Equinox

Today is the equinox, and the stamps on this envelope from Fafa made me think of half light, half dark. 

My scanner certainly did think so on the light stamp, a photo shows off the stamp better. They are from the annual series of heart stamps with designs created by French companies, often in the fashion industry.

And some color on the inside for the first day of spring, and a message of hope in these difficult and uncertain times.

Thanks, Fafa.

To everyone who reads the blog - stay safe, and stay strong!

12/12 at 12:12

The full moon arrives at 12:12 am EST today, Dec 12th.

And this wonderful moon scene and related materials arrived in my mailbox recently - thank you, Fabienne!

On the back a moon-related stamp from Yemen and inside a great moon postcard and flier from an exhibition. My favorite subtitle on the inside - The Moon as a Person.

Do you think the timing of December's full moon has any significance?

Sunday Stamps - favorites

Today's theme for Sunday Stamps is Easter or a favorite. I don't have anything Easter, so I chose favorite.

Eric sent me one of his envelopes that celebrate classic film. 

The stamps he used are gorgeous - they are printed using the intaglio technique, so have some raised lines, giving them a great tactile element that you can't appreciate in the scan.

The two stamps are from a set of 6 issued in 2014 celebrating photographic cameras. 

Here's a link to a series of design photos showcasing the stamps at Behance.

For links to more favorite stamps, and maybe some for Easter, head over to Sunday Stamps.

Sunday Stamps - green fruit

Ti Ar Raden sent some green bananas on an envelope...

...and on a stamp!

The stamp is from a series in 2012 showcasing green fruit. The 'letter verte' is La Poste's economy 'eco' rate.

I also have a green fruit from Taiwan. At first glance I thought it was a green lichee, but turns out it is an atemoya - a hybrid of the sugar-apple and cherimoya (native to south america). 

For links to more stamps with a green theme, visit Sunday Stamps.

A Christmas misadventure

I was surprised when a Christmas card I sent to Eric was returned. It was posted in December, and returned mid-February.

Looks like La Poste was having some issues, because this is the correct address for M. Bruth!

In the end I returned it in this envelope, using the lovely Oscar de la Renta stamps (which look even better in person).