Postcard Friendship Friday April 6

First of all, sending positive thoughts and prayers to Beth today.

This is a postcard I sent out today to a Postcrosser.  Safe journeys!  The image reminds me of late Spring/early summer.  We can make it Easter time too.

Please remember Sunday Stamps, a meme I open up late on Saturday (USA time).  It's for anyone who likes stamps and wishes to share.  This week's theme: Architecture.  Interpret it widely!

I am linking up with Beth for Postcard Friendship Friday.

Viridian

PS. You can follow me on Facebook if you wish at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948
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Sunday Stamps #64

In which our theme is anything you wish, as I couldn't think of a theme.

So I am sharing with you one of the Postcrossing stamps issued by The Netherlands.  Yes there are others!  I just received a different one on a postcard.

I just love Postcrossing.  I have been a member since April 2008.  You sign up, and request addresses of persons (complete strangers) to send postcards to.  After they arrive and are registered, your name and address go in the queue so that someone can send a postcard to you.  And then repeat.  Most of the newer stamps you see on this blog arrived via Postcrossing postcards.  I have sent (and received) more than 1000 postcards!

Thank you everyone who suggested future themes for Sunday Stamps.  Whatever the theme is, I encourage you to stretch the theme!  Even post a stamp that doesn't follow the theme!  That's fine with me. I will be using some of the themes shortly.

Theme next week: Architecture.  This could be a church or a municipal building, a historic site, or folk architecture (think: cottages).  Even an archeological site.  Or a stamp showing an architectural detail.

Viridian

If you use Facebook, you can follow me there at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Viridian61/347674418583948.

Postcrossing postcard

From a postcrosser in Italy.
Viridian

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This is a postcard of a Lake Superior agate that someone has polished to show the beauty inside.  There are beaches on Lake Superior where one used to be able to look at the pebbles and find some that, not looking like this, at least had the potential to polish up like this.  I suspect those beaches have been pretty picked over by now.

I saw this postcard in the postcard gallery on Postcrossing and saved an image for myself. :-0

Thank you Beth for hosting Postcard Friendship Friday!
Remember: My meme Sunday Stamps opens again late Saturday night.
Theme this week: Presidents/world leaders/statesmen or stateswomen.  You don't need to follow the theme however.
Viridian
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Happy Postcard Friendship Friday - Stamps

Good day everyone, and welcome to Postcard Friendship Friday!


I am joining with Beth at The Best Hearts are Crunchy for PFF. Click on the links and see who else is joining the party.

As I have mentioned before, I am an avid member of Postcrossing.  The past two weeks I have gotten a variety of lovely postcards from all around the world.  Today I'd like to share with you some of the beautiful stamps from other countries.

Starting from the upper left, the stamps are from Russia, Bermuda Estonia, and Finland.  I really like the two Estonian stamps.

Such a little world of art in stamps!

Viridian

Postcrossing favorites

Now and again I will be posting some of my favorites from Postcrossing - usually (though not always) cards I have sent or received.  Just look at the light in this one. Enjoy.

Viridian

Cherry Blossom Time

This postcard arrived in my mailbox recently, from a Postcrosser from Osaka, Japan. She wrote that she was looking forward to cherry blossom time, which sounds very beautiful. How wonderful is it that she sent me a a delicate image, and added two stamps featuring cherry blossoms on the reverse?

Modifying my stamp rant a bit, could I do something like this with international air mail stamps? No. With domestic postage stamps? Maybe, if I buy Post Office products described in a previous post. Kelp Forest postcards, with added Kelp Forest or lighthouse stamps, for example.

Viridian

PFF: greetings from China

I received a lovely postcard from the city of Shenyang the other day, as part of Postcrossing. It is from Xiuzeng, who wishes me Happy Spring.

It is a geological card, sure to make me happy! A spectacular landscape caused by extreme erosion. Towers of sedimentary material standing tall as the weaker rock has been eroded away. It reminds me a bit of Bryce Canyon, but with somewhat stronger rocks, and more vegetation.

Also note the lovely stamps. A regal lion, a landscape much like the one shown in the postcard, and a wonderful blossoming branch - perhaps almond or cherry blossoms.

I really think the USA has boring stamps - with some exceptions. There are varieties of stamps for first class domestic postage (now 44 cents as I write), but do you want a stamp for overseas airmail? There is only ONE issued stamp for 98 cents. No wonder many European postcrossers ask the Americans to look for different stamps.

I try: 2 44 cent stamps and and a 10 cent stamp. I've gone through the Simpsons, Gary Cooper, the Kelp Forest, classic TV shows, Chinese New Year, famous sailors. Now my post office has very little. I am using the Celebrate! and wedding rings stamps. Better than the forever stamp I suppose.

I hope Marie starts her meme this Friday!

viridian

Happy Postcrossing!

Happy Postcrossing!

What is it? “It's a project that allows anyone to receive postcards (real ones, not electronic) from random places in the world.”

You send a postcard to an unknown person anywhere in the world. After they receive it and register it, your name goes in the queue for a random person to send a postcard to you. At the beginning, you may send up to 5 postcards at a time.

I was skeptical at first, and wondered if problems could arise – after all, you have to put in your real name and mailing address. Also I was doing this to help my 7 year old daughter with a second grade geography project. I wasn’t going to put HER name in the system!

I chose to send 4 postcards, to Finland, Australia, Germany, and Norway. This included a mom of a 2 year old, a student studying in Cologne, a woman genetics engineer. All sounded like such great interesting people! As they registered my postcards, I was free to then send more. I sent a few more postcards.

Then, a few postcards trickled in. The first was a boring card from Finland. Then one from Taiwan. Then a card from Austria with a reproduction of a painting of a beautiful Austrian princess. A scene from an Irish market town, signed by a mom with 3 children the same age as mine. Then, one from an 8 year boy in Poland, signed up and helped with his English by a neighbor. Well, my children thought this was the greatest thing! Children just like them, sending postcards! That’s when my daughter insisted she wanted her own Postcrossing account.

Since then I have exchanged with at least 3 school groups involved in Postcrossing as a school project, and one home-schooled family also involved in teaching geography this way. I have also exchanged with high school and college students, home-bound people, retirees, and people who love postcards and stamps. In 500 days I have sent 244 postcards, and received 229. I have sent or received cards from 47 countries.

Yesterday the mail delivered my biggest haul of Postcrossing postcards yet – 6!

1. Germany: From a young woman in the tourist industry.
2. Brazil: From a 13 year old boy in an English Language program, sending cards and writing in English as part of an assignment to improve his English. His card was a great photo of Rio de Janeiro.
3. Czech Republic: a man close to my age, very active in Postcrossing, from a small village near Pilsen, who sent a card of a beautiful rushing stream in a Czech nature preserve.
4. Thailand: Postcard of an elephant being trained to paint (!) from Ting.
5. Portugal: From Ana, close to my age and mom of 3 children.
6. Netherlands: from a high school student who loves music and plays the oboe.

Why do I write this entry today? Well, because I received 6 postcards in the mail… but also because I heard from A Postcard a Day that she drew my name in Postcrossing! How unusual is that? It is such a small world.

Viridian

Utah: Postcard Friendship Friday

This is an oversized postcard (8 inches by 6 inches) published by the Utah Geological Survey. I really like geology and pick these up when I can. When I send them through Postcrossing, the recipients just love them.

On the left is a geological map of Utah. Each color represents different rock that is exposed at the surface, or near the surface, just covered by soil. Without an explanation the colors mean very little so there is a key in the upper right. Here, different colors represent rocks of different ages. Yes, there is standard color scheme! Yellows are most recent rocks, or sediments recently deposited by rivers. Greens and aqua are Mesozoic rocks (time of the dinosaurs). Blue, gray-blue to brown colors are the older rocks (Paleozoic). Igneous rocks of what ever age get their own bright colors: reds, pinks, magenta. They really liven up a geologic map!

The lower right contains a cross section, as if you cut through the ground, took half away, and saw what was inside. Older rocks are on the bottom, younger on the top, as you might expect.The geology under Utah leads to amazing landscapes. Utah is the home of Bryce and Zion, also Arches National Park and many others. In the north are beautiful mountains and wonderful ski areas.

Happy Postcard Friendship Friday! Check out Marie's site for more.

Postcrossing Sunday

Yes, the week starts on Sunday, but I follow an academic schedule, where for teachers the week starts on Monday.
This card was sent to me from Malaysia. From the back: " a young Iban girl in the full ceremonial dress of yesteryear. Beadwork and silver are the main components. Photograph by Lim Poh Chiang." I also note that this is from a series of postcards sold for the Association for Intellectually Disabled Children Sarawak, Malaysia. I had not noticed that before.

Lovely! Happy Postcrossing!

viridian

Postcrossing Saturday

This card is from the Czech republic. This castle is in the NE part of the country, says my correspondent. The back of the card is only in Czech but "Moravici" suggests this may be in Moravia.

And hey, I just made plans to go to a conference in Prague in July!

Well it's been two weeks of a postcard a day, and I am liking this. Though if you want the real Postcard a Day blog, click here. I recommend it, and I think I'll add it to my links on the right.

I also like having a theme for the week and hope you do too. I hope I can come up with enough themes! My collection is fairly small, and Postcrossing has actually increased the diversity quite a bit.

viridian61

Postcrossing: PFF

Happy Postcard Friendship Friday!

This is a Postcrossing postcard from Riga, Latvia, that came with some beautiful stamps. This photograph is called "Painters" by Gvido Kajons.

viridian

Postcrossing Thursday

A card from Italy - Naples area in fact. the problem with this kind of card is the list of places I really want to visit gets longer and longer.

viridian

Postcrossing Wednesday-World Peace

This postcrossing postcard from China came in January from a young woman with the most amazing message:
"I look to the new year and my wish for you:
Peace within your heart
Love from family and friends
Hope to make it through each day
Sunshine to light the day
A tear to show compassion
A heart to hold the love.
Happy New Year friend!"

I am of the generation that grew up with images of Chinese people riding bicycles in shapeless Mao suits wearing caps with red stars on them. China was one of the hated Communist enemies. Yes, the country of China has changed greatly since the 1970's. But a postcard message like this changes my thinking, permanently. Maybe there is a chance for world peace to grow, one human interaction at a time. That's why my postcards now say at the bottom, "Work for World Peace" or "Support World Peace."

viridian

Postcrossing Tuesday

This is a postcard I received through Postcrossing from Tuovi in Finland. The oversized postcard is from the Waino Aaltosen Museo (there should be double dots over some of those vowels!) in Turku. This is the Court Uniform of the Empress, blue silk satin embroidered with gold, Collection of Shenyang Palace Museum. No year or dynasty is given.

Gosh, what a beauty! One of my favorites.

viridian

Postcrossing week

This week I will be showing postcards I have received as part of my participation in Postcrossing. Above is a postcard from Poland.
From the website:

Postcrossing: "A project that allows anyone to receive postcards (real ones, not electronic) from random places in the world."
"The main idea is that: if you send a postcard, you will receive at least one back from a random Postcrosser from somewhere in the world.
Why? Because, like the author, there are lots of people who like to receive real mail. The element of surprise of receiving postcards from different places in the world (many of which you probably have never heard of) can turn your mailbox into a box of surprises - and who wouldn't like that? "

I have sent about 150 postcards, and have received about 140, from 42 different countries. I look forward to collecting the mail every day, for among the junk mail and bills there may be a postcard with a cheerful message on it for me.
The ones I send out tell a little about me, and something about world peace.

viridian