wicked winter

I guess I've been kvetching too much about the snow and ice, which in fact I love. In response, PostMuse made this funny card called Wicked Winter. The design is super but what I really like is the amazing texture--all kinds of layers, surfaces, knobs, and bumps. I keep running my fingers over it. Great card!

beautiful crimea

The postcrosser who sent this lovely sunset view of the Black Sea is a happy resident of the Crimea, which she typifies as "sea, sun, fruits and wine." And it's warm, too. Why not be happy?

amer kobaslija at george adams

Bosnian-born artist Amer Kobaslija is having another show at George Adams Gallery in New York. It's called The Road to Rossiniere: Paintings of Balthus' Studio and features paintings Kobaslija did in Rossiniere, Switzerland, where Balthus lived at the end of his life. As I picked this postcard out of the mail, I knew who the painter was, though I confess to not remembering his name. I saw some of his work, with its dizzying yet centered perspective, in 2008 at the same gallery and was enthralled. The show runs till March 26. www.georgeadamsgallery.com

peter rabbit

It's one icon after another, all appreciated. This time, Peter Rabbit, with some of Beatrix Potter's manuscript as background. The card is from Folio Deux, who altered the card with stickers. http://www.foliodeux.com/

bugs bunny

A mysterious Finnish postcrosser sent this wacky card of Bugs Bunny in Carmen Miranda mode. Happy Rabbits!

yellow boots

I know I've posted this Finnish stamp of yellow boots before but, hey, yellow boots deserve a replay. I also like the round sticker (or is it a stamp) at left.

algonquin round table

Mrpotani picked up this postcard walking through the lobby of the Alqonquin Hotel on her recent trip to New York. The card shows a 1920's Al Hirschfield drawing of one of the legendary gatherings of New York wits.

windmills and mountains

The Swiss postcrosser who sent this postcard also took the photo that is used in it. Her family of four share their lives with three dogs. www.swissdoggies.ch



A pair of Dutch postcrossers sent this very local postcard.

striking

I sent this vintage cartoon to a postcrosser in China. I could do with a jolt of energy this morning.

madame c.

old man in sorrow

Lynn B. sent this card of Van Gogh's Old Man in Sorrow, a powerful painting by an artist who at one point in his life thought he was meant to be a pastor. The painting almost painfully illustrates Van Gogh's intense empathy with those who suffer.

the young lincoln

Presidents' Day is a good time for a handsome statue of Abraham Lincoln. I sent this card last month to a Dutch postcrosser who, it turned out, had recently read a book about Lincoln.

two

A little bit of this and that went into this card, which was actually inspired by the silly jingle that goes with a sandwich chain's February 'five' sale. I've never tasted the goods but the ad campaign amuses.

bunny balalaika

This super card, from a Russian postcrosser, is of an oil painting called Hare at the Photographic Studio. It was painted 1938-1939 by Yuri Vasnetsov. The card carried the strip of stamps below.

russian stamps

sherwood forest

John Tyler, the 10th president of the United States, lived in a plantation home called Sherwood Forest. At more than 300 feet, it is the longest frame building in the country, thanks to a ballroom 68 feet long, which Tyler had built on to the house. The reason for the ballroom was, supposedly, the raging popularity of the dance called the Virginia reel. I love the tree in this card, which I sent off into the greater world.

fairy soap

The Thai postcrosser who sent this cool card shared some thoughts on Chinese New Year, which is also celebrated in Thailand. She writes that both sets of her grandparents came to Thailand from China so the holiday is traditional for her family. Before one week before New Year's, everyone does a big cleaning at home, then the whole family gets together to eat and to pray for their ancestors. All the best to her and her family in the Year of the Rabbit!

carl larsson interior

The Finnish postcrosser who sent this charming domestic scene by Carl Larsson wrote that she herself is fond of knitting and of growing plants. She also likes lighting candles "in the dark nights of autumn and winter." She imagines a beautiful landscape outside the window, with a sun-drenched forest and lake.

vintage detroit

A vintage postcard with a vista of Detroit.

cool stamps

More cool stamps from fabulous Finland.

from vilnius with love

A young Lithuanian postcrosser named Anastasia in Vilnius sent this dreamy card, which she says took her a month to pick out. I appreciate the thought---and the message. She adapted lyrics by one of her favorite groups, Blackmore's Night, changing their Streets of London to the Streets of Vilnius. A 'magical' effort.

thumbnail wien

A been-there-seen-that kind of card from an Austrian postcrosser.

united nations

A United Nations card and stamp from Mrpotani.

playing go

A classical take on playing go from a Chinese postcrosser.

pussy willows

A favorite pressed cardboard decoration from Germany is getting tattered, which prompted me to start using elements in making postcards. Pussy willows: another sign of spring amidst fields of snow.

double play ffrom belarus

A persevering postcrosser from Belarus sent the whimsical bottom card, with Chirstmas greetings, early last December. When she did not get a reply, she this year sent the striking anti-death penalty card. (What do the US, China, Iran, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia have in common?) Both cards arrived yesterday, both with variations of the stamps shown above.

polska

A student in Poland sent this gaily-decorated card.

manuel alvarez bravo: mexico

The Weinstein Gallery in Minneapolis is holding a solo exhibition of works by Mexican photographer Maneul Alarez Bravo from February 25 to April 23. Shown on this card is a 1935 photograph of Isabel Villasenor. www.weinstein-gallery.com

sonja deshalyt

The fabulous card above, from a postcrosser in Lviv, Ukraine, shows a magical Sonja Deshalyt watercolor called Walk. I love this painting, though I know nothing about the artist. Svitlana, the sender, said that she had tried to find a card with rabbit in it and challenged me to find it. I did. Can you? She also mentioned that she had been listening to the expressive and amazing band called Gogol Bordello. Wow! I have one of their CD's. Oh yeah, the stamps on the card were pretty special, too.

sweet valentine

The twins Alistair and Jonathan sent this surprise Valentine card from France, where they now live. Front and back, it is the sweetest!

the cousins

Sandy Sapienza made this pretty, and amusing, Valentine card. She wrote that the singing camel that has been appearing recently in her cards told her to send flamingoes instead. It turns out they are all 'cousins'. Sister Sledge sang it, "We are family."

happy, happy

A variation on the pitcher-and-catchers card I made a couple of weeks ago. I'm happy I know baseball fans! It's official: Pitchers and catchers report today to Clearwater.

waiting for spring

Old friend Jody sent this pensive card created by his daughter Vera, who is now in her first year at Vassar and on her way to Japan this summer.

art of tea

These days I've again been drinking lots of oolong tea, one of my favorites, and I very much enjoyed making this simple card. In Japan I now and again studied the Japanese version of this tea ceremony. It uses gyokuro, another favorite of mine, which is a special kind of green tea.

your dog

A British postcrosser sent this card showing an amusing installation, called Your Dog, of a big dog in Tompkins Square. I guess that is Tompkins Square Park in lower Manhattan, which is known for its dog run.

yay, finland!

The Finnish postcard I posted yesterday was the first postcrossing card to arrive with an ID# of one million plus. Yesterday I sent my first card with an ID# over one million. Finland was of course first to the million mark. Maybe the US was second. But really, the US wasn't even close. Just think about the populations of the two countries. Finland is far and away the postcrossing capital of the world. Here's to Finland--and to its always interesting stamps!

say spring

PostMuse throws out a warning about spring with this altered card. And reveals her Boston background.


A young Turkish postcrosser sent this Monet card, reminding me how refreshing it can be to see flowers, blue skies, sunlit towns, and blue seas.

opposites

Two postcards, here and below, from opposite sides of the earth. This stunning winter scene is from a Finnish postcrosser who is much enjoying the winter. Lots of snow means lots of skiing!

A Brazilian postcrosser sent this card of Liberdad Square in Belo Horizonte (the city with all the bars). She writes that the square is a favorite place for locals just to hang out, chat, and tell jokes. I'm getting a very good impression of this city. It seems to have its social priorites in order.

winter welwyn

Just when I was feeling gloomy about getting any more rabbit cards, this one came from friend Carolyn B., who lives in Welwyn Garden City, near London. Love the design. Carolyn wrote that the snowdrops are up and crocuses and anemones are on the way.

foreign love

A little bit of foreign fun prompted by junk mail from some credit card.

mailart 365

Here's another collaged card from PostMuse, who on December 1 plunged into making mail art for 365 days in a row. The project is open to all mail artists. Check it out: mailart365.blogspot.com