FinnBadger (9)

Great colourful envelope and matching stamps arrived from FinnBadger from the USA.

Inside there were these Bird Blot artistamps:



(for the one horizontal stamp, hereby the same stamps from an other point of view: )



And a pretty postcard showing the Scarlet Tanager, a songbird I never had heard of until now. The funny thing, I learned from Wikipedia, is that this cousin of the Cardinal bird in Dutch isn't named (literally translated) 'Scarlet Tanager', but 'Black-winged Tanager' instead.
Food for thought: the question 'Is the bird red or black?' reminds me of an other issue: ' Is the glass half empty or half full?' :-)



Thank you very much, FinnBadger!

Stripygoose (11)

The 2nd Saturday in May is the International Migratory Bird Day.
Stripygoose started a group at IUOMA to celebrate this day (and all birds, I guess).

While my birds are slowly flying, on their way to the UK and to a few other countries, Stripgoose's bird flew over the North Sea to arrive at my place within three days only!
Here the bird is:



Although the IMBD is one day, we can send birds during the whole May month (and beyond).



Thank you very much, Stripygoose!

Amalgamated Confusion (5)

Great front and back side, created by Keith S. Chambers.

This mail art arrived already some weeks ago, but today is a good day to post: today (21st of February) is one of the Banana Days.



(btw, I don't know the name of the postal artist who did add the line instead of a postmark.)

Thank you very much, Keith!

Minneapolis Gnome (2)

Pleasantly surprised I was by the mail Minneapolis Gnome has sent me at the start of this year. A tiny calendar!
It landed at my place already weeks ago, and finally I found the time to scan and show you some parts of it. On one of the pages the Rhinoceros shows up, which Minneapolis Gnome had sent me last summer.
On top you see the Rooster (or Hen?), perfectly matching for this New Year

And below an activity known and dear to many of us:



Also Minneapolis Gnome knows the art and craft of spinning (I can't, fortunately they do), as you see here:



This #safetypin heart and these safety pins and words I think a beautiful piece of hope. Safety pins have the ability to connect, as have all humans. So I hope they - we all - should be and feel connected. Even though sometimes hope and connection are preceded by a safety pin-prick!..



Two Gnomes, cosily chatting and knitting:



On the front page of the calendar a good warning. That you shouldn't drink and drive is clear. The modern danger lies in app-and-drive, or snapchat-and-drive, or check-email-and-drive, or text-and-drive. Or whatever. But don't, while driving!



The calendar and drawings came in a colourful envelope. Great 3D coloured pencil rub art!





Thank you very much, Minneapolis Gnome!

Katerina Nikoltsou (25)

A red Rooster and a blue Owl. And much more! Created and sent by Katerina Nikoltsou from Greece.

On the back (of front) of the above, she added a wonderful water colour in blue:



And a collage in darker colours (and a moon),




The envelope shows a human being, a Greek goddess:



Also the stamp shows a human being.
(I wonder why John Catsimadis appears on a Greek stamp and why wikipedia tells about him in English and Russian only?)



Thank you very much, Katerina!

Katerina Nikoltsou (24)

This envelope from Katerina Nikoltsou I received almost two weeks ago. I had to wait patiently, but finally - today! - I was allowed to open it.

And yes! It is Year of the Rooster mail art!
Thank you very much, Katerina, Happy New Year of the Rooster to you, too!



The back side showed an unexpected colour (unexpected, I mean, I don´t know why I always think of blue and turquoise when thinking of Katerina :-) )

FinnBadger (6)

The year 2017 just has begun. And within a few days the Year of the Rooster will begin.

FinnBadger created this wonderful and cute design which combines the two years: the number 2017 and the young Bird, dreaming of, and/or becoming a Rooster.



More great Birds, and Year of the Rooster stamps, on the envelope.

Thank you very much, FinnBadger, and Happy New Years to you, too!

Angie & Snooky (2)

Only less than four weeks to go and the Year of the Rooster will start!

This wonderful Rooster ATC has been created and sent by Angie.

The Rooster was accompanied by this mushroom collage. I wonder if Roosters/Chicken eat mushrooms at all?



Thank you very much, Angie, and to you and Snooky and all beloved ones, Happy 2017, too!

Antonia Mayol (5)

Also best wishes for this New Year I received from Antonia Mayol Castelló from Spain.

The animal - besides Humans - which gives me an alibi to post her great mixed media mail art is this Rooster:



I used to create origami chicken like this (and when I folded the legs inwards, it became a Duck).

This Rooster isn't alone, together with Bella Lola he shows up in this composition:





See more art by Antonia on her blog.



Muchas gracias, Antonia!

Hana Ehagaki (4)

The New Year 2017 has begun. Some weeks before the new year I received this great drawing, printed on a postcard, by Hana Ehagaki from Japan.
The Shoebill Stork is a quiet and impressive bird. And this peticular one is extra dear because this bird brings... Mail!

Hana also has made these wonderful rubberstamp prints:



The Rooster on the stamp reminds me of the fact that the new year didn't start completely yet: it is still the Year of the Monkey, and the New Year of the Rooster will start within four weeks!

Thank you very much, arigato, Hana!

Willemien Visser

This great collage, including a scary looking but in fact tiny cute animal was send to me by Willemien Visser from Germany. If you look close, you can see more animals on the front side.

On the back side a pretty Peacock and a rubberstamp showing Fishes. Even German Post has helped to complete this Animal mail art, by adding a postmark showing the Town Musicians of Bremen: a donkey, a dog, a cat and a rooster.



Check Willemien's website, she has a call for mail art, themed 'Fishes'.

Thank you very much, hartelijk dank, Willemien!

Grethe Bjørnhaug

This beautiful mixed media spring Chicken has been created by Grethe Bjørnhaug from Danmark.



The outside of the envelope appears to be a home to Fish. On the back side a beautiful rubber stamp printed one, and less lucky fish in front, on the postage stamps.



Grethe also added the answer to my question: 'What is she staring at?'.
An elephant, of course!



Thank you very much, mange tak, Grethe!

Ruud Janssen

In order to fill out the 'Labels' section below, I always try to find out which animals the senders have been creating.
In case of the beautifully painted envelope by Ruud Janssen it remained mysterious...
Those big eyes make me think of the Balinese Dragon-Lion figure Barong.
However, it won't be the first time that I misinterpreted Ruud's abstract art work.

Thank you very much, hartelijk dank, Ruud, for this wonderful painted envelope and matching stamps!

Heinz Lotz

This intriguing animal was sent from Germany and has been made by Heinz Lotz. I think it must be a Looster or Rion (lion-rooster)!?
And oh, pity: Seems like the tail doesn't agree with the direction this animal is walking into...

Talking about directions: note the address below. A recycled address!



Herzlichen Dank, Heinz!