U.S. Postal Service Unveils Limited-Edition 2014 Love Stamp and Hosts Crafting Workshop for Handmade Valentines

NEW YORK, Jan. 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Love is in the air. The United States Postal Service today dedicated the Cut Paper Heart Forever Stamp, this year's limited-edition Love stamp.

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please visit: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/65160-us-postal-service-limited-edition-cut-paper-heart-forever-stamp

Postal customers can beat the Valentine's Day rush as the stamps go on sale today at Post Offices nationwide, online at usps.com/stamps, at the Postal Store on eBay at ebay.com/stamps, and by calling 800-STAMP24 (800-782-6724).

"This year's Love stamp is a reminder that the most heartfelt messages for Valentine's Day are personalized and sent by mail, not text," said Richard Uluski, area vice president, Northeast Area, who dedicated the stamp during a ceremony held at the Time Warner Center in New York City. Joining Uluski to dedicate the Cut Paper Heart Forever Stamp was actress Bella Thorne, who participated in a valentine crafting workshop.

"With this lovely paper heart, our stamps will once again help spread a message of love on millions of cards and letters mailed all across America. And, these Forever stamps will be valid for First-Class Mail postage forever, no matter what the price is when you put them on the envelope," Uluski said. The Love stamp series was launched in 1973.

In addition to the stamp dedication ceremony, the Postal Service hosted a workshop to create handmade valentines. The Cut Paper Heart stamp takes its inspiration from the folk traditions of papercutting.

The digital illustration depicts a large white heart enclosing a smaller pink heart with a saw-toothed edge along its left-hand side. Surrounding the central hearts are pink swirls with smaller hearts embedded in the design, and a ragged-edge motif that echoes the edging on the small pink heart.  The hearts and swirls are contained within a red square that has "pinked" edges, as if cut with pinking shears. A white border frames the entire design. Art director Antonio Alcala designed the stamp, which features an illustration by Q. Cassetti.

Customers may view the limited-edition Cut Paper Heart Forever Stamp, as well as a preview of many of this year's other stamps, on Facebook at facebook.com/USPSStamps, on Twitter @USPSstamps or on the website USPSstamps.com. The conversation on the Cut Paper Heart Forever Stamp continues today and throughout the year on Twitter. Follow #lovestamp and tweet favorite love moments inspired by the love stamp.

Ordering First-Day-of-Issue Postmark for Cut Paper Heart Forever Stamp
Customers have 90 days to obtain the first-day-of-issue postmark by mail. They may purchase the new stamps at local Post Offices, at usps.com/stamps or by calling 800-STAMP-24. They should apply the stamps to envelopes of their choice, address the envelopes to themselves or others and place them in larger envelopes addressed to:

Love: Cut Paper Heart Stamp
Special Events Coordinator
380 West 33rd Street, Room 4032
New York, NY 10199-9998

After applying the first-day-of-issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes through the mail. There is no charge for the postmark for fewer than 50 requests. For more than 50, customers have to pay five cents each. All orders must be postmarked by March 21, 2014.

Ordering First-Day Covers
The Postal Service also offers first-day covers for new stamp issues and Postal Service stationery items postmarked with the official first-day-of-issue cancellation. Each item has an individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic catalog, online at usps.com/stamps or by calling 800-782-6724. Customers may request a free catalog by calling 800-782-6724 or writing to:

U.S. Postal Service
Catalog Request
PO Box 219014
Kansas City, MO  64121-9014

Philatelic Products for Cut Paper Heart Forever Stamp
There are 11 philatelic products available:

• 587206, Press Sheet w/die cuts, $55.20
• 587208, Press Sheet w/o die cuts, $55.20
• 587246, Press Sheet w/die cuts, $58.80
• 587248, Press Sheet w/o die cuts, $58.80
• 587210, Keepsake (Panel and Digital Color Postmark set), $10.95
• 587216, First-Day Cover, $.90
• 587221, Digital Color Postmark, $1.61
• 587224, Framed Art, $39.95
• 587230, Ceremony Program, $6.95
• 587231, Stamped Deck Card, $.95
• 587232, Stamped Deck Card w/Digital Color Postmark, $1.96

The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses, and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations.

A self-supporting government enterprise, the U.S. Postal Service is the only delivery service that reaches every address in the nation: 152 million residences, businesses and Post Office Boxes. The Postal Service receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. With more than 31,000 retail locations and the most frequently visited website in the federal government, usps.com, the Postal Service has annual revenue of more than $65 billion and delivers nearly 40 percent of the world's mail. If it were a private-sector company, the U.S. Postal Service would rank 42nd in the 2012 Fortune 500. The Postal Service has been named the Most Trusted Government Agency for seven years and the fifth Most Trusted Business in the nation by the Ponemon Institute.

Follow the Postal Service on twitter.com/USPS and at facebook.com/USPS.

National Contact: Roy Betts
202-268-3207
[email protected]

Local Contact: Congetta Chirichello
[email protected]
631.524.9735

usps.com/news

To view the multimedia assets associated with this release, please visit: http://www.multivu.com/mnr/65160-us-postal-service-limited-edition-cut-paper-heart-forever-stamp

SOURCE U.S. Postal Service