Flowers bloom on two U.S. stamps March 22 at St. Louis Stamp Expo

By Charles Snee

On March 22, the United States Postal Service will issue a pair of stamps picturing vibrantly colored illustrations of flowers by artist Kim Parker of Brooklyn, N.Y.

The St. Louis Stamp Expo will host a local first-day ceremony for the nondenominated (68¢) Celebration Blooms forever stamp and nondenominated (92¢) Wedding Blooms 2-ounce-rate stamp.

The expo is taking place March 22-24 at the Renaissance St. Louis Airport Marriott, 9801 Natural Bridge Road, in St. Louis, Mo.

The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 11 a.m. Central Time. Diana Nygaard, acting postmaster of St. Louis, will serve as the dedicating official.

A first-day program will be available for those attending the ceremony. The USPS will be selling stamps and related merchandise at the show.

A first-day cancel for the new stamps and a St. Louis Stamp Expo cancel will also be available.

The Celebration Blooms and Wedding Blooms stamps are intended primarily as wedding invitation postage but are valid for any postal use.

The Celebration Blooms stamp is inscribed “FOREVER” at the bottom to indicate that it will always be good for domestic first-class letters weighing 1 ounce or less.

In addition to wedding RSVP cards, the Celebration Blooms stamp “is also perfect for party invitations, thank-you notes, announcements, birthday cards, and any occasion when a beautiful stamp is fitting,” the Postal Service said.

“TWO OUNCE” is lettered in two lines at the bottom of the Wedding Blooms stamp. This inscription means the stamp will satisfy the 2-ounce letter rate (currently 92¢) regardless of future rate increases.

Mailings that require extra postage — such as small gifts, oversized greeting cards and invitations to birthdays, weddings, anniversaries and other notable celebrations — are ideal for the Wedding Blooms stamp.

Veteran Postal Service art director Derry Noyes collaborated closely with Parker during the design process for the Celebration Blooms and Wedding Blooms stamps.

“Both Kim and I wanted to send the message of love and joy when it comes to weddings and people just wanting to send a subtle message of happiness,” Noyes told Linn’s. “Kim’s artwork is fresh and vibrant and exudes these emotions in a tiny little gem of a stamp.”

Parker used gouache paint and india inks to create her illustrations for the stamps.

“India inks have a rich and exuberant color saturation,” Parker said. “That’s what I wanted — a brightness that would convey joy! That is what I hope all who wish to use these stamps will feel.”

Both Noyes and Parker enjoyed working on the new stamps.

“I had been keeping track of Kim’s work for years before asking her to take on this assignment,” Noyes said. “When the subject of weddings came up I immediately thought of Kim as a good candidate. She was overjoyed to take it on.”

Parker expressed similar passion about working with Noyes and seeing her art displayed on postage stamps.

“When Derry contacted me for this stamp project,” Parker recalled, ...

To continue reading this story, subscribe to Linn’s Stamp News.

Connect with Linn’s Stamp News: 

    Sign up for our newsletter
    Like us on Facebook
    Follow us on Twitter