Winter Solstice

Guernsey Post have decorated their tree ready for Christmas.  Hope the two candles are not going to get too near the fairy's highly inflammable dress.  The robin is busy chirping its tune into the air but the Åland robin is too busy wrapping presents. I wonder whose name is on the label?

This came on my Åland Christmas postcard and is one of 2015's two stamp set, both of which are the creation of the Swedish paper artist Fideli Sundqvist who makes the scenes and then photographs them. The little paper feathers actually show up better on the scan than the stamp, although that may just be my poor eyesight. 

Here is the front of the postcard which is also the other stamp design. The 'Strictly Paper' blog has an interview and pictures of  Fideli Sundqvist other creations here for all paper art lovers
More robins?

The artist of the beautifully designed cover and the stamps is Jette Frölich who specialises in Christmas decorations (Jette Frölich Design).  From memory I think Denmark Post also produced her Christmas cards and seals to go with the stamp set in 2013. 

2013: Winter

Jette Frölich's inspiration for the set was the memory of skating in her childhood, the resilience and hope of the Christmas Rose as it blooms in the cold and frost and the robin is to remind people to feed the birds over winter.

2005: Christmas (Designer: Pirkko Vahtero)

The general title of this stamp is two of Santa's brownies under twinkling skies.  In reality the starry sky is a hologram and is indeed especially shiny and twinkly especially under artificial lights.   Santa must be worn out after delivering all his parcels, even with all his helpers, so he must be ready to go home and relax

And he does look ready for a sit down after his journey through the snow with his little rucksack but the light is on in the house in the distance and he will soon be snug and warm, or perhaps he is still delivering presents. This little chap is featured on Norway Post's 2015 Christmas card feeding a cat and they call it Santa and the Cat but in Norwegian it is 'Nissen og katten' and the Nisse is a much older tradition connected with the winter solstice.  He does not live at the North Pole but in the forest, is a small old man with a white beard, grey sweater and trousers, a red pixie hat, red stockings and wooden shoes who lives for hundreds of years.  Today he has morphed into Santa and there is a tradition of putting out porridge for the nisse on Christmas Eve for he brings presents but also can control your fortune, best be on his good side.

Here he is featured on a page of  Norway Post's booklet sharing his porridge with his cat.  I don't know enough of Scandinavian mythology to explain the cat's story but I know I'd love to share a bowl of porridge on a winter's day if the nisse comes calling.

An entry to Sunday Stamps II theme - Christmas (secular) - more winter cheer over here