2014 Winter Fun Forever First Class Postage Stamps

A winter flurry lends itself well to backyard snow construction.?Children and adults use buckets left over from summer beach excursions to build simple snow forts and igloos that last until the first thaw.?Jolly snowmen and snowwomen are rolled to life, leaving telltale paths in the snow.?Carrots are stolen from the kitchen, while hats and scarves disappear from the closet to decorate these winter visitors.

?

Some winter art enthusiasts take their snow construction beyond recreation and build for sport.?Snowman competitions are held throughout the world.?And photos of elaborate, multi-room snow forts saturate the Internet after a heavy snowfall.

?

Outside of the parks and backyards, some of the more dazzling snow art involves true architectural skill and vision.?For these projects, sand buckets just won?¡¥t do.?Sculptors at the annual Sapporo Snow Festival in Japan create sculptures and buildings of snow so immense that scaffolds are required for their construction.?Entire teams work on these grand masterpieces.?

?

Whether one is just looking to build a friendly snowman in the front yard, or entering an international snow-sculpting competition, snow offers a perfect medium for the artist in everyone.?

?

The design on this stamp was hand-sketched by Jing Jing Tsong then digitally manipulated.?The artist said she wanted to show ?¡ãthe magic of new snowfall and the joy of being in a moment that will melt away all too soon.?¡À

?