On The Making of Valentines

My goodness it's been quiet here on the blog these past few weeks. I truly am sorry Dear Reader but I needed a break after my week as a 50's housewife, and then right after that I visited my family down in Seattle for ten days. It was a wonderful time, and I hope to share those times with you later this week, so be watching out for that post!

Right before leaving to Seattle however, I got the prettiest piece of mail! You see my dear friend and penpal Jaclyn (of Mail & Breakfast fame) just opened an Etsy store delightfully called "Leaving a Paper Trail"! You wouldn't believe the cute things she has over there, so you should probably go and see just for yourself - I promise you'll be happy you did!

Well as soon as she opened it I was so excited, and of course with Valentine's Day being so near I picked out a Valentine's day themed package, filled with the perfect things to craft some Valentines. And how sad I was when it came right before I left for Seattle! I wanted to start using those darling decorations right now! Oh well. I would have to wait, but I laid every single thing out on my counter so I could admire it all, and just look at her darling packaging! Jaclyn is just amazing at putting lovely mail together!

I mean, how can you not be happy looking at the contents? Doesn't it just make you smile?

In this Valentine's Day themed package were postcards, envelopes, washi tape samples, confetti, labels, fancy stick-on jewels and pearls, and all sorts of ephemera for crafting! If you're reading this right now and thinking "That's all fine and dandy Miss Emily, but I can't craft something worth a hoot." Don't worry! "Leaving a Paper Trail" has pre-made envelopes, beautiful hand-crafted postcards, and pocket letter kits (Don't know what a pocket letter is? You're missing out! Click hear to learn more.). Let's get on to the crafting shall we?

As I said above, I had to wait what seemed like forever to be able to dig into that pile of red and pink, But I'm glad I waited, as I found the cutest scrapbooking paper in Washington! 

Now, if while looking at the following pictures makes you think "Wow, she's such a mess maker!", please know that my sister Bethany is out there somewhere nodding her head and agreeing with you. I like to craft with everything laid out in front of me, is that so terrible? Haha!

The only other things I used to make these Valentine's (besides what was included in my order from "Leaving a Paper Trail") were the papers I bought in Seattle along with a bit of colored baker's twine - and some tape and glue of course! I have written poems for Quinn and his family since we'll be having a party come Valentine's Day. Since my mother-in-law Melissa is an avid reader of my blog and might be reading along at this very moment I won't share those poems now (though if you'd like I can share them after the party!). And Melissa if you are reading STOP! I don't want you to see these Valentine's before the big reveal! 

And now that that's over with, let's continue! 

The scrapbooking papers I bought in Seattle had the silliest sayings! I'm sure you'll laugh right along with me as we work our way through making them. The glittery washi tapes Jaclyn included in the package were the perfect colors to go with the paper I bought - which hadn't been planned at all! Score one for us!

I think Valentines need to be at least a little sparkly, so the tapes and the red gems were the perfect touch, wouldn't you agree? In this photo above I was trying to decide if I liked the purple star under the wording of the Valentine, but I decided to do a different charm there instead.

And now a poem from my poetry journal:

Red, white & pink with lacy trim,

Signing anonymously on a whim.

"From me to you,

with love most true."

Unfortunately, even if I sign these Valentines anonymously Quinn's family will still know they're from me! Haha!

And now for my favorite Valentine, because that saying is just the cutest!

"Never mind love, I'd rather fall in chocolate!"

I also love the 50's style prom queen on the card! For this one I used a strand of the pearls, along with all the cuteness I could fit on to it! I'm crossing my fingers that the recipient will check the "Yes" box, haha!

The only downside to making Valentines with Quinn taking pictures is that of course he sees the one I'm making for him! He was a good sport about it though, and the poem inside will still be a big surprise, so he still has something to look forward to!

For his Valentine I used some of the shiny confetti, it was in the perfect red and black to match the design on the paper!

Mental Note: I think I need to get a dress like that...

I went a little overboard on the shiny/sparkly things on this card, but it's for Quinn - and he truly is my Prince Charming so he deserves all the sparkle! And how lucky I was that the gold washi tape matched the gold on the paper perfectly! 

The last card I made took me quite a while. So long did I sit silently staring at the blank card that Quinn asked "Is everything okay?" The paper for this Valentine had quite a bit of blank space in one corner and I wasn't sure what to use to cover it. But after sifting through the pretty things from Jaclyn I found the perfect thing! What do you think of my choice?

The envelope was perfect for the mail man pictured on the card! It even has a little piece of white cardstock in it so you can write a message on it, isn't that clever? 

That's five Valentines over and done with, and I still have so much material! I didn't even get to use my favorite pieces from the package, the victorian paper cutouts! I guess that means I'll be making more Valentines! After all, Quinn and his family won't mind getting several more, right? So tell me! What do you think of the finished Valentines, let me know which one is your favorite in the comments below! And don't forget to go check out Jaclyn's lovely store "Leaving a Paper Trail"! You'll love it, I promise!

 

P.S. - This bowl of Valentine's Day candy was full a day ago. Oh dear... And if you're wondering who ate all the mini Snickers bars...it wasn't me!

Tune in later this week to hear about my trip to Seattle, and maybe see the barn decorated for Valentine's Day! Until next time Dear Reader, have a wonderful day!