FREEBY FRIDAY!!!

So I am going to start a tradition every Friday I will give away some ephemera for Free just check back each week and discover what goodies you can get for free. And Then at the end of the month I will hold a challenge to see what everyone has done with the ephemera and give a free little gift just for the person drawn...sound like fun? And since Valentines is just around the corner I thought it would be fun to start with some vintage Valentines. So this led me to ask the question just when and how did Valentines get started? Well, there are varying opinions as to the origin of Valentine's Day. Some experts state that it originated from St. Valentine, a Roman who was martyred for refusing to give up Christianity. He died on February 14, 269 A.D., the same day that had been devoted to love lotteries. Legend also says that St. Valentine left a farewell note for the jailer's daughter, who had become his friend, and signed it "From Your Valentine". Other aspects of the story say that Saint Valentine served as a priest at the temple during the reign of Emperor Claudius. Claudius then had Valentine jailed for defying him. In 496 A.D. Pope Gelasius set aside February 14 to honour St. Valentine. And the true fact is that Miss Esther Howland is given credit for sending the first valentine cards. Commercial valentines were introduced in the 1800's and looked alot like the images below! So I hope everyone has a great time using these images below to make your own cards!
Happy Crafting!
Leanne