A Letter from India!

From Someone's project of writing a letter a day during 2017.

Challenge Survivor

There is an official Survivor badge for people who complete the #AtoZ April Challenge. But the unofficial congratulations, like this alphabet-themed envelope and postcard, sent by Heleen (the Netherlands)... is much more interesting. And it gives ideas for future challenges...

And more ideas arrived on this envelope from Phillip (the USA), made of a cover of a magazine that seems just perfect for mail art, even the colours they used. The stamp is almost hidden... At first sight I didn't spot it!

 

Postcrossing Meeting in Tampere

Last week, I received this completely unexpected postcard from the Postcrossing Tampere International Meeting, thanks to Laura (Finland). I love the illustration by Stephanie Titta Lindström. Especially the seagull stealing food. It is very Finnish!

There were more than 100 postcrossers from 14 countries; the postcard was signed by 40 people. Among them, the founders of Postcrossing, Ana & Paulo. How cool is that? 

I love also the stamps and this special postmark of the European Stamp Exhibition. Definitely, this postcard made my day!

Backs

I love to decorate the back of postcards, especially when sent to children!

Gardens and Parks

Sunday Stamps-II suggested today Gardens or forests as a theme. I was unable to decide between two beautiful series, so I am showing both.

Lancelot Capability Brown

According to the Wikipedia: "Lancelot Brown (1716 -1783), was an English landscape architect. He designed over 170 parks, many of which still endure. He was nicknamed Capability because he would tell his clients that their property had "capability" for improvement."

Royal Mail issued a set of 8 stamps to celebrate the 300th anniversary of his birthday. I have received almost all of them. With a great variety of postmarks!

National Parks

Stamps celebrating the more than 400 national parks in the United States, issued in 2016 to coincide with the centennial of the National Park Service. The set includes 16 different stamps, all of them showing views of national parks or plants, animals, artwork, objects, and structures found in or associated with a national park.

They look splendid on covers and postcards!

F Is for...

This week's theme in Postcards for the Weekend is Flags. During the A to Z April Challenge, I uploaded some recently received postcards with flags (see here; the USA flag is worth seeing!). I also published some free postcards, and there was a lot of people commenting that free postcards are scarce nowadays...

Later, I received this flag postcard from FinnBadger (the USA); he obtained it for free at an exhibit about communication and friendship. They even mailed it for free! Well... the cancellation of the stamps wasn't the best, as you can see.

I added this postcard to the album of lighthouses, because the Statue of Liberty was first conceived as a lighthouse. But, alas, it proved useless. This is the very first postcard I have received of it!

And there is another postcards with flags that comes also from an exhibition at the British Library (London, UK), sent by Laura. The text, written in four languages (Russian, Arabic and the local languages Circassian and Nogay), reads: "The Mountain Dweller - Muslim Cavalry Division of Colonel Pupovskii invites volunteer Mountain Dwellers and Muslims. Enlist". I don't know exactly which flags are those, do you?

Two Collages

Collage sent by Micu (Hungary) for Easter; it arrived a bit later...

And another collage postcard, sent by Rosemary (Canada).

I like how many elements they include: robots, stickers, tape, maps, cats, rubber stamps, papers, cuttings, a Queen... even an stamp from Vietnam!

Another Window

Postcard made of a cover of a book, sent to Eduard (Russia), for his mail art project Windows to the world / Окна в мир.

Some Mail Boxes in Roma

Sadly, most of the mailboxes that I spotted in Rome (Italy) during a recent trip, had be vandalised. But... no fun? Maybe that was stuck by someone who never receive letters?

Not sure if you can find fun inside the following one. But there is... a zombie?!?

I tried to find a less vandalised one (outside a post office) to post my cards. A month later, I still don't know if all they arrived.

Envelopes Made of Pages of Magazines

Sent to Heleen (the Netherlands)

Sent to Phillip (the USA)

Sent to Rosemary (Canada)

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

In 1999 Royal Mail issued a series of stamps that were classified into 12 groups (known as "tales") including Entertainment, Science & Technology and Sport, with one group released in each month during the year. 48 stamps more were issued in 2000.

This one was released by Royal Mail on 2 November 1999 and belongs to The Christian’s Tale. The title of the stamp is 'Hark the herald angels sing', and Hymnbook (John Wesley).

Today's theme in Sunday Stamps-II is Interesting Fonts. I hope this stamp is interesting enough!

Postcards from Achterhoek

This is what happens when you visit  a city or a region, and you are not able to decide which one is the best postcard for a friend: You sent at least four (with some favourite themes and matching stamps and friendly messages!)

And this is what happens when you find a nice cow on the back of a postcard: You don't dare to write across!

Postcards sent by Heleen (the Netherlands).

Boats, Ships & Adventures

These two postcards were sent by Maria from two different countries.

The first one was sent from Malta on 19 April. The stamp, entitled French Period and issued in 2009, features also a maritime scene.

Marsaxlokk fishing village (Malta)

The second postcard was sent from Sweden on 1 May. In this case, the stamps features not the sea, but a portrait of Queen Silvia. But it is very blue, and came with an interesting postmark.

Skanskaskrapan/"Läppstiftet" and Viking ship

The name of this skyscraper is very interesting: "It is commonly referred to by people from Gothenburg as Läppstiftet ('The Lipstick'), Skanskaskrapan (The Skanska Skyscraper), Vattenståndet (a double-entendre: 'The Water Level', but also 'The Water Erection') or Legohuset (The Lego House), although the official name is simply Lilla Bommen after its location."

But, despite being 12 days of difference between both postings, the postcards arrived together!

African Elephant

Do you think this is just a normal letter? (Hint: the stamp in the right)

Battees

Illustration by Neerav Doshi

Some time ago, I filled the #PostMeASmile form on the Battees site... and then this cheerful postcardrrived in my mailbox!

I like the idea behind Battees:

Battees started off with the idea of spreading smiles; and smiles for no reason at all, because, well, why not? We then went ahead to using post as a medium to spread the love.(...) We strongly think that Stamps are meant to be Stamped and Postcards are meant to be Posted. (...) As they say, the greatest gift you can give someone is the Gift of Time, because when you are giving someone your time, you are giving them a portion of your Life that you will never get back.