Key To My Heart

Have you ever started making a card and then right from the beginning you know it's going to be a challenge? That's what happened while making this one. I love this duplex cardstock because it has a nice feel to it. However, you have to be very careful when folding your card and using your bone folder. I don't recommend using a scorer with this paper either. After I had the card ready to go I noticed a few bumps on my fold. I didn't want to waste the paper (I hate doing that!), so I inked the edges and lo and behold it worked magic! I liked how it looked, so I went ahead and inked around the heart also. After I had the whole card put together, I think the black edging gave it a more dramatic look. I also didn't think the card even needed a sentiment. It's become one of my favorites of all the Valentine ones I've made so far.

Products used for this card: Duplex Cardstock in Red/White, Bazzill Cardstock in White, Blackbird & Dotted Swiss in Ballet, May Arts Sheer Nylon Edge Ribbon in White & Burlap Fiber in Black, Sizzix Large Valentine Bigz Die - Heart & Key, Hero Arts Pearl Gemstones & Memento Ink in Tuxedo Black.

Versatile Stamp Set

The Hero Arts "What's Cookin'" stamp set proved to be pretty versatile when I created this card yesterday. The 'Sweetie Pie' stamp fit perfectly for a Valentine card.

I had to change up the colors for this card. I love red, I don't generally use pink and I've been using it alot lately. I like pink with black and gray, but the red and pink combination is really starting to get to me! If it was up to me, every holiday card would have black and earthtones in them. And then again...who's to say they can't?

Products used for this card: Duplex Cardstock in Red/White, Bazzill Cardstock in White, Blackbird, Parakeet & Cardinal, Sizzix Stacking Lace Heart Set Die, Hero Arts "What's Cookin'" Stamp Set - CL333, Crop-A-Dile by We R Memory Keepers & Large Black Eyelets, Patterned Paper by BasicGrey - Fruit Salad & Pear Tart from the Nook & Pantry Collection & Creative Imaginations - Cherry Gingham from the Miss Elle Collection, May Arts Solid 2 Tone Ribbon in Red/Green.

Another Sizzix Bigz Die

I created this card yesterday at Paper Studio. I think I'm setting a record for myself of how many Valentine cards I can make. I've created several in the last few weeks, that I am posting little by little. Actually, considering I've only been making cards for about 14 months, this is a lot of Valentine cards.

Products Used For This Card:

Duplex Cardstock in Red/White, Patterned Paper by Heidi Grace Designs - Valentine's Day Decor Stripe, Sizzix Bigz Die - Hugs & Kisses W/Flower, Bazzill Cardstock in Parakeet & Dotted Swiss in Salt, Hero Arts Gemstones in Citron & Lavender.

I came across this quote this morning that I thought I'd share: "Your day goes the way the corners of your mouth turn". Anonymous. It's not always easy to remember that.

Valentine Card

Here's another Valentine card I designed at Paper Studio. It's a pretty simple design, but gets the point across. I used the large Valentine original die from Sizzix called Hearts, Tandem.

The center hearts are popped up using foam dots to give the card some dimension. I stamped the word "Love" and then outlined it using silver Stickles. I thought the card needed a little shimmer.

Products used for this card: Duplex Cardstock in Red/White, Sizzix Large Valentine Original Die - Heart, Tandem, Stickles in Silver, Sizzix Clear Stamps "Valentine Wishes" by ScrappyCat, Magenta Paper by The Piece, Bazzill Dotted Swiss in Salt, Patterned Paper by Heidi Grace called Valentine's Day Decor Stripe.

Thinking About Valentine's Day

I've been creating Valentine's Day cards at work, so I thought I'd start sharing them little by little. These are the first Valentine cards I've ever made. Some I like better than others, but I'll post all of them and let you decide which ones you like. I thought I'd start off with the one I made yesterday. I think it's my favorite so far.

I used one of the Large Valentine Original Dies from Sizzix called Frame, Lace Heart. This is a pretty versatile die and I think you could get alot of use out of it year round. It might not be a bad die to add to your die collection if you use a Sizzix Machine. I might have to think of getting one myself. I think it would make a fun way to frame pictures on a scrapbook layout.

Here's a side view so you can see how the middle heart is popped up to give the card some dimension.

Stay tuned for more posts with Valentine's cards. Have a fantastic day!

Products used for this card: Duplex Cardstock in Red, May Arts Ribbon: Solid 2 Tone in Red/Green, Sheer Nylon in Olive, Burlap Fiber in Red, Sizzix Clear Stamps "Valentine Wishes" by ScrappyCat, Large Valentine Original Dies-Frame, Lace Heart, Patterned Paper "Old Fashioned Courtship" from Marks Paper Company, Hero Arts Gemstones in Red, Making Memories Paper Edger.