This Sailors Valentine was made in "keeping with tradition" and boasts intricate shell work detail. Actually there is only one authentic Sailors Valentine in existence today and most of the Sailors Valentine's are highly romanticized. Almost all of the Valentine's came from the island of Barbados and were purchased by Sailors to present to their sweethearts around 1820 to 1890.
I wanted to present this in time for Valentine's Day and decided to create the shell heart and place this on top of an old book that sports a black cloth cover.
Various shells were used to create this intricate design backed on an old burlap feed sack. Some of the black printing is still visible on this sack and was chosen because it has a very primitive look. I incorporated a tiny dried starfish as well as a seahorse and glued this onto the large shell, in the middle, as a focal point. Small shells line the border of the heart and were hand picked for the primitive colors they lend. The heart was cut out of an old piece of chocolate brown wool and I left part of the wool exposed to break up the design.
This sweet book conjures up memories of love sprinkled with a touch of yesteryear and would look wonderful on an early chair or will accent a small table with ease. Enjoy!
The book measures 7 1/2" Tall, 4 3/4" Wide (across) & 1" thick.
~Freight (Standard Mail) included, however Insurance is optional and can be purchased @ checkout ~ within the continental U.S.
