Love Takes Shape - The USPS Heart Quilling Stamp!

The beautiful new quilled "Love" stamp!

A week ago today the US Postal Service unveiled the next Love stamp - I'm sure you've seen a million pictures of it by now, but I couldn't resist blogging about it myself.  I 'love' both stamps and quilling, and to see them together is really so much fun.

I've been collecting stamps, mostly space and astronomy related stamps, since I was a kid.  My collection is piecemeal, and not something I"ve taken very seriously.  But my walls have two other sets of commemorative stamps on them so far - one celebrating the landing of the Pathfinder spacecraft on Mars, and the other celebrating Sonoran desert life.  And now there will be a third!

This is the 44th stamp in the USPS "Love" series.  It was unveiled on January 12th at Dallas Love Field in Texas.  The artist of the original work is, not surprisingly, Yulia Brodskaya, the ever talented.

At their 'about' site, the USPS quotes Postal Service Corporate Communications Vice President Janice Walker - “Our beautiful Quilled Paper Heart Forever Love stamp evokes tranquility, peace and love as Americans correspond with beloved friends and family while away from home."
 

I want to know more about how the USPS got the idea for a quilling stamp in their "Love" series.  I wonder who initiated all of this, and what the real story is!  I wonder how long the design took, an how much direction came from USPS, and how much Yulia was free to choose what she felt she wanted to do.

I am so thrilled to think of all the people who have never experienced quilling, getting this stamp as their first exposure.  It is a great way to catch people's interest, and get them thinking ... what is this 'new' thing, and how can I do it, too?

You can find commemorative products related to this stamp here.  I've asked for the framed commemorative piece for Valentine's day!  Looking forward to seeing it on my wall.

Image Credits:  All images are from the USPS.