Can a Valentines text capture the same romantic gesture as a handwritten Valentines card? Can the digital replicate the romance of a handcrafted love note? At Pen Heaven we are always pondering the increased usage of digital communication at the expense of handwriting, and we believe both have their place. But when it comes to matters of the heart, the handwritten always wins. We asked some die hard romantics their opinion. 

The Anticipation

 “I am a huge fan of the written word. I love stationary, how it feels and how you can fold and unfold a letter. I used to have lots of pen pals, and the anticipation of getting post was unreal. It’s not the same when you receive an email. You can’t speculate what’s going to be inside when you slide the note out, as it’s all so instant. With email, you get a preview in normal, boring, black font which has a subject box to eliminate any secrets. The romance is taken if you open a message on your phone or laptop, and there’s no indication of the sender's mood or any extra doodles which personalise the experience and a little va-va-voom!” Diary of a Fashion Darling Why not add a few strokes of red ink for an extra touch of traditional romanticism. We think the Lamy red inkis the ideal colour, with a slightly softer hue than others.

You Can Hold, Touch and Smell a Card

 “A handwritten note or card is tangible - you can feel the person who penned it. A text will never have the same emotion attached, no matter how many emoji are used. And when you stumble upon an old stored away box of love letters years later, they can transport you right back to that time, and those emotions, as you touch each piece of paper, perhaps even smell the person on them. Scrolling down a screen will never be as romantic, even if the words written are, because that physical connection isn’t there” Merle Brown   “…….people will always love receiving a physical greeting. Having something that you can hold, smell and tuck away in a pocket is something that just can’t be matched by a Facebook message.”Elaine Bennett, Editor, Lets Get Crafting, Paper Crafter "Handwriting a note or a card is still such a pleasure, nothing like building up a collection over the years of sweet notes and letters from loved ones and to have a physical thing to look over. You can add so much more personalisation to a handwritten note too, I always like to add little doodles." Jayne Robinson Jayne Kitsch  

He/She Does Care After All

 "The card is worth so much more when you know that your loved one has written it by hand. Not only is it unique because that wonderful writing must belong to your special person but you know that whatever is handwritten inside it is meant for you and your eyes only. It's as soon, if not better, than a customised gift for Valentine's Day."  Alina Isaev, Fairy Tale Pretty Picture “It takes a lot of thought to make the perfect love note. If you want to make an impression, this is truly the way to a girl’s heart. And the blank spaces where you have run out of things to say, you can fill with hand-drawn kisses and hearts, which all help cupid point you in the right direction."  Sara Darling, Diary of a Fashion Darling