Fleur Helsingor (3)

Great collage by Fleur Helsingor showing Birds on a photographed background.
These birds came in an envelope, made out of a photo collage of a nearby café window's display of photos and art.



Fleur also returned my add-and-return, from a serie which I will blog on IUOMA on a later date. Here already a part of it, thanks to the other wonderful Bird:



Thank you very much, Fleur!

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!

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!

Karalie

Such a nice piece of surprise mail, this "Hello!" by friendly chicken, created by Karalie Vest and sent from the USA.



On the back side matchin Bird stamps, showing a Penguin and two Songbirds: the Redbird or Northern Cardinal and two Golden-crowned Kinglets (the latter's name I learned from the USPS site).

Thank you very much, Karelie!

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!

Tonipoet (4)

Parts of this mail art from Tonipoet I already posted on Leap Day (yes, 2016 is not only the Year of the Monkey but also a Leap Year!). Then I realized I never had posted the main image in this blog: the Chicken. Here she is!



Who knows what animals (Owls, Crows, Bats, Sparrows) are living in this old church tower (included in the great envelope):



We had hoped that USPS would cancel the stamp and provde it with the rare date '29 Feb 2016',



But instead they postmarked the 'do not open til leap day' message!



Detail:



Thank you very much, Toni!

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!

Stripygoose (5)

An other piece of mail art, sent also for the International Banana Day, has been created by Stripygoose from the UK. I love birds, so I always am pleasantly surprised by Stripygoose's creations. Even though the theme this time was 'Bananas', she added birds on her mail art to me!



Thank you very much, Stripygoose!

Dean, Artist in Seine (2)

This delicate collage mailed art was created and sent by Dean from France.
Posted here of course because of the little Bird in the right corner, and the Mammal name written on the vinyl. Well, research reveiled that this Mink is not a blue animal but a collection of singing humans.

The French post was so kind to wrap it, but I'm sure Dean's mail art would have arrived well without a cover also. Anyway, I like postal additions like this.



Thank you very much, Dean!

Stripygoose (2)

After the first Sula, more Sulidae arrived now.
On the front side of the mail art card even more birds: Chickens! With an invitation to go for a walk. Always a good idea, because outside there are many more beautiful birds to see and hear. However, so far I am happy with these ones Stripygoose has sent me from the United Kingdom.



Thank you very much, Stripygoose!

Eva (9)

A variety of animals, wonderfully drawn by Eva, who also choose a suitable postcard from the Puffin series.



Thank you very much, moltes gràcies, Eva!

Carina

I'm happy to receive this Mail Cat, accompanied by a stamp of the Finnish national bird: the Whooper Swan.
On the front side an interesting collage, almost a 3D one!



Created and sent from Finland by Carina Granlund.
Thank you very much, Carina!

Lautaro Salgado

From Chile I received these friendly farm animals, gathered in a nice envelope.
Sent by Lautaro Salgado, who inside this envelope has added an add-and-pass-on chain letter mail art. That will be continued on an other day (and other blog).



Colourful artistamps:



Muchas gracias, Lautaro!

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!