It's Been a Hearty Day!

I'm feelin' the love around these parts as my boys feverishly prepare for Valentine's Day. We had a pretty hearty day and I wanted to share. Things are really no different than you remember...

Believe it or not, the little paper Valentine's are still popular. My kids are going with the Incredible Hulk and Sports motifs this year.


They spent a messy afternoon decorating their Valentine Boxes for school. I still remember that feeling every year - I hope I get a Valentine! Now, as a mom, I know that the children have to give one to everyone...why didn't I get that as a child?



They helped bake and decorate cookies for Valentine's Day Parties. For cookie decorating tips to follow.

And, finally, they worked on special Valentine gifts for their teachers.

I came across this idea while browsing Just a girl's blog and knew it was the perfect project for us. An inexpensive, useful gift for a teacher, brilliant!

Here is what you need:

A clear bottle of hand sanitizer (Walmart $1.79)
Beading wire
Beads
Ribbon
Rub on transfers
Cardstock


Remove the label from the sanitizer by saturating the label with cooking oil and letting it sit for a few minutes. Then dunk it into hot soapy water and it should slide right off.

Make sure the bottle is well dried and apply the transfers. We found it easier to tape them in place before rubbing with the stick.


Now, use your own creativity to decorate the neck of the bottle with the beads and wire. You can thread the beads and make curls or bends to hold them in place. The kids will have fun with this part.


You can wind the wire around a pencil to create a curly cue

And make your own charms to hang by bending your own heart

See?

To finish it we added a card and tied a coordinating ribbon around the neck.

A Lovely Valentine

Are you still looking for a special gift for your Valentine? Bon Bon Oiseau has unveiled it's new line and recently announced a Valentine Recession Special Sale. There you can purchase bracelets, earrings, and necklaces with lockets (ooooooohhhhh!!! lockets!!!) 30% off! That's a deal, and your sweetie will thank you. Take a look at her "bon bons" here. She creates amazing delicate asymetrical pieces that are so lovely they make me swoon...

Happy Shopping!

Valentine's Day at Hope Studios

Though 90% of my business is custom, I like to have a few hand made, ready to ship items on hand for the last minute shopper when holidays roll around. This year, I gathered great inspiration from my contestants in my blog giveaway (there is still time to enter!!) The quotes they suggested were beautiful and inspirational. I couldn't resist painting some of them for this "holiday of love".

This 20x20 Memory Frame, in parchment, is my top seller of all time. I paint this frame at least once a week. The quote by A. A. Milne (the author of Winnie The Pooh), is lovely and I still feel a catch in my throat when I read it. "If you live to be a hundred, I want to live to be a hundred minus one day, so I never have to live without you."

I am a huge keeper of sentimental things. Last year's sweater gets tossed without a backward glance, but I have all of the cards my husband has ever given me along with other keepsakes such as movie ticket stubs, air plane tickets, notes... I think this Memory Box honors all of the special mementos we all save.


My Whimsy-girl came up with this one and it's a quote I've always loved but never painted before. In fact, the song inspired by the quote was one of our wedding songs as we started our lives together. It is such a profound request..."Grow old along with me". So beautiful painted on this 16x16 Memory Frame.

This 12x12 inch memory plaque was also inspired by a contest entry by Chris at Evidence of an Artistic Life. I love that it's short and sweet and to the point. Perfect for the person that makes you complete.

My frames are all hand painted. I do not use vinyl stickers or stencils.

These items can be purchased directly from me (jsneill@zoominternet.net) or through my Etsy shop. There is still time to place a custom order for Valentine's Day, though the deadline is coming up fast. Please have Valentine orders in by January 30th.