Shapes

2014: Signs of the Sky

We've had a big thunder and lightning storm this summer maybe one of the storm cloud floated over to  Finland. Here it is designed by graphic artist Nina Rintala it is from a booklet which in addition to the eight stamps included lots of tiny stickers to, as they say, "modify the postal item to your liking". I think we can all relate to that. The booklet can be seen here

I'm not sure I would like to be at sea during a thunder and lightning storm, there might be the excitement of actually being in a storm at sea but with the worry that one is surrounded by a lot of metal.

2014: Nordic Maritime

This cover shows the Finnjet ferry and the route which operated between Helsinki and Travemünde in Germany from 1977 to 2008 carrying more than 5 million passengers.  The miniature sheet concluded the yearly Nordic Maritime series of stamps.

The graphic designer Klaus Welp has drawn on his own childhood experience when he used to journey to visit his German father's family.  What an opportunity to get your photo on a stamp sheet - the photograph depicts him at three years old  with his mother, father and brother when they travelled on the 'King of the Baltic'. He says "for 24 hours, my brother and I were able to roam around this floating miniature universe, exploring the orange-carpeted corridors and windy outdoor decks,”  The shape of the stamps are perfect for showing a ship to its best advantage.

Sail into Mariehamn, the capital of Åland and you have the choice of two ports.

It celebrated its 150 years of foundation in 2011.  The town was established on suggestion of the Russian Emperor Alexander II to have a port near the shelter of  Svibyviken Bay (Finland and Åland were part of the Russian Empire).

and is named after his wife, the German born Empress, Maria Alexandrovna (seen above).  A marriage that started as a love match but ended with her isolated and lonely. The commemorative sheet shows the Russian influence on the first town plan with its grid layout and long avenues and today the Esplanade Avenue which links the 2 harbours and major ports west to east is lined with linden or lime trees.

An entry to Sunday Stamps II theme - Shaped Stamps - more shape shifting at See It On A Postcard