Letter Writers Alliance

Stamp Release: Lydia Mendoza

Info from Beyond the Perf: One of the first and greatest stars of Tejano music, Lydia Mendoza (1916-2007) is seen strumming her 12-string guitar on this lively stamp, one of several that inaugurates the "Music Icons" series.

This square stamp captures the look of a vintage 45-rpm record sleeve, down to a slight weathering away of the colors. The stamp art features a black-and-white publicity photo of Mendoza taken in the 1950s. The flag of Texas, Mendoza’s home state, is splashed across the photo, its vertical blue bar and horizontal red stripe providing the stamp’s only color.

The stamp is being released today, May 15. I really do like the Texas flag overlay. It makes for a very graphically dramatic stamp.

Stamp Release: A Flag For All Seasons

Hey, look at that. I... I don't hate these flag stamps. Well done, U.S.P.S. I like that the position of the flag is different in each stamp and that it isn't stuck in that traditional "you must see all of the flag" depiction. The flag is drawn as if you are on the ground, looking up at it. It gives the whole stamp a very uplifting feeling. Even the back grounds are nice, and will be fun to pair with colored envelopes. I would actually use these stamps. I will use these stamps. More details can be found at Beyond the Perf. These stamps are being released today.

Stamp Releases: Yes, I do & Where Dreams Bloom

These two stamps were released yesterday.  Here's the new issue in the U.S.P.S. Wedding Series (set at the two ounce mail price of 66 cents) as well as its paired First Class Issue. These "matched sets" are not a new concept. Most of the wedding issues make me yawn. There's decades of beautiful postage out there without having to rely on pastel boquets to send the message about "your special day." (Don't mind me though, I'm kind of a jerk about weddings.) Plus, enough with the flower stamps already. I know they are "among the most popular of philatelic subjects" but seriously, that's enough for now. If you'd like to know more about these stamps or any other recent issues, check out Beyond the Perf. 

Stamp Release: Vintage Seed Packets

I feel like I have at least five pen pals who think that the U.S.P.S. created these stamps specifically for them. I haven't seen so much anticipation for a stamp set maybe ever. People are seriously excited for the Vintage Seed Packets stamps!

Here's some more info on the stamps from Beyond the Perf: 

From hand-tinted lithographs in the early 1800s to modern photography, images of floral perfection have adorned flower seed packets for more than a hundred years. The stamp art features ten photographs of antique seed packets (printed between 1910 to 1920), cropped to highlight their beautiful floral detail.

I do like these stamps, I do; but when I heard "Vintage Seed Packets", I wanted more vegetables, less flowers. I mean, we just had some new flower stamps released two days ago. 

P.S. Remember to come see us tomorrow at Pieritz Bros. for a letter social from 1PM-4PM!

Stamp Release: La Florida

This four stamp se-tenant issue is being released today in honor of the founding of Florida, so named for its lush and verdant. It features flowers found in that state. According to Beyond the Perf, the stamp is supposed to feel like you are looking in to a tropical garden.

It shows four different flowers in the four stamps; hibiscus, morning glories, lilies and passion flowers. I'm really happy about the passion flowers mainly because I grew up around these crazy looking flowers and never knew what they were before now. Yet another example of stamps being educational.

From an aesthetic veiw, I always find the se-tenant stamps to be challenging for mail art, but flowers tend to be easy to incorporate. I have high hopes for using these stamps in future art. 

Stamp Release: Modern Art in America

I will buy a million trillion of these sheets of Modern Art in America just for the stamp of Charles Demuth's I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold. It is one of my top five favorite paintings of all time. {Click here for a picture of the back of my head looking at it in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.}

The other pieces in the release aren't half bad either. Marsden Hartley's Painting, Number 5 and Gerald Murphy's Razor are other favorites of mine. The pane of 12 different stamps is being released tomorrow, March 7th, in New York. You can read more about all of the stamps over at Beyond the Perf. I'm just going to sit here and stare at  I Saw the Figure 5 in Gold for a while. 

Oh, and if you like pre-stamped postcards and envelopes, you have some new designs available as well. I like the postcard a lot. That could work for holiday mail too, I bet. 

 

Stamp Release: Muscle Cars

I'm trying to get myself revved up for these stamps. Sadly, I have more enthusiasm for puns than I do for cars, but there's no denying that they are beautiful and dynamic stamps. I think artist Tom Fritz really hit his mark with these oil paintings, conjuring up the "emotive quality" of each car.

The stamps feature five iconic muscle cars: the 1969 Dodge Charger Daytona, the 1966 Pontiac GTO, the 1967 Shelby GT-500, the 1970 Chevelle SS, and the 1970 Plymouth Hemi 'Cuda. They are part of the America on the Move series, which saw two previous releases of cars from the 1950s. These stamps are being released today with a First Day Ceremony in Daytona Beach, Florida.

You can find more information about the 2013 stamp releases on Beyond the Perf.

Socials, Workshops, and Stamp Releases (Oh My!)

First up, there is an "official" Letter Writers Alliance social being held tomorrow, Saturday, February 2nd in Indianapolis. This is our first social in Indiana and we're thrilled to be partnering with the Trade School there. Donovan will be there and will have typewriters, stationery and other fun supplies for participants. L.W.A. member and Trade School Co-Founder Brittany will also give some mini-tutorials on envelope-making. The social is being held from 1PM - 4PM at Indy Reads Books, 911 Massachusetts Ave., 46202. RSVP is required.

For our West Coast friends, there's a new Snail Mail Social in San Francisco, also tomorrow, Saturday, February 2nd, also from 1PM - 4PM. This is at Arch Drafting Supply which is always a fun time. Open to all, no sign up required.

On the workshop front, Kathy will be at the West Town Library on 1625 W. Chicago Avenue, Chicago, IL 60622 from 2PM - 3:30PM with the makings of Valentines and some origami envelope tips. RSVP is required for this workshop and spots are going fast! See the sidebar to the right for the sign-up information.

The National Postal Museum is also holding a Valentine's Workshop on the Saturday, February 9th. The fun will take place in the Atrium from 12PM -4PM. They'll have supplies and pretty papers, plus, there's a special postmark available at the museum's stamp store!

That should keep everyone busy. While you're at it, you can adorn those fancy, new valentines with the new Love stamp issued by the U.S.P.S. on the 30th of January, or have a tiny bit of patience and use the Rosa Parks stamp set to issue on the 4th of February. Of course, if that valentine just can't wait, there's also the new Grand Central Station Express Mail stamp that came out today!

World Local Post Day & Stamp Release: Global Forever

Estabilished in 1989 by the Local Post Collectors Society, World Local Post Day is the last Monday in January, which happens to be today. You'll find a number of local posts doing special stamps and cancellations in honor of today. You can read previous L.W.A. articles on local posts around the world here & here.

And, almost as in celebration, the U.S.P.S. issues its new Global Forever Stamp today. $1.10 for the first ounce, anywhere in the world. "The Global Forever stamp offers a single price for any First-Class Mail International 1-ounce letter to any country in the world. For the January 27, 2013, price change, the Global Forever stamp may also be used to mail a 2-ounce letter to Canada." --Beyond the Perf  I find that to be a confusing statement. Can I send 2-ouncers to Canada with this stamp all the time or just on January 27th? It's probably all the time, but that sentence is weird, no? Anyways, behold the circular glory!

 

Stamp Releases: Spicebush Swallowtail & Tufted Puffin

Say what you will about postal rate increases, they always seem to herald a bunch of new stamp designs, which is alright by me.

Released today are the following beautiful stamps; the Spicebush Swallowtail & the Tufted Puffins.

More information on these is available at Beyond the Perf. There's also a new Priority Mail stamp out on the 25th.