Vintage Amour

I"ve been trying to figure out how I want to decorate this year for Valentine's.  So, I decided to browse Etsy and see if I could find a theme. I think I found it.

 Vintage Amour.  

A little bit vintage.  A little bit french.

Also made a treasury list of my favorite finds found here.  Enjoy!

val·en·tine: [val-uhn-tahyn]

Dear favorite tools,

You’re so special

You do such nice things for me;

You love me just the way I am;

You make me happy as can be!

Today, I'm declaring my love to my favorite tools at Ribbon Scissors Studio.  Come on over and see what my favorites are and why I want them to be my Valentine.  What's your favorite tools?

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As you know, tassels are some of my favorite crafts to make, especially seasonal tassels.  Here are a few of the Valentine tassels I made this year.

This client gave me the silver heart that she wanted made into a tassel.  She also wanted dark red with light colors and to look simple and classy.   I added the heart as an embellishment to the hand stained finial for a very classy look.

This one was for fun since I've been on a Vintage art kick lately.  I love the beaded heart and extra fluffy tutu layer of tulle.

This one was not intended to be for Valentine's, but could work for it.  She wanted it silver and champagne for an everyday tassel to put on her dark wood banister finial.  I love the fullness, the colors and the topper of course! 

Custom orders are always fun!  I would love to make one for you too!

New Valentine Header

Feeling festive,
Feeling bright.

Feeling the need

to make my header just right.

I know, I know!  The poems that I can come up with are auh-mazing!

New valentine-ish header love using simple tutorial from made by the mama monster.

Paper Hanging Hearts Tutorial

This is an oldie, but a goodie tutorial that I did last year for Valentine's.  Super simple and pleasing to make.  I want to make a garland out of them this year. 

Click here for the full tutorial. 

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In other news, I'm joining this challenge. 

Paper Hearts Tutorial

Have an adorable, yet very bored kindergartener at your house*?  Here's a super cute, quick and easy Valentine's project that you can do together.

*The adorable, yet bored kindergartener is optional and not neccessary for this project.

Regular children, happy children or even no children at all yields similar results. :)

 

1.  Gather your supplies.  Paper cutter, old double-sided scrapbook paper in Kindergarteners choice, ribbon and a good stapler. 

2.  Cut paper into 1" strips.  Quite possibly the favorite part of the activity.

3.  Then cut those strips to two of each size - 12", 11", 10", 9" and 8".  

4.  Starting with your 12" strip, lay your 11" strip on top of it and so forth until you have stacked five strips.  Repeat so you have two stacks of five.  I alternated the pattern since we only used one style of paper.  These are especially cute in multi-colors.

5.  The stack the strips that your longest strip is back to back.  This the top of your heart.  It's important that you have the same pattern facing each other.  Staple about one inch up on the stack that are all the same length.  (I have also attached the hearts together with a hole punch and a brad with a piece of ribbon sandwiched in between to hang it from.  This method works best for attaching the ribbon.  Otherwise, you can glue a ribbon in-between the layers or thread it through after like I have done in this tutorial.)

6.  Bend down the strips so that it forms the heart shape.  You will want to make sure that all the layers match up flush to the base of your heart.  This makes the cute fan out layered heart.

7.  Do to both sides and staple or punch brad in it to hold.  Voila!  Super cute heart!

I threaded ribbon through the hearts to hang them.  This one was my little helpers favorite.  "Ooo!  It's SOOOOOOO bootiful!"  she exclaimed.

You can make them any size as long as you follow the basic directions.  The little one in the picture below was made with the scraps.   

I would love to see your hearts if you make them too.  Please send them my way!

Valentine's Banner and Tassels

When I found this Heidi Grace Valentine's fabric, I thought it would make a fun banner.  It was a scrapbook paper last year that I made some cute Valentine's out of.  Hot pink and black Valentine's graffiti = punk hotness.  Did you know a banner could be hot??  Me neither.  Now, if I could get it to stop rebelling and stay on the front window. 

I've been on the lookout for a heart shaped wreath form and I can not find one!  I have been to more craft stores than I care to admit.  I want to make a pink and black door hanging to go with my banner.  Kicking myself because I had picked up one at the thrift store a few weeks back but put it back because I was in no crafting mood and didn't want to add to my crafting mess even though it was on 75 cents.  Curses.

Keeping with the pink and black theme, I made myself a tassel.  Cute, no?  I'm all about the tuelle skirts. 

And that seem to light my tassel making fire because I whipped out three more.   Here's my favorite of the bunch.  Bronze, caramel and red toile goodness.

A vintage Valentine with pink feather boa.

Red beaded and sequined heart with polka dots.  Who doesn't love polka dots?

I'm not sure that I will list Valentine's on Etsy since I've been a slacker this month.  Can you believe it's nearly February?  Me neither!  Want one?  Just ask.  I'll do a reserved listing just for you.  Because you are special and I value your business.  I do have a load of new tassels to list as soon as I twist my favorite, very pregnant photographer finger into taking pictures for me. 

Valentines

It's no secret here, I love Valentine's Day.  I love the hearts and the lovey goodness.  Valentine's to me means handmade gifts and heart shaped candies. 

My kids love to draw.  The sonny loves to draw Star Wars battles and the girly-girl loves to draw love notes.  I would love to make them each a sketchbook.  Maybe something as simple as Design Mom's? 

The Family Fun website has a bunch of cute ideas.  I think the kids would all dig scratch and win Valentine's. 

Like the Ipod and of course, love the Robot Valentines.

I also want to make these sweet little felt envelopes found at Roots and Wings Co.  Simple and sweet and I can see the littles playing with them long after Valentine's Day has passed.

What about you?  Do you have any Valentine's traditions that you love to do?