Blue Bird

This envelope sent to John (the UK), was actually the first one I painted in 2018, back in January. It seems I have painted a lot of birds since then. I wonder why.

Women on Stamps | Doutzen Kroes

On 12 September 2016, PostNL brought out a 10-stamp sheetlet featuring ten photographs of the Netherlands’ most famous model, Doutzen Kroes. Top photographer Anton Corbijn provided the photography especially for the "Doutzen, mode and muse" stamps.

I think there aren't a lot of stamps dedicated to models.

---------------

For the new edition of Sunday Stamps-II A to Z, I have decided to show some of the stamps I have got on letters and postcards, related to one topic: women. This is the post for the letter K.

More women on stamps.

Lighthouses from a Big Trip

Mukho Lighthouse in Donghae (South Korea). Not a country I receive a lot of mail from! The stamp, or label, also caught my attention:

Tokarevskiy (Токаревского) Lighthouse, in Vladivostok. Despite its modest size, this is one of Russia's best known lighthouses. It is named for Capt. M.J. Tokarev, whose ship surveyed the area in 1862-63. 

On the back of the postcard (How nice it is!), a matching stamp from 1984, showing the same lighthouse:

Postcards sent by Ania (South Korea & Russia).

HitM | Out - 3

Have you ever sent a 2-storey letter? I sent this to Fabienne (France):

HitM | Out - 2

Letter sent to John (the UK). I tried to match the city with the stamp...

HitM | Out - 1

One of the collateral effects of the Houses in the Mail postal project is that, me too, I draw and sent some houses. Like this one sent to Bryon (the USA).

Books & Roses From Around Europe

France

Germany

Hungary

The Netherlands

Poland

Spain

The United Kingdom

Happy Diada de Sant Jordi and World Book Day!

Women on Stamps | Jebb (and Josephine)

Eglantyne Jebb (1876 – 1928) was a British social reformer that, as the stamps says, "campaigned for the rights and welfare of children". She founded the Save the Children organization.

Josephine Butler (1828 – 1906) was an English feminist and social reformer in the Victorian era. She campaigned for women's suffrage, the right of women to better education, the end of coverture in British law, the abolition of child prostitution, and an end to human trafficking of young women and children into European prostitution.

These stamps were issued on 15 March 2016, as part of a set of six stamps to honour some of Britain’s greatest humanitarians and their achievements, entitled British Humanitarians. See all the stamps here.

---------------

For the new edition of Sunday Stamps-II A to Z, I have decided to show some of the stamps I have got on letters and postcards, related to one topic: women. This is the post for the letter J.

More women on stamps.

Retro Men

I have an album of postcards of Retro Women... But it isn't so usual to get retro men by snail mail. I wonder why.

(c) Cath Tate Cards

Postcard sent by Laura (the UK), that I added to Maria's link Postcards for the Weekend. This week's theme is Retro/Vintage.

Alfred Hitchcock
(Bel Air, California, USA, 1974)
By Philippe Halsman

Another (sort of) retro man, sent by John (the UK).

Shakespearean Mail

Handmade postcard (from a brochure and green tape), made and sent by Laura (the UK).

On this postcard sent also by Laura (the UK)... Can you spot Shakespeare among so many Great Britons? (Artwork by Martyn Ford, from the famous series How to be British).

A line of Twelfth Night that is perfect for any thank you card...

Postcards sent by John (the UK) showing Stratford-upon-Avon. On the picture above: Holy Trinity Church, Royal Shakespeare Theatre, Shakespeare's birthplace and Anne Hathaway's cottage. Below, Shakespeare's birthplace again, from a painting by Alfred Robert Quinton.

My album of Shakespeare-related postcards is growing!

Reuse Everything!

You can reuse almost every bit of paper to write a letter on. Not only the pages of a calendar... also the covers! So did Heleen (the Netherlands).

HitM | Insta-house

On yesterday's letter, from Valeri, there was also the tinniest contribution so far to the Houses in the Mail project. The apartment on a snowy day, on a 6x4.5 cm picture. The contrast between the white snow and the red bricks turns it very nice, don't you think so?

No TV Tuesdays

Just create. This has been my motto for the year.
My goal in 2017 was to take advantage of my "No TV Tuesdays" with letter writing. After a few letters, I decided to spice them up a little and expanded them into bundles. The bundles include a 5" x 7" piece of art, a letter and sometimes a recipe card. The first one was just for fun, but then I noticed it spurred my desire to produce more art.

So Valeri decided to continue about her project in 2018, and I have been one of the happy recipients of her letters. Not just a letter, as you can see!

I love the detailed Moroccan illustrations on the envelope and the writing paper: 

And also this cool watercolour and ink artwork. The honey dipper looks so real...!

And, of course... Who doesn't like wax seals? I should try this one day...

 If you want to see more of Valeri's art, you can also browse her Instagram account.


I don't know if she is still taking requests (check on her site). Update:

Booklet Letter

The most delightful letter received from Rosemary (Canada). The letter itself is written on a handmade booklet:

And the envelope made of an old children book (I think), a sort of vocabulary of games:

Women on Stamps | Illness

This semipostal stamp was issued by USPS on 30 November 2017 in order to help to raise funds to fight Alzheimer's disease. The artwork is an illustration that first appeared on the 42-cents Alzheimer's Awareness stamp issued on 2008. (See here a better picture, not covered by the postmark ink.)

The 8-cents Prevent Drug Abuse was issued by USPS in 1971. Postmaster General Winton M. Blount said at the  dedication ceremonies: "... is not, in fact, a commemorative stamp at all. It is, rather a warning, a plea for help and a call to the American people to take every step to lift up those who have fallen under the use of drugs, and to strike down those who profit from the misery of others..."


Happily, we can find other women on stamps, fighting against illnesses and bad conditions. For instance:

Mary Edwards Walker (1832 – 1919) was an American abolitionist, prohibitionist, prisoner of war and Civil War surgeon. She was the first and only woman to ever receive the Medal of Honor. After the war, she was a writer and lecturer supporting the women's suffrage movement until her death. The stamp honouring her was issued on 28 January 1998.

Clara Louise Maass (1876 – 1901) was an American nurse who died as a result of volunteering for medical experiments to study yellow fever. This stamp was issued on 18 August 1976.

Virginia Apgar (1909 – 1974) was an American obstetrical anesthesiologist. She was a leader in the fields of anesthesiology and teratology, and introduced obstetrical considerations to the established field of neonatology. To the public she is best known as the inventor of the Apgar score, a way to quickly assess the health of newborn children immediately after birth.

In 1994, she was honoured by the USPS with this 20¢ Great Americans series postage stamp.

---------------

For the new edition of Sunday Stamps-II A to Z, I have decided to show some of the stamps I have got on letters and postcards, related to one topic: women. This is the post for the letter I.

More women on stamps.

I Am Moving

As many of you already know, I am going to leave Morocco soon. Update: I am already in Spain, but I still  don't have my new address. I keep using my parents'.                                                                                         
Lately, a lot of letters have been delayed by apparently no reason. So, I would ask you not to send mail to my Moroccan post box any more. I don't want any lost piece of mail!

(This sounds somehow odd... Am I really asking people not to send me letters?!?)

Castles on Postcards

Postcard sent by Bryon (Canada). Craigdarroch Castle, in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, seems a wonderful place to visit. A bit of information on the back of the postcard:

Craigdarroch Castle was built ad home for Robert and Joan Dunsmuir, Scottish immigrants who made their fortune from Vancouver island coal. A National Historic Site, Craigdarroch features an extensive collection of stained and leaded glass windows, magnificent woodwork, Victorian furnishings and decorative arts.

Postcard send by Ulrike (Germany). According to the sender, the most impressing building of Duisburg. Well... a 16,68m sandcastle must be a thing!

Blatná is a castle in the Czech Republic, but this postcard was sent by Imma from Spain. Have you notice this is an altered one? She collaged the women to the picture. I think the result is stunning. I didn't notice at first sight! (Even if, yes: not so normal that a rag doll visit a castle in the company of an elegant woman!).

This is a post for Maria's link party Postcards for the Weekend. You can go there to see more postcards about this week topic's: Monuments.