Making Valentine Cards from what I have

I had to quickly make Valentines and only with what I had around.  I really should be quilting but this also HAD to get done. 

So I pulled out all my scraps, bits, ribbons, sparkles and anything heart shape I could fine... and there was lot. 

These fun vintage Valentines -free printables - I found online. I printed one page and got to work with them first. 

Punched out some tiny hearts from leftover gold from last week's cards...

Even got out some saved Christmas cards I got this past holiday. 

Ohhh could I create from the cutouts I had from Halloween too? Sure.

Here is what I came up with...

They were completed, addressed and in the mail by 2pm!  You still have time too to make a few cards. Go for it!

Time to quilt and to inspire me I put in the movie How to Make an American Quilt to listen to in the background. 

peace

Valentine craft day - two for a toddler and one for someone who can use a hot glue gun

 I was lucky to have a day with one of my grandsons.   He is so mellow and just enjoys life that it creates a great day all around him. (okay, I am his Grandma Eli but really, it's true)

He had a buddy ready to do crafts with us. 

The first craft is nothing new, unless you are a three year old boy who just learned today what a volcano is!   We put glittery pieces and baking soda together in a small jar. Place the small jar in another container and poured in white vinegar and whammo!  It blew up everywhere. He loved it. I think next time I will use valentine cupcake sprinkles in place of the glitter so it dissolves easily. 

He loved it and gasped as it blew over the sides.  We saved some so he could repeat it with his parents. 

Next we used old valentine prints. 

and popsicle sticks and wax paper. 

We laid out four popsicle sticks lengthwise. 

Cut a piece of wax paper the same length plus an inch or two. 

Cut the wax paper lengthwise.

Glue the sticks to the top.

Fold each section. 

Pick out some valentine pictures and we glued facedown. 

Stand it up and it will naturally shape into a cube. 

Glue the inch edge to the last side to form and connect the cube. 

We put in a fake candle and set in the bathroom to see if it worked. 

It did! 

Next was an adult craft but I had my grandson pick out the decorations. 

Here it is . It is done the same way we did the tea cup crafts and new year's champagne bottle.  I will probably make one each month - smile.  Here are past ones, check out the blog for the how-to. 

peace 

February! - A Valentine Craft , What I am reading and Feather Friend

February and March are usually our coldest and snowiest months. Today we had a warm and sunny day, prefect for St Brigid Day.  The dog was itching to go walk and run the field. 

Today is First Friday. We began the day with a meditative and prayer walk. It was a chilly start!  The walk went more quickly than I wanted... it looked beautiful with the sun but I was not expecting the 33* to actually feel like it today. It did get up to a much warmer 55*. 
`

The long cold nights of winter are great for sitting in front of the fireplace and long hot baths, both perfect for reading. What I am reading.

We are inching our way toward Valentines Day... We'll see what I can come up with for the celebration.  Today I came up with Love Trees - I found these free printables over at Dating Divas.  I used them differently than they did and as I made this , I thought of many more things I could use these printables for.  Here is what I made today...

Free Printable...

Free Printable …..

…. and what I made. Simply cut out and glued the tree to the song verse paper.  Then punched out a bunch of paper hearts, glued them in place and put in a frame from the Dollar Store. 

No matter how many times we see them we still get excited.  This one came to visit early this morning. 

peace 

Fun with old books, Valentine project day 11, kitchen bar and dinner

A friend of mine brought in an old cooking book from the early 1940's.  It was so much fun to browse through and look up a few recipes.

Today, I move a clever little dresser to the kitchen to set up a coffee bar and free up room on the kitchen counters.  I like it. 

Day 11 for Valentine projects.  This one is for bird lovers. I saw this idea on Graphic Fairy and just elaborated on it. I know someone who likes to watch birds and may like to have this gift. It is a canning jar filled with bird seed and decorated with a bird from the Dollar Store. 

Pork Shoulder was for dinner. I rubbed all sides with Pink Himalaya Salt, pepper, and rosemary I grew last year. In a Dutch Oven I browned all sides with a tablespoon of oil. 

Popped it in a heated 400* oven for 20 mins. Then lowered to 300* and headed for mass. 

Two hours later we had this beauty.  This was from a pig we traded for two milk goats. 

Dinner was all homegrown except the potatoes. Pork, pickled beans, green beans and potatoes. 

Tender and perfect. 

It is suppose to snow tonight and lightly in the morning. It has been so extremely warm (we broke a record yesterday at 80* and grass fires are sprouting up due to a flicked cigarette in the dry grasslands. Snow will be welcome relief. 

peace