While cleaning and unpacking, I found a bag full of mails from my mom sent in 1998 while I was in Switzerland, all handwritten letters. The first thing I noticed was the stamp covered envelopes, making me wonder why the post office used so many stamps on each envelope left almost no place to write addresses. I have no interest in finding how much it cost to mail a letter from China in the '90s, probably not cheap. The letter themselves are priceless. I don't think my mom would ever communicate with me in this old fashion way again. Looking at the stamps, it reminded me I used to collect stamps as a kid. I still have my stamp album sitting on my bookshelf in Tianjin. It's been there for two decades, probably untouched, and I miss it! Here is what I do to used stamps before adding them to the collection.
First soaking the stamps to get them off paper. Then dry stamps on plastic place mat. Last, pressing flat by placing dried stamps in heavy books.
Instead letting these stamp covered mails sitting in a corner, I decide to display the stamps as art. To add varieties and interests to the display I used some colorful ones Bob's grandma saved for him, mostly from Canada and New Zealand in the 80s, of course no shortage of surprises, a couple from the CCCP.
I named this piece "Heart Venture".
