21-01-2019
Stamp Year 2019 kicks off with Valentine’s Day stamps, which have been illustrated by Matti Pikkujämsä in his own distinctive style. The Shared Joy stamp booklet depicts friendship between people of different ages.
This sympathetic booklet of stamps has a strong craftwork feel. Pikkujämsä, who is starting his career as a stamp artist, painted the original paintings on paper, wrote the texts by hand and did the perforation freehand.
“When I was creating the stamps, I thought about a dear friend of mine in the north. Doing things together with friends was the starting point for these stamps. I try to make simple paintings that touch people and warm their hearts,” says Pikkujämsä.
The Shared Joy stamp booklet contains six domestic no-value indicator stamps.
Baby box is a Finnish innovation
The baby box is an innovation that is familiar to all Finnish families. The Baby Box miniature sheet, designed by Dog Design, presents the clothes and care supplies in the box and the box itself, in which a baby can also sleep.
“We illustrated the baby box products on the miniature sheet as a pattern-like surface that is bordered into ensembles by stamps. And a baby is naturally also included,” says AD Petri Salmela from Dog Design.
Every year, Kela distributes around 40,000 new baby boxes to expectant mothers. In recent years, the box and its contents have been developed on the basis of customer feedback. The baby box is part of the Finnish family support system and it has generated lots of interest internationally.
The Baby Box miniature sheet contains six domestic no-value indicator stamps.
Ice fishing and taking a dip in a hole in the ice on a freezing winter day
The Freezing Winter Day stamps feature typical Finnish winter day activities, such as ice fishing and taking a dip in a hole in the ice. “In the picture of the first stamp, a father and daughter are spending a sunny day ice fishing. The second stamp features an ice swimmer taking a dip in a hole in the ice. You can see how freezing the water is on the face of the swimmer,” says the designer of the stamps AD Paula Salviander.
The ice fishing photo in the stamp portrays her own family and was taken by Jaana Vetikko, who is also the spokesperson for the Finnish Federation for Recreational Fishing. The photo of the swimmer taking a dip in a hole in the ice comes from the Can Stock Photo.
Freezing Winter Day will be issued as a 10-stamp stamp sheet containing two different domestic no-value indicator stamp designs.
First day of issue event at the Helsinki Main Post Office on January 23, from 12 noon to 3 p.m.
The first day event will be organized at the Helsinki Main Post Office (Elielinaukio 2) on Wednesday, January 23, from 12 noon to 3 p.m. New stamps, first day covers and other stamp products will be on sale at the event, and visitors can get first day postmarks on their items.
Artists Matti Pikkujämsä and Paula Salviander and Dog Design will be present to sign their works from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
Source: Posti