The Endurance

These are the coldest stamps I have ever received, about the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition (1914–17) conceived by Ernest Shackleton.

They belongs to Shackleton Stamp Set issued on 7 January 2016. Striving to Free Endurance is one of the scenes captured by pioneering photographer Frank Hurley. The stamps have been created from original glass photographic plates held by the Scott Polar Research Institute and the Royal Geographical Society.

Update: 15/03/2016

See more Winter Scenes linked to Sunday Stamps - II.

Reading Animals

I have received this postcard from John (the UK).

That challenged me. I had an album for Reading Women and another one for Reading Men. When I received this reading frog, I considered he was manly. But there is no evident reason for that, of course.

Now, I am absolutely unable to decide if a she-dog or a he-dog is reading on this postcard. So, after some suggestions (here, here...), I opened a Reading Animals album.


Aweek after I have got this postcard from Heleen (the Netherlands). And, as you can see, the album was absolutely necessary!

On the postcard, you can see Kikker (the frog), the more famous character created by Dutch illustrator Max Velthuijs.

All Those Excuses...

«En el país del mundo en que hay más comodidad para que un hombre sepa de otro, por la prontitud y seguridad de los correos, se halla la mayor dificultad para escribir éste a aquél. Si, como eres un moro que jamás me has visto, ni yo he visto, que vives a doscientas leguas de mi casa, y que eres en todo diferente de mí, fueses un europeo cristiano y avecindado a diez leguas de mi lugar, sería obra muy ardua la de escribirte por la primera vez. Primero, había de considerar con madurez lo ancho del margen de la carta. Segundo, sería asunto de mucha reflexión la distancia que había de dejar entre el primer renglón y la extremidad del papel. Tercero, meditaría muy despacio el cumplido con que había de empezar. Cuarto, no con menos aplicación estudiaría la expresión correspondiente para el fin. Quinto, no merecía menos cuidado el saber cómo te había de llamar en el contenido de la carta; o si había de dirigir el discurso como hablando contigo solo, o como con muchos, o como con tercera persona, o al señorío que puedes tener en algún lugar, o a la excelencia tuya sobre varios que tengan señoríos, o a otras calidades semejantes, sin hacer caso de tu persona; naciendo de todo esto tanta y tan terrible confusión, que por no entrar en ella muchas veces deja de escribir un español a otro.»

José Cadalso, Cartas marruecas (1793)

Your Own Postal Story

Postcard sent by Laura (UK). A favourite

Some blogs offer a sort of postal summary at the beginning of the year. For instance: how many postal items sent during the past year, which month was the more prolific... Or still more original: how many post offices they visited (Wait... 39 in a day!?!).

I cannot tell you how many mail items I sent, nor how much money I spent. I mean, I keep track of these things on a spreadsheet. But I do not want you to think I am wealthy, or crazy, or both.

However, I can offer some stats. I sent mail to 22 different countries during 2015, and I got mail from 21. But they are not always the same countries. For example, I received mail from Finland, but I did not sent any letter to this country. Ah, and I sent mail from 4 countries: Morocco, Spain, Greece and Belgium. I hope I will travel even more this year!

And there is a number that worries me the most: the number of items whose final destination I do not know. Ok, if you sent a big amount of mail, you cannot control if all of them arrive. Especially mail sent to companies, fan mail, contributions to mail art calls... But still, I consider the number is too big: there are 61 56 letters/postcards that I never knew any more. Did they arrive? Is the recipient still alive? Honestly, I prefer people who answer or, at least, let me know that me letter has arrived (even months later, even years later!).

What about you? Did you know/published your 2015 postal numbers? Let me know!

A Most Agreeable Postcard

Postcard sent by John (the UK), with Jane Austen words on a letter from January 21, 1801: "Expect a most agreeable letter, for not being overburdened by subject -having nothing at all to say-there shall be no check to my genius from beginning to end."

On the back, more mail words:

"The desire to write a letter, to put down what you don't want anyone else to see but the person you are writing to, but which you do not want to be destroyed, and perhaps hope may be preserved for complete strangers to read, is ineradicable. We want to confess ourselves in writing to a few friends, and we do not always want to feel that no one but those friends will ever read what we have written." (T.S. Eliot, 1933)

Typo Cover

Letter sent by Phillip (the USA). I appreciate the patience for writing the address in this way. I feel honoured to be receiving the same kind of mail as Eduardo Munez.

And, by the way: I am in love with this stamp!

Universities on Postcards

Two more additions to the Universities album!

Sent by Elena (Italy). This is the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Trento. This building, located about 350 m uphill, overlooks the town of Trento. It wasbuilt on the site of a former sanatorium.

Sent by Bryon (the USA). The University of Wahington.

Cycles on Stamps

Today's theme in Sunday Stamps- II is Cycles: bi, tri, motor. I am not particularly fond of motorcycles. However, I have recently received some stamps whit motorcycles. It seems to be a fashionable topic for stamps!

These stamps belong to a miniature sheet stamp entitled Hungarian old-timer motorcycles, Issued on 9 September 2014. On each denomination of the miniature sheet containing twelve stamp designs a vehicle is shown from the Maróti Motorcycle collection, and the background design is decorated with a montage of contemporary photographs ad newspaper articles.

This motorcycle arrived almost at the same time. It is part of a set of six Britsh Motorcycles, issued on 19 July 2005.

And I have received a batch of postal two/three-wheel vehicles. I am afraid I have already uploaded some of these. But postal vehicles, as every postal thing, is a favourite of mine!

From Brazil
9 October 2009

Received Lighthouses on…Biscuits

Package of Breton biscuits (bought in the Netherlands, though) sent by Heleen. With so many details on the back to look at!

Did you recognise the lighthouse?

Creativity Is a Practice

I just love the slogan on the back of Mim's latest postcard.

Received Lighthouses on Postcards

Three postcards sent by Heleen (the Netherlands). The first shows Neist Point Lighthouse in Scotland (But the information is not written on the back). 

The second one was hand-painted by Heleen and shows the lighthouse of Torredembara (in Spain). something curious about: It was totally finished at 20.00 hours on the 31st December of 1999.The turning on of the lighthouse happened at 00.00 hours of the 1st January 2000. So, it makes history as the last lighthouse built in the 20th century and the 2nd millennium and the first lit in the 21st Century and the 3rd Millennium.

And an impressive picture as a long postcard showing in the distance a lighthouse in the largest lake in Western Europe: IJsselmeer.

Update: See this postcard received by Ravindra. The postcard is turned the other way round. Funny, isn't it?

Received Lighthouses on Stamps

Bük Lighthouse

Letter sent by Eva (Germany).

St John's Point Lighthouse
(Northern Ireland, the UK)

Boerke

As you know, I visited Belgium last September. And, as you know, Belgium means chocolate, beer and... comics! Among the characters that I discovered, I fell absolutely in love with Boerke.

I tried to draw him to sent this letter to Heleen (the Netherlands).

PS Have you noticed the little Smurf on the postcard?

Bocksbeutel Documentation

I have received the documentation  of the Mail Art Bocksbeutel (already ended). I love that they put both the envelope and the postcard on the sheet.

The envelope is really cool, and especially the rubber stamps on it:

Coastal Birds

I am far of an expert, but I think that at least two of these Coastal Birds are Water Birds, today's theme in Sunday Stamps - II. They were issued on June 1st, 2015. The birds represented are: the roseate spoonbill (Platalea ajaja), king eider (Somateria spectabilis), magnificent frigatebird (Fregata magnificens), and red knot (Calidris canutus).

These stamps (designed by Tyler Lang) remind me the work of Charley Harper. And I am not the only (see comments!). Harper is well-known, but I have just recently discovered this artist, thanks to FinnBadger. I am sure you can spot some more water birds on the postcard he sent to me: Mystery of the Missing Migrants (1990).

Wild Letter

Sent to Heleen (the Netherlands).

Stamps Brewery

I am often amazed to discover how mail can inspire people in so many different ways. For instance, when brewing beers. Why not?

I have discovered this brand by chance: Stamps Brewery. It is a micro brewery based in Liverpool (the UK). How I would like to visit them! If the beers are half good than the design of the labels, I am sure I would enjoy more than one.

Just because it would be difficult to choose just one of those stamps, you know.

Funny Cows & Cheese

Funny mail art envelope sent by Thérèse (France). See her blog to know her mail art and her calls (Among them, Funny Cows).

Another funny cow, in the shape of a folded postcard, sent by Heleen (the Netherlands).

Blue Bird

Letter sent to M. (Japan). Nice to see it again after the trip. Have you noticed the job of the cancellation on the bird's eye?

Colourful Mailboxes

Postcard sent by Laura (the UK).

Postcard sent by Heleen (the Netherlands).

And two Christmasy red mailboxes receives from the UK. How cool are they?

From Eduardo Munez
 (on the behalf of FinnBadger)

From John

Repurposing a Calendar

I made these envelopes out of a calendar that features important Spanish women. I do not know the name of the illustrator, but I love these drawings. So did Heleen. whom I sent a bookmark with the same design.

Sent to Laura (the UK)

Sent to Laura (the UK)

Sent to Bree (Malaysia)

Sent to John

This one was made for the mail call about clocks; also published here (More clocks inside!). 

John has got dozens of clocks during 2015, and he has chosen a new theme for 2016: Postal Workers - postmen, postwomen, post-people, even post-bears! 

Sent to John (back)

Envelope Anatomy

English

French