This was my entry into a contest hosted by a local print shop here in the Richmond, VA area, Worth Higgins & Associates. (I won a “Best in Show” prize package!) The theme was “Winter Wanderland – Celebrating the Holiday Season around the Globe.” Entrants were encouraged to explore the different ways that cultures around the globe celebrate the holiday season.

November through December is my absolute favorite time of year so I really had a tough time narrowing down my ideas. I ultimately decided to create a pattern of international postage stamps. No matter what country you’re from or what holiday you celebrate, cards and letters continue to be a thoughtful tradition around the world. I spent a lot of time researching imagery that was both representative of holiday traditions of the country on the stamp, but still general enough that everyone could relate to it. There are seven different stamps representing each of the seven continents. (Although, there aren’t any permanent residents on Antarctica so I gave the USA two stamps!)