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Winter Dreams Postcards are illustrated by Hanna Karlzon, published by Gibbs Smith and are from my personal collection. These postcards are not taken from a book and have been published as a standalone postcard set and Hanna has categorically stated that there are no plans to turn these into a full length colouring book. This postcard book contains 20 postcards, it’s paperback with thick card covers and a black tape binding. The cover is a midnight blue with an illustration from inside the book with beautiful silver foiling accents and writing on the spine. The book has a lay flat binding meaning there is no spine to contend with so you’re able to reach and colour the entirety of the image; the postcards are easy to remove if you wish so they can be sent or gifted or even framed but they’ll stay in the book as long as you’re careful not to twist the spine. The cards are a cream colour which looks quite vintage, it’s fairly smooth with a light texture and is perfect for blending and shading with pencils but pens glide over it seamlessly too. Alcohol markers won’t bleed if you’re careful and they don’t spread. The postcards are printed single-sided and on the reverse are printed three address lines and space for a stamp with one of 3 little doodles within it. The drawings are either centralised or those that are full-page have a line border around them that’s just a couple of millimetres thick which would make framing them nice and easy without losing any of the image. The illustrations are all very similar to those used in the Daydreams postcard set in terms of intricacy level and content, none are impossible to colour and all will look beautiful when finished. The images are very nature-based and none of Hanna’s signature human drawings have been included. There also aren’t many gems at all. The illustrations include birds, reindeer, baubles, stars, a gingerbread house, snow globe, candles, lanterns, snowflakes and more. They’ve all got a bit of added whimsy and fantasy which is a huge part of what gives Hanna’s images such charm and sets them apart from others. These images are all winter and Christmas themed with a real Nordic style to them so you won’t find Father Christmas or Rudolph in sight but you will find some equally enchanting images inspired by Hanna’s homeland of Sweden.
In terms of mental health, these postcards are just perfect! Postcards offer a perfect smaller project which is less daunting to start and takes far less time to make progress on or finish than a full book page. The card is ideal for using any mediums and because they’re single-sided they’re perfect for framing so you can brighten up your darker days by just looking at all of the wonderful pages you’ve created, a great way of lifting your spirits. These postcards are nature-based and I find this the best thing for mental health as they’re very calming and peaceful and if you struggle to conjure up colour palette ideas you can just go with the one nature already created or spice things up a little if you’re feeling brave. The line thickness is consistently thin throughout but it’s not spindly thin. The intricacy and detail levels are pretty high but none of the spaces are impossible to colour. You will need fairly good vision and fine motor control to get the most out of these postcards. As for concentration level, these pages are ideal because their smaller size means they take less concentration and you can focus on individual aspects if you prefer and colour just one star or bauble rather than focusing on the whole picture at once. These postcards are ideal for good and bad days, they’re a manageable size and I personally find them very inspiring and easy to get into without having to stress over colours for hours, I can just dive right in. If you need any inspiration then just search online using Hanna’s name or the book title and you’ll find heaps of ideas to get you going!
Overall, I would highly recommend these postcards, they’re all beautifully illustrated and they’re perfect for days when you’re feeling poorly, down, or your concentration is waning. They make an ideal project to send to others, to frame, or to keep in the book and they’re truly beautiful even just to look through uncoloured!
If you’d like to purchase a set they’re available here:
Amazon UK – Winter Dreams Postcards
Book Depository Worldwide – http://www.bookdepository.com/Winter-Dreams-20-Postcards-Hann-Karlzon/9781423645603/?a_aid=colouringitmom
The image below was coloured using Stabilo Point 88 Fineliners and Stabilo 68 Fibre-tip pens.
In The Midst Of Madness 