What About Love...
Let me just say...I don't really hate Valentine's Day. I just find it slightly annoying. If you love someone, you should let them know all year round....not just on Valentine's day! The day is completely jammed down our throats, I barely had time to take down my Christmas lights. As soon as the new year began...hearts and candy began to choke the aisles of my neighborhood convenience store. And I might just throw up if I see another Jared commercial!
Ok, so my mini rant is over...I feel better getting that off my chest! Anyway, I thought it might be interesting to highlight a few etsy artists that have some "anti-valentine's day" items. The one thing that I love about etsy is that you will probably find something cool, interesting, and definately one of a kind!
Warm Fuzzy Valentine
Here's a quick little Valentine's decoration with a twist: It holds chocolate!
Materials
- Felt
- Fabric glue
- Needle and thread
- Embroidery floss
- Pins
- Scissors
- Ribbon
- Chocolate!
Steps
Cut heart shapes out of felt. I cut two sizes, one for the front sides of the pockets that will hold the chocolate, to decorate the pockets with. Glue (or sew, if you prefer) the smaller decorative hearts to the larger (pocket) hearts (you can also do this second step later; I just happened to do it at this point).
Pin the front sides of the pockets to their corresponding backs. Using embroidery floss, sew most of the way around, leaving the top open (pic below is out of sequence).
Fill the pockets with chocolate and hang (use push-pins, magnets, or sew a ring to the top of the ribbon -- I used magnets to attach my chocolate-pocket heart garland to a lamp).
Pin large hearts onto another piece of felt and cut around it to create the back sides of the pockets.
Set front sides of pockets aside and lay the back sides out in a line.
Measure out a piece of ribbon and position lay it on top of your row of pocket-backs. Pin in place
Sew (or glue, if you prefer) the ribbon to the pocket-backs.
Pin the front sides of the pockets to their corresponding backs. Using embroidery floss, sew most of the way around, leaving the top open (pic below is out of sequence).
Fill the pockets with chocolate and hang (use push-pins, magnets, or sew a ring to the top of the ribbon -- I used magnets to attach my chocolate-pocket heart garland to a lamp).
Send a Valentine: Share Your Love 2012
Today, Etsy announced the return of their Special Delivery campaign - Share Your Love 2012. Etsy will once again partner with Citymeals-on-Wheels to bring nutritious meals & companionship to elderly New Yorkers with a little surprise...a Valentines' Day card from you.
Check out details on how to get involved, where to send your cards & any dos or don't here. Since K. Batty Design & Stationery is my name & cards are my game, I'm super excited to participate in this & pledge to send 20 cards. Maybe more! I love the opportunity to bring up the spirits of a fellow New Yorker.
I hope you'll join me in bringing some cheer with Etsy & Citymeals-on-Wheels!
PS If you're still gazing at your holiday cards & wondering what to do with them, check out Sara's post from the other day on how they can be upcycled for charity.
Kerry
What Makes Valentine's Day Sweet To You
If you can't get enough Valentine's Day, then today is your lucky day! Get your fill of sweetness from The {NewNew} and then check out some of our friends and their blogs about this notorious day of romance, flowers and of course sweets.
Andrea Davis: Pure Food Nutrition: Valentine’s Day Chocolate: Good & Good for You?
Ann Mehl: A Man and His Word on Valentine’s Day
Artists & Fleas: Gift Guide: From Brooklyn-Tough Love, Show Your Love, and Lovely Little Licks, Bites & Nibbles
The Bitchy Waiter: F*ck Cupid
Brooklyn Flea: You Gotta Have Heart
The Experimental Gourmand: Valentine’s Day Special Dinner
Hell’s Kitchen Flea Market: A Blog Affair to Remember
Markets of New York City: Love is in the Air: Three Great Valentine’s Dates at the Markets
Metalicious Jewelry: Well Hello February
Kumquat Cupcakery: My Messy Pink Kitchen
Did I mention sweets? Chocolate and conversation hearts, what more could you ask for? Maybe a lot of them. Did you know.....
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| A bowl just waiting to be filled with conversation hearts by LennyMud |
- More than 36 MILLION heart shaped boxes of candy will be given and received this year. (www.sugarstand.com)
- About 8 BILLION candy hearts will be made. If you put them all side by side they would reach from the city of romance, Rome, all the way to Valentine Arizona -- not just once mind you, 20 times and back again! (www.iowastatedaily.com)
- Those candy conversation hearts have been around a long time. NECCO, the maker of them, started putting those catchy little phrases on them all the way back in 1866, and we've been in love with them ever since. (Sweethearts: The Continued Success of America's Favorite Valentine's Candy, 2010)
Of course, candy is only one of thing that makes Valentine's Day sweet for The {NewNew}, when I posed the question I found out there was a whole lot more.
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| Home is Where The Heart is by JDavisStudio |
Lorrie's mom made the day special by summoning the Valentine's Day Pixie. The Pixie is a magical creature that would ring the doorbell several times over the course of the day and leave presents on the doorstep. Today, Lorrie shares the same tradition with her kids.
Alton's mom and her Valentine's day tradition are actually the driving force behind him starting his stationery design studio. Every year Alton's mom would give him and his sisters a box of valentine cards to share with classmates. Those little cards with cupid, hearts and sweet sayings were Alton's introduction to stationery beyond birthday cards. It was the holiday of love that inspired Alton's love of stationery.
Jill's mom started sending her special Valentine's day care packages back in college and still does today. They are filled will fun things like candy, silly jewelry, even the occasional McDonalds gift card. Way to go Jill's Mom!
Jill's mom started sending her special Valentine's day care packages back in college and still does today. They are filled will fun things like candy, silly jewelry, even the occasional McDonalds gift card. Way to go Jill's Mom!
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| I Do Card by Alton Weekes |
With the view of the New York skyline in the night time sky Loli's best friend surprised her by popping the big question.
Now Angel, has a bit of a different story. She got married not just on Valentines day 2003, but on the 5 am Eyewitness News along with 4 other couples! She found out on Monday that she'd be getting married on Friday at Tavern on the Green in Central Park all expenses paid. Now that's what I call one sweet Valentines Day!
Since The {NewNew} is an Etsy team made up of the best and brightest artists and designers in the tri-state New York craft scene, it is no surprise that DIY valentines are high on the list of sweet things about the day. Nothing makes Simone, from Groundsel, smile more on Valentine's day than a handmade valentine. Anne from Felt It loves making valentines for family and friends with her three year old. Each year her daughters designs become more creative and intricate, I bet it won't be long before she has an Etsy shop. Jennifer from MellowBeing recalls Valentine's day as a time to make valentines for her mom and friends.
Dinner, mix tapes and wearing red made the sweet list among {NewNew'ers} too.
Jody at AStudioByTheSea makes Valentine's day sweet by planning a special night out with her husband of 23 years. But they do it a little different, they skip the February 14th crowds and inflated dinner prices and celebrate at a fancy restaurant a day or so off. What a great idea, we may just do that this year too!
Sara from S2 Stationery and Design has mixed feelings about the holiday but has a great tradition of making a mix CD she calls the "Love Mix" and shares it with friends. It's her way to let them know that she supports and loves them no matter what.
Lisa from Pretty Stationery loves that Valentine's day is close to Chinese New Year so she gets to wear red and eat candy for two weeks.
And finally, Stephanie from MulryJewels finds sweetness on Valentines day by simply remembering and being thankful for all the love in her life, romantic and otherwise.
Wishing you all the sweetest Valentine's day.
Holly / EllisDesign
Since The {NewNew} is an Etsy team made up of the best and brightest artists and designers in the tri-state New York craft scene, it is no surprise that DIY valentines are high on the list of sweet things about the day. Nothing makes Simone, from Groundsel, smile more on Valentine's day than a handmade valentine. Anne from Felt It loves making valentines for family and friends with her three year old. Each year her daughters designs become more creative and intricate, I bet it won't be long before she has an Etsy shop. Jennifer from MellowBeing recalls Valentine's day as a time to make valentines for her mom and friends.
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| Love painting by LennyMud |
Jody at AStudioByTheSea makes Valentine's day sweet by planning a special night out with her husband of 23 years. But they do it a little different, they skip the February 14th crowds and inflated dinner prices and celebrate at a fancy restaurant a day or so off. What a great idea, we may just do that this year too!
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| Te Amo Card by S2 Stationery and Design |
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| The perfect notebook for February by CardsinStitches |
And finally, Stephanie from MulryJewels finds sweetness on Valentines day by simply remembering and being thankful for all the love in her life, romantic and otherwise.
Wishing you all the sweetest Valentine's day.
Holly / EllisDesign
Tutorial: I Love You Messenger Bag Pattern for Toddlers
Last year, while coping with severe sleep deprivation due to the birth of my second daughter just a few months earlier, I came up with this Valentine-project-worthy pattern during the 3am feeding. This is a sweet, fast project that can serve as a fun gift for the little toddlers in your life.
I Love You Messenger Bag Pattern for Toddlers
© 2010 Windows of Agate
Materials
- Outer fabric, enough for 2 hearts
- Inner fabric, enough for 2 hearts
- Interfacing, enough for 2 hearts
- Button
- Thin string or ribbon, 6 inches long
- Thicker string or ribbon for shoulder strap, about 28 inches long
Instructions
- Draw a heart pattern on card stock or stiff cardboard and use the template to cut 2 hearts from outer fabric, 2 hearts from inner fabric, and 2 hearts from the interfacing.
- Iron interfacing onto the wrong side of the outer fabric.
- With wrong sides together, place one of the outer fabric hearts on top of one of the inner fabric hearts. Sew around the heart leaving a 1/2 inch seam allowance. Leave 1 inch unsewn toward the bottom of the heart - this gap will allow you to turn it inside out.
- Repeat step #3 with the second set of hearts, only sew the thin string or ribbon in a loop at the top of one side of the heart (where you want the loop to fasten to the button). The loop should be sewn in between the two hearts with the loop on the inside of the two hearts.
- Cut notches along the curved part of the hearts, being careful not to cut into your sewing line.
- Turn both hearts inside out through the one inch gap and iron.
- With inner hearts facing each other, sew the two pieces together starting at the bottom of the two curves of the heart with a 1/4 seam allowance. Sew along the curved part of the heart that does not have the loop and insert one side of the thicker string or ribbon for the shoulder strap. Continue along the bottom and up along the other side of heart and stop where the heart starts to curve again.
- Sew on a button so that the loop can close over the button. This serves as a clasp for the bag.
- Sew the other shoulder strap on the inner heart that has the loop.
- Stick a fun gift from the {NewNew} team in the bag and give it to your favorite little friends! Type "newnewteam" in the search bar on the Etsy.com website to find a great variety of cards, toys, prints, jewelry, and other fantastic Valentine-themed items from your very own New York metro area artisans.
Karina Glaser