Gibraltar Princess Diana Stamps

Gibraltar is well known for their wonderful commemorative stamps. The Princess Diana stamp is a welcome find to both Royal watchers and curious stamp collectors alike.

Gibraltar is a small British overseas territory that is located near the southern most tip of the Iberian Peninsula, which is overlooking the Strait of Gibraltar. It shares a border with Spain on its north side. The population is a mere 27,495, but this territory is considered to be the most densely populated area in the world today.

Princess Diana (of Great Britain) was born on July 1, 1961 in Norfolk, England. She was married to Prince Charles, the first in line to be the King of England, on July 29, 1981. She bore two sons, Prince William and Prince Harry who are both heirs to the throne in England.

Princess Diana lived a tumultuous life in her Royal role. She died a tragic death on August 31, 1997 while in a car with boyfriend Dodi Al-Fayed. Her death still sparks controversy today. She served many charities in her short life. Those of particular interest for her were ridding the world of landmines and her AIDS charity work.

These Gibraltar stamps feature 4 lovely photos of the beautiful Princess Diana. If you are interested in purchasing these exquisite stamps, with the beloved Princess Diana, visit stampcenter.com for more information.

Great Britain - Paddington Bear Smilers Sheetlet

Paddington bear was created almost half a century ago by the English writer, Michael Bond. On Christmas Eve, in 1956, Mr. Bond was shopping in a London store when he saw a lone teddy bear on the store shelf. He felt sorry for it, so he brought it home as a present for his wife Brenda. He named the bear Paddington, because he lived near the Paddington Station in London.

Once home, he began to write stories of the little bear’s adventures. Within the first 10 days, he had penned enough stories for a book. Originally his writings were not directed towards children, but he did write about things that he liked reading about when he was young. His first book, A Bear Called Paddington, was published on October 13, 1958. Currently, there have been over 30 million Paddington books sold worldwide, in thirty languages.

The Paddington Bear has been involved in a number of charity projects over the years. He has worked with UNICEF in the USA and the American Red Cross. He is very well known in the United Kingdom for his works with Action Medical Research.

In January, 2006, England released a new Paddington Bear stamp. Stamps featured are self adhesive and come in a sheetlet of 20. These stamps celebrate the universal appeal of illustrated children’s literature. If you are interested in purchasing these adorable stamps visit www.stampcenter.com for more information.

England's Christmas Stamp Controversy

In November, England released 2 sets of first and second class Christmas stamps to the public. One set consists of two images of the Madonna and Child and the other set has six different angels. The problem is, not many people know that the traditional Christian stamps, the Madonna and Child, even exist.

As soon as the stamps went into circulation, complaints began to arise that the post offices were not advertising or promoting the new Christian stamp. Some places in England report that they had to ask for the Madonna and Child stamp by name, even as the angels were being offered up constantly to customers. Some customers believe that not promoting the Christian stamps were part of a plot to end the Christian Christmas stamp by erroneously proving that there is simply no public demand for them. There was no real explanation as to why there were tens of millions of Madonna and Child stamps printed while there were hundreds of millions of the secular-themed stamps.

The Post Office is trying to end the confusion and stop accusations that are being made as to why they have not put much effort into promoting their Christian stamps this year. In the past, the Royal Mail alternated Christian stamps and secular themed Christmas stamps every other year. This year, the stamp was supposed to be Christian based. It was announced this week that it was always the plan to run both stamps at Christmas this year. According to the Royal Mail, 2007 has served as the trial run for issuing both types of stamps from this year forward. Their spokesman denied that they are now bowing to public complaints and pressure by saying that "this was always the plan for these stamps".

Long ago in a galaxy far away . . .

There's talk of opening a spaceport in my hometown. Of course, it won't be operational for years, possibly decades -- after all, they have to figure out how to build a passenger rocket ship first -- but that there is even talk of building a commercial spaceports is exciting. I am envious of the super rich who can afford to pay millions to travel in a Russian space craft for the chance to view the stars from the space station. I can hardly wait for Virgin Airlines to open its first space route and "fly me to the moon!"

Space truly is mankind's "final frontier" and the explorer in each of us longs to see what's out there. For those of us who grew up with Star Trek and Star Wars, space is a vast undiscovered country luring us with its siren song. Until technology catches up with desire, we'll have to be satisfied with viewing the wonders of space from afar.

This stunning six-value commemorative features some amazing telescopic views of the universe's wonders. Recently issued by Great Britain, the self-adhesive set is available from County Stamp Center for $10.10. This is only one of many amazing stamps you'll find at County Stamp Center that commemorates space. Click the link to view our complete space listings. No matter what your interest, you'll find it at County Stamp Center. Visit our website for all your philatelic needs.

Invention Stamps Honor Man's Search for a Better Mousetrap

They start out tinkering in the garage, gradually convert the kitchen into a makeshift lab, badger their friends into becoming test subjects -- and once in a while, actually strike it rich! The life of an inventor is not for the faint-hearted. Man's quest for a better mousetrap has led to the development of a startling array of often useful and sometimes silly inventions.

Consider these actual inventions from the Invention Connection:

• Sandwich Shop: a multi-layered plastic container with separate compartments for bread, meat, cheese, tomatoes, pickles, spread, etc. Keeps ingredients fresh until you're ready to eat. The disadvantage is you have to build your sandwich before you can eat it.
• Fly Vac: A battery-operated, hand-held vacuum that stuns flies with mothball vapor, then sweeps them up for disposal. Suggested for restaurants and commercial establishments where swatted fly carcasses might ruin the ambiance.
• Mirrored Oak Toilet Seat Lid: A mirror embedded into the top and/or inside of a toilet seat for guys who want to make sure they've zipped up when they're done.
• Opti-Cool Sunshades: A do-it-yourself sunglass kit that allows you to cut special UV-reducing vinyl cling film to the shape of your eyeglasses. Just stick the film on or peel it off as needed!

Honoring some of man's most durable contraptions, Great Britain recently issued the fascinating six-stamp sheetlet shown (click the post title to order). It's one of several in a series commemorating great inventions. At County Stamp Center, you'll find other captivating stamps celebrating some of mankind's greatest inventions; just click the link. Rube Goldberg would be proud! Visit the County Stamp Center website for all your philatelic needs.