Cut Paper Heart Red/White/Pink Stamps Romantic Love Series USPS Postage New 2014 Sheet of 20 Forever 1st Class Valentine Wedding Sweetheart Stamps 587200

The Cut Paper Heart Forever? stamp adds another romantic entry to the beautiful Love stamp series.This fanciful stamp takes its inspiration from the folk traditions of papercutting. Its digital illustration depicts a large white heart enclosing a smaller pink heart with a saw-toothed edge along its left-hand side. Surrounding the central hearts are pink swirls, with smaller hearts imbedded in the design and a ragged-edge motif that echoes the edging on the small pink heart. The hearts and swirls are contained within a red square that has 'pinked' edges, as if cut with pinking shears. A white border frames the entire design.The stamp art is reminiscent of liebesbriefe - ornately cut and painted love letters that are a form of scherenschnitte, the papercutting tradition brought to America in the 18th and 19th centuries by German immigrants. Not intended only for February 14, these early precursors to valentines carried declarations of love and sometimes proposals of marriage. The stamp art is a stunning digital interpretation of these traditional love-letter decorations.Like the liebesbriefe, the Cut Paper Heart stamps are not just for use on Valentine's Day, but say 'love' all year round.Designed by art director Antonio Alcal?, the stamp features an illustration by Q. Cassetti.Made in the USA.Issue Date: January 21, 2014