Night Scenes for New Year's Eve

 

The New Year's Eve theme for Sunday Stamps is night scenes.

Based on how bright this lighthouse is shining, I'm going to go with at least twilight on this stamp, which luckily arrived yesterday - Canada Post knocked it out of the park with this design. Also, I had no idea how large the stamp was until I received one - perfect to spot all the little details.

To finish up a postal (mis)adventure, here is the conclusion to my story that started on this post.

I mailed four large envelopes (or 'flats' in USPS-speak) to the UK, France, Netherlands and Spain on Dec 1. The one to the UK was returned to me on Dec 11 with a label saying it needed a customs label, while the others reached their destinations. Well, as soon as I added the customs label, that meant the flat was now a package, so I had to add about $11 to the original amount (shown below). The amazing news is that, in spite of some really slow travel times to Europe in December, it arrived in 10 days, just in time for Christmas.

Two of the Woodland Animal stamps are night scenes - the rabbit and the owl. Interestingly, I have received several rabbits and foxes, but neither of the others in my holiday mail. 

For more links to night scenes on stamps, visit See it on a Postcard.

Have a safe and fun New Year's Eve celebration, and best wishes to everyone for 2024.

Look what just flew in

 Love this guy from Carroll

Thank you, this made me smile!

Happy Boxing Day

 To all who celebrate, enjoy the day!

Thanks for this lovely card, Fafa

Have a peaceful Christmas Day

 If you celebrate, have a lovely day. If you don't, I hope your day is peaceful.

Postcard from Eva showing the Portal de Sant Pere, with the star showing the way for the Magi.

Sunday Stamps - more Christmas

 Stained glass windows from Switzerland (2022)

As Eva wrote, a somewhat somber Christmas stamp from Spain this year

From Royal Mail's set this year featuring lyrics from carols:

A very nice stamp from Greece showing the three magi, with a beautiful gold foil accent. 

And some lovely stamps from France, courtesy of Fabienne. I love the red and blue against the red envelope, and the polar bears are my favorite. 

For more Christmas stamps check out the links at https://seeitonapostcard.blogspot.com/2023/12/snowy-scenes.html

Postbox Saturday

 I saw this in a hotel I stayed at recently:

The postcard station had an array of colored pens and some postcards available. 

Would you post something here?

Snow globes IV

 The final snow globe postmark features a tree.

Solstice

 Enjoy the winter solstice here in the northern hemisphere. I caught a bit of sunrise this morning, despite a forecast for clouds. 

Fear not, we start our journey back to lighter days tomorrow!

Snow globes III

 I had received this postmark, but it was a bit blurry and I couldn't quite figure it out. Then a nice clear one arrived - a fancy mansion in the snow globe. I'm sure many of us have driven past a huge home to admire the decorations at this time of year. 

On closer inspection, maybe it is 3 houses side by side? 

Snow globes II & Happy Bunday IV

 Here's a snowman snow globe postmark with a very white rabbit, one of the Winter Woodland Animals stamps.

Decemberzegels and more

 Every year the Dutch post office issues a set of stamps in December for holiday mail, the much anticipated Decemberzegels (December stamps).

Heleen is kind enough to send me some of them - here are stamps from 2022. I like the color palette used, and the decorative lettering is fun - the first time words have appeared on a December stamps issue.

The designer is Miriam Bos, and she has not one but two blog posts about the design process and stories behind the stamps. I really enjoyed seeing some of the early sketches of designs that didn't make the final set.

Fabienne sent me a card last Christmas with these fun stamps. Having a hard time deciding how to describe them - modern, semi-abstract? I'm always a fan of se-tenant stamps that can be used separately, then create a bigger picture when used together. The moons and stars hanging like ornaments in the sky on the top stamp are fantastic.

For more Christmas stamps go to https://seeitonapostcard.blogspot.com

Snow globes part 1

 There are some fun snow globe postmarks from USPS. I'm impressed that the spray on postmark looks so good.

First up, it's Santa!

Unwanted

 Here's what you don't want to have arrive in the mail 10 days after you sent it to the UK. 

Given the state of sending mail overseas lately, highly doubtful it will arrive before Christmas - and probably not until 202, particulalry when the main post office was out of customs forms...

On the 'plus' side, I've never seen one of these labels before - a new postal addition to me.

I'll keep you updated on its travels!

Happy Bunday III

 A very colorful rabbit sent by Eva much earlier in the year.

Caturday III

 A wonderful cat by Franz Marc sent by Fafa.

Thank you!

Christmas Eyes!

 Well, just like Mariah Carey returns every year to sing all I want for Christmas, the blog is back with Christmas mail!

First real Christmas card (and second overall) arrived from Eva.

Thank you for getting the season started!

Happy Bunday II

 Another rabbit arrived on an unseasonably spring like day a few weeks ago 70 F (21 C) on a postcard - this curious guy is thanks to Eva

Happy Bunday!

Sunday Stamps - Winter & Snow

 Today's prompt is winter and snow, and I took a photo of a pair of stamps I sent together on a postcard heading overseas.

The left stamp is one of the four postcard rate stamps issued in 2021 titled Barns. Each barn in the set represents a different season.

The right stamp is the 3oz stamp featuring author Ursula Le Guin (1929-2018) issued in 2021 as part of the literary arts series. The background features a scene from her award-winning science fiction novel, The Left Hand of Darkness. The story is set on planet that is much colder than Earth called Gethen, also referred to as Winter.

For more snowy and wintery stamps, visit See it on a Postcard.

Happy Bunday I

 It is the year of the rabbit, and the first rabbits to show up in the mail are thanks to Fabienne.

The Year of the Rabbit stamp minisheet is lovely.

And I love the design of this flier.

Google translated the title as "The Little Floor Tiles". Firstly, sounds much better in French, secondly, maybe it has a different meaning?

Happy Bunday!

Sunday Stamps - The Letter E

 I could not have received a more perfect stamp for today. This one is from a Finnish set of 6 (A to F) called Moomin ABC issued in 2022, and promotes writing and reading. Here's a link to more about the stamps. It's a bit hard to find out if this is the first of series, however I think more will be issued in future.

I also thought about España/Espanya for today. I'm always curious how language develops, and I find it interesting that in many languages the E is dropped when referring to the country e.g. Spain (English), Spanje (Dutch) etc. 

E is also for EUROPA, an annual common theme for stamps issued by many European countries. Eva sent me this stamp, which is Spain's entry for 2010: Children's Books, that shows a child enjoying reading.

For more philatelic connections to the letter E, head over to See it on a Postcard.

Quarantine?

 It isn't often that a Postcrosser asks for non-traditional postcards, so when someone wrote they would be interested in receiving upcycled food packaging sent as a postcard, I had the perfect piece in mind.

I used these stamps to compliment the theme (and cover the cost of the non-machineable size).

I was sure it was lost, as it was going to France and usually mail takes no more than 2 weeks to get there. 

Finally, after 40 days it arrived unscathed!

Sunday Stamps - islands

 I recently received this stamp showing the lighthouse on the island of Wangerooge, Germany. Wangerooge is one of the 32 Frisian Islands in the North Sea.

Wangerooge has an interesting history - here's the wikipedia link if you're interested.

For more islands on stamps, visit SeeItOnAPostcard.

Sunday Stamps - Anniversaries

 I have one anniversary to share... the 150th anniversary of theSpanish National Reference of Altitude, located in the port of Alicante.

It is a large stamp, and quite impressive. Eva sent it to me on this excellent envelope, where she recreated a toy from the 2000s that is a replica of a 1950s vintage toy. Martian Invader Space Monster Tin Windup Toy by Schylling, if you're interested.

For more anniversaries on stamps, head to See it on a Postcard.

Once upon a time...

 Thousands of years ago, cats were worshipped as gods in Egypt.

They have not forgotten this.

Amazing pyramid, stamps and contents arrived from Fafa, with a feline face on the back!

And more ancient Egypt via postcrossing

Thank you, and happy Caturday to those who celebrate.

Trees for Sunday Stamps

 Eva sent me a very green tree-related envelope a while back. The stamps show olive trees (the four se-tenant stamps), the botanical sciences, and a famous Holm oak (Quercus ilex) found in the municipality of Zarza de Montánchez in Spain. The Terrona Holm oak is thought to be 800 years old. Even the crowns in the background of the definitive stamp are green.

For links to more tree-themed stamps head to See it on a Postcard

Caturday II

 Today is the last day of the year of the tiger, so here are a some small tigers.

One via postcrossing

One from Fabienne

And a few from Heleen

Postage increases Sunday, January 22nd

 USPS is increasing most of its prices on Sunday

1 oz letter up 3c to 63c

Additional oz stays the same at +24c per oz

1 oz letter = 63c

2 oz letter = 87c

3 oz letter = $1.11

3.5 oz letter (the max weight for a letter) =  $1.35

Non-machineable surcharge up 1c to +40c. Non-machineable is a non-rectangular or non-flexible piece that won't bend as it goes through the sorting machines.

1 oz non-machineable letter = $1.03 

2 oz non-machineable letter = $1.27

3 oz non-machineable letter = $1.51

3.5 oz non-machineable letter = $1.75

Domestic postcard up 4c to 48c

International mail 1oz letters and postcards up 5c to $1.45

***

You can purchase stamps at the current price until Saturday, however if you're buying online note that the USPS website will be down from 11pm eastern time (8pm pacific) for maintenance.

Most other categories of mail (large envelopes, packages, etc) are going up as well. Check online or at your post office.

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These otters and flowers look happier in the snow than I will be later this weekend - stay safe if you're subject to a storm in the next few days.

Sunday Stamps - Music Makers

 I like this theme as it has a wide interpretation.

I chose the stamps I used on this envelope to highlight three individuals who made contributions to music: Johnny Cash, Edith Piaf, and Miles Davis

The Johnny Cash stamp was issued in 2013 as part of the Music Icons series. This remains one of my favorite USPS stamps ever.

The Edith Piaf and Miles Davis stamps were part of a 2012 joint issue with La Poste (France).

Head over to Sunday Stamps for links to more Music Makers