Hidden Messages & Collectible Art: Why I Created My First Artist Stamp Collection
One of my favorite things about creating art is hiding little surprises within it. I love giving people something to discover, a detail they might not notice at first glance, but one that makes the artwork more personal and interactive.
I wanted to create something collectors could look forward to finding at every art show and festival I attend, with a brand-new design released at each event. That's how my first artist stamp collection was born.
Why Stamps?
Stamps have been treasured collectibles for generations. In fact, stamp collecting dates back to the 1850s, shortly after the first postage stamps were introduced. What began as a curiosity quickly grew into one of the world's oldest organized collecting hobbies, later becoming known as philately.
As I explored the history of stamps, I discovered some fascinating facts:
Before postage stamps existed, the recipient paid the postage.
Many modern stamps include microprinting, tiny text that's often invisible without magnification and helps prevent counterfeiting.
Finland created a Northern Lights stamp that changes color under UV light.
Canada has produced stamps that reveal hidden images when warmed by touch.
New Zealand released stamps with QR codes that unlock animations and games, as well as puzzle stamps that combine to reveal a larger image.
I also learned that mail has long been used to carry secret messages. Before stamps, people found clever ways to communicate without paying postage by using coded envelope colors, hidden symbols, ciphered addresses, and other visual clues.
That history of hidden communication felt like the perfect inspiration for my own work.
My First Stamp Collection
For my first collection, I chose one of the classic stamp themes: arts and culture. More specifically, I celebrated my own creative world, fiber art, through imagery inspired by weaving, sewing, dyeing, and block printing.
Each hand-carved block contains one hidden word woven into the design. Collect all five blocks, and together they reveal the complete message:
"Cut from the same cloth."
The phrase dates back to the 16th century, when tailors cut garments from the same piece of fabric so they would share the same color, pattern, and quality. Today, it's a perfect metaphor for people who share common values, passions, or characteristics, making it the ideal hidden message for this collection.
Collect Them Before They're Gone
With so much of our communication happening digitally, traditional stamp collecting has become less common. I thought it would be fun to bring back the excitement of collecting, but with an artistic twist.
Each stamp block will be available only for the nine days at The League of NH Annual Craftsmen Fair, August 1 - 9 2026. After the show, that design will be retired, making each release a true collectible.
And if you enjoy solving puzzles…
P.S. There's one more hidden message in the block, but I'm not giving that one away. You'll have to find it yourself.