Sunday Stamps # 159

Hello from a warmer day in the American Midwest! Dinner is in the oven (baked pork chops) and it's time for me to put my Sunday Stamps post together.

Our theme this week is Hearts and Flowers for Valentine's day.  I am quietly kicking myself for not scheduling this sooner.  Oh well, we can still share.

This is the Valentine's stamp issued by the USA this year:

According to the US Postal Service:
"This fanciful stamp takes its inspiration from the folk traditions of papercutting. Its digital illustration depicts a large white heart enclosing a smaller pink heart with a saw-toothed edge along its left-hand side. Surrounding the central hearts are pink swirls, with smaller hearts imbedded in the design and a ragged-edge motif that echoes the edging on the small pink heart. The hearts and swirls are contained within a red square that has “pinked” edges, as if cut with pinking shears. A white border frames the entire design.

The stamp art is reminiscent of liebesbriefe — ornately cut and painted love letters that are a form of scherenschnitte, the papercutting tradition brought to America in the 18th and 19th centuries by German immigrants. Not intended only for February 14, these early precursors to valentines carried declarations of love and sometimes proposals of marriage. The stamp art is a stunning digital interpretation of these traditional love-letter decorations.
Like the liebesbriefe, the Cut Paper Heart stamps are not just for use on Valentine's Day, but say “love” all year round.

Designed by art director Antonio Alcalá, the stamp features an illustration by Q. Cassetti."

I hope you are able to join me this week!

Theme next week:  Anything you wish.
Theme two weeks from now: Women on stamps (March is Women's History Month).

Viridian

Sunday Stamps # 158

Well, it's been a busy week at chez Viridian and I may be heading to bed early. But not before I set up Sunday Stamps # 158.

It's another cold week here in the American Midwest, but not as cold or as snowy as some other areas!  I hear some serious storms have made their way through Great Britain.

Let's think about a happy occasion, Chinese New Year, which started on Jan. 31.  It gives us a chance to share stamps from China or Taiwan.

This is a stamp showing some beautiful architecture, though I do not know the location.  It captures the feeling of many artworks from this great country.  Please feel free to join me with any stamp from these two countries.

Theme next week: Hearts and flowers for Valentine's Day (late, of course)
Theme week after that: Anything you wish.

Viridian

Sunday Stamps # 157

It's a cold day in the American Midwest.
I have been out and about, shopping, ferrying the children here and there, and more shopping.  I am tired.  But I need to put up my Sunday Stamps post.

Our theme this week: Flowers.

A nice stamp from the Ukraine, showing lilacs.  Now I am yearning for Spring! Alas, it is still some time away.

Join me this week with any flower stamp you wish.

Theme Next week: Chinese or Taiwanese stamps, in honor of a belated Chinese New Year.
Theme week after that: Hearts and flowers for Valentine's day.

Viridian

Sunday Stamps # 156

It's Saturday Night in the USA, and already Sunday in some parts of the world! It's time for Sunday Stamps.

This week's theme is folk art.  I like textile folk art so much I thought about specifying that, but I suspected you may have trouble finding textile stamps.  But I did!

 

This stamp from Russia show part of a cotton scarf from Karabonovo (if I have that right), thanks to a Russian Postcrosser.  And it is an unusually-shaped stamp too - a bonus.  What delightful colors!  A shadow of this textile tradition lives on in the red bandannas of the USA, with their intricate border designs.  Bandannas though are usually just one color plus black and white only.

 

Please join me with any folk art stamps, from any tradition.

 

Theme next week:  Flowers.

Theme week after that: Chinese or Taiwanese stamps, in honor of a belated Chinese New Year.

 

And hey, you can find me on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948?ref=hl

 

 

Viridian