Sailor's Valentines

Valentine's Day in Blog Land: I have seen vintage candy boxes, hearts made of wire and gemstones, hand-stitched sentiments, steam punk hearts, Tarot cards... and many more. I confess, I am an avid blog reader...

So my entry into the eclectic mix for Valentine's Day - Sailor's Valentines.

From my ever faithful love Wikipedia: 

A sailor's valentine is a type of antique souvenir, or sentimental gift, originally brought home from a sailor's voyage at sea for his loved one between 1830 and 1890.^[1]Sailor valentines are typically octagonal, glass fronted, hinged wooden boxes ranging from 8" to 15" in width, displaying intricate symmetrical designs composed entirely of small sea shells of various colors glued onto a backing. Patterns often feature a centerpiece such as a compass rose or a heart design, hence the name, and in some cases the small shells are used to spell out a sentimental message.

So today I was teaching a class at the Brandywine Hundred library - what better to thing do than be inspired by these gorgeos pieces! Here are the students Valentines - completed and ready to take home...