Sealed with a Kiss

I have never sent a love letter on Valentine's Day, but I am sure I would do it tomorrow if I was in the Netherlands. Why? Because you can send them free of charge! All you need is use a lipstick kiss instead of stamp ans post it on Friday 13th before pm.

Update: And it worked!

Clocks on Stamps and Postcards

Since I have read Heleen's post, I wanted to show the clocks on stamps I have got.

And I have recently discovered that there is more people who like to receive clocks by mail. John has started a clock-related postal project: He wants to receive postcards and mail art (and stamps, I guess) about clocks... And I assure you he always answers the mail! See on his blog: Scriptor's Clock Postcards.

From Hungary

From the Netherlands

From the Netherlands

From Spain

From the USA

Repurposing Paper for Envelopes

Some envelopes I made of pages of magazines and posters.

Sent to Alexander (Russia), César (Brazil), John (the UK) and Pedro (Spain).

Some Inspiring Mail Art Calls

Mail Art Egg Project  / 15 March 2015

Egg, as a form, shape, pattern. No technical limitations: you can use pen or pencil, dye or chalk, B/W or colour, graphics, montage, collage, photo, etc. You can even create it in 3D.

All art-pieces will be scanned and uploaded to this blog.

the Similarly to the previous years, the entire collection will be donated to the Budapest Stamp Museum and exhibited there from 30th March to 12th April 2015

More information

The Year of the Sheep / 25 March 2015

I wouldn’t mind expanding the theme to sheep and other farm animals.

You can make or decorate an envelope or postcard that reflects it. I will post everything on that day so those who read this blog can vote for their favorite piece of mail art. The winner will be announced in the post that follows (on March 30th) and they shall receive a prize. All are welcome to participate! 

More information

Letter To Me / 1 July 2015

Create a letter to yourself. A present self or a past self or a future self.

Technique is free (painting, drawing, collage, mixed media, rubber stamps, 3D objects, etc.).

Size is free (whatever you can get through the postal system. Although a simple handwritten letter is encouraged.

All work and project documentation will be shown on the blog and there will be a postal response. After its completion, the whole project will be donated to the Special Collections at Vanderbilt University Library in Nashville, Tennessee, USA.

More information

John Lennon / 20 September 2015

Subject: John Lennon: poet, artist, musician.

All works will be published in this blog.

Technique free (photography, painting, drawing, computer graphics, collage, artistamps, rubber stamps, mixed techniques, 3D objects, box of art, prose, poetry, etc.).

Documentation in pdf.

Exhibition: 9 October 2015

More information

This Morning in My Mail Box

Received from the UK (Laura, John and Lee), the USA (Bryon and Dorothy) and Chile (Robert).

Sometimes it seems that I am on a diet of mail. Then, suddenly, the mail system goes crazy... (or must I say "goes postal"?).

Every Letter Is Unique

Sometimes, like here, or here or when I got this letter from Angela (Italy)... I am worried about where do you put the stamps.

And sometimes, I just think about how...

Canadian Ships on Stamps

The theme for today's Sunday Stamps-II is Ships, Boats. Here some Canadian stamps I have got recently (some of them without any postmark!).

Floating Adrift is the title of this stamp created by seven-year-old Ezra Peters from Whitelaw, Alberta. She won an art competition for young people 15-years-old and under in search of the annual stamp for the Canada Post Community Foundation. The 10-cent surcharge of each stamp is a direct donation to this Foundation. The stamp was issued on 30 September, 2013.

This was issued on 4 May, 2010 to commemorate the Canadian Navy's Centennial. I would like to receive the other one from the set...

Issued on 13 June, 2014. This stamp arrived on a Halloween package, along with other terrifying designs dedicated to ghost stories. This burning ship often spotted between New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island. As would-be rescuers approach, the ship disappears into the mist... 

The Empress of Ireland sank in on 29 May, 1914, just two years after the Titanic, killing more than 1,000 people. The stamps was issued the same day 100 years later. I visited the memorial and the museum in Pointe-au-Père, where I learnt the whole story.

And last but not least, I must confess I was impressed when I got this stamp on the back of a postcard. It was issued on 2 April, 2012 to commemorate the 100th Anniversary of the tragic sinking of the Titanic. The stamp is very long (84 x 31 mm), so you really can feel the size of the ship. Also the map on the background is wonderful.

Windmills and More

Postcard sent by Laura (the UK).

Folded card sent by Heleen (the Netherlands) for my birthday. Not just windmills, but a lot of beloved themes: orange, tulips, flags, stamps, cows... A well chosen card indeed!

And here the latest windmill I have got by mail:

Il Club di Giulietta

An early 14th-century house at Via Cappello no. 23, in Verona
claiming to be the Capulets', filled with love letters.

Since the 1930s, letters addressed to Shakespeare's heroine Juliet keep arriving in Verona. More than 5000 letters are received annually, three quarters of which are from women (and mostly American teenagers). The letters are read and replied by local volunteers organized since the 1980 in the Club di Giulietta (Juliet Club), financed by the City of Verona. 

It is also a tradition to put small love letters on the walls (which is done by the thousands each year), which are regularly taken down by employees to keep the courtyard clean.

The amount of letters has been increased after the release of the American film Letters to Juliet on May 14, 2010. The idea for the film was inspired by the 2006 non-fiction book published by Lise Friedman and Ceil Friedman, which chronicles the phenomenon of letter writing to Shakespeare's most famous romantic heroine.

(More information in this article and in the Wikipedia).

Mail boxes of Europe

Source

(Thanks, Anna!)

Beautiful Letter

Letter sent by Alan (the UK). Sorry that I blurred the address, because Alan's penmanship is among the most beautiful I have ever read.

Do you know the two sites that appear on the envelope? The Letters Page and Letter Writers Alliance are worth visiting!

Winter Postman

Handmade postcard send by Laura (the UK).

The Powerful Winter Fairy

Sent to Melissa (USA) as my contribution to December's Mail a Smile Challenge. The theme was Winter Fairytale, so I decided to send the Winter Fairy (removable paper doll). Yes: she seems delicate and fragile, but I assure you she is really powerful!

Almost all the materials are reused (except for some tapes).

Post Labels

From Brazil

From Greece

From Turkey

(Non-official sticker)

(Non-official rubber stamp)

Water on Stamps

Today's theme in Sunday Stamps-II is Water. It was surprising to discover that I have received a lot of stamps that show water in one or another form.

Unable to decide among them, I have chosen to contribute with two different approaches:

Waterfalls

From New Zealand

Issued on May 9, 2007. It shows Rainbow Falls. More information about the issue. 

From Russia

Issued on 16 august 2005. It belongs to a series of 5 withe the title The Earth - Light-blue Planet. A better picture and more details here.

Saving Water

From Spain

Issued on January 3, 2013. It belongs to the series of Civic Values, and was issued because of the declaration of 2013 as The International Year of Water Cooperation. More information here.

The funny fact about this stamp is that I have received it sometimes upside down:

Or, just yesterday, like that:

A bit confusing, I guess!

From France

Issued on April 4, 2014. Included in the sheet Act on Climate Change for the Sake of the Future.