Pictorial Postmarks from Christmas Islands

Thanks to Bryon.

Putting the Christmas Tree Up

Mail sent by Emil (Russia), Micu (Hungary) and Pina (Belgium).

Christmas Snow

Sent by Bryon (Canada), Heleen (the Netherlands) and Eduard (Russia), last Christmas.

Sunday Stamps | Complete Series

Today's theme in Sunday Stamps is the most difficult one: Your choice!

I have chosen two series I have received this year on postcards. My friends Bryon (the USA) and John (the UK) have been very thoughtful. And the postal services have collaborated in delivering all the postcards!

The first series is Wild Coasts, issued by Royal May on 22 July 2021. You can see here better pictures.

Long-snouted Seahorse

Common Cuttlefish / Grey Seal

Northern Gannet

Orca / Fried-egg Anemone

Bottlenose Dolphin / Spiny Spider Crab

Cuckoo Wrasse / Cold-water Coral Reef

And the second set  is older, but also sent and received along 2021. Endangered Species was issued on 2 February 1996 by USPS:

Wyoming Toad (Anyxyrus baxteri) 
Brown Pelican (Pelecanus occidentalis) 
Gila Trout (Oncorhynchus gilae) 
San Francisco Garter Snake (Thamnophis sirtalis tetrataenia)

Black-footed Ferret (Mustela nigripes) 
Thick-billed Parrot (Rhynchopsitta pachyrhyncha) 
American Crocodile (Crocodylus acutus) 
Ocelot (Leopardus pardalis)

Schaus' Swallowtail (Papilio aristodemus ssp. ponceanus) 
California Condor (Gymnogyps californianus) 
Hawaiian Monk Seal (Monachus schauinslandi)

Florida panther (Felis concolor couguar) 
Piping Plover (Charadrius melodus) 
American Manatee (Trichechus manatus) 
 Woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou)

A picture of the 15-stamps block:

Time to Send Christmas Mail...

Received from Heleen (the Netherlands), last Christmas.

Christmas Is Coming...

Some Christmas envelopes I sent last year, made of upcycled materials from magazines and paper bags.

Send Early This Christmas

Hanukkah Sameach

Letter sent by Bryon (Canada).

Sunday Stamps | Cartoons & Characters

Some famous characters from Japan:

Doraemon in the Bamboo Thicket
20 May 2020

Magikarp, a Pokémon species
7 July 2021

I think the Japanese really love comics and cartoon stamps. They issue a lot, even from foreign illustrators and characters: 

Girl Playing Harp, a Dick Bruna design
21 July 2000

Mymble, a Tove Jansson character
1 August 2018

I have received also Moomin stamps from Finland, like this*:

6 May 2009

And now, let's see a couple of funny British cartoons:

4:55 P.M., by Charles Barsotti
The cheque in the post, by Jack Ziegler
26 February 1996

Go to Sunday Stamps to see more cartoons and illustrations on stamps!


-----

*If interested, you can see my collections here: Tove Jansson / Dick Bruna. 

Postbox Saturday

If you are on Twitter, you might be aware of the #PostBoxSaturday hashtag. It is gorgeous, every Saturday, to see some interesting post boxes from around the world. You can contribute with all kind of post boxes. 

Even fictitious ones, like these in one of the latest adventures of Mortadelo y Filemón (or Mort & Phil): Misión por España. 

(For those who do not know the series: Mortadelo (Mort) is the tall, bald master of disguise named after mortadella sausage. Filemón (Phil) is his bossy partner. They both serve as secret agents in the T.I.A. (a spoof on CIA), the Técnicos de Investigación Aeroterráquea (='Aeroterrestrial Investigation Technicians'). Tía is the Spanish word for 'aunt'. And, of course, they always mess everything up!)

- Man, we've been walking like this for 17 kilometres!

 It's already good joke, right?

- Ah, well there we have what we need.

- I think we should have waited to find a post-office.
- Well, it's a mailbox, right? And I put a lot of stamps on it.

The favourite hobby of Mort is wearing all sorts of disguises...

-We rely on resolute, cocky, brave guys.
 The cops are going to bite the dust.
- Have you heard that? Three trucks of pot, ecstasy, marijuana,
 dope... They are trafficking in style!

-And ready to fight! To brawl with the police! 
 We have to act!

Don't pay attention to the mistakes of my rough translation... :)

Patterned Envelopes

Envelopes sent by Laura (the UK) along this year. They look gorgeous when gathered!

Autumn Vibes

(Back of an envelope)

(Back of an envelope)

Letters sent by Laura (the UK) and Imma (PC).

From Dubai

I do not get often mail from the United Arab Emirates. This was a beautiful exchange with Noura!