Valentine Challenge

On the Cards blog, the next challenge is one where we are called to be inspired by this card. We could use any part of this card as our springboard. I decided it was a good time to make the hubby a valentine. I used the basic layout: an off-center tag with a sentiment, some white space at the top, a panel edged with a scallop. Because I needed to "man" the card up, I changed quite a few things of the original. I still included hearts because, yes, they are appropriate for my husband. Back in the day, when I was 19 and we were just starting to date, hearts were plentiful on my part.

I changed the color scheme a bit and went with cardstock over patterned paper. I used SU! Creamy Caramel and Ruby Red. The tag was a punchout from an SU! '05-'06 catalog. The tag sheets were based on color family, so this one was from the Earth Elements tag sheet. For the Ruby Red panel, I decided to pull out the Cuttlebug and do some embossing with my Textured Script embossing folder. Then, I used my SU! scallop edge punch for the textured Bazzill brown cardstock strip. I also used my SU! tag punch for the "Be Mine" sentiment, which was stamped with SU! Craft White. For the stitching, I paper punched the holes and then hand stitched some twine I got in an SEI kit. I felt the rough stitching was more "guylike." I used my Corner Chomper to round off my corners (similar to the sample card, but I did all four corners).

Size: 3 3/8 x 5 3/8"
Cardstock: SU! Creamy Caramel and Ruby Red, Bazzill textured brown
Punches: SU! scallop and tag
Ink: SU! Ruby Red
Stamps: SU! Party Punch and Weather or Not
Thread: SEI
Tag: SU! Earth Elements Tag Set

Valentine's Day for Husband

This is my Valentine for my Valentine. Short, but sweet. I used kraft cardstock, which is quickly becoming my favorite neutral. Kind of like the "Saws-All" of paper crafting, yes?

I also used some SEI patterned paper: Rochester from its Windsor collection. I used Heidi Swapp metallic self-adhesive chipboard hearts. The sentiment is from SU! Always, but I had a challenge stamping it. First it was crooked, then only part of it showed. Let's just say the panel of patterned paper was a lot smaller when I began. Finally, I opted for stamping the sentiment and then going over it with a fine tip pen. Looks almost like I wrote it, eh? I added some doodling to make it look like it was meant to look hand-drawn.

I inked the patterned paper and the card frame with SU! Basic Gray. For the inside of the card (also shown), I used SU! Happy Everything's "happy," and I then wrote "Valentine's Day" by hand.

I really like how simple this was... much bang for the buck. I also liked using some non-traditional colors for Valentine's Day.

Valentine's Day

Ah, feel the love. It's Valentine's Day again!

These pics are of the Valentines for my two year old's peers as well as the Valentine's for the adults in my life and the lives of my children. I did several variations of both until I got what I wanted.

Adult Valentine:

Cardstock: SU! Bordering Blue cut to 7 x 8 inches, scored at 4 inches (on the 8 inch width). Flap is two inches wide.

Stamps: Limitless Labels (Papertrey Ink), Bold Basics (SU!), Friendship Flowers (SU!)

Ink: SU! Not Quite Navy, Real Red, Bordering Blue

Extras: Shading of hearts done with sponge dauber and Bordering Blue ink. Flap border done with uniball Signo white gel pen.

Kid Valentine:

Size: 3 x 4 inches

Cardstock: Your basic white, red hues found in scraps

Embossing: Cuttlebug

Alphabet set: Making Memories rummage magnetic stamp alphabet

Embellishments: Hershey's Kisses (yum!)