Finland issued ten stamps in four sets on January 18. The first of these is a single stamp called “Golden Gift”. According to Posti,

The Golden Gift is an elegantly minimalistic and versatile stamp suitable for various types of congratulations, invitations or other festive occasions. The stamp with unique perforations was designed by Klaus Welp, a graphic designer familiar to many stamp users. The Golden Gift stamp sheet contains 10 domestic no-value indicator stamps.

Posti

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Postcards and letters can now be finished off with impressive postage stamps featuring floral arrangements that resemble 17th-century Dutch still-life paintings. The stamps were designed by artist Kreetta Järvenpää, who is known for her abundant floral artwork in wallpapers, advertising, postcards and paintings.

Kreetta’s illustrations are based on photographs. “I use the camera and natural light for painterly photography of flowers. I post-edit the photos with image-editing software. Arranging the flowers is an important part of the work before shooting them. I pay particular attention to the shapes, size, texture and colors of the flowers.”

According to Kreetta, flowers are a versatile and timeless material. “They adapt and change over the course of their lives, just like we humans do.”

In her flower works, she uses flowers grown in Finland whenever possible. The stamps show, for example, Persian buttercups and tulips. “I wanted to make the postage stamp images airy and at the same time full. Not the easiest idea, but very rewarding when I finished them.”

The graphic design of the stamps is by Ilkka Kärkkäinen. The Language of Flowers will be a 10-stamp sheet containing two different domestic no-value indicator stamps.

Posti

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By 2023, Arabia’s tableware will have been part of the daily life of Finns for 150 years. To commemorate Arabia’s anniversary, Posti will publish two stamps featuring older and newer Arabia products.

“Arabia’s production has been extensive, so there was a cornucopia of beautiful dishes and patterns to choose from. I looked at how the colors and patterns of different pieces work in the small size of a stamp and chose the products accordingly,” says Ilkka Kärkkäinen, the designer of the stamps.

Arabia’s retro stamp includes Ulla Procopé’s Valencia plate, Raija Uosikkinen’s Pomona series jug and jam jar, and Greta-Lisa Jäderholm-Snellman’s classic Armi coffee cup.

The dishes in the Arabia stamp for newer products are Esteri Tomula’s Esteri jug, Birger Kaipiainen’s Sunnuntai plate, Irina Viippola’s Mainio Sarastus cups and bowls from the Koko range designed by Kati Tuominen-Niittylä and Kristina Riska.

For the first time, the Arabia stamps include a 2D barcode, which makes mechanical sorting easier. Arabia 150 Years is a 10-stamp sheet containing two different domestic no-value indicator stamps.

Posti

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The Valentine’s Day stamps feature cute animals suited to the theme, such as cats, a dog, squirrels and swans, in soft colors. The illustrations for the Valentine’s Day stamps were made by artist Hanna-Maria Mainelakeus. She used acrylic paints and a brush on canvas to paint the originals of the stamps.

“The small size of stamps brought their own challenges to the design. I limited the detail of the images and paid particular attention to color differences and contrasts. The pictures of the stamps retain a fine painterly element, which was the goal,” says Mainelakeus.

Hanna-Maria Mainelakeus is a painter and entrepreneur who works on bespoke art, paintings, art fabrics of her own production and her own clothing brand, among other things. She has also produced large, photorealistic murals.

The graphic design of the Valentine’s Day stamps is by Paula Salviander. Close Friend is a 10-stamp sheet containing five different domestic no-value indicator stamps.

Posti