Scott Catalog numbers:

UX646 (35¢) Flowers and Bee postal card
UY53 (35¢)+(35¢) Flowers and Bee paid reply postal card

From the Postal Bulletin June 25th:
On July 31, 2015, in Clackamas, OR, the U.S. Postal Service® will issue the Fanciful Flowers stamped card, Forever® priced at 39 cents (35-cent postage plus 4-cent surcharge) in one design.

The stamped cards will go on sale nationwide July 31, 2015.

With this attractive stamped card, the U.S. Postal Service features a stylized illustration of flowers and a bee. This fanciful rendering in red, white, and green was inspired by observations of life in a garden. Artist Cathie Bleck used a process similar to woodblock printing to create the stamp art. Ethel Kessler was the art director.

The Fanciful Flowers stamped card will be available in the following formats:

• Single-cut cards (Item 222100)
• Double-reply cards (Item 228100)
• Sheet of 40 cards (Item 228400)

How to Order the First-Day-of-Issue Postmark:
Customers have 60 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase new stamps at their local Post Office, at The Postal Store® website at www.usps.com/shop, or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them in a larger envelope addressed to

Fanciful Flowers Stamped Cards
Marketing Manager
Portland District Marketing
PO Box 4029
Portland, OR 97208-4029

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service™ will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark up to a quantity of 50. There is a 5-cent charge for each additional postmark over 50. All orders must be postmarked by September 29, 2015.

There are two philatelic products for this stamp issue:

• 222116 Single card with cancellation, $0.51
• 228116 Double-reply card with cancellation, $0.90.

Technical Specifications (single card):

Issue: Fanciful Flowers Stamped Card
Item Number: 222100
Denomination & Type of Issue: Non-denominated Stamped Card
Format: Single-cut Cards
Issue Date & City: July 31, 2015, Clackamas, OR 97015
Art Director: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Typographer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Artist: Cathie Bleck, Cleveland Heights, OH
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Stevens, Vari-size Security Press
Print Quantity: 3,120,000 stamped cards
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block
Adhesive Type: N/A
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Image Orientation: Horizontal
Card Size: (w x h): 5.5 x 3.5 in/139.70 x 88.90 mm
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Plate Size: 18 cards per revolution
Plate Numbers: N/A
Marginal Markings: © 2015 USPS • Recycling Logo

Technical Specifications (double reply):

Issue: Fanciful Flowers Stamped Card
Item Number: 228100
Denomination & Type of Issue: Non-denominated Stamped Card, Mail-use
Format: Double-reply Cards
Issue Date & City: July 31, 2015, Clackamas, OR 97015
Art Director: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Typographer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Artist: Cathie Bleck, Cleveland Heights, OH
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Muller A76
Print Quantity: 96,000 double reply cards
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block
Adhesive Type: N/A
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Image Orientation: Horizontal
Card Size: (w x h): 5.5 x 7.0 in/139.70 x 177.80 mm
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Plate Size: 12 cards per revolution
Plate Numbers: N/A
Marginal Markings: © 2015 USPS • Recycling Logo

Technical Specifications (sheet of 40):

Issue: Fanciful Flowers Stamped Card
Item Number: 228400
Denomination & Type of Issue: Non-denominated Stamped Card, Mail-use
Format: Sheet of 40 Cards
Issue Date & City: July 31, 2015, Clackamas, OR 97015
Art Director: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Designer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Typographer: Ethel Kessler, Bethesda, MD
Artist: Cathie Bleck, Cleveland Heights, OH
Modeler: Joseph Sheeran
Manufacturing Process: Offset, Microprint
Printer: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Printed at: Williamsville, NY
Press Type: Heidelberg Speedmaster
Print Quantity: 2,500 sheets of 40
Paper Type: Nonphosphored Type III, Block
Adhesive Type: N/A
Processed at: Ashton Potter (USA) Ltd. (APU)
Image Orientation: Horizontal
Card Size: (w x h): 5.5 x 3.5 in/139.70 x 88.90 mm
Colors: Black, Cyan, Magenta, Yellow
Plate Size: 40 cards per revolution
Plate Numbers: N/A
Marginal Markings: © 2015 USPS • Recycling Logo

From the Postal Bulletin June 11th: The actual first-day city is Clackamas, OR, and this card will be available as a single stamped card, double (reply) card and a sheet. There will not be a Digital Color Postmark.

From the USPS June 3rd:

…the new Fanciful Flowers stamped card, which will be issued July 31. The card features a stylized illustration of flowers and a bee.  This whimsical rendering in red, white and green was inspired by observations of life in a garden. The artist used a process similar to woodblock printing to create the stamp art.  The colored petals and fragrances of flowers attract bees, providing these important flower pollinators with food and other nutrients in the form of energy-producing nectar and protein-rich pollen. This mutually beneficial relationship has facilitated the evolution of flowers and bees alike.  Art director Ethel Kessler designed the stamped card, illustrated by Cathie Bleck.

USPS spokesman Mark Saunders also answered a question from Jay Bigalke of American Philatelist:

Q: Why doesn’t the denomination read “POSTCARD” like the new nondenominated postcard rate stamp just issued?

A: The decision to make the actual stamped card a “Forever” stamped card was made several year ago. As a card is a card it was decided that using “Forever” would cause no confusion for the public. With the Postcard Rate stamp is was necessary to distinguish it to avoid it’s mistaken use as a first-class rate stamp.

July 31st is the first day of the National Topical Stamp Show in Portland, Oregon, and we believe this “stamped card” (postcard) will be issued there.