Postcrossing Blog

We’re well overdue for a giveaway, don’t you think? So this week, we invited one of our longest-running advertisers to spread some happiness! :)

Natuurlijkefoto is run by Arnold, a professional photographer who makes postcards from his own photos. He’s especially good at photographing animals and landscapes, including those of his home country, Netherlands. Whether you’re into castles or birds, seaside views or quaint mailboxes, he’s got you covered!

This weekend, Natuurlijkefoto is offering 3 sets of postcards to 3 lucky postcrossers! This is the 3rd prize, with 10 postcards…

… the 2nd prize, with 20 postcards…

… and the huge 1st prize, with 30 postcards!

To win one of these lovely sets, visit Natuurlijkefoto website and leave a comment below, telling us which postcard (or series) you liked the best. Be warned though… it’s going to be a tough job!

Good luck everyone! Check back on this post around this time next week for the winners (randomly picked by Paulo’s number generator, as usual).

PS – For the duration of this giveaway, Natuurlijkefoto is also offering a 15% discount on all orders above €15. Use the code “weekendgiveaway” during checkout!

Sometimes we think the Dutchies have all the luck! They have stroopwafles, vla, tulips, scrumptious cheese… and all the best postcard shops, it seems!

We already told you about a few of our favourites, and today we feature another fantastic one: Kaartfanaat!

Kaartfanaat stocks an impressive range of publishers: from Tushita to Aquarupella, from Inkognito to Kartoenfabriek… including all the variations of “Keep calm and…” you can think of! :)

They heard about Postcrossing from some of their customers, and since they know how we all love our postcards, they’ve decided to generously sponsor this weekend’s giveaway with 5 packs of 10 of their best-selling postcards!

To win one of these fantastic sets, visit Kaartfanaat's website and leave a comment below, telling us which postcard (or series) you liked the best! But be prepared… choosing from so much eye-candy will be a hard task! :)

Good luck! Do check back on this post around this time next week for the winners (randomly picked by Paulo’s number generator).

PS – For the duration of this giveaway, Kaartfanaat is also offering a 10% discount on all orders from €10 (excl. shipping). Use the code BLOG during checkout!

Remember Art Unlimited, the Dutch postcard publisher with a passion for pictures?

They’re still going strong and their collection keeps getting better and better. Whether you’re into Dutch classics like Dick Bruna or Fiep Westendorp… or grand masters like Monet or Rembrandt… or perhaps you just really like umbrellas, alphabets or parrots? No matter how specific your taste, if it’s art, they probably have it! :)

They know postcrossers love their postcards, so they’ve decided to generously sponsor this weekend’s giveaway with 4 packs of 10 postcards each (from the sets below)!

To win one of these sets, visit Art Unlimited’s website and leave a comment below, telling us which postcard (or series) you liked the best! You can use the search box on the sidebar to browse their huge collection by keyword or artist. :)

Check back on this post around this time next week for the winners (randomly picked by Paulo’s number generator).

I’m sure many of you are familiar with the work of illustrator-turned-guerrila-artist Keri Smith, author of magical books like Wreck this journal or Mess: the manual of accidents and mistakes. They’re not so much “books” as exploratory manuals, encouraging you to embark on all kinds of messy creative missions.

So when I saw the trailer for Keri's newest project, I squealed in delight! A postcard book, filled with magic adventures? :D It seemed too good to be true!

Everything is connected is a bit in the spirit of her previous books, but in a smaller, niftier format. Each postcard book has 50 thick cards, each one inviting you to a miniature project. You can do them yourself, or mail them to friends in need of an adventure!

We’re giving two postcard books away, kindly donated by Keri herself: just leave a comment below, and tell us about something small that you’ve done to cheer someone or put a smile on their face. Like sending them a surprise postcard… or baking a batch of their favourite cookies! :) We want to have the comment box filled with inspiration!

Check back on this post around this time next week for the winners (randomly picked by Paulo's number generator)!

Ever wanted to send someone a whale? A bear? Or perhaps a big cuddly moose? We all know how impractical that can be… and don’t even get me started on customs and security!

So I was very relieved the other day when I found out about Green Banana Cards – the perfect postcard solution for the hassle of shipping big animals!

Cute, right? :)

Virginie St-Jean is the designer behind Green Banana Cards project. She started in 2008 with the Mail a Moose design as a greeting card… but eventually realized there was a much higher demand for postcards! So she switched to the postcard format, and has been steadily introducing new animals to her collection since then. You can send 14 different animals across the world! :)

How did you get started doing stationery design?

I love everything that has to do with printed art. However, since it’s an art that’s been declining in popularity with the general public, I thought the best way to go about it was to create something out of the ordinary, so that even people who might not usually buy postcards would be tempted because of the novelty factor.

Where do you find your inspiration?

I have always loved drawing animals, and after spending some time in the Yukon, I was trying to think of a product that I could sell there. That’s how I thought of creating the Mail a Moose design. Most of my designs are iconic Canadian animals, but I’m also inspired by animals that tourists in other countries might be interested in mailing back home. I printed southern US animals like a gator and a manatee recently, and I plan to introduce an Australian animal collection by next summer. I also regularly work on custom orders, such as a Guernsey Cow for the Island of Guernsey, UK and a T-Rex and Mammoth for Canadian Museums.

What is your favourite item in your shop (and why)?

The Mail a Moose postcard is my favourite because it started it all, and because “Mail a Moose” is fun to say!

If you could define your style in 3 words, what would they be?

Lighthearted, colorful, cheery

Are you a letter/postcard writer yourself?

Yes, I think everyone likes receiving something fun in the mail since it rarely happens anymore. When traveling, I really enjoy finding special cards to send back home. I also occasionally frame interesting graphic cards for home decor when I find the right ones.

Virginie kindly offered 5 packs of her wonderful postcards to give away – each pack features the complete collection of 14 different animals! :D For a chance to win a pack, visit Green Banana Cards' page, and leave a comment below, telling us which one was your favourite animal. We’ll randomly pick 5 winners this time next Saturday. Good luck!