Camels on Sunday Stamps

Today's Sunday Stamps theme is religion on Christmas stamps.

My favorite from USPS in recent years is the Christmas Magi stamp. How can you not enjoy seeing camels on stamps? And the colors are great. 

This stamp is the second in a series (two so far - maybe there'll be a third in 2016). Here's the first - the Holy Family Christmas stamp, issued in 2012 and reissued in 2013.

Not that I can use them, I do like the impressionist art of Royal Mail's Christmas stamps this year, particularly the camel on the £1.

And can I just add this creepiest of the creepy baby Jesus paintings on a stamp where he seems to be crushing a small bird in his hand? Very strange. I wonder what the symbolism is there....

Winter exchange - test envelopes part 1

I had been thinking about doing all the winter exchange envelopes on the computer. Unfortunately the printer wasn't feeling too cooperative, and wasn't giving me the results I was hoping for.

Here are two test envelopes that I sent to Jean. You can't see them very well (or at least I can't see them that well on the monitor), but there are fainter 'stars' in the background of the envelopes.

Winter exchange - the Magi

I'm not much of a traditionalist, however I love the colors and camels on the Christmas Magi stamps.

Bonus post - Christmas stamps

This is one of the UK Christmas stamps. I think the colors and themes remind me a lot of the US winter fun stamps.

I would love to be able to send this year's Christmas cards using the Guernsey Christmas stamps, which were designed by school children, and are shaped like ornaments - click the image for a larger view.

I really like the Magi stamps this year. I don't think any other country has quite the selection of Christmas/holiday/winter stamps that the USA has - this link takes you to the holiday stamps available this year. USPS also likes to hoard past Christmas issues, which is great. I just wish they had better stamps at other times of year (like Halloween!)

Anyone have any favorites from this or any other year?

Here are Jean's favorites. I'm familiar with the gingerbread houses...

...and the ornaments, both still available at USPS,...

...but this is the first time I've seen these super-modern stamps - quite a bold step for the post office, I think.