Random Act of Smiliness - Hu from China

Lucky me - this is the third card Hu has sent me. The others can be seen here. This card shows the Chinese Zodiac and while it doesn't say, I believe it is the Year of the Snake. Thank you HU!!!!

OFFICIAL Card - China

Ya Ya lives outside of Beijing and sent this card wishing me a "Happy New Year!". The card has a sweet drawing of a Chinese Money Tree. I would plant one of those if it were true! I also love the different rubber stamps she used to adorn the card, I had to include the full back to share.

Direct Swap - Stanley from China

I cannot remember how Stanley and I first connected exactly but this is our third completed swap. He is more of a stamp collector than postcards, however always has such an amazing selection of cards to chose from. Similar to last year we arranged to exchange for Chinese New Year. I was happy to send him this stamp. In return, he sent me this great card, stamps with the first day cancellation. A wonderful combination! Gong Hei Fat Choy!

OFFICIAL Card - Taiwan

Chu-Ting sent this card in August saying that is is "far away" from New Year's. That may be true but why wait when you have a great card like this to send! Love the colours and the design.

OFFICIAL Card - China

Another wonderful Year of The Snake card came to me in Feburary, this time Shoawei a film director from Beijing.

Direct Swap - Kathryn from Australia

Kathryn and I first swapped through the "12-12-12" group swap. She posted that she had Year of the Snake cards to swap and thought it would be fun to add to my collection. Her card arrived last week. Australian Post also does pre-paid cards similar to Canada Post, however they do not have the matching image as a stamp. Having said that, the postmark more than makes up for it! She wrote telling me she is a Rabbit, the cutest sign if you ask me. I am a Sheep, not so cute if you ask me! What sign are you?

 

Direct Swap - Stanley from China

I don't even remember the last time I received an official card. I stopped sending cards early to mid-December as it figured the post office and people were busy enough with the holidays. Sadly (and very irritatingly) most of that last bunch of cards sent are still travelling and the users haven't signed on since then either. Luck, or unluck, of the draw, yes, but to have 3 or 4 cards in a row expire (or near expire) kind of "hurts" the cards coming to you too. So, I kept myself busy with a bunch of different swaps.

Stanley and I swapped back in the Fall and at the time agreed to swap Year of the Snake stamps when our countries issued them. His card arrived earlier in the week. I normally do not include the full back of the card but it was just so beautiful I couldn't resist. Stanley, was also able to have the card stamped with the special Year of the Snake cancellation.

Direct Swap - Stanley from China

A few weeks back, Stanley had posted his selection of Chinese Lunar New Year cards for 2013 - The Year of the Snake. I was lucky to have had a Year of the Dragon card sent to me last year and really enjoyed it. I had cards that matched Stanley's wish list and he agreed to swap. His card arrived last week and is just as amazing in person as in his trade album. I had a slight delay in getting his card out. He asked if I was able to use Titanic stamps and it took me quite some time but I was able to find some. Hope it was worth the wait when he receives it. He would also like to swap Lunar New Year swap in January so we may hear more from Stanley.

Direct Swap - Heidi from USA

In August I contacted Heidi about a card I had seen in the gallery to see if she wanted to swap. She agreed and explained she hadn't been well, however would get it to me as soon as she could.

It was a really pleasant surprise to get an envelope in the mail from her a few days ago, not only with the card I had requested but two others as well! Best of all, I now have her address to send something to her! Heidi included a short note saying her recovery is going slow and she was sending a smile to brighten my day - how kind! I'll say it again, so many nice strangers doing thoughtful things for others just makes me so happy.

The first card is the one I asked for - the US map made up of the various State flags. The next is a complete collection all in one - LOL! - all of the US Presidents. The last is a nice map of the US. Plus, lots of fun stamps on the envelope.

Direct Swap - Michael from USA

Michael responded to my forum post a few weeks ago with an offer of a West Virginia map. He is a truck driver who lives in Tennessee. He wrote telling me he has travelled from British Columbia to Nova Scotia. Very envious!!! Canada some days just feels too big to see it all. Michael also wrote saying he loves to drive through West Virginia as it is very mountainous and beautiful. The stamps he chose are really great - thanks Michael for a great swap!

OFFICIAL Card - Hong Kong

Vincy is 15 and lives in Hong Kong and sent me this card two weeks ago. She wrote saying even though Lunar New Year had passed she saw on my wish list that I liked receiving cards with this theme. I don't know if the scan will do it justice, the colours on the circular design are simply stunning. She also said this is the first card she was sending to Canada. She is on summer break from school and it is stormy out as she wrote this due to a typhoon.

Direct Swap - Victor from China

Three weeks or so ago I was surfing the gallery and came across a great Lunar New Year so I added it to my favourites. The next day I got a message from Victor, the fellow who sent the card. He asked if I would like one and let me know that he designed and made the card himself. I was more than happy to say yes to that! His card came in the mail last Wednesday. It shows the 12 animals of the Chinese Zodiac. It wasn't until I actually received the card that I noticed his drawing is not only of the animal but is made using the letters that spell the animal. Genius, makes me love it even more! Thank you Victor for approaching me with this card, it is one I will treasure. He has a website that is almost up and running and tells me he has many more designs he is working on. I will be curious to see his future work.

OFFICIAL Card - Hong Kong

I was really lucky to receive four cards in the mail today. Even luckier that there were no bills! Also, with today's card it has brought my total received cards to 201 - yeah me! It is amazing to think I have seen, read about and met so many fabulous places and people in the last 13 months!!!

Some days though, I wish my postcards were spread out so they could each be the best one I received that day. This card from Ruby in Hong Kong is no exception. It is great! It explains the Chinese New Year Festival in such a sweet and concise way. I know I learned something from this. (If it is too hard to read - leave me a comment and I will type out the text.) Also, it seems as if all my cards today got some real travel lines on them - this one with the cancellation on the front is no exception. And I almost forgot - the stamp - I do love my bird stamps!

OFFICIAL Card - USA

Does this card even need a description?!?!? Love it!!! Kelsey writes telling me she once rode horseback up to the "H" in the sign - how cool is that!

OFFICIAL Card - China

At the end of November I received this card from China. Sylvestre set up the Postcrossing account for his girlfriend Ann, he sends the card and she receives them - kind of romantic in a way. Until I started Postcrossing I didn't realize just how much I enjoy the Chinese Lunar New Year beyond the excuse of having take-out that one night for dinner. I was super excited to receive this one and it has prompted me to add these types of card to my wish list.

OFFICIAL Card - USA

I received this card in February from Stacey in Maine. She has put stickers where she lives and one of her favourite spots - Mount Desert Island. I honestly can't count the number of times I have been to that state that is how many it has been. I was so excited to receive this I am sure she thought my acknowledgement was nuts as I babbled all about my various trips, how I took the kids over the border for lunch one day when we were in New Brunswick (NB)  just so they could say they've been to the USA, how my favourite ice cream is from there, etc, etc....I think you can get the idea!

This card brought back soooo many memories and all good as I then also think of how many good times I have visiting my sister and her family in NB and just how much I miss her :) and a :(

This was also my first Lunar New Year stamp - Gong Hei Fat Choy!

Expired Card - Russia

When you are given an address from Postcrossing you certainly hope it will be delivered and better yet somewhat quickly. It has been an interesting study to see just how fast some cards are received and conversely how slow some take. It really helps to bring home the phrase "snail mail". If, after 60 days the card has not been registered it "expires". What this means is you can now send out another card to a different user (there is a limit as to how many card you can have travelling at once). I find one of the slowest countries to send to is Russia and this card is proof of that.

I sent this January 17 and it has never been registered.

It is hard to say what happens - lost in the mail? The other person lost interest in Postcrossing? I didn't write the correct number to register? Who knows, it is disappointing when they don't get delivered/registered and have no place to be shown off (other than here of course!).

UPDATE - This card was registered March 23 after travelling for 66 days - better late than never!!!