Writer - Black & White Card

Germany   

July 8, 2026

Dany sent this card of German author Bettina von Arnim who lived from 1785-1859. I looked her up but her Wiki wasn't very positive towards her. 

Dany said that she studied Linguistics so she's interested in anything to do with languages and texts, and books. She said that von Arnim wrote about social and feministic topics in the 19th century. Her face even adorned banknotes and stamps!

Bettina von Arnim

There were some cute stamps on the card as well. 

The Netherlands

Arrived April 22, 2026

This card came to me from Liesbeth in the Netherlands. She used a few stickers and a lot of stamps on the back . It's a beautiful looking place.

     

These are very cool stamps!  

Thanks Liesbeth!

Germany and Food

 February 11, 2026

I received these cards recently. 

From Switzerland I received this cool cards featuring marzipan pigs. They are supposed to bring good luck for the New Year after eating them. 

The stamp on the card was the first of its kind that I have seen before. It looks like it is made out of a knitted material!

Jane sent this next card and says that it shows the medieval town of Esslingen in Southern Germany. 

She used some gorgeous stamps on the back of the card too. They are beautiful!

Lithuania & China

December 2025 

I received these cool cards later on in December. 

Vygandas sent this cute tea related card from Lithuania. He didn't write much on the back of the card, sad to say.  The stamp he used was also nice.

I'm not sure if this is a lobster or a crayfish!

New Postcrosser CristianoL from China sent this card. No personal message on the back. It's an interesting looking card. It isn't one that matches my interests, but it's fine!

Russia - Food

March 13, 2020

This card came to me in an envelope from Katya in Russia. She sent along a translation of the recipe on the card which was a lovely thing to do. She also wrote a lot, which is nice to see!

She wrote,

"Hello Helen!
Konnichiwa! You received this postcard from 30 y.o. Ukrainian girl Katya. Now I live in Kaluga city, Russia, with my husband, our 3, 5 y.o daughter Tonya and our 1,5 y.o. cat Pixel. My hobbies are foreign languages (I know English & Spanish, learning Korean), music, Spanish and Asian culture. I love Japanese & dream to travel there some day!

I want to look at flowering sakuras!

As you like food, this card with a berries cake is for you.

Happy Spring!

Katya"


Along with the postcard and translation, Katya sent some cool notepaper in different fruit shapes.  It's really nice to receive envelopes with fun stuff in them.

This is just part of the envelope Katya sent.  Look at the very cool stamps she used!

United Stated of America - Actress in Black & White

January 27, 2020

This great card came in February from Janet. She wrote a friendly note on the back and used an interesting stamp too.

She wrote;

"Greetings from California,
My name is Janet and I live in the Mojave Desert with my husband. I enjoy photography, travelling, paper-crafts, Family, Friends, Church.

Best Wishes,
Janet

Katharine Hepburn

Love the seashell!

South Korea - Movie Card

July 3, 2019

Rucy sent this card from South Korea and wrote a very nice note on the back of it. I haven't seen the movie on the front of the card, but I hope to be able to see it one day.

She wrote;

Dear Helen

Hello~

I'm Rucy and I live in Goyang City, South Korea. The pronunciation of Goyang is similar to a cat. So my city's mascot is a cat.

I like ancient Egypt. So my favourite movie is The Mummy in 1999. I'm reading Don Quixote these day. Let me know if you have a book to recommend to me. Have a good summer time! =) 2019.06.24  

The stamps that Rucy used on her card are really lovely.  The one with the pig on it has cold leaf on it, the outline of the pig and the waves are all gold. It is really beautiful.

Germany

July 1, 2019

Ilona wrote a note and told me about where she lives and her life.
24th of June 2019

Dear Helen,
The landscape on the card looks like the one where I live. I'm 52 years old and live in the Northern part of Germany - The North Sea to the left, Baltic Sea to the right.

We do not have any children but a tomcat called Anton. And we love to travel with our vintage car which is a 48 years old Mercedes Benz. Currently at the garage for repair...Hopefully in good condition again soon as we want to travel to Finland in summer.

Warm regards, Ilona

David Hockney RA
The Road Across the Wolds, 1997

These little guys are cute!

Germany

December 22, 2018

This card came from Lena in Germany.  She wrote a friendly note on the back and used some great stamps too.  I really like the picture on the front of this one.

She wrote,

Dear Helen!

I send you all the best from 8, 798km away on the 15th of December 2018. Looking forward to spending time with family and friends!

All the best to you and your family!

Lena

2018 design by Sostrene Grene

Taiwan - Movie Card

June 12, 2018

This is the kind of card that I love!  The sender found something that I would like, wrote a nice little note about their city and was friendly too.  She even used great stamps and had an excellent cancellation stamp used on my card.  Hurray!

She wrote,

[kanji] (Hello) ~ Greetings from Kaohsiung, Taiwan.

If you come here for a visit, you shouldn't miss Pier Z Art Center, which consists of several old abandoned warehouses that have been converted into exhibition space and hosts plenty of exhibitions  throughout the year.  Hope you like this AD card of Movies. And welcome to Taiwan anytime!

Janice 2018.06.02

Jurassic World...haven't seen it yet, but hope to!

Aren't these stamps interesting?  I love the cancellation mark as well.

Germany

March 3, 2018

This bright and colourful card came to me all the way from Germany.  Sebastian wrote a short little note on the back of the card too.

He wrote,
"Hello Helen,
nice greetings from Kaufbeuren, a small city with 45000 inhabitants in Bavaria.

Best Wishes
Sebastian"

Google Translate says that the message on the front translates to "Pick Me" which I rather like!

These are the stamps on the back, rather nice aren't they?

Russian Actor - Black and White Card

December 1, 2017

One of the fabulous things I like about Postcrossing is the chance to learn more about subjects that I love.  I am a movie fanatic and I love black and white photos too.  This means that when someone sends me a black and white photo of an actor that I am not familiar with, I get really excited.  This card was one that made me very happy!

Galina sent this card of actor Vladimir Vysotsky. I must admit that I hadn't heard of him before this.

She wrote,

"Hello, Helen! My name is Galina. I live in a small town not far from Moscow.
My passion is travelling. Postcard photo of the popular actor of theatre and cinema, singer Vladimir Vysotsky.

Best wishes from Russia.

Galina"

Vladimir Vysotsky (Linked to his IMDb Profile)

What the IMDb doesn't say, but should, according to this blog, is that Vladimir Vysotsky was the singer on the music that Mikhail Baryshnikov dances to in the theatre in White Nights. I'm linking to a video... the video may be taken down at any time, so this link may not always work. 

It is actually rather a surprise for me to find the link. White Nights is one of my favourite films and this song haunted me from the first time I saw the film.  I never had any idea who the singer was, since I didn't hear the name of the singer in the movie.  The song wasn't on the soundtrack either, so never looked it up before this. 

The stamp Galina used is rather attractive too.  

All in all, this is a very cool Postcrossing that just keeps getting more and more interesting!  Thank you so much Galina!

Russia - Movie/Book Related

November 21, 2017

This card showed up in my mailbox last month and is from Galina.  She wrote a friendly note and used gorgeous stamps too, so I really enjoyed this postcard.

She wrote,

"Hello from Russia, Helen.  This postcard is about the film "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" Have you watched this movie? I like this.

I wish you good cards, good and happiness!

Galina"

 I think this is a really cool card.  Unfortunately for me, I can't read the printing on the card, so I don't know if the artist's name is there or not. It does quite look like Eddie Redmayne in a way.

Look at these gorgeous stamps.  Very beautiful. I don't know if she knew that pears are one of the products from my region of Japan or not. Just lovely.  I also love the hand written "Par Avion!" underneath.

China

July 29, 2017

This card came to me from China.  There was nothing personal written on the back at all, not even Happy Postcrossing!  To say I am disappointed is an understatement.  On the other hand, the stamp is great, and this entry didn't take very long to put up!

The tiger stamp is gorgeous...not sure if I've posted it before.  

Belarus

July 18, 2017

Ekaterina sent me this great card of Mir Castle on it.  She decorated the back of the card too, with drawings and all sorts of colouring on the back.

She also wrote some translations of words on the back.  She didn't write much, but what she did write was friendly enough.

I wish you a sunny wonderful day!!!
06 July 2017

Mir Castle
XVI century

This stamp is very pretty.  Ekaterina translated the word Butterfly into Russian and Belarusian for me!

Czech Republic

February 13, 2017

Miroslava sent this beautiful card to me with a great note on the back and some beautiful stamps.  Yay!

She wrote,

"Dear Helen,

greetings from Brno,

it's the second largest city in 

the Czech republic. On the picture 

is beautiful cathedral of St.

Peter and Paul. My favourite

movies are Notting Hill, Pretty 

Woman and the Czech Kolja-

it won an Oscar.  I love books 

especially thrillers, detectives story

and ghost stories.  Good luck 

in postcrossing and have a nice day.

Miroslava

PS: Happy Birthday!

 These are great stamps and the cancellation mark doesn't spoil them either.

Taiwan Double-Shot

January 10, 2017

Something really interesting happened with these particular cards...I believe they were both sent by the same person...they arrived the same day so I think the sender must have pulled my name twice (in two different accounts) on the same day.  I think it must have been a little sad for her to get the same person in Japan twice in one day!

I'll post them in the order that I registered them and you can see what you think. The cards are friendly enough and that makes me happy as you all know!

"Konnichiwa [I romanized this]

Because you like beautiful view from my city, so I send you this one, hope you like it.  And I like to collect stamps & postcard all over the world, so if you can, please send a card for me.  I will grateful & treasure it, thank you. 😀

Best Wishes & Happy New Year 2017  Winnie"


I don't send reply cards as a general rule.  If someone has said something that touched me or has done a lot of work on their card I'll consider it, but when someone just asks like this...sorry....I don't ask people for reply cards.

The stamp is quite interesting too.  I think it is a kind of coral.

 The second card is short and sweet....

Hello Dear Helen :-D

Happy Postcrossing!!


& Happy New Year

      2017

Hope you Nice EveryDay

Winnie (Taiwan)

Russia - Writer

December 5, 2016

This card, with a friendly note on the back, came to me from Russia. I always enjoy reading what people write on cards, so if you are going to send me a card, write a lot please!

Oleg wrote,
"Hello Helen!
My name is Oleg and I live in Kaliningrad City on the Baltic Sea Coast.  I have chosen this card by your wish list.  On the card you may see the great Russian writer L. Tolstoy(1828-1910).  The most known his novel 'War and Peace'.
Best wishes and Happy New Year!
Oleg"

I have never read Tolstoy.  Maybe I will one day.

These stamps are rather interesting.. horses and Christmas.  Lovely!

France

October 27, 2016

This card with gorgeous views arrived last month from France.  Christelle sent it to me with a friendly note.

She wrote,

"I'm Christelle from France.  I'm 46 year old.  It's my little town in the middle of FRANCE 'LA SOLOGNE' hill of castle forest.  I love live here.  I love take full of photo.  I'm on Instagram - CRICRIWUL" if you know that--follow me :-)
Friendly, Christelle"

 The pink stamp is quite interesting.  There's a woman in a kimono and a lion.  Hmmm.  What does it mean?

Canada

October 25, 2016

I always have a little smile when I receive a card from Canada.  They aren't all that common, at least not for me.  I receive the most cards from Germany, then Russia, followed by the Netherlands.  I didn't even receive a Canadian card in my first hundred cards I got.  So, when this cute little card popped into my mailbox I was very happy.

Emma wrote,
"Hello Helen,
I'm writing from Prince Edward Island.  Beautiful day here.  I'm catching up on chores.  Saw this in your favourites.  Take care,
Emma"

It's so cute!

And look at these stamps!  A Star Trek stamp!  So cool! I like the other two as well and am glad they aren't normal ones!