while a lot of people argue that valentine's day is just a 'hallmark holiday', created and manipulated to drive up greeting card and gift sales during an otherwise retail-starved period, i happen to find this particular holiday rather charming...primarily for its long and rich history of ephemera. i would be willing to bet that there has been more paper ephemera created throughout the last century and a half or so for this holiday than any other, including christmas. a simple google image search for 'vintage valentine' should prove my point.
i am also really charmed by the history of valentine's day, especially the evolution of our traditions and rituals for this holiday. it is just as long, varied, and culturally specific as halloween, and i find that incredibly fascinating. so while you may already know that we celebrate the holiday to commemorate St. Valentine's death -- and St. Valentine, by the way, is believed to be the patron saint of love and romance, since he continued to perform secret marriages for lovers in defiance of a decree of celibacy by the reigning roman emperor of the time -- you may not know that the earliest known valentine was given by the Duke of Orleans to his wife in 1415. the tradition of giving a small token of love or affection to one's beloved continued to gain in popularity throughout the following centuries.
before the age of industrialization made printed materials such as cards and postcards widely available to the masses, valentine's were mostly made by hand. and it is for this reason that i indulge in the idea of 'celebrating' valentine's day -- this was a practice that spanned all social classes and pervaded more than a few countries and cultures. no matter who you were, rich or poor, upper or lower classed, male or female, this was the very concept of the 'thought counting' in action. whether it was a hastily written poem, an elaborately trimmed card, or a frilly box of sweets, it was significant that one took the time to acknowledge their love for one special person...(sigh).
before the age of industrialization made printed materials such as cards and postcards widely available to the masses, valentine's were mostly made by hand. and it is for this reason that i indulge in the idea of 'celebrating' valentine's day -- this was a practice that spanned all social classes and pervaded more than a few countries and cultures. no matter who you were, rich or poor, upper or lower classed, male or female, this was the very concept of the 'thought counting' in action. whether it was a hastily written poem, an elaborately trimmed card, or a frilly box of sweets, it was significant that one took the time to acknowledge their love for one special person...(sigh).
so on that very note, i would like to announce the addition of some wonderfully romantic and frilly confections to the shop that should help you sweeten your valentine's day love-making. hand sewn crepe paper ruffles, crepe paper fringe, crimson hearts, and vintage images...its everything you need to create something lovely for your love. in the coming weeks, i will even be adding some DIY kits and tutorials, containing all the supplies to handcraft your very own Crepe Confectionary original for the holiday! check the shop often for daily additions, and watch the blog for how-to's on some of my tried and true techniques.
until next time,
CHEERS!
