Linda
Member
Ex-mathematician turned visual artist and touring cyclist to bike across Canada, Europe, Japan etc.
Posts: 1,426
What I collect: Mostly Canadian and European stamps about art / science / landscape
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Post by Linda on Jul 8, 2022 11:54:48 GMT
As stated in the thread War and Peace, lately, to show solidarity with Ukraine, I have been producing postcards using my photographic work 'War and Peace' (2009, 2022) that shows a canola field in PEI, Canada, in a backdrop of cloudless blue sky. After gathering information on recent stamp issues by the official postal agencies of various countries who manifested their support for Ukraine, I came up with the crazy idea of creating covers (not to say maxicard, because abstract concept is forbidden by conventional maximaphilly) with those stamps cancelled exactly on the 24th of August (Ukraine's national day) in their respective countries of issue. To achieve this goal, I am looking for help from people in the following countries: - Latvia
- Estonia (1/2)
- Poland (in communication with 1 person)
- Austria (in communication with 1 person)
- Ukraine (1/2, need 1 more person from Kyiv)
- Croatia (1/2)
- Moldova (1/2)
- Lithuania (in communication with 1 person)
- Luxembourg (1/2)
- Spain (in communication with 2 people)
- France (2/2)
- Canada (me)
I would like to ask: Is there anyone willing to do me this favour? Or does anyone know someone who would be willing to help me? I would be infinitely grateful and am willing to offer other covers as a thank-you gift. No particular knowledge is needed, but obviously the person must - live in one of these countries or is travelling to one of these countries on the 24th of August;
- be able to make way to a post office on the 24th of August;
- be able to communicate in a language that the postal clerk can understand;
- know what a cancellation / postmark is.
The location of the post office matters less, but if there is an Ukraine-related location in those countries, it's preferable to create the cover there (to make the covers 'superperfect' in my language). However, this is not mandatory. The date of 24th of August is the most important element. I will be in charge of the creation of the Canadian covers in the Ukraine-related town in Canada (Myrnam in Alberta). If anyone wants a copy of these covers, please contact me. After taking a few photos of these covers, I plan on putting them on auction and donate all the profits to Ukraine relief funds. Do you think a 'complete set' of Ukraine covers in support of Ukraine has a market? (Basically, will it sell?) [Pictured: Austrian, Canadian, and Croatian versions of Ukraine cover]
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Linda
Member
Ex-mathematician turned visual artist and touring cyclist to bike across Canada, Europe, Japan etc.
Posts: 1,426
What I collect: Mostly Canadian and European stamps about art / science / landscape
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Post by Linda on Jul 8, 2022 11:55:41 GMT
Given the small population of stamp collectors, I think I will create a Facebook page in due time to ask for help from the rest of the world.
By the way, I just realised that the post office in Ukraine would probably be closed on the 24th of August because it's a national holiday. I may have to take Ukraine out of the list.
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dorincard
Member
Posts: 1,622
What I collect: My focus is on Wild Mammals on maximum cards. Occasionally, I get or create maximum cards with other animals, or any other topic.
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Post by dorincard on Jul 8, 2022 21:01:00 GMT
Linda, as I said in my Facebook groups, we should already have members from those countries. Now, who is willing? Ask Roman Skabara on FB about Ukraine Post, since he mails out from Ukraine frequently. For USA, I'll try a duplex of old stamps, a yellow and a blue one, to emulate the Ukrainian flag, then affix on the postcard received from you. I could postmark it with one of my 4 MPP cancelers, to skip frustration at the post desk. m.facebook.com/groups/427062007360280/
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Linda
Member
Ex-mathematician turned visual artist and touring cyclist to bike across Canada, Europe, Japan etc.
Posts: 1,426
What I collect: Mostly Canadian and European stamps about art / science / landscape
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Post by Linda on Jul 9, 2022 18:14:48 GMT
dorincard -- Thanks for the information, I will contact Roman shortly. I don't have the feeling that my post in the FB group (and this thread on TSF) has been much read, that's why I think I have to post at several places to increase the my chance of getting this project accomplished.
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dorincard
Member
Posts: 1,622
What I collect: My focus is on Wild Mammals on maximum cards. Occasionally, I get or create maximum cards with other animals, or any other topic.
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Post by dorincard on Jul 9, 2022 19:14:23 GMT
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dorincard
Member
Posts: 1,622
What I collect: My focus is on Wild Mammals on maximum cards. Occasionally, I get or create maximum cards with other animals, or any other topic.
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Post by dorincard on Jul 10, 2022 2:38:32 GMT
Let me pull a "Dos Equis" paraphrase on "y'all" experts on U.S. stamps: "I don't always look for old stamps, but when I do, I want some yellow, and some blue."
I want to juxtapose them to emulate the Ukrainian flag, for Linda's project.
So, which old American [USA] stamps would you suggest?
Maybe I already have them in my modest collection of Americana. Or maybe I don't, yet.
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Linda
Member
Ex-mathematician turned visual artist and touring cyclist to bike across Canada, Europe, Japan etc.
Posts: 1,426
What I collect: Mostly Canadian and European stamps about art / science / landscape
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Post by Linda on Jul 10, 2022 10:35:08 GMT
dorincard Thank you so much! I will start contacting each of them and tell you how the project progresses.
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Linda
Member
Ex-mathematician turned visual artist and touring cyclist to bike across Canada, Europe, Japan etc.
Posts: 1,426
What I collect: Mostly Canadian and European stamps about art / science / landscape
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Post by Linda on Jul 11, 2022 23:25:51 GMT
Here are the peace-related towns / districts in the countries listed above. Is there anyone who lives nearby and can go to these specific post offices to ask for cancellations?
Poland: - PokĂ³j (1 Maja 9, 46-034 PokĂ³j, Poland)
Ukraine: - Myrhorod (there are 4 post offices in this town)
Spain: - La Paz, Madrid (Calle de la Virgen de ArĂ¡nzazu, 31, 28034 Madrid, Spain)
France: - Place de la Paix, Suresnes (Pl. de la Paix, 92150 Suresnes, France)
Canada: - Peace River, AB (10031 100 St, Peace River, AB T8S 1A0, Canada) - Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix, QC (285 Rue Notre Dame, Notre-Dame-de-la-Paix, QC J0V 1P0, Canada)
As I said, I will be in charge of the creation of the Canadian covers in the two peace-related towns in Canada.
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Linda
Member
Ex-mathematician turned visual artist and touring cyclist to bike across Canada, Europe, Japan etc.
Posts: 1,426
What I collect: Mostly Canadian and European stamps about art / science / landscape
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Post by Linda on Jul 11, 2022 23:32:05 GMT
I just found out that World Peace Day is on 21 September, which is also a Wednesday this year.
If I relocate the project's execution date to 21 September, it will give me one more month to prepare. And my looking for volunteers may turn out more successful. To date only 2 people responded to my initiative. Plus my quest for peace-related locations will be more relevant. (I just realised that I haven't set the theme of this cover creation project: Should it be 'peace' or should it be 'solidarity with Ukraine'?)
However, the tricky thing is that I plan on leaving for Japan / Taiwan on the second week of September for a bike tour of 3 months, during which internet connection will be sporadic. It will be difficult for me to coordinate everything while abroad. And there will be 2-month delay in sorting out every mail and putting everything on auction.
If the covers get created on the 24th of August, I can hope to receive everything by the time I left Canada.
Which date do you think is more relevant to my Ukraine Support Cover Creation project: Ukraine's national day (24 August) or World Peace day (21 September)?
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renden
Member
Posts: 9,162
What I collect: Canada-USA-France-Lithuania-Austria--Germany-Mauritius-French Colonies in Africa
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Post by renden on Jul 11, 2022 23:50:21 GMT
@linda
Your project is very ambitious - hope you have a PT (physio) and a M.D. (sports medicine) to accompany you - Our bodies are truly not made for that kind of physical+mental stress but I wish you the b e s t !!!
p.s. being a Marathoner X 4 incl Boston and Montreal 83-84- Triathlon X many- Long distance swimmer and still jogging at 71
René
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dorincard
Member
Posts: 1,622
What I collect: My focus is on Wild Mammals on maximum cards. Occasionally, I get or create maximum cards with other animals, or any other topic.
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Post by dorincard on Jul 12, 2022 0:14:23 GMT
@linda
Do what you can by August, then more by September. Deadlines should be flexible/optional, being a global project.
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Linda
Member
Ex-mathematician turned visual artist and touring cyclist to bike across Canada, Europe, Japan etc.
Posts: 1,426
What I collect: Mostly Canadian and European stamps about art / science / landscape
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Post by Linda on Jul 12, 2022 0:14:36 GMT
rendenNo worries, I am kind of an expert touring cyclist by now, after having biked across the entire Canada and half of Europe alone.
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Linda
Member
Ex-mathematician turned visual artist and touring cyclist to bike across Canada, Europe, Japan etc.
Posts: 1,426
What I collect: Mostly Canadian and European stamps about art / science / landscape
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Post by Linda on Jul 12, 2022 11:16:16 GMT
Right now I lean towards organising two projects, one focuses on paying homage to Ukraine as a nation (which is to be accomplished on the 24th of August), the other focuses on the theme of peace (which is to be accomplished on the 21st of September). The first is not location specific, as most of the countries who have issued Ukraine support stamps this year don't have a Ukrainian-named town where a post office is located. (The only exception seems to be the culturally diverse Canada -- there is a town named 'Myrnam' ('Peace to us' in Ukrainian) in Alberta with a post office!) So my covers with Ukraine support stamps can simply be cancelled anywhere in the issuing countries on 24 August. The second project is much more specific and requires much more research. I want to find peace-related towns / districts where at least one post office is located in those countries who had issued at least one peace-themed stamp. Obviously, I am not going to be able to search all the +300 countries in the world this year, so this is going to be a multi-year project. What I haven't decided is whether or not I should / can use the same canola field postcard (based on a photograph which I named 'War and Peace') that echoes the colour scheme of Ukrainian flag. Or should I opt for another visual to set the two projects apart? One run-up visual candidate I have at hand is the photograph of this Peace Bell that was gifted to Montreal by Hiroshima on the occasion of the two cities' twinning.
(The inscription on the bell doesn't say 'peace' but 'future of hope' in Japanese.) I would like to know if my fellow collectors think about the direction on which I am currently leaning. Any other suggestions? On a side note, I want to produce the least covers the possible, to make each cover more valuable. I am aiming for 2 set of covers in each project, the second one being my backup just in case something unexpected happens. P.S. I really hope I can create something in Myrhorod ('city of peace' in Ukrainian), but Ukraine doesn't seem to have issued a peace-themed stamp ...
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Linda
Member
Ex-mathematician turned visual artist and touring cyclist to bike across Canada, Europe, Japan etc.
Posts: 1,426
What I collect: Mostly Canadian and European stamps about art / science / landscape
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Post by Linda on Jul 12, 2022 14:52:43 GMT
Following the same line of thought -- For my Ukraine project (not the peace project), is it fitting to use the German canola field stamp on my War and Peace postcard as a token of homage to Ukraine? The blue sky is not very visible, but it's there. Plus Germany is one of those European countries who supports Ukraine since the beginning, even without a specific stamp release.
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dorincard
Member
Posts: 1,622
What I collect: My focus is on Wild Mammals on maximum cards. Occasionally, I get or create maximum cards with other animals, or any other topic.
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Post by dorincard on Jul 12, 2022 15:45:12 GMT
Germany stamp is good. Linda, ask also the members of the American Topical Association (Facebook group, too). They specialize in lists, too. Another source: 521 world stamps with Peace theme. Search here: www.postbeeld.com/freestampcatalogue
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Linda
Member
Ex-mathematician turned visual artist and touring cyclist to bike across Canada, Europe, Japan etc.
Posts: 1,426
What I collect: Mostly Canadian and European stamps about art / science / landscape
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Post by Linda on Jul 12, 2022 16:33:10 GMT
dorincardOh my God, that's a lots of stamps! Luckily, not every country that has issued a peace stamp has a peace-related location. What kind of list does the American Topical Association specialise in? Location list or stamp list?
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dorincard
Member
Posts: 1,622
What I collect: My focus is on Wild Mammals on maximum cards. Occasionally, I get or create maximum cards with other animals, or any other topic.
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Post by dorincard on Jul 12, 2022 17:48:34 GMT
Theme/topic list. But for locality names, search the country postal website, like USPS. Or search in Google Maps. Or just google it. Ask postmark collectors: m.facebook.com/740483815995096/
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Linda
Member
Ex-mathematician turned visual artist and touring cyclist to bike across Canada, Europe, Japan etc.
Posts: 1,426
What I collect: Mostly Canadian and European stamps about art / science / landscape
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Post by Linda on Jul 12, 2022 23:01:42 GMT
I want to juxtapose them to emulate the Ukrainian flag, for Linda's project. So, which old American [USA] stamps would you suggest? Hey Dorin, I just found this US stamp. It seems that there are 2 variations: Would it work?
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dorincard
Member
Posts: 1,622
What I collect: My focus is on Wild Mammals on maximum cards. Occasionally, I get or create maximum cards with other animals, or any other topic.
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Post by dorincard on Jul 13, 2022 1:56:32 GMT
It works, as a duplex of the Ukrainian colors, in one stamp. However, it's not the exact shade of yellow. But I still want 2 rectangular stamps to emulate your postcard rectangles of blue and yellow.
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Linda
Member
Ex-mathematician turned visual artist and touring cyclist to bike across Canada, Europe, Japan etc.
Posts: 1,426
What I collect: Mostly Canadian and European stamps about art / science / landscape
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Post by Linda on Jul 13, 2022 10:40:06 GMT
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dorincard
Member
Posts: 1,622
What I collect: My focus is on Wild Mammals on maximum cards. Occasionally, I get or create maximum cards with other animals, or any other topic.
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Post by dorincard on Jul 13, 2022 10:54:15 GMT
Yes, Linda, I meant 2 stamps like those horizontal ones. On a second thought, maybe the canola field of your postcard is not the exact shade of yellow from the flag. Anyway, the gesture matters, not the strict technicalities.
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Linda
Member
Ex-mathematician turned visual artist and touring cyclist to bike across Canada, Europe, Japan etc.
Posts: 1,426
What I collect: Mostly Canadian and European stamps about art / science / landscape
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Post by Linda on Jul 13, 2022 11:02:35 GMT
Dorin, you are right, the yellow on my postcard is on a greener than the yellow on the Ukrainian flag.
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Linda
Member
Ex-mathematician turned visual artist and touring cyclist to bike across Canada, Europe, Japan etc.
Posts: 1,426
What I collect: Mostly Canadian and European stamps about art / science / landscape
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Post by Linda on Jul 14, 2022 13:29:12 GMT
I wrote up a FB event description for the Ukraine project that I will publish on Facebook later. What do you think? I am afraid that it may be too tedious, as I was told that most people on social media don't like reading blocks of text. How can I make my appeal more concise and easier to read?
/*----- Here starts the event description -----*/
Ukraine Cover Creation
Hello world,
I am a visual artist and a stamp collector / cover maker. Lately, to show solidarity with Ukraine, I have been producing postcards using my photographic work 'War and Peace' (2009, 2022) that shows a yellow canola field in Prince Edward Island, Canada, in a backdrop of cloudless blue sky.
------------------------------------------- /*----- PROJECT DESCRIPTION -----*/ ------------------------------------------- This is a philately-inspired art project, the genesis of which traces back to this March, when various countries started issuing stamps to manifest their support for Ukraine. To date, these countries are:
- Latvia - Estonia - Poland - Austria - Croatia - Moldova - Lithuania - Luxembourg - Spain - France - Canada
I came up with the idea of creating what in philately is called 'covers' (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cover_(philately)) using my blue/yellow postcards and those Ukraine support stamps to pay homage to Ukraine as an independent, democratic nation. I plan on putting these covers on auction and donate all the profits to Ukraine relief funds once the project is accomplished.
To borrow the concept of a maximum card (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximaphily), I want to fix the stamps on the image side of the postcards, and have all of these stamps cancelled in their respective countries of issue exactly on a date that corresponds to the theme of the project, which I chose to be the 24th of August, Ukraine's national day.
I would like to address the people living or travelling to one of these countries: Is there anyone willing to lend me a hand of help by going to a post office on the 24th of August?
No particular knowledge is needed, but obviously the person must - live in one of these countries or is travelling to one of these countries on the 24th of August; - be able to make way to a post office on the 24th of August; - be able to communicate in a language that the postal clerk can understand; - know what a cancellation / postmark (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Postmark) is.
I am looking for 2 people from each country to help me carry out this project.
---------------------------------------- /*----- LIST OF COUNTRIES -----*/ ---------------------------------------- Here is the list of countries whose people's help I am looking for:
Latvia (0/2) Estonia (0/2) Poland (0/2) Austria (0/2) Ukraine (1/2, need one other person from Kyiv) Croatia (0/2) Moldova (1/2) Lithuania (0/2) Luxembourg (0/2) Spain (0/2) France (1/2) Canada (me)
If there is a Ukraine-related location in these countries, it's preferable to create the covers there, but this is not mandatory. In the Canadian province of Alberta, there is a town named 'Myrnam' which means 'peace on us' in Ukrainian that has a post office. I will be sending my covers there for cancellation. If anyone wants a copy, please contact me.
----------------------- /*----- COST -----*/ ----------------------- In short, it ranges from $0 to roughly $5 US dollars for sending an international letter.
I will prepare as much as possible a return envelope with pre-affixed stamps of sufficient postage for the participants to mail the covers back to me immediately at the post office. However, due to various obstacles, small odds are that I will not be able to acquire sufficient stamps before I send out the packages (which must be mailed from Canada by the first week of August the latest). Hence, in those unforeseeable circumstances, I humbly ask the participants to kindly cover for the time being the international shipping cost of a letter mail, which usually costs a few US dollars, and allow me to reimburse you later, either by PayPal or by sending you postage stamps in the future.
------------------------------------------------------- /*----- HOW ELSE YOU CAN CONTRIBUTE -----*/ ------------------------------------------------------- Your country's official postal agency didn't issue a specific stamp to support Ukraine this year, but you know there has been a stamp of sunflower / other yellow flower or blue/yellow colour scheme that can be used to emulate the Ukrainian flag? (For example, Germany's 2006 Summer stamp showing a canola field) It works! Contact me to get a copy of the postcards!
------------------------- /*----- IMPACT -----*/ ------------------------- I dare not say my postcards or my covers resulting from this international collaboration will have much impact on the world, but it doesn't hurt to find some creative ways to manifest our support for Ukraine and hope for peace.
Moreover, many of these Ukraine support stamps are charity stamps, with a portion of the sale being donated to Ukraine relief funds. It's a good cause.
------------------------------ /*----- EXTRA INFO -----*/ ------------------------------ Like stamp, postmark is a philately element commonly collected by the collectors. It bears the information about the time/location the stamp was cancelled, so has historical significance. For example, there are special first-day cancellations that mark the date/location the stamp was issued. However, this date/location may not have much to do with the theme of the stamp. Maximum card explores this connection further, by requiring the postmark to correspond to the theme of the stamp. For example, you can fix a stamp of Mozart on a postcard of Mozart, and get the stamp cancelled on Mozart's birthday in his native city Salzburg, Austria. This way, all the philately elements are in maximum concordance, hence the name 'maximum card'.
Conventional maximum card forbids abstract concepts such as peace, and requires the postcard to be commercialised prior to the release of the stamp. For this reason, my creation in this project cannot be regarded as a maximum card by conventionalists. Hence my calling it simply 'cover'.
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dorincard
Member
Posts: 1,622
What I collect: My focus is on Wild Mammals on maximum cards. Occasionally, I get or create maximum cards with other animals, or any other topic.
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Post by dorincard on Jul 14, 2022 14:03:23 GMT
Good luck in your noble project! For Ukraine, ask also Taras Snitko, from Dnipro: m.facebook.com/100001912282430/He is a philatelist. www.instagram.com/snitkomark/For Moldova, ask on Facebook Olga Kroitoru and Gheorghe Plugaru to find a Moldovan partner. Further maxicards can be done with flag postcards from Zazzle, and Ukraine flag stamp. Post your project in my groups of 1)Maximaphily...2)Postcard...3)Flora. Personalized stamps (related to Ukraine, in this case) can be designed in about 60 countries, like Moldova and The Netherlands.
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Linda
Member
Ex-mathematician turned visual artist and touring cyclist to bike across Canada, Europe, Japan etc.
Posts: 1,426
What I collect: Mostly Canadian and European stamps about art / science / landscape
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Post by Linda on Jul 14, 2022 19:47:19 GMT
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dorincard
Member
Posts: 1,622
What I collect: My focus is on Wild Mammals on maximum cards. Occasionally, I get or create maximum cards with other animals, or any other topic.
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Post by dorincard on Jul 14, 2022 20:19:00 GMT
Bravo, Linda!
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renden
Member
Posts: 9,162
What I collect: Canada-USA-France-Lithuania-Austria--Germany-Mauritius-French Colonies in Africa
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Post by renden on Jul 14, 2022 20:43:30 GMT
Awesome !! Happy you are a member of TSF René
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swvl
Member
Posts: 548
What I collect: FDCs, plus some US modern and new issues. Topical interests include music, art, literature, baseball, space...
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Post by swvl on Jul 14, 2022 22:41:15 GMT
Terrific work, Linda! This is a great project. Looking forward to seeing what results!
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Linda
Member
Ex-mathematician turned visual artist and touring cyclist to bike across Canada, Europe, Japan etc.
Posts: 1,426
What I collect: Mostly Canadian and European stamps about art / science / landscape
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Post by Linda on Jul 15, 2022 17:43:56 GMT
Dear all, I reviewed the visual presentation based on the comments received. Please check out the newest version.
I will be translating it into 3 other languages (French, Traditional Chinese and Japanese) shortly.
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Linda
Member
Ex-mathematician turned visual artist and touring cyclist to bike across Canada, Europe, Japan etc.
Posts: 1,426
What I collect: Mostly Canadian and European stamps about art / science / landscape
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Post by Linda on Jul 16, 2022 2:36:35 GMT
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