Sure, you can sit hunched over at your desk, struggling with a new crochet pattern the entire weekend, or stay curled up on the couch as you knock out another pair of hand-knit socks, but how about you go outside for a change? Whether its knitting, quilting, scrapbooking, or standing in a photography dark room for hours at a time, Artists and crafters spend an awful lot of time with their craft. Sometimes, you need to get outside, but most outdoor activities get boring. Well, there's a relatively old hobby out there that will be sure to intrigue, and get you out of the house and into a pair of hiking boots!
Letterboxing is a treasure-hunting game that uses a series of clues to track down a single location. That location holds a handmade "LogBook" (similiar to a journal or diary), and a hand-carved stamp. You bring your hand-carved stamp and sign the LogBook with your stamp, and then sign your personal Logbook with the stamp inside the Letterbox. It's a beautiful way to share art, and have a unique reminder of your adventures.
Letterboxing is similiar to Geocaching, another treasure-hunting game, but dates back to the mid-1800's, in Dartmoor. You can read more about the rich history of Letterboxing at Letterboxing.Info, a great Letterboxing site written by well-known "Boxer" (person who engages in Letterboxing) "Silent Doug".
Letterboxes can be located deep in the woods, on nature trails, state parks, or off the side of the road on a lonely interstate. But, Letterboxes can also be located at Historical Landmarks, everyday urban locations, or even you're favorite restaurant. In fact, one of Norfolk's well-known "Diners" has a Letterbox, just behind the counter!
One of the unique aspects of Letterboxing is that so much of the initial Letterboxing process is creating a Letterbox. A Letterbox is centered around a stamp. The stamp can be a custom made stamp, a hand-carved stamp, or a store-bought one. But what makes Letterboxing so appealing is the concept of attaining a custom, individual stamping of something someone created, so a store-bought stamp isn't as desirable as a custom or hand-made one.
Stamp carving involves a soft carving block medium, and cutting or carving tools. These can be purchased at most Art supply stores or online. Alternately, if you don't want to invest in art supplies, you can carve a basic stamp using exacto knives, the sharp edge from the end of a pencil eraser, and a large rubber eraser purchased from a Dollar store or Teacher Supply store. The craft and skill of stamp carving can be addictive, and a hobby unto itself. The best part? Carving a stamp is relatively easy, and there are safe ways for children to carve their own stamps. The Letterboxing North America site has a clear-cut tutorial for stamp-carving and kids located here, written by "Der Mad Stamper". You don't have to be trained in Fine Arts to sculpt or craft your first stamp, but traditional sculptors and wood-works will definitely enjoy this small-scale craft.
More experienced "Boxers" or Letterboxers evolve from hand-carving stamps to also creating their own LogBooks. For anyone that already enjoys scrapbooking, this is very appealing. Imagine creating a custom journal that will be shared with hundreds of fellow Artist-turned-TreasureHunters? Logbooks can be as simple as quality paper stapled with cardboard, or as elaborate as traditional Codex-bound Journals.
Letterboxes are located all across the world, and in the United States, two sites are devoted to listing all of the Letterboxes in North America. Atlasquest, an extremely popular and active site in the Letterboxing community, and Letterboxing.org (Letterboxing North America), are the two most popular sites to go to for locating and listing Letterboxes in your area. Membership is free on both sites. A great feature about AtlasQuest is the ability to add "Child Accounts", so that you and your family can sign up and safely enjoy Letterboxing information.
According to Atlasquest, there are 1,084 Letterboxes in Virginia, and 117 of those boxes are within a 30 mile radius of Norfolk, VA. In fact, a new Letterbox was planted in Chesapeake, Virginia today (2/7/2012). Why not spend a weekend at a beautiful local nature park, enjoying the scenery, fresh air, and trying out a new hobby? Use this link to see all the Letterboxes in your area today!
Letterboxing isn't just about walking a bunch of miles or figuring out a bunch of clues just to find a stamp in the middle of the woods. It's about the journey, the adventure of finding something someone crafted and wanted to share with you, with the world.
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