PenpalSuchi

Hello there! Thank you SO much for stopping by!

I am Suchi and I'm 40 years old. I live and work in Hyderabad, one of India's IT cities. I am an editor/proofreader in digital learning.

I have been paper crafting for years now--currently focusing on snail mail (swaps and penpal letters). I started out with mini albums (the chunkier the better!) and gradually moved into junk journals because I have more opportunity to sew and I love working with digital paper packs (The themes are so much more interesting than commercial paper pads sometimes!). I sway between a love for idyllic cottagecore/organic rustic/country kitchen kinda vibes, and the more moody, sombre Victorian aesthetic...(think Wuthering Heights!) :D

With snail mail, I am able to balance both—my love for vintage journals and that for cute scrapbook mini albums/flipbooks. Also, the added fun of making new friends! :)

My interests are travel, history, papercrafting, vintage décor, country living, nature (I wish I could say gardening but I know very little of that. I have like 5 plants right now :D), and traditional postage.

In my penpal journey, I'm looking for fellow paper and post enthusiasts to share my love for stationery and traditional post with. 🙂 I also write long, chatty letters (really long...6-8 pages even!), so essentially, I’m looking for conversations and longer-term connections. The crafty bit is a bonus.

For the most part, I am easy-going and given my eclectic style, I tend of use supplies of different aesthetics.

However, I do join profile-based swaps occasionally. Listing my preferences below in the snail mail section below.

Note: I did not want to write this in my bio because I joined SB for the joy of giving and making new friends. I do not have a huge list of dislikes and pretty much like everything.

However, I have been a crafter long enough to know when junk has been tossed my way. :( Please do not do this. I open all envies with a huge smile and then when trash tumbles out, it's always a difficult conversation with myself first, before I reach out to the swapper or the coordinator.

Please let's keep all swaps fun. :)

For the most part, I do not resend goodies received in other swaps and definitely never send out anything I would not use myself. While I know others resend and I am totally fine receiving such items (as long as they are in usable condition and not wrung out from being mailed around the world), I am definitely not fine receiving items that are clearly unwanted.

I am a warm person and I rate similarly--I pretty much love all mail and will give a heart gladly, even for postcards. If I have any reason to not give a heart, I will always leave a note of thanks. I love it when nonletter swaps come with a short friendly note. I always try to add a note--unless I've maxed postage!

I ship from India, so please allow for a month from swap deadline. Mail to UK/AU usually reaches in 15-20 days and mail to the US usually takes a month (sometimes it takes just a week and a half! but that's a miracle, not the rule).

I am not sending tea or candy in my swaps anymore (I feel terrible about this, and have this huge stash of fine Indian teas with me now which will have no home)--most countries are cracking down on mails containing anything edible and I've had a couple packages lost because they carried holiday goodies, and sometimes, mail is ripped open to get the candy out. Either way, I'm finding it safer to lay off the edibles for now. :D

I try to meet all deadlines, but I work long hours Mon-Fri and leisure comes at a premium. If I happen to run late with a swap, I always send an email out before deadline.

Request: If you are sending me a chunky envelope, affixing a CN22 form may be safer. Please mark the package a gift and write a nominal value. I do receive chunky mail without this form too, but I use this form when sending heavier envelopes.

If not using the form, please write any of these words: Letter, paper only, no value 😊🙏🏼

For envelopes of any size, please reinforce the edges with clear tape or a sturdy washi tape. I do the same for all my mail. Envelopes sometimes arrive with the edges completely worn away/undone—there’s no way to tell if anything fell out accidentally. 🥹

I rate ALL swaps the day I receive them. Please consider not received if not rated.

I do not chase ratings so you may not hear from me for swaps where I am sending to you. Please drop me a line before rating down. I will gladly resend. :)

Note for PVT swaps

I will be sending snail mail, not tracked. This is because my work timings are in conflict with PO timings and it’s not possible for me to get to the window during office hours. I always keep proof of postage. I will share if requested, and if both parties are sharing. :)

I can only do slow swaps. I do not expect you to ship first. I am OK shipping first as long as you share proof of postage when you send. However, patience and communication are key. Crafting is my hobby, not my job. Neither am I here for free stuff. Offer a swap only when you feel that trust with me.

I love paper bundles! I'd be thrilled to see any of the below:

Letter paper, envelopes, notecards/notelettes

Postcards--these are a favorite!! (preferably with nature/landscape/architecture/heritage images but will be happy with any fun pictures--movies, tv shows, holidays, etc.)

Vintage papers--dictionaries, maps, sheet music, ledgers, encyclopedia, children's books, old timey office stationery

Flash cards, playing cards, large BINGO cards, button cards

Botanical book pages/illustrations, magazine cutouts. Botanical ANYTHING :D

Pretty pages from magazines, travel brochures with nature/architecture images (I absolutely LOVE these and they do not have to be vintage.)

Wrapping paper, tissue paper (the crinkly type), decoupage napkins

Vellum paper/envelopes, vellum quotes

Usual snailmail goodies: die cuts, stickers, washi, used stamps, labels, PET tape swatches

Words/quotes (Bright, uplifting, motivational, soulful)

Misc.: Baker's twine, pretty yarn, gingham prints

Fabric swatches, charms :)

My favorite colors are: green, spring green, aqua, turquoise (I love most colors that occur in nature--brown, orange, yellow, purple, fuchsia, ivory, etc.)

Romantic comedies!

Top few are The Holiday, You've Got Mail, Notting Hill, No Strings Attached, What Happens in Vegas, The Accidental Husband, The Ugly Truth, Life As We Know It, How To Lose a Guy in 10 Days, He's Just Not That Into You, Bridget Jone's Diary, While You Were Sleeping (if you know of this last one, we must have been friends in a previous life coz I don't know too many people that know about this movie!)

Listing my other favorite genres:

Crime/Detection--all of Harlan Coben, The Chestnut Men, Broadchurch, Shetland, Bordertown, Valhalla Murders, Woman of the Dead

I avoid true crime/crime scene shows, unless it is a very well-made documentary (The Night Walker!). Much of true crime sensationalizes tragedy. :(

Period films, epics (If not the story, I’ll watch them for the costumes and sets--especially, if they are historically accurate and not anachronistic.)

Literary adaptations (Across genres, even autobiographies/biographies) A few favorites are below: The Dig (2021) Far from the Madding Crowd (2015) Pride and Prejudice (1995, 2005) North and South (2004) Wuthering Heights (1992)

I have a major in English Literature so a love for reading comes with the territory, I guess! 😬

Some of my favorite genres are the following: Classics —Austen, Bronte, Hardy, Gaskell, Dickens; Historical fiction; Post-colonial literature from around the world—Australian, Caribbean, Indian, African; Non-fiction—social/political commentary, alternative historiography; Romances (very selective in this genre, has to be a powerful human story to interest me)

loose glitter, chunky beads/shells/bone beads, leather/faux leather/original feathers, pictures of children, birds, or people (illustrations are fine), nudity (even artistic)--no topless mermaids or cherubs, please. (I'm sorry. I don't mean to offend but it's not my style.)

Tiny boring stickers, tiny tags

Scraps of paper (while pretty paper scraps are OK when included with other goodies, just scraps of paper as goodies will be considered insufficient and rated as such after proper communication.)

Please do not send me ATC cards--I do not use/collect these and they are of no use to me. If you'd like to send me something handmade, I'd love envelopes, coin envelopes, pockets+tags, collage cards, handmade PCs (only where it's a swap requirement)

Dark humor, gothic, occult, religious phrases (Again, nothing against artists who use these, just that I cannot seem to fit them into my work.)

Adult humor.