South Georgia Petrels Stamps

There are 125 species of tubenose birds, which include the petrels and albatrosses. The four species illustrated on this set of stamps represent three species of fulmarine petrel and one species of diving petrel. These birds inhabit an oceanic environment, feeding on the abundant food supply present in the Southern Ocean. They nest and breed on many islands in the Southern Ocean, including South Georgia, the three species of fulmarine petrel also breed on the South Sandwich Islands.
60p – The southern giant petrel Macronectes giganteus along with the northern giant petrel Macronectes halli is the largest of the fulmarine petrels. It is an exceedingly powerful and aggressive bird, but none the less beautiful. The vulture of the region, the males feed on the carcasses of seals and penguins and it is a truly remarkable site watching them feed in large numbers. Dominant birds will repeatedly fight and knock other birds out of the way in order to get access to a carcass. Meanwhile, smaller skuas patiently wait at a safe distance sneaking any opportunity to dive in and grab a morsel of food while the giant petrels are squabbling. While drawing a dead giant petrel found on South Georgia examination of its bill revealed how incredibly sharp and powerful the cutting edge is, the perfect instrument for tearing flesh.
70p – The snow petrel Pagodroma nivea is perhaps one of the most beautiful Antarctic birds. Called ‘the fairy of the south’ by Apsley Cherry-Garrard, they can frequently be seen associated with icebergs and pack-ice. They nest and breed amongst boulders and small rocky crevices as shown here on the stamp, often high up on cliff faces.
95p - These birds feed on crustaceans, particularly krill, sometimes brought to the surface by the movement of the ship and one can always get stunning views as they glide back and forth in the wake occasionally dropping down to feed. Also known as the pintado petrel, they have a beautiful chequered feather pattern on their upperparts as depicted here.
£1.15p – South Georgia diving petrels Pelecanoides georgicus are small birds and are always difficult to observe well at sea. With perseverance however, positioned on the bow of a ship one may eventually get some reasonable fleeting glimpses. They fly very fast and will suddenly disappear into a wave never to be seen again. Discriminating between common and South Georgia diving petrels is difficult as the individual features are very subtle. The pale braces on the back of the bird are a good feature to look for. While I was working on cruise ships I would patrol the decks at night looking for seabirds attracted to the ships lights. Birds that were found were put in a safe box and released in the morning. Diving petrels would always be present and I was amazed how incredibly strong these little bird were; very gentle all the same.
Three of the original paintings making up this set of stamps will be on display at the ‘Artists for Albatrosses’ exhibition, at the Air Gallery, Dover Street, London, 5-15th October 2011. The exhibition is raising funds and awareness for albatross and petrel conservation.
Technical Details
Artist: John Gale
Printer: BDT International
Process: Stochastic lithography
Perforation: 14 per 2cms
Stamp size: 27.94 x 44.45mm
Sheet Layout: 50 (2 x 25)
Release date: 10 August 2011
Production Co-ordination: Creative Direction (Worldwide) Ltd

INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF FORESTS

Did you know that more than 1.6 billion of the world’s people depend on forests for their livelihood? Or that worldwide, the forest industry is responsible for $270 billion in trade, annually? In Canada, forests are among the largest and most diverse in the world—and have long been central to their economy.
Canadian forests cover 41% of the country’s land mass, which amount to roughly 10% of the world’s forest. In addition to moderating climate and filtering the air we breathe, they also provide a home for countless wildlife species.
Given the importance of forests to their economy, their environment and their well-being, the essential role they play in countries around the world and the way in which issues surrounding the future of the forest unite us globally, it comes as no surprise that the United Nations has declared 2011 as International Year of Forests. This global initiative, launched in February during the 9th session of the United Nation’s forum on forests, seeks to “raise awareness and strengthen the sustainable forest management, conservation and sustainable development of all types of forests for the benefit of current and future generations.”
In honour of the U.N.’s International Year of Forests, Canada Post has released a two-stamp issue that speaks to both the diversity and intrinsic value of Canada’s forests. Designed by Vancouver’s Subplot Design, the stamps offer two views of the contemporary forest; one showing the marvel of life found in the forest floor and the other depicting the sheer strength and lush fecundity of a new growth North American rainforest through a close-up of new trees that culminates in a fresh canopy of green leaves.
Matthew Clarke, creative director and senior designer at Subplot explains, “One of the challenges with a topic this broad is to bring it down to a single image that is sufficiently complex to encompass the topic, and yet simple enough to be iconic and compelling. IYF isn’t just about ‘trees,’ it’s about complex ecosystems of flora and fauna that make up what we know as a ‘forest’.”
Clarke continues, “We created a vertical panorama that could visually depict the layers of the forest. While a traditional forest landscape would be a horizontal image, we chose to create a view that pans down from the sky, down the canopy, down a central tree and onto the forest floor. This gave us not only an opportunity to show these vertical layers, but then to create two distinct images once the stamps are separated from the souvenir sheet.”
According to Danielle Trottier, Stamp Design Manager for the issue, “Forests in Canada was such an all-encompassing topic that there was a risk of over-utilizing the factual information and environmental warnings to the point that we literally could no longer see the forests for the trees. This design provided not only an intellectual reminder of the importance, economically, culturally and environmentally, of the forest riches they are privileged to have, but is also a moving and dramatic vision of the natural wonder of the Canadian forest.”
Stamp Specifications
Product #: 413796111
Layout: Booklet of 8 stamps
Price: $4.72
Denomination: 2 x PERMANENT™ domestic rate
Design/Illustration: Subplot Design Inc.
Dimensions: 30 mm x 40 mm (vertical)
Gum Type: Pressure sensitive
Illustration: S. Gibson / M. Clark
Paper Type: Tullis Russell
Perforations: Simulated perforation
Photography: Anthony Redpath
Printer: Lowe-Martin
Printing Process: Lithography in 8 colours
Tagging: Lithography in 8 colours
Quantity: 2,700,000
Source: Canada Post
published June 25th, 2011

Happy to received this stamps for exchange....

IRELAND'S NATIONAL PARKS STAMP ISSUE

An Post celebrates six of the best today with the launch of a stamp series themed around Ireland’s National Parks.

The stamps, designed by Steve Simpson, feature Connemara, The Burren, Glenveigh, Killarney, Wicklow and Ballycroy (Mayo) National Parks and are based on photographs by well known international photographer Walter Pfeiffer.

Also issued to accompany the stamp set are three first day covers, two sets of mini sheets and a prestige booklet featuring the stamps and a wealth of background information about Ireland’s National Parks. Each of these beautiful items is available from www.irishstamps.ie also from main post offices and from the Irish Stamps Shop in Dublin’s GPO (Tel: 01-7057400).

The entire set celebrates Ireland’s top national parks, unrivalled in their beauty and home to a range of wonderful wildlife and flora. The Burren, Connemara and Ballycroy feature on 55c stamps with Glenveigh, Killarney and Wicklow each shown on 82c stamps.

Glenveagh National Park in Co. Donegal was opened to the public in 1984 and continues to attract visitors from all over the world. The park is home to a successful re-introduction programme for the once extinct golden eagle.

Ballycroy National Park in Mayo, established in 1998, is a vast, unspoilt wilderness dominated by the Nephin Beg mountains. The park also includes the Owenduff bog, one of the last intact blanket bog systems in Western Europe. Opened in 1980, Connemara National Park in Galway includes the Twelve Pins mountain range.

The Burren National Park in Co. Clare is internationally famous and features a unique diversity of plants in 1,500 hectares of rocky landscape. Killarney National Park in the heart of County Kerry is home to Muckross House, glorious oak woods and red deer. Wicklow Mountains National Park includes Glendalough, the ancient monastic settlement of St. Kevin.

WOULD LIKE TO HAVE THIS ISSUE. IF ANYONE INTERESTED TO EXCHANGE THIS PLEASE LET ME KNOW.

Traditional past time games with upin & ipin

In Malaysia traditional games can be found in abundance.They include congkak batu seremban or five stones,konda-kondi and galah panjang among many others. These traditional games are not only enjoyable,they also instill the spirit of teamwork and cooperation and enhance creativity,hence strengthening the bonds of relationships.But sadly, In todays time of rising technology,traditional games are almost forgotten. Now,Upin & Ipin along with there friends are featured in postage stamps themed with these traditional games in hopes of introducing them to the current generation as well as bringing back nostalgic memories for adults all over.

BATU SEREMBAN
Batu seremban or five stones is a traditional game usually played by girls at the veranda,inside the house or any surface area that is flat and clean for the players to sit and play. The game requires five stones or any five small objects known as " buah " to play with. Besides the common five " buah " ,players can also choose to play with seven or nine "buah",depending on what type of game they are playing.
the player will be sitting on the floor and buah will be scattered on the floor. Then,one player will is to throw the buah in to the air one at a time and sweeping other buah from the floor,catching the one that has been thrown before it reaches the ground using only one hand.This game starts with sweeping only one stone at a time,gradually ading the number of stones to sweep until completing the five/seven/nine buah as the game gets more complicated.The first person to complete every level of the games wins.
Mei mei and Devi are having fun playing Batu Seremban of Five stones at opah's house. Mei mei is a cute,good -mannered girl who enjoys being nice to others and studies hard in school.She often acts as the voice of reason among her peers. She seems to be a patient girl,but there are times when she can get bossy when her friends don't cooperate. Meanwhile Devi is Mei mei's best friend. She is quick to smile and loves to play cooking.While Mei mei is louder and more outgoing,Devi is soft-spoken,quite the opposite of Mei mei.

CONGKAK
Another game usually played by young girls is called congkak. Most of them love to play this game because of its fun and easy game play. Marbles/saga seeds/small stones are used as tokens to be filled in every hole ( also known as Kampung ) of the congkak board. the main goal is to collect as many tokens as they can to be filled into the houses ( also known as the ibu ) located at each end of the board. players will be seated directly opposite each other facing the board. players will start playing simultaneously by taking the tokens out of one of the holes and putting one into each consecutive holes staring from right to left until they reach the kampung of their opponent.they will continue to do so until they run out of tokens that are collected at their respective ibu. the player who has collected the most tokens in their house wins the game.
Opah and kak ros are playing congkak. the maternal grandmother of upin,ipin and rose,whom they affectionately call opah. she is kind and gentle-hearted,and tends to spoil the twins.opah is also a fountain of worldly and religious wisdom.meanwhile kak roas is upin and ipins teenage sister,Kak ros. and while she has a reputation of being fierce she is actually loving and gentle.she love to tease her brothers when the opportunity arises.

GALAH PANJANG
Galah panjang is not an individual traditional game. it requires two separate teams of attackers and defenders. each team usually consists of no less than four players. thus the game is played by about ten players. every player is required to run past all defending lines,from the first line to the last and run back towards the first line without any physical contact with the opposing team. if any member of the opposing team manages to touch any player,the player is considered dead and out of the game. this game is played not only by children,but also by adults as this game often brings back cheerful nostalgic memories for them.
Upin,Dzul and Mei mei are playing galah panjang. Upin is the elder twin brother of ipin by only 5 minutes. He is the more outspoken one and usually, he is the mastermind behind the cheeky antics the twins do. You can tell him apart from his twin brother by the tiny lock of hair on his head and the big letter "U" on his yellow t shirt. Meanwhile Dzul is another one of the twins classmates,Dzul is also Ijat's best friend and they often hang out together. Dzul likes to tell stories and is always very excited to share his knowledge with his friends. He constantly begins his sentences with the words "My grandmother says.."

KONDA KONDI
Konda kondi is one of the favourite traditional games of Malaysian children. the game usually consists of two teams competing against each other to get the highest points. each group consist of 4 to 10 members. the game required sticks,a short one of about 15cm in length,and a longer one about 30 cm in length. both sticks are cylindrical and has a diameter of 2cm. a hole about 2 inches deep and 2 inches wide need to be dug out from the ground. the first player starts the game by placing the smaller stick across the hole,while the longer stick is used to strike the smaller stick flying to the air. players from the opposing team are required to catch the smaller stick before it reaches the ground. if they succeed,the players of the first team are considered "dead" and the opposing team will take its turn. if they fail to catch the small stick,one of the team members need to toss the smaller stick in to the hole from a certain distance. if the stick doesn't land inside the hole,points will be given according to the distance between the hole and the stick.
Ipin,Jarjit and Susanti are playing konda-kendi. Ipin is the younger brother of Upin and is the more cheerful one. Although more soft spoken,he is actually smarter than upin especially in Mathematics. He has a habit of agreeing with statements by saying " Betul betul betul " or any other word. Ipin is obsessed with fried chicken. Meanwhile Jarjit is another classmate of Upin and Ipin. He is of the same age as the rest of the class but has a booming adult-like voice. Jarjit enjoys reciting funny "pantun"and jokes. He always tries to join the games that the other children play,but somehow something always happens that makes him get left out. He is a sikh,as he wears his patka to cover his uncut hair. Susanti is a friendly girl who loves sports. Her happy-go-lucky attitude sits well with all of her classmates. Although she is from another country,she made friends with Upin,Ipin and the others easily.

PERANG - PERANG
Mock war is a game that is usually played by boys. Often, they make their own weapons like wooden guns and slingshots,using cherries and tiny eggplants as bullets. There are some who use cardboard boxes as forts. Two teams are needed to play this game - the more,the merrier.Each team will decide on their own strategies against the opposing team. Whoever gets hit by a bullet is considered dead and out of the game. The team who is able to withstand the war wins the game.
Upin,Ipin and Eshan are playing war. Eshan is the class representative of the gang and tends to be quite bossy. He also loves to be the judge in their games and wears a little red bow tie to prove it. One weakness Eshan has is a big love for food. He is an only child and therefore a little spoilt which makes him quite a miser and does not let anyone borrow his toys.

TELEFON TIN
Tin can telephones are traditional toys that are almost forgotten. Using two empty tin cans connected by a long wire at the bottom ,a telephone is made. There are also other versions that use paper cups connected by a raffia string. Each player will hold a can and straighten the wire by putting some distance between them. The caller will speak into the can and the receiver will listen by holding the can up to their ear. The caller's voice can be heard through the receiver can. The game is a fun way to send messages and secret information to friends.
Fizi and Mail are playing tin can telephones. Fizi is Ehsan's best friend and follows him wherever he goes. He is usually bossed around by Eshan and tends to be the victim of the whole group. Fizi does however have a habit of teasing Eshan by calling him "Intan Payung ', which annoys him every time. Meanwhile Mail is a business-minded boy who loves to try and sell anything he can with his "Dua Seringgit" trademark deal. Compared to everyone else in the group,Mail is usually more laid back and loves to tease the other kids.

Technical Details
Date of issue : 13.12.2010
Denomination : 60 sen x 3
Stamp size : 34mm x 28mm
Miniature sheet denomination : RM5
Miniature sheet size : 100mm x 80mm
Stamp size in miniature sheet : 75mm x 50mm
Perforation : 13 3/4 x 14 1/4
Sheet content : 10 stamps
Paper : Self-Adhesive security stamp paper with fluorescent
Printing process : offset with spot UV & glitter ink
Printer : Joh.Enschede security print,the Netherlands
Stamps designer : LC Merchandising & les Copaque production.

Thank you very much for Fabian fong who has send this nice covers to me.

The Crafts Museum was established in 1956 as a resource centre for traditional Indian handicrafts and hand-looms. The aim of the Museum is to preserve Indian art or ethnography and to build a collection of craft specimens. The Museum is housed in Pragati Maidan, New Delhi under aegis of Development Commissioner for Handlooms, Ministry of Textiles, and Government of India.

The Museum has a collection of 32000 artifacts. Research and Development has been a regular activity of the Crafts Museum. It has been observed that this unique Museum is serving all sections of society, including foreign visitors interested in India rich heritage. The Museum has completed 53 years of service in the field of handicrafts and handlooms and rendered yeoman service in the promotion of Indian heritage and culture.

Date Of Issue:- 21.12.2010.