ways to make letters as artful and creative as greeting cards.
Rating:
Summary: Great for beginners or seasoned artists!
Review: This is a great book for beginners or seasoned artists. It provides step-by-step instructions on how to create fun and interesting stationary, envelopes and paper. The instructions are easy to follow and the final projects look professional. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys paper crafts.
Rating:
Summary: Ideas that will find use beyond your post office
Review: What does a person who has tired of the "same old, same old" in the world of scrapbooking do to keep things interesting? If you are like me, you might look at other paper arts and see how they might be used in scrapbook design. Always eager to find unique ideas for making my pages more interactive, CREATIVE CORRESPONDENCE caught my eye. The cover promises 20 unique card and envelope projects, but each project offers a number of variations. I've had classes in book arts, so some of the information on folding techniques was familiar to me. Still, I felt the step by step photos of projects were very useful, and actually appreciated the fact that some of them used busily designed papers. In many cases, that is what I might use myself, so it gave me a sense of how that might work. I also appreciate the creative, artsy examples liberally pictured throughout the book, many of which use scraps and even junk mail in their creation. I especially liked those projects that formed a small book of sorts, like the folded photo frame and the hinged envelope surprise. I can see making use of these designs to add interest to scrapbook pages, as well as creating interesting types of snail mail. Remember snail mail? If you still have occasion to find "real" mail in your mail box, this book's true gift might be the inspiration it provides you to pull out your art supplies and make a really cool mailing to surprise a distant friend.
Rating:
Summary: Ideas that will find use beyond your post office
Review: What does a person who has tired of the "same old, same old" in the world of scrapbooking do to keep things interesting? If you are like me, you might look at other paper arts and see how they might be used in scrapbook design. Always eager to find unique ideas for making my pages more interactive, CREATIVE CORRESPONDENCE caught my eye. The cover promises 20 unique card and envelope projects, but each project offers a number of variations. I've had classes in book arts, so some of the information on folding techniques was familiar to me. Still, I felt the step by step photos of projects were very useful, and actually appreciated the fact that some of them used busily designed papers. In many cases, that is what I might use myself, so it gave me a sense of how that might work. I also appreciate the creative, artsy examples liberally pictured throughout the book, many of which use scraps and even junk mail in their creation. I especially liked those projects that formed a small book of sorts, like the folded photo frame and the hinged envelope surprise. I can see making use of these designs to add interest to scrapbook pages, as well as creating interesting types of snail mail. Remember snail mail? If you still have occasion to find "real" mail in your mail box, this book's true gift might be the inspiration it provides you to pull out your art supplies and make a really cool mailing to surprise a distant friend.
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