Advent calendar day 20

Illustration by Aila Utriainen, Finnish artist 

 

Flower Friday - Summer Memories

Roses by Aila Utriainen, Finnish illustrator

Roses and Butterflies By Marjolein Bastin 

 Golden Hair and Bowder Blue  art by Hector Caffieri, British

Garderner at work. Illustration Kristiina Haapalainen & Sami Vähä-Aho, Finnish

Garden Party 

 

Happy Easter

Happy Easter

Illustration Aila Utriainen, Finnish

 

Red Houses at Christmas

Many wooden houses are painted deep red in Finland. The deep red tradition didn’t actually start in Finland, but rather, in Sweden.  The ores from copper mines in Falun produced iron oxide, a byproduct of burning the ore to obtain the copper. Originally the red dirt was considered trash and piled up beside the mine. A few hundred years later, someone noticed that the pile had not rotted or decayed and began manufacturing it as paint. Since it was cheap and easy to produce, many wealthy people did not use it, preferring to use expensive pigments in colors of yellow or white. Finland calls this red paint punamulta, or “red earth”. 

Red houses  at Christmas by Finnish illustrators

Illustration Aila Utriainen

Illustration by Anita Polkutie

Illustration  by Jaana Aalto

Illustration by Maikki Parikka

Illustration by Heikki Laaksonen

Illustration by Marjaliisa Pitkäranta

Illustration Minna Immonen

Illustration Minna Lehväslaiho

Illustration Omppu Omenamäki

Illustration by Raija Riihimäki

My red house ♥ at  Christmas time

 

Happy Valentine's Day

Friendship makes heaven and earth blossom

Illustration Hanne Serjo (Finnish)

Illustration Minna Immonen (Finnish)

Hurray Friendship!

Illustration Priit Rea, Estonian artist

Illustration Aila Utriainen (Finnish)

 

Week 5. sent postcards

Jalasjärvi, Village museum and windmil

Valentine's Day

Illustration Aila Utriainen, Finnish 

Postcrossing Meetup in Vaasa, Finnland

Mustasaari Church, Finland

 

Advent Calendar - First window

 

Advent Calendar by Lars Carlsson

An Advent calendar is a special calendar used to count the days of Advent in anticipation of Christmas. Since the date of the First Sunday of Advent varies, falling between November 27 and December 3 inclusive, many Advent calendars, especially those that are reusable, often begin on December 1. The Advent calendar was first used by German Lutherans in the 19th and 20th centuries.

In Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden there is also a tradition of having a Julekalender  in the form of a television or radio show, starting on December 1 and ending on Christmas Eve (December 24).

Hectic times for Santa's helpers

Illustration Aarno Hammar, Finnish artist and illustrator

Sent to my family  on Dec 1972 

 

Christmas cards by Aila Utriainen, Finnish illustrator

Received on Dec 2020

Sent by brother (Jyväskylä, Finland) 

Received on Dec 2016

Sent by my friend

Christmas birds

Received on Dec 2015

Sent by my aunt