Happy Valentines Day!

I have wanted to share this for years, but it wasn't until this year that I decided to go for it.  Probably 20+ years ago, my mom received a box full of Valentines (and a few other holiday cards) that were mostly given to her uncle.  Some mixed in were also to her aunt, both are brother and sister to my mom's mom.  My great uncle did not have any children and was born in 1916.  The majority of these are from the 1920's, many were given to him by his aunts--mailed from Canada as well as California.

In the past, I considered scanning these to print on fabric and use with my quilting but my style has changed and I am not interested mixed media or much quilt art right now.  I have a total of 36 at my flickr set, feel free to scroll through if you are so inclined.  If the cards had writing within, I posted the writing in the description part at flickr.  There are some that are odd to me... many that are kind of freaky, and not politically correct in today's world, and a lot of them have movable parts--pretty cool (even when connected with some of the bizarre cards).  Many of them are just sweet and mark the times stylistically.  But just remember, this was the 1920's.

Just a wink... hmmmmm....


This one had a strange message inside:
If you will be my Valentine
My "Smack" will be a "clipper"
And you can "luff" me all the time
If you will be the "Skipper"


For the ice queen in your life :)


Not PC:


Creepy Clown!!


Don't Kick
I'm your Valentine: (hat and hand move)


The next one is funny because of the message inside:
To My Valentine:
I'd Like to drift forever
Over waters blue -
If I could have within my boat a little girl like you

This card was given to my great uncle from a friend, George :)


I like these two:


I don't know what to think about this one:
Don't make me rubber and "streatch" for my Valentine


And then we have the gay parrot:


For the book lovers:


Be my Valentine or this monkey-heart gets it!


Have you ever saved school valentines?  I'm sure I tossed mine out in some purge.  I smiled when looking at some of the cards and seeing them signed as "?????" or a single initial like "H_ _ _ _ _T" (I can't remember the exact letters, but something like that).  He was in a school with very few students, I am positive he would have known who sent the "anonymous" cards :)  Which reminds me of something I am going to admit: In the 5th grade I sent two "secret admirer" valentines to two boys in the class.  oh myyyy!  I don't think they ever found out who sent the cards, but I am positive our teacher knew the handwriting.  There were many students surrounding her desk trying to figure out who it was.  That was the first and last time I ever did that.  I think the crushes I had on those two boys lasted for many years.

Again, if you'd like to look through the flickr set at the 20+ others: link, and enjoy the vintage cards.