Dear Penpal

Episodes

• 
  Episode 35: Martina Calvi, the Queen of Junk Journaling 💌✂️ 04.10.2026 1h 9m

  Episode 35: Martina Calvi, the Queen of Junk Journaling 💌✂️This week we somehow got Martina Calvi on Dear Penpal (!!), and this one is for every junk journal, stationery and snail mail girlie.Martina takes us all the way back to the journal she started at eight years old, through sharing her pages online and realizing people actually cared about this wonderfully scrappy way of saving memories. We also finally ask whether she knows people call her the queen of junk journaling. Spoiler: she does. 😂 We talk about the viral post that led to a DM from her future editor and eventually her first book deal, what publishing is actually like, building Martina’s Tiny Store from one sticker sheet, why her first sticker book wildly exceeded expectations, and the reality behind creative collaborations, including a little collaboration tea. And obviously we get into The Art of Snail Mail, Martina’s lifelong penpal history, why slower communication can sometimes be better communication, and the crafty community that has now become much bigger than she ever imagined. Basically: junk journals, penpals, publishing secrets, Tiny Store, collabs, tiny scraps of paper, and the woman responsible for a lot of us becoming sentimental little raccoons. 💌FIND MARTINA 🎀Instagram: @martinamartianMartina Calvi’s links, books & socialsShop Martina’s Tiny Store LinktreeFIND DEAR PENPAL 💌Instagram: @dearpenpalpodcastEmail: [email protected] US MAIL 📮Dear PenpalPO Box 411061San Francisco, CA 94141Happy penpalling!
• 
  Episode 34: Building a Colorful Empire with Alex Mason 28.09.2026 1h 23m

  This week Parker is joined by Australian artist Alex Mason, whose bright, textured florals have made their way onto everything from surfboards and bedding to phone cases, stationery and swimwear. 🌸🎨Alex takes us behind the scenes of art licensing, how it works, what artists actually get paid, and why she’s now turning down licensing deals to build her own products instead. She also shares the messy side of that world, including discovering a new range using her artwork in stores that she hadn’t approved or been paid for. We also get into manufacturing samples gone horribly wrong, her upcoming clothing line, the floral surfboards that unexpectedly went viral, Bindi Irwin casually buying one of her paintings, celebrities sliding into the DMs, and the truly mysterious phenomenon of brides asking small businesses for free stuff. 😂 Basically: color, flowers, business chaos, big creative risks, and Alex’s plan to build her own very pink, very recognizable empire.FIND ALEX 🌸Instagram: @artbyalexmasonShop + artwork: artbyalexmason.comLinks: linktr.ee/artbyalexmasonFIND DEAR PENPAL 💌Instagram: @dearpenpalpodcastEmail: [email protected] US MAIL 💌Dear PenpalPO Box 411061San Francisco, CA 94141Happy penpalling!
• 
  Episode 33: Birthday Hauls, Pen Show Regrets & 8 Unanswered Letters 20.09.2026 1h 15m

  It’s our last Parker + Judit duo episode of the year, so naturally we have a LOT to catch up on.Judit is back with a belated birthday stationery haul, a fancy new fountain pen, red shimmer ink on the way, and a casual little pile of eight penpal letters waiting for replies. Parker finally got her Martina Calvi sticker book in the mail, and we’re already plotting a Paper Source trip for the Martina Calvi freebies because obviously.We also revisit the pen show and admit that we were somehow too intimidated to actually touch the fancy pens, got tired way too fast, and didn’t even make it through the whole show. Judit shows off her three Hobonichi journals, gives her thoughts on the episode she missed, and we get into listener mail, the possibility of doing a live show, and all the little stationery things currently taking over our lives.Plus, a tiny reminder from us to actually take a little time for yourself during the day, even when there are eight letters staring at you from the desk.Basically: birthday goodies, penpal guilt, pretty paper, tired girl behavior, and a whole lot of catching up. 💌✨want to write Judit a birthday note?! or just send us cute snail mail? write to us at: PO Box 411061, San Francisco, CA 94141
• 
  Episode 32: Shell Flower from Teenage Junk Journals to an Iconic Pouch 13.09.2026 1h 13m

  This week Parker is joined by Elle from Shell Flower, who originally got our attention by asking who she needed to bribe with stickers to get on the podcast, which is, frankly, the correct strategy. We talk about Elle rediscovering her teenage journals filled with candy wrappers, menus, scraps and little memories, and how that eventually helped lead her back to creating and building Shell Flower. We also get into the making of her now-iconic journal pouch, taking the risk of ordering hundreds before knowing if anyone would actually want one, and growing a creative brand by trusting her own taste instead of chasing every trend. Plus: Sydney’s junk journal scene, leopard print, sticker hoarding, creative community, small-business chaos, and Parker’s many questions about why a small creative brand hires a PR firm and what PR actually does behind the scenes.Basically: junk journals, very good stickers, girl gangs, creative risks and the business behind all the cute stuff. ✂️💌✨FIND SHELL FLOWER 🐚🌸Instagram: @shellflowerstoreShop: shellflowerstore.com FIND DEAR PENPAL 💌Instagram: @dearpenpalpodcastEmail: [email protected] US MAIL 💌Dear PenpalPO Box 411061San Francisco, CA 94141Happy penpalling!
• 
  Episode 31: Fancy Letter Paper, Penpal Confessions & a Music Rabbit Hole 06.09.2026 43m

  Parker is running low on letter paper, which turns into a discussion about where to buy the good stuff, and why anything monogrammed instantly feels fancier.Judit shares her latest fountain pen want, Parker has a penpal confession, and Judit updates us on messaging some ghosted penpals. We also talk about sending postcards instead of full letters sometimes, Parker’s postcard hoarding, the traveling sticker card we did with listeners, and listener mail from the UK.We also discuss the San Francisco Pen Show, recorded before we went, so yes, it has already happened, plus why Dear Penpal is not becoming a video podcast unless Netflix or Hulu comes calling.Somehow we also end up debating how to say “riso,” talking about current music playlists, USPS PO Box paperwork, and Parker wanting more markers.SEND US MAIL 💌Dear PenpalPO Box 411061San Francisco, CA 94141Instagram: @dearpenpalpodcastHappy penpalling!
• 
  Episode 30: Journal the Day Away with Haeshah Davis 30.08.2026 1h 3m

  This week Parker is joined by Haeshah Davis of @PlanninginHD to talk about journaling without the pressure to make every page perfect.We get into journal therapy, finding a journaling style that actually works for you, fountain pens and ink obsessions, using the stationery you’ve been saving, and why so many of us are craving analog hobbies again.Haeshah also tells us how her Postcard Pal Exchange grew to hundreds of people sending happy mail around the world, plus creative workshops, stationery rabbit holes, expensive fountain pens, and the very important art of buying two sticker sheets so you can use one and hoard the other.Consider this your official permission to mess up the notebook, use the good stickers, and send the postcard. 💌CONNECT WITH DEAR PENPAL 💌Instagram: @dearpenpalpodcastEmail: [email protected]: Dear Penpal on Apple Podcasts & Spotify Podcasts Send us mail:Dear PenpalPO Box 411061San Francisco, CA 94141FIND HAESHAH ✨Instagram: @planninginhdLinks + resources: linktr.ee/PlanninginHDHappy penpalling!
• 
  Episode 29: How Do You Actually Make a Product? with Menmin Made 23.08.2026 1h 20m

  This week we’re talking with Paulina Hoong, the artist and founder behind Menmin Made, about turning creative ideas into real products.Parker is currently trying to figure out manufacturing for her sticker book, so she had LOTS of questions: How do you find a manufacturer? What happens when a sample is wrong? How much back-and-forth is normal? And what happens when an entire order goes sideways?We also talk about Paulina’s Menmin Multi Bag, selling 10,000 tote bags, craft fair chaos, and growing a creative business. Find us 💌Instagram: @dearpenpalpodcastSend us mail:Dear PenpalPO Box 411061San Francisco, CA 94141Find Paulina ✨Instagram: @menminmadeShop: menminmade.comHappy penpalling!
• 
  Episode 28: Button Makers, Sticker Books & The Vegas Postcard Betrayal 16.08.2026 38m

  the internet said 10,000 postcards. there were maybe twelve. 😭💌This week Parker got a button maker and has been making the most chaotic sticker and washi collage buttons, reached out to two publishers about making her own sticker book and we are manifesting a response, did her first DTIYS on her new iPad and is getting back into her creative zone, and her camera roll is basically entirely Dear Penpal content at this point. Meanwhile Judit went to Vegas looking for a shop that claimed to have 10,000 postcards and found a sad dusty little stand. She also went to Outside Lands which has gone so eco friendly there was zero junk to be found. We also have a brand new PO Box and we are announcing a future activation idea that we are officially claiming right now, you heard it here first.CONNECT WITH US:Instagram: @dearpenpalpodcastEmail: [email protected] PO Box: PO Box 411061, San Francisco, CA 94141#DearPenpalPodcast #SnailMail #Penpals #ButtonMaker #StickerBook #JunkJournal #Stationery #LetterWriting #PostcardsFromEverywhere #PenpalLife
• 
  Episode 27: Building Hollywood Hunnies with Paige & Millie 09.08.2026 52m

  paige has put a hard stop on dolphin art and we respect it 🐬🚫Paige and Millie (@hollywoodhunnies) went to art school together, moved to LA together, share a junk journal, and built Hollywood Hunnies together, because you need a best friend who loves washi tape as much as you do. We talked about production design and painting and baking and buttons and sourcing sticker sheets, how LA's creative scene gave them the confidence to take chances, their community of "hunnies" and wanting to build more in person, making products designed for friendship, and their dream collab with Prince of California. Also no more dolphins.CONNECT WITH US:Instagram: @dearpenpalpodcastEmail: [email protected] to us: new address coming soon! FIND HOLLYWOOD HUNNIES:Instagram: @hollywoodhunniesEtsy: search Hollywood HunniesWhat is your hard stop in art? Tell us 😂💌#DearPenpalPodcast #HollywoodHunnies #JunkJournal #SnailMail #BestFriends #LACreative #MailClub #Stationery #Penpals #CreativeCommunity
• 
  Episode 26: Nurturing Whimsy, Film School & 1,750 Letters with Minna from Craftoholic Mail Club 02.08.2026 46m

  she got her first 50 subscribers from fruit notepads. the rest is history. 🥹✨Minna (@meenoush_) grew up with a mom who had a craft room, went to film school, worked at a stationery store, and then started posting the notepads she was making on social media. Fifty subscribers later the Craftoholic Mail Club was born. Now she sends 1,750 letters a mailing, makes all her own rules, keeps it fresh every single month so she never gets bored, and might be the first person on the internet to use the word whimsy the way everyone uses it now. We also talked about production hiccups, mail club trends, and the future of this whole world we love so much. Recorded on Stationery Store Day, which honestly could not have been more perfect.CONNECT WITH US:Instagram: @dearpenpalpodcastEmail: [email protected] to us: PO Box 223, Benicia, CA 94510FIND MINNA:Instagram: @meenoush_meenoush.carrd.coWhat would your dream mail club theme be? Tell us 💌✨#DearPenpalPodcast #SnailMail #MailClub #CraftoholicMailClub #Meenoush #JunkJournal #Stationery #LetterWriting #Penpals #StationeryStoreDay
• 
  Episode 25: From Art School to Stationery Shop-Nagi Lifestyle with Vivian 26.07.2026 56m

  three orders placed back-to-back. zero regrets. 🥹✨Vivian from Nagi Lifestyle is an art school graduate who started a stationery shop, tracking inventory by hand, moving into her first warehouse, and is about to do her first expo at the SF Pen Show. We talked about all of it including the money transparency trend in the vendor community and what nobody tells you about owning a creative business.CONNECT WITH US:Instagram: @dearpenpalpodcastEmail: [email protected] to us: PO Box 223, Benicia, CA 94510FIND NAGI LIFESTYLE:nagilifestyle.comInstagram: @nagilifestyleTikTok: @nagilifestyle#DearPenpalPodcast #NagiLifestyle #Stationery #SmallBusiness #StationeryShop #JunkJournal #Penpals #SnailMail #SFPenShow #StationeryCommunity
• 
  Episode 24: Stationery Regrets, Ghosted Penpals & Sticker Book Obsession 19.07.2026 40m

  $100 on sticker books. 3D printed sparkly pen trays. hashtags are apparently dead. welcome to episode 24. 🖊️✨💌Parker 3D printed two sparkly pen trays, Judit ordered more fountain pens and signed up for a doodling with a fountain pen workshop at the SF Pen Show, Parker spent over $100 on sticker books and is now staring at a messy craft desk wondering where it all went wrong. We hit 1,000 Instagram followers, our junk journal flat spread swap is underway, we talked about penpal ghosting, stationery regrets, our least favorite things about penpalling, and we opened the most wonderful listener mail including a mini zine about why stickers matter, postcards from Italy, the FIFA World Cup, and the de Young Museum.CONNECT WITH US:Instagram: @dearpenpalpodcastEmail: [email protected] to us: PO Box 223, Benicia, CA 94510What is your least favorite thing about penpalling? Tell us 👀💌#DearPenpalPodcast #SnailMail #Penpals #FountainPen #StationeryAddict #JunkJournal #PenTray #StickerBook #LetterWriting #PenpalLife #Stationery #SnailMailCommunity #PenpalCommunity #JunkJournaling #StationeryLovers
• 
  Episode 23: 5,500 Letters, Army Reserves & Becoming a Boss with Hannah from The Tiny Project 12.07.2026 1h 4m

  this one genuinely made us want to go write five thousand letters 🥹💌Hannah Gustafson (@hannah_thetinyproject) runs The Tiny Post snail mail club, 5,500 subscribers, art and junk journal workshops, a farmers market with 30 plus vendors and a neighbor house band, and she does it all while serving in the Army Reserves. We talked about building something from nothing, what it actually means to become a boss, the creative journey, and the sticker book she is working on next. This conversation was everything.CONNECT WITH US:Instagram: @dearpenpalpodcastEmail: [email protected] to us: Box 223, Benicia, CA 94510FIND HANNAH:Instagram: @hannah_thetinyprojectInstagram: @tinyfarmersmarkettinyproject.orgWhat does creativity community connection mean to you? Tell us 💌#DearPenpalPodcast #SnailMail #MailClub #TinyProject #TinyPost #LetterWriting #Penpals #JunkJournal #SmallBusiness #Stationery
• 
  Episode 22: We Got Royal Mail, Juicy Pen Reviews & Parker Went to Disneyland 05.07.2026 40m

  juicy is a fountain pen word and we are using it 🖊️👑This week listener mail, a very juicy Benu pen review, the royal family actually wrote back and we are not okay about it, and Parker came home from Disneyland with the most wonderful analog goodies. A very good episode. Very juicy.CONNECT WITH US:Instagram: @dearpenpalpodcastEmail: [email protected] to us: PO Box 223, Benicia, CA 94510The royal family wrote back. That is all. 👑💌#DearPenpalPodcast #FountainPen #Benu #RoyalMail #Disneyland #SnailMail #Penpals #LetterWriting #StationeryCommunity #JunkJournal
• 
  Episode 21: Tech Girlie Turned Mail Artist-Sunday Breakfast Club with Bash 28.06.2026 1h 7m

  she mailed 500 copies around the world from Sydney and we are obsessed 🍵💌This week we are talking with Bash from Sunday Breakfast Club (@sundaybfastclub), artist, mail club founder, craft meetup regular, and the person behind some of the most stunning themed slow morning mail we have ever seen. The matcha edition. The Italian edition. The way everything she makes feels like a warm drink and a slow Sunday. We talked about all of it.CONNECT WITH US:Instagram: @dearpenpalpodcastEmail: [email protected] to us: PO Box 223, Benicia, CA 94510FIND SUNDAY BREAKFAST CLUB:Instagram: @sundaybfastclubsundaybreakfast.clubWhat would your dream mail club theme be? Tell us! 🍵💌
• 
  Episode 20: All Your Mail, Our Podcast Journey & What Comes Next 21.06.2026 48m

  20 episodes. we cannot believe it either 🥹💌This week we handed the whole episode to you and your PO box letters. And since episode 20 felt like a moment worth pausing on, we also talked about what this podcast journey has actually been like, what surprised us, and our goals for the next 20 episodes. CONNECT WITH US:Instagram: @dearpenpalpodcastEmail: [email protected] to us: 290 E L St, PO Box 223, Benicia, CA 94510What has been your favorite episode so far? Tell us in the comments 👀💌#DearPenpalPodcast #Penpals #SnailMail #LetterWriting #PenpalCommunity #ListenerMail #Episode20 #SnailMailCommunity #PodcastMilestone #PenpalLife
• 
  Episode 19: Your Questions, Our Pens & A Penpal Update 14.06.2026 46m

  you asked, we answered 🖊️💌This week we are answering your questions, giving you an update on the ever growing fountain pen situation (it has grown), and doing an honest check in on where our penpal lives are at right now. No guest this week, just us, your questions, and a lot of pen talk.CONNECT WITH US:Instagram: @dearpenpalpodcastEmail: [email protected] to us: 290 E L St, PO Box 223, Benicia, CA 94510Got a question for us? Send it over for a future episode! 👀💌#DearPenpalPodcast #Penpals #SnailMail #FountainPen #LetterWriting #AskUsAnything #PenpalLife #SnailMailCommunity #StationeryCommunity #PenpalUpdates
• 
  Episode 18: Frugal Penpal Tips From Two People Who Just Bought a Lot of Stationery 07.06.2026 1h 13m

  we are not the most qualified people for this. and yet. 🛍️💌This week a listener asked Parker and Judit for frugal penpal tips. This same week Parker and Judit bought a lot of stationery. We are doing it anyway. We also have an honest penpal life check in and an update on Parker reaching out to stationery brands for gifted products because transparency is important to us.CONNECT WITH US:Instagram: @dearpenpalpodcastEmail: [email protected] to us: 290 E L St, PO Box 223, Benicia, CA 94510Are you a frugal penpal or a maximalist? Be honest 👀💌#DearPenpalPodcast #Penpals #SnailMail #FrugalLiving #StationeryAddict #LetterWriting #PenpalTips #SnailMailCommunity #StationeryLovers #PenpalLife
• 
  Episode 17: Parker's First Fountain Pen, Decorated Journals & Launching Our Traveling Sticker Card 31.05.2026 1h 16m

  new era unlocked 🖊️🎨💌This week is a cozy life update episode, Judit decorated her journal and something in her has been awakened, Parker got a Paper Republic and her first fountain pen and some ink and there is no going back now. We are gushing over Martina Calvì's sticker book, launching our very first community traveling sticker card project, and reading your messages because you are all so amazing 🥹CONNECT WITH US:Instagram: @dearpenpalpodcastEmail: [email protected] to us: 290 E L St, PO Box 223, Benicia, CA 94510#DearPenpalPodcast #Penpals #SnailMail #FountainPen #PaperRepublic #MartinaCalvi #StickerBook #TravelingJournal #LetterWriting
• 
  Episode 16: Zines, Snail Mail Clubs & Junk Journaling with Emily from Junk.This.Universe 24.05.2026 1h 41m

  she found us. she mailed us her zine. judit subscribed. 🥹✂️💌This week Parker and Judit are talking with Emily (@junk.this.universe), zine maker, snail mail club founder, junk journal lover, former Disney cast member, traveling journal curator, and someone who mailed over 100 letters on a Wednesday evening like it was completely normal. Her snail mail club junk.this.zine sends a different themed zine to subscribers every month, rip it, read it, stick it in your journal, and we are obsessed.Also her brand new website is dropping this week and we are so excited for her 🎉CONNECT WITH US:Instagram: @dearpenpalpodcastEmail: [email protected] to us: 290 E L St, PO Box 223, Benicia, CA 94510FIND EMILY:Instagram & TikTok: @junk.this.universe + @emily_made_universeNew website: junkthisuniverse.comUse code GRANDOPENING for 10% off through July 1st 🎉Are you a junk journaler? Tell us! ✂️💌#DearPenpalPodcast #JunkJournal #Zine #SnailMail #SnailMailClub #JunkThisZine #LetterWriting #Penpals #TravelingJournal #ZineCommunity