Dear Everyone ~
Yes, we love the new LOVE stamp. Its geometric shapes are surprisingly elegant yet whimsical. We—my postal muse & I—were so enthused about the illustration, that we reached out to artist Katie Kirk, who had also done the 2023 Winter Woodland Animals stamps. We asked her umpteen questions about her inspirations and her connections to sending mail. We’ll share her responses below, after we debut the BZSampler for Valentines Day.
The sampler doesn’t come in a heart-shaped box (which you can get almost anywhere, ideally with bonbons). What is far more rare—and delicious in its own way—is a 9 x 12½ Rivoli Rose envelope! Inside reside a profusion of papers eager to provide Valentinear inspiration. And, of course, a suite of more petite Rivoli Rose envelopes. And a trio of notecards we could not resist.
You can read about the extravaganza of enclosures in the shop listing. We have also enumerated and elaborated on an insert, more descriptive than the famous “legend” on a certain classic sampler.
Preview: We have pre-cut mini-pieces (barely bigger than a bonbon) of 12 Cambridge Imprint Special Red Papers for you to fold your heart out with.
How long a piece of red Italian cotton ribbon by Studio Carta have we used to beribbon the sampler? Why use 4 ft. when 2 yds.will do! We’ve left the Rivoli Rose presentation envelope perfectly unembellished, for you to use for whomever you choose.
Katie Kirk’s Valentinear Musings
“For me, the dove is the messenger of a love note. I took inspiration from vintage Valentine images and cards, which often used birds. That said, I also love how the symbolism of the dove goes beyond romantic love and can invoke universal love, friendship, and peace. My hope is that it depicts love, positivity, and hope.”
“As a designer and illustrator, I enjoy the tactile quality of sending and receiving letters and prints in the mail. It feels personal and thoughtful in a way that’s unique these days.”
“I’ve always been attracted to geometry. There is a satisfaction when you can reduce a subject to a simple form. I would say it is both challenging and freeing. The challenge has been finding the balance between abstraction and detail. The freedom has come in learning to listen to the geometry and let it guide the art.”
We had to ask Katie if she plans on sending Valentines this year, and she humorously replied, “I truly had not thought about it until this question! I probably should, huh?”
BZSampler for Valentines Day
In the pink, Bari