- Messages from Nancy Rosin -

 

 

Victorian Treasury ~ ANNOUNCEMENTS ~ January 2007


Dear Friends,

Welcome to another romantic year at my Victorian Treasury. Valentines and expressions of love are the centerpiece of my site, and interesting articles and useful links will provide access to some fascinating resources for the collector, historian, or craftsperson.  I enjoy sharing my passion through my personal collection, my research, the articles I write, my beautiful posters, and the cards I create. As a collector, I seldom sell pieces, but if you are seeking an antique or vintage piece, contact me, and I will try to help you.

Valentines range from tender handmade ones, to embellished lace paper confections, children's’ cards meant for the school Valentine exchange, caustic comic ones, and even postcards. Within this range there are cards with religious and romantic motifs, as well as Civil War and cartoon characters  -- so there is something to appeal to everyone. Articles in my Online Library cover many of these areas, and many more are yet to be added! The history of the Valentine is an important aspect, as Valentine’s Day has been widely celebrated for centuries.

The puzzle purse seems to have a unique appeal, as the complex folded puzzle reveals a message, but   is challenging  to reassemble once opened. As a gift to you this holiday season, I’ve included a template, instructions for folding, and an image of an antique from my collection. Once you’ve perfected the process, you’re ready to create your own design -- and the adventurous souls will be rewarded with an amazing treasure. Enclose a lock of hair, a tiny ring, or a special photo or remembrance -- and it will make the best Valentine -- ever!

Special events this year are very special! On January 20th, a return to Tinsel Trading Company, in New York, for a Valentine exhibit and class. Participants will create their own delicious Valentines using all manner of things -- flowers, glitter, Dresden metallic trims, and lace paper. Everyone had a wonderful time last year!

It is an honor to be presenting a program at New York’s prestigious American Museum of Folk Art, on Wednesday, February 21, 2007. If you are in the area, I hope you will join me for a unique experience. I am thrilled to be able to bring Valentines into mainstream art -- were they belong!

There have been several exhibits and magazine articles, which will be added to the Online Library for your own reference; some are written by me, others are about aspects of my collection -- from Sailor’s Valentines, to woven paper love tokens!!  For the second year, Gibraltar, a tiny country that is a part of the British Commonwealth, has used my images for their Christmas stamps. I am very proud to have contributed to the 2006 St. Nicholas Series, and hope you’ll look at them online (large view here)!

Our annual live chat on eBay is going to happen -- but the date is not yet finalized. When it is, it will be posted. Enjoy my site -- it has grown over the years. If there is anything you need or want, don’t hesitate to contact me!

With love and affection,


Nancy

Vice President, National Valentine Collector’s Association
Member of the Board of Directors, Ephemera Society of America

Special thanks -- and love --  to my son, Matthew, for his unending contribution to the content and design of this website.

 

Related links

Collecting Valentines with Nancy at Martha Stewart Living
Poems To Go by Amy Gumley
Collecting Those Hearts (CBS News Feb. 10, 2001)
The Scrap Album by Malcolm Warrington
Ephemera Associates (now at Ephemera Catalog)
Ben Crane's The Trade Card Place
The Ephemera Society of America, Inc.

And Please check these three wonderful sites, for whom I write articles!

Patti Rooks' delightful new site: www.worksofheartpapercuttings.com
The Guild of American Papercutters: www.papercutters.org
The Victorian Era Online Magagine: www.Victoriana.com

 

 

 

Past Messages

 

 

Autumn, 2005



Dear Friends,

While I am immersed in Valentines every day -- through my collecting, greeting cards, programs, and writing, the Autumn season has some special announcements... more will be added, to be sure, to make your Valentine's Day -- and every day -- special.

Over the past year, I have had the pleasure of working with Sterling/Chapelle Publishers, in creating five books! Four are part of a series called Memories of a Lifetime, the fifth is from a series called Instant Memories. Using items from my personal collection of ephemera, the books cover the subjects, Love, Angels and Fairies, Christmas, Birds and Butterflies, and Vintage Labels from a Lady's Dressing Table. Complete with projects to make, and a CD-ROM so you can use the images on your computer, they are a 21st century resource for crafting and scrapbooking, in all its forms. The images are versatile, and unique. I do hope you will look for them on the internet or in your local stores.

I am pleased to announce that I am participating in the wonderful craft classes being presented at New York City's famous Tinsel Trading Company. Marcia Ceppos' establishment, begun by her grandfather more than 75 years ago, remains a virtual treasure trove of unique vintage trims, inspiring extraordinary creativity. The store is an explosion of magic and is an experience in itself! Listed on the Classes page are the details for the Christmas and Valentine classes. You may email me or Tinsel Trading Company directly. Class size is limited, so that everyone will have an individualized and memorable experience. The shop is conveniently located in the heart of the Garment District.

The "icing" on my holiday "cake" is that the new Christmas stamps for Gibraltar feature Snow Angels from my collection. This is a truly exciting event, and I hope you will go to the website; www.gibraltar-stamps.com to see them.

Gradually, our online Library will have more articles added -- but if you have any specific questions, please don't hesitate to email me.

 

 

Thank you for your inquiries

Thank you all for your wonderful inquiries about my collection of Valentines. Reproductions of some of my favorite antiques have been made into Valentine cards again this year and there has been an enthusiastic response. It is apparent that there is great interest in the beautiful designs of the past, as well as the concept of giving something lovingly made by hand - as a keepsake. When these antiques were created, they were given as tokens of love any day of the year. The best result of all this interest would be if we could return to that trend, and express our affection every day.

 

 

How this website started to grow: Online since 1997

The enormous number of inquiries about the antique Valentines shown in Victoria Magazine has been overwhelming! As mentioned in the article, I have assembled a wonderful collection which I share through my writing, displays, and programs.

This homepage was quickly created to meet the sudden burst of interest, and will be developed into a more polished version in the future. For the present, I wanted to add some information, and again offer a personalized service to meet any specific needs you may have.

Since the original missives were sent as love messages, for any time of the year, they are often quite appropriate for any occasion, and make wonderful greetings for birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, confirmations, and any moment enhanced by a special token of affection. The interior of the cards are blank, enabling you to write your own message - when the originals were given, poetry or messages of love were carefully penned within to express the personal sentiment of the giver - thereby making the message more personal and cherished. Today, the unique, handwritten thoughts of the sender are still better than any printed message!

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