Advent 2015

Last year I noticed some blogs had an advent calendar in December, so I thought I would highlight two blogposts from each month (from Dec 2014 to Nov 2015) that I really liked. Tune in the same time tomorrow to see what is up first.

Charley Harper to Wilma

Sunday Stamps - Words

Today's Sunday Stamps theme is stamps with words or numbers, no pictures.


USPS first issued a stamp celebrating the Muslim holidays of Eid al-Fitr and Eid al-Adha in 2001. This gold-on-blue design was reissued in 2002 (37c), 2006 (39c), 2007 (41c), 2008 (42c) and 2009 (44c).
I think the stamp is an attractive design. Interestingly, it has been the subject of much misinformation and politicization during Obama's presidency (even though it was first issued in the first year of the GW Bush presidency, and even though the president has nothing to do with stamp production whatsoever), as you can read here at factcheck.org.

Even more entertaining is the fact that somehow the Kaleidoscope Flowers stamps (one of my favorite designs, which were only available online in strips of ten cut from the giant coils used for automated stamping of junk mail) have been associated with being issued 'to celebrate Muslim holidays', even though this is not the case, and had a viral email/online campaign against buying them.

A slightly different design was issued as a Forever stamp with a red background, and no white border, in 2011.

The current version, issued in 2013, has a green background.

Charley Harper to Amy

Charley Harper to Carroll

OK, to make up for an unexpected zombie envelope, here's something much nicer.

The theme for Jean and Jan's November envelope exchange was 'what are you thankful for?'. The themes are not compulsory, however I am thankful for the work of Charley Harper.

To Carroll:

Worst day of the year

In the USA, the day after Thanksgiving, also known as Black Friday is the scariest day of the year! So please enjoy this bonus zombie envelope, free of charge.

From MomKat this autumn

A second day of MomKat mail art - Happy Thanksgiving to US readers.

From MomKat this summer

Great mail art from MomKat to celebrate the super-blue-moon.

Forgetfulness...

...I forgot to blog this beauty Jean sent for the September exchange.

It scanned more silver, but it is actually gold. And another instance of the From Me to You stamp looking good.

October exchange

I'm going to save a couple of envelopes for next year's Halloween spectacular - thanks Jean and Kathie!

The others are from...

...Debra. At first I thought this was computer generated, but it is hand written - so impressive.

...Dunkin Donuts from Jan...

and this great one from Leah. I have no idea where I put this envelope, so here is the scan from Leah's website.

In from Carina and Jason

Carina always send such interesting mail. And since she lives in Finland,it also comes with interesting stamps. Look closely - yes, that oval portrait with the fancy border is a very unusually-shaped stamp!

The insides closed.

The insides open.

Jason sent this provocative post card.

Sea cards

Kathie called this one 'smiling sea turtle extends golden hand (paw/claw/toe) of friendship to underwater green blob'. Perfect.

And tall ships from Rose.

Deanscape

From the most In Seine Dean (who ran the NY marathon in a banana suit!!) here is his latest collage.

Front

and back

Today is the 6th World Day of Faux Stamp Artists - 6ème Journée Mondiale du Faux Timbre d'Artiste

Every year for the last 6 years, Tony M, of Post Nomade, has been able to get La Poste, the French postal service, to allow artistamps or faux stamps to be used for one day as real postage. The mail has to go to a specific address. I have taken part for the last few years, and usually mail my envelope to Tony for him to post in France for me.

My stamps.

Real and faux stamps on the big envelope to Tony.

Smaller envelope for the special day.

You should be able to see other entries by clicking here.

Today is International Banana Appreciation Day

Here's a group shot of the banana mail I sent out to a group of banana mail lovers over at IUOMA, plus a few extras ;) Thanks to Linda F for the banana stamp she sent last year.

Banana mail went to the UK, Netherlands, Greece, France, Canada and the US.

Big Cow

My response to Eva was a Warhol cow from an old calendar.

Sending a whole calendar page costs a bit more due to the dimensions, so I used up most of my kaleidoscope stamps to mail it.

Think

Great black and white envelope from Eva, sent this summer. Clever green highlights on the address to match the stamp.

Bonus link: 

In case you don't browse my list of favorite blogs on the lower right side of the page, take a look at Eva's latest blog for her mail art project The Oz Postcard Project for a special Pictorial Postmark that I thought worked well for this fun call. 

Spontaneous mail from Nick J, and Sunday Stamps

Nick J from IUOMA sent me spontaneous mail consisting of photocopied sheets and some cut out 'stamps'. Not sure what to make of photocopied mail sheets as mail art... I know a lot of people do it... I have sent out minizines, which are also photocopied. Is there a difference?

The stamp he used is the latest in the USPS Hollywood Legends series, featuring multiple Academy Award, Golden Globe and Emmy-winner Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982).  Casablanca is probably her most famous film role, however her Academy Awards were for he parts in Gaslight (1944), Anastasia (1956) and Murder on the Orient Express (1974).

Her final role was a television miniseries about former Israeli prime minister Golda Meir  (1898-1978, in office as Israel's 4th PM 1969-1974) that was released in 1982, and filmed  while she was ill and dying from cancer, for which she won an Emmy and a Golden Globe. She died a few months after filming ended, passing away on her 67th birthday.

Here's the full sheet.

This was a joint issue with Sweden, although unfortunately we don't get to use the Swedish designs, which are different. At first I didn't like the US version much, however it is growing on me, and looks quite striking on envelopes.

The Swedish version comes in two different styles - I really like the one on the left.

Head over to Sunday Stamps to see more famous people on stamps.

Collage in blue

Adrienne sent this great collaged card back in June.

She always uses really interesting vintage stamps.

The collaboration with Keith continues

Basket case

Fun portrait-oriented envelope from Eric .

Wild ponies

I have connected with another mail artist Heleen through Eva, IUOMA, and Sunday Stamps.

Earlier in the year I admired a stamp Heleen showed for the Sunday Stamps theme of wild animals.

Imagine my surprise when she sent me mail art using that same stamp - it is a picture of the Konik pony which has been re-introduced into a natural habitat.

And accompanied by a pony from Heleen... brilliant stuff.

And a fantastic no spurs allowed stamp on the card.

_________________________________________________

Bonus link: Linns' has a good article on the origins of the UK's uniform pre-paid penny post.

Open wide!

Collage from Karen I.

Leftovers to Erni

I made this ephemeral, woven piece out of leftovers from the Warhol calendar envelopes. I didn't secure the pieces together in any way, so who knows if it will fall apart, or if Erni will use it for something else.

Mailed in a neon-themed envelope.