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I make and send a LOT of cards. Like a real lot...... I think well over 300 a year. I just don't keep track. Until now.....
I recently had problems with mail delivery to my son in Boston. At the same time, we began getting mail that should have gone to a neighbor and we got a gas bill for an address nothing like ours. I started to wonder if people even get these cards I send.
I don't write inside my cards. I have a little note that I put in each card that says: I am no longer writing inside the cards I send. You are free to keep this card, throw it away, or do what I hope you will do and send this card on to someone else (you will need an A2 sized envelope). I then write on a 4x5.25 piece of cardstock and tuck it in the card so there is some communication with the receiver.
So I finished my Halloween cards last Sunday as above.... 60 cards! It was a lot of work making the cards and writing the messages.... to say nothing of $30 for postage. I changed my little insert to add this to the bottom: One more thing. I am having a lot of difficulty with mail recently. I don't need much but could you send me a message or a text when you get this card?
Guess how many have responded? 22 Less than half. Why am I even sending cards to people? I rarely get any myself.
Just wondering what you think..........
You have to do it because, you love to do it. There really is not ever going to be a return on the gift of your time in any kind of a measurable equal way.
Although, I agree, it is even better when they let you know it got where it was going. (( HUGS ))
I can't say I'm surprised at the lack of response. I participated in BRAK here for a good member of years, offering to send three assigned cards each month, and sending a total of anything from nine upwards. One year I had a lot of trouble with cards going missing...a couple of cases where I followed up myself, a couple of cases where people asked was I ok, they missed getting a card from me, and the usual unacknowledged ones that I just didn't know whether they had arrived or not. So I started putting a little note in along the lines of what you did, and my SCS username was on that as well as on the return address label. Well, the response was underwhelming and with international postage getting ever more expensive, I stepped back from BRAK a couple of years later.
But, I do think that most people enjoy receiving cards. I still send random ones to people from the BRAK list each month, and was touched to receive a card back last month from someone who hadn't been active in a few months but said that receiving my card had inspired her to get out her stamps again. I think it's just, and there have been several threads on this topic over the years, that people don't feel the need to say thank you for even bigger gifts, let alone a card.
(I do drop people off my list if two years go by with no response ;-)). I do think it's worth sending cards, but with a certain amount of selectivity.
I'd been sending cards every month for a couple of years to someone with cancer, and had a lovely bittersweet note from her husband after she died, thanking me for having sent them. So yes... definitely worth sending.
Two years with no response and off the list! I think I will do one year
The strange thing is that the people I thought I would hear from, I didn’t. The six people I added at the last minute have ALL sent messages
I am sorry you have not gotten much of a response. I can tell you though that you might never know how much your cards may mean to someone.
I am going through a long and difficult end stage cancer battle right now and the owner of another small stamping message board and her sister have been sending me wonderful hand made cards and little notes regularly for the past couple of years. I am now in hospice on total bedrest and most often not well enough to acknowledge their kindness, but they have faithfully continued their kindhearted little treasures. Since I can no longer even leave the house, those cards are such a blessing and brighten my days immensely. I even bought a card display kit so I can see them from my bed. I am so overwhelmed by their generosity and know I cannot possibly convey how they have and are helping me through this time. It just means the world to know that someone actually takes their valuable time to think of me and extend their messages of caring and hope. Card makers have much more impact than they can envision!
I suspect your cards are very much loved and enjoyed and have more positive influence on the people you send them to than you can imagine!
I don't like getting cards; don't know what to do with them.
I feel bad that someone spent time and/or money making something that I'll end up throwing away. It just seems wasteful to me. The only cards I make are ones where they serve as a delivery device for gift cards or money (maybe ~3 a year), and for those I'll use a sticky-at-the-top sheet of paper inside for whatever note is needed, so they are recyclable. But I don't expect that'll happen.
I am sorry you have not gotten much of a response. I can tell you though that you might never know how much your cards may mean to someone.
I am going through a long and difficult end stage cancer battle right now and the owner of another small stamping message board and her sister have been sending me wonderful hand made cards and little notes regularly for the past couple of years. I am now in hospice on total bedrest and most often not well enough to acknowledge their kindness, but they have faithfully continued their kindhearted little treasures. Since I can no longer even leave the house, those cards are such a blessing and brighten my days immensely. I even bought a card display kit so I can see them from my bed. I am so overwhelmed by their generosity and know I cannot possibly convey how they have and are helping me through this time. It just means the world to know that someone actually takes their valuable time to think of me and extend their messages of caring and hope. Card makers have much more impact than they can envision!
I suspect your cards are very much loved and enjoyed and have more positive influence on the people you send them to than you can imagine!
All manner of love and light to you! I had no idea that you were dealing with such an overwhelming thing! Then, we seldom know what others are going through - which is why it's so important to always be kind and helpful whenever we can. I'm so glad that you have people blessing you with their creations!
I don't like getting cards; don't know what to do with them.
I feel bad that someone spent time and/or money making something that I'll end up throwing away. It just seems wasteful to me. The only cards I make are ones where they serve as a delivery device for gift cards or money (maybe ~3 a year), and for those I'll use a sticky-at-the-top sheet of paper inside for whatever note is needed, so they are recyclable. But I don't expect that'll happen.
I hear you on the feeling bad about throwing something away that someone has spent time and money on. Still, I throw away the ones I receive after I've spent some time enjoying them. Aside from recycling pieces/parts, tossing is the only option I have, as I am downsizing on an ongoing basis in preparation for retirement/travel in the next couple of years. I'm still happy when I receive one, as it is so rare any more that anyone will take the time to do anything tangible - it's usually a text or Facebook message or something...
I don't think I've ever heard from anyone I've sent a card to aside from my daughters and one friend who also makes cards. It never occurs to me to care much...
Dear Skippet,
What a wonderful testament to you, to have so many people devoted to showing how much they care as you battle cancer. You must be a very special person indeed! My thoughts and prayers are with you. May you be blessed with comfort and peace, love and friendship.
I have people who tell me they have every card ive sent them! I say, toss them! You'd toss it if it was store bought. I enjoyed making it, enjoyed the knowledge that they enjoyed it. Now its time to let it go! I recycle anything I can, and toss them after a while. I know this isn't what the original poster was talking about, though. I don't usually hear from people who receive my cards unless i see them face to face. I don't think cards are considered the same as a gift. I usually get a thank you if a gift was in it!
I will say that my moms friend has saved (and displayed) every card I have sent him.
Skippet I am so sorry to hear of your health issues. You have given me a whole new way of looking at this. Sending you a hug!
I recently had a major surgery and received many cards from my friends who knew. Honestly, it never occurred to me to thank them individually for their cards.
Less than a month after my surgery, my sister passed away, which brought more cards. Again, I didn't think to individually thank the senders.
Finally, while my sister was in a nursing home for those last three weeks of her life, I sent her a card every few days. Her bulletin board was crammed with them and I know she loved getting them.
Personally, I pin up the cards I receive on a board that my friends and I enjoy looking at. They're saved for a long, long while.
If you love to make cards, what else are you gonna do if you don't send them? I say send, send, send.
I think people are so unaccustomed to receive not-junk-or-bills mail of any kind that they don't know what to do with it. Even when I hand someone a card they are not sure why or what to do next. It's the thought that counts but people often think that now they are on the hook to give a card or something back. I don't have a answer, wish I did.
Mary Beth
Coupla thoughts ...
A non cardmaker likely has no clue the time, energy, thought and love that goes into a handcrafted card and while it may seem like the card is more unique than those bought off the shelf, I imagine they treat them the same. If they respond to one, they'll respond to all, if they don't, they won't, is my guess.
Recently, in the Milwaukee area, a postal worker was arrested after being caught pulling greeting card type mail from the mail she was supposed to deliver. It was a pretty sad story, but she'd realized that there were gift cards and money in many of them and was 'supplementing' her income. It took some time to track her down, but over the course of a few years and the problem occurring on her route, even when the route was changed, is what caused her to be identified.
Last, while it sure is nice to get feedback, I like the idea of scattering joy and kindness like it's confetti. Just throw it out into the world and let it land where it may. If you had a lot of fun creating the card and thinking about the person on the other end, then that's all good. Feedback? a thank you? The cherry on top of the sundae, but the sundae itself was pretty awesome, right?
The Chinese (so I've been told) have a custom of giving a gift with two hands, to symbolize that it is a gift with 'no strings attached', nothing expected in return. If something, even a thank you, is expected, then it really isn't a gift, is it?
__________________ If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don't. ~ Jimmy Carter
Going back to the OP, she was aware of mail she sent to her son going astray, and knew she was getting mail at her house which should have gone elsewhere, and included a note to the effect that because she had been having trouble with mail she would appreciate knowing the card had arrived. Laying aside general acknowledgement or not...if you got a note like that why would you not respond to it? In this day and age of fast, free communication?? True, I personally found people didn't respond when I included a similar note, but if someone included a message like that to me I would absolutely be sure to let them know that whatever they sent had arrived here safely. I know all too well the frustration if not knowing whether things ever arrived or went missing in transit.
I love receiving cards! Makes my heart smile :-)
Normally, though, I don't acknowledge the receipt of a card, unless I bump in to the person shortly after. Shame on me, I guess.
But, if there was a note in the card specifically asking for acknowledgement, then yes, I would let them know it had arrived and that it was appreciated.
I send out a lot of cards too and most are acknowledged. I have trimmed down my Christmas card list for handmade cards to those who appreciate them and just send generic to the others. I do belong to an organization that sends cards to chemo patients and seniors and one of the rules is that the recipient has no obligation to contact the sender. This is because they are dealing with so much in their life that a response sometimes would be difficult. Many do acknowledge their cards but it's not expected.
I send out a lot of cards too and most are acknowledged. I have trimmed down my Christmas card list for handmade cards to those who appreciate them and just send generic to the others. I do belong to an organization that sends cards to chemo patients and seniors and one of the rules is that the recipient has no obligation to contact the sender. This is because they are dealing with so much in their life that a response sometimes would be difficult. Many do acknowledge their cards but it's not expected.
Yes to this...I send to an ex work colleague. Sometimes if she's feeling good I get a WhatsApp and we have a brief chat, but I know that if she's just had a bout of chemo she's certainly not going to use precious energy on that, and nor do I expect it. I still put a little chatty note in when I'm sending them. In fact, I need to get one ready to send on Tuesday.
Going back to the OP, she was aware of mail she sent to her son going astray, and knew she was getting mail at her house which should have gone elsewhere, and included a note to the effect that because she had been having trouble with mail she would appreciate knowing the card had arrived. Laying aside general acknowledgement or not...if you got a note like that why would you not respond to it? In this day and age of fast, free communication?? True, I personally found people didn't respond when I included a similar note, but if someone included a message like that to me I would absolutely be sure to let them know that whatever they sent had arrived here safely. I know all too well the frustration if not knowing whether things ever arrived or went missing in transit.
and given that, maybe it's worth a phone call to double check? and if cards were received but the request was ignored, that informs the sender about what she wants to do going forward, right? But who knows, maybe a bunch of them never arrived?
__________________ If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don't. ~ Jimmy Carter
I feel like my original message is not getting thru. So I will try to be specific. I sent three cards to my son in September. Two arrived over a month late. One is not there yet and I have given up. Two of these three cards contained checks. I just put a stop payment on one check at a cost of $35 TO ME. I felt like maybe the problem was where I am mailing from so the last letter I sent from the post office in the next town. It took 4 weeks and 2 days to arrive.
At the same time, I received two letters that were addressed to my next door neighbor and a neighbor three houses down received a bill addressed to my husband. AND we received a gas bill for a home nowhere near our houses.
To say I am a little fed up with the post office does not begin to express it.
So I changed my insert in my cards for Halloween. If you look at my original post, you will see that. I have NEVER expected a thank you. I just want to know that people are getting what I send.
I sent four cards to my son's home for him, his wife, and their two children. Only three arrived. I sent three cards to my daughter in a nearby state and only one arrived. My son in Boston has received nothing.
This morning, I saw a woman in church who I send cards to. She has a lot of problems and although we aren't friends I usually send her cards at various times. We chatted for a couple minutes and then I said "Sue, did you get my Halloween card?" Guess what she said? "No. I thought you might be mad at me. I always look forward to your cards"
So I am no further ahead. I have a bad feeling that about half of my cards didn't arrive. But I can't go to the post office and complain if I don't know for sure. It is so frustrating.
So No, emphatic No, I don't need to be thanked. I have never asked to be thanked I tried to explain this as well as I could. But if I knew that someone had mail delivery issues (and I explained it briefly in the insert), I could darn well fire off an email or a text to that effect.
<end of rant>
I have had problems with our local post office when a substitute postmaster is working. Two of my mailings never reached their destination and the PO couldn't track them. I feel that the substitute might have felt there was something of value in them and destroyed them after opening the padded envelopes. Lesson learned. Now I will not mail anything if he is working. I live in a small town so it's easy to know if he is.
Westiemom - my apologies for carrying on the misinterpretation of your original intent! I have had issues with the post office myself, and it is beyond frustrating. I won't go into details, but I figure that at this point they've lost about $600 worth of my packages, and I was not reimbursed for anything beyond original postage (even for the insured stuff). I no longer send anything of value without insurance, tracking and with signature required (Flat Rate Priority, most generally). I used to send gift cards or checks, now I do digital gift cards (yes, it's a thing) or transfer money with Google Pay or Zelle. Cards are a different matter. Yes, it's frustrating to not know if they are received, but without additional costs for return receipts or whatever, I don't know a solution. Short of contacting everyone you sent a card to to see if it was received, you're sort of "flying blind", I guess. I can do that, since I don't send many cards and it's usually to family members that I talk to all the time, anyway, so it's no big deal to ask. I feel your pain and wish I had a better answer.
Two weeks ago tomorrow my Father sent a certified check from Florida to Ohio for the purchase of a home. It has not arrived, and the check cannot be cancelled for 90 days. Unfortunately, he sent it First Class mail, so there's no way to find out where it could possibly be--I'd be happy to even know if it was on the way back to him so that once it was returned I could send it back to Ohio via Express Mail for him. He sent some signed documents the same day and they arrived early last week. Sigh.
I have very little faith in our postal service anymore. My Husband and I are going to China and need visitor visas. The application process requires that you send your passport along with the application. We send our passports and applications Priority mail. Long story short, the package was lost. We received absolutely no help from our local post office.
My husband finally got ahold of someone at the postmaster generals office (after holding an hour and 10 minutes). They couldn’t locate our package. We ended up having to expedite new passports and visa application at an additional cost of $500.00.
I am so sorry we didn’t copy our passports before sending. All the stamps from the various countries we visited are gone. I loved the memories that passport held.
I believe that our package was stolen. I’m guessing Passports are quite a commodity on the Black Market. Sorry if I gave offended anyone with this post and sorry if I hijacked this thread.
__________________ Bev
Organized People are just too lazy to hunt for things!!!
I also send cards for all the holidays. Postage is expensive and I make motion cards so I put a lot of time into them. I have an Aunts out of town that save my cards year to year and have a basket they keep them in every year. I am cutting my list and sending only to out of town.
The young people today don't say thank you anymore like the way we were brought up. I don't even get back a thank you after giving money gift for a funeral or wedding. What happened to our society?
I use to send gift cards and some never get to where they are to be delivered. Here in Erie PA all mail is driven to Pittsburgh and they returned back to Erie to be delivered back in Erie. It takes 4-5 days to be delivered a mile from my home! I don't see where that saves money.
Our Cystic Fibrosis Association use to mail gift cards to the patients for Christmas and Thanksgiving. We had 4 that were not received. Not once but twice to the same people. Could not catch the culprit. I know they feel or bend the card and know there is a gift card in there. The dishonesty and theft is getting bad in our society. We now meet at Panera and the families have to pick them up. Sad we can't rely on the US Post Office.
westiemom, I think I misunderstood the title of your thread, so apologies to you for my earlier post (although there have been threads in the past with folk upset that their cards aren't getting the response they were looking for; so to that general group it's a post I hope is useful as they sort through what they want to do about that problem).
about the post office and mail not getting through ... that's a really big deal, imho. aren't there pretty severe consequences for mail being stolen? I think the MKE postal worker is looking at some serious jail time.
__________________ If you don't want your tax dollars to help the poor, then stop saying you want a country based on Christian values, because you don't. ~ Jimmy Carter
Last edited by jeaniebean55; 10-29-2018 at 03:40 AM..
Sad that you lost the original passports. Does Priority not give any comeback at all? I've started sending most foreign packages with tracking even though it costs more. I wish I didn't feel I needed to, and in truth, it's only even been cards or large envelopes which went AWOL. Funny story, a torn empty envelope was once returned to me by USPS saying that's how it entered their mail system and they were returning it to the sender! Local mail I'm still pretty happy about, and rarely bother with registered, even when I was recently dealing with some legal stuff from my dad's estate.
Quote:
Originally Posted by bdeyes9
I have very little faith in our postal service anymore. My Husband and I are going to China and need visitor visas. The application process requires that you send your passport along with the application. We send our passports and applications Priority mail. Long story short, the package was lost. We received absolutely no help from our local post office.
My husband finally got ahold of someone at the postmaster generals office (after holding an hour and 10 minutes). They couldn’t locate our package. We ended up having to expedite new passports and visa application at an additional cost of $500.00.
I am so sorry we didn’t copy our passports before sending. All the stamps from the various countries we visited are gone. I loved the memories that passport held.
I believe that our package was stolen. I’m guessing Passports are quite a commodity on the Black Market. Sorry if I gave offended anyone with this post and sorry if I hijacked this thread.
These stories are horrifying! I have never had a problem with the post office and I did not know it could be so bad. I always find it a bit confusing that a customer has to pay extra to ensure his/her package or letter arrives at the proper destination. The post office's business IS to efficiently and accurately deliver mail. Paying the regular postage should guarantee that, otherwise I wonder what exactly am I paying for? A hope and a wish? To have so much go missing makes me suspect someone is stealing it, or it is getting delivered to the wrong address and the person receiving it is keeping it. What some of you have had to pay from your own pocket due to the post office's carelessness is inexcusable!
I stopped making cards over a year ago, when I realized how few I actually send. I still loved stamping and crafting, though, so I switched over to tags - usually #10 tags that I cut myself out of hot press WC paper using a Bigz die. I feel like I now make something I can easily make INTO a card if I need a card to send, or do whatever else I want with it. Some of the ones I think came out well I glue to a chipboard tag blank (which I make with my Bigz die), put a small chipboard easel on the back (I have a Bigz die for that, too) and put them up around my own house, where I can enjoy them for as long as I like. Or I mount them on a chipboard blank and hot glue some twine or wire to them and hang them up on the wall. Cards really became a a conundrum to me - I wanted to play with my stuff and make things but I rarely sent a card. And I know that most of the cards I send get tossed. (I know exactly who saves them, and can count them on the fingers of one hand and have fingers left over.)
Anyway, that was how I solved what felt like it might be the end of my crafting career. I realized that there was more to papercrafting than cards.
As to the Post Office, I haven't experiences problems. But then, I send so few cards that the chances of them going astray isn't a great as with someone who sends many.
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
I live in Tulsa, OK. We used to have One-Day postal delivery. If your postal carrier picked it up, or if you dropped it in an official mailbox it was delivered the next day.
Then someone got the Wonderful idea to close the large sorting center they had recently built, and take ALL the mail to Oklahoma City to be sorted, then returned to Tulsa for delivery. This was to save money!
That delayed delivery for an extra day or 2. However, we did not get our undelivered mail (mis addressed or whatever) back for about 2 weeks. Well, I work in a property management office and if a tenant gave us a wrong address for their deposit refund, we would not know it for a long time, which aggravated our tenants.
One of our Tulsa, Oklahoma, tenants mailed his rent to our office with the Right name and address and we received it about 3 weeks later with a MAINE postmark on it. Who could guess why?
I think they stopped the project of sending our mail out of town, but now they just lose it or choose not to deliver it. Checks mailed at the post office would simply not arrive. One to our carpet installer took 4 weeks to arrive, and we had already stopped payment, $25.00.
I JUST DON'T TRUST THEM.
My brother sent a Christmas card with a gift card inside and the envelope was sliced open at the side fold and gift card was gone. I told him right away so the card could be cancelled (always keep your receipts), and I called the post office who delivers my mail to put in an official complaint. They said they would send me a form to fill out to report the theft, but never did. (before the days of online everything). So they just don't care.
Since you know of several which actually have not arrived, I would go speak to the postmaster and tell him/her about the situation. If no one complains they will think everything is all right. We pay them before they do their work....so complain!
I will admit that now and then I have myself a pity party because I don't know if a card has been delivered or not, but then I forget about it. If I never hear from a person, I usually take them off my mailing list. Most everyone has email or FB now - so no excuse for ignoring. I don't want or expect thank yous, but sending me a text or email with - got the card, would be nice.
One thing I might suggest to those of you who send several cards to the same address. I put all the cards into a large envelope. At least that way one grandchild doesn't get a card while the other one doesn't. They either get all or none.
I also make thinking of you cards for a nursing home near me. I get a list of all the residents who have a birthday each month & deliver them to the nursing home. This way I can also make square cards and lumpy cards without worrying about the post office. I also make lots of cards for the pastoral care team at my church. They're delivered by hand so I can bling them up too.
You don't have to send cards - you can take them to nursing homes, hospice homes, etc. Works well for me.
__________________ Keep what is worth keeping
and with the breath of kindness
blow the rest away.
I think I have a somewhat different take on sending cards. I do admit that, for past several years I've made and sent very few but that is due to many factors.
I think if someone that you care enough about to send a card does not acknowledge it you should keep sending them cards. They might have reasons they wish to keep private that makes them not reach out.
Westiemom--Have you tried visiting the two post offices you've mailed from and asked to speak with the postmaster directly and explain what is happening? Over the years, we've had issues with mail carriers/etc. and we've found that an in-person visit helps.
I visited with the postmaster at the first post office I mailed from. He pretty much shrugged his shoulders and said "if you didn't have tracking, we can't help you" and then stared at me.
Several years ago, when my youngest son lived in Washington DC, he did not get two packages I sent and the tracking showed they were delivered. Apparently they were stolen off the porch. So the next package I sent I paid for signature delivery. I think it was an additional $2-$3. This time, the mail carrier signed for the delivery. And then the package was stolen off the porch. I gave up and never sent him another thing while he lived in DC.
I envy those of you who say you have never had a problem. I have had way too many problems. I hate to think of how much money I have lost due to post office incompetence.
I should add that the mail carrier was not supposed to sign for the package. Someone at the residence was supposed to sign. Even when I complained about this, I was told that the carrier made a mistake but there is nothing we can do.
Do people even WANT to receive cards?
