NICASIO, CA — “Star Wars” and its cast of characters have been captivating and inspiring fans for more than 40 years. For many, the most-beloved personalities are the droids. Continue reading →

Barns

The U.S. Postal Service has four new postcard stamps that celebrate the beauty and history of American barns. The artist created digital paintings of four types of iconic barns found in the rural American landscape. With differing qualities of light and color, each piece reflects one of the four seasons: a round barn surrounded by the hazy light and warm colors of fall; a gambrel-roofed barn in summer; a forebay barn in early spring; and a Western barn on a winter’s night. Ashley Walton designed the stamps with original artwork by Kim Johnson. Greg Breeding was the art director.

Along the bottom of each stamp is the word “postcard,” to indicate their usage. These stamps will always be valid for the rate printed on them.

Brush Rabbits

The U.S. Postal Service features a brush rabbit (Sylvilagus bachmani) on this additional ounce stamp, available in a pane of 20 or a coil of 100. The brush rabbit is a small brownish cottontail rabbit of the U.S. West Coast and Baja California, Mexico. It lives mostly west of the Sierra Nevada range and south of the Columbia River, which defines the coastal Oregon-Washington border. The adult is about a foot long and generally weighs between 1 and 2 pounds.

The pencil-and-watercolor illustration is from preexisting artwork by designer and illustrator Dugald Stermer (1936-2011). Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamp.

The words “additional ounce” on this stamp indicate its usage value. This stamp will always be valid for the rate printed on it.

Castillo de San Marcos

The latest Priority Mail stamp, which bears the new price, celebrates the oldest masonry fortification in the United States, the Castillo de San Marcos in St. Augustine, FL.

The stamp art features a digital illustration of the fortress based on a contemporary photograph. With a view toward the northeast corner of the fortress, the artwork captures it in the golden glow of sunrise over Matanzas Bay. Art director Greg Breeding designed the stamp with art created by Chicago-based graphic illustrator Dan Cosgrove.

This stamp provides  a convenient way for customers to pay for Priority Mail Flat Rate shipping with a single stamp. Priority Mail is the Postal Service’s bestselling mail service. Domestic deliveries arrive in 1-3 business days depending on where a package starts and where it’s going. Tracking and insurance are included, and shipping boxes and envelopes are free.