Valentine Cards

 For my Valentines this year, I used a couple of ideas I picked up from Dave of Memory Box Fame! On my owl cards for my grandsons, I used the idea of partial die cutting so that a fold out can slip up under the red heart. The felt owls were a little kit I picked up at Joann's and glued together. I used my Spellbinders heart for the big red heart and Memory box hearts for the white trim (cut from white label paper for easy adhesion). Jessica asked Jason how it opens and he didn't even realize that it did open....but then he is a guy!

 For my other valentine, I used the six fold card Splitcoaststampers had in their Jan 4 Inkling, only I changed it to a four fold card. I wanted to use the vertical strip of cupcakes from decorative paper I was using and also simplify the card a little. I used a photo inside the card of a cupcake I had taken at Allison's house and the front was stamped with white Stazon ink and details added using Beads in a Bottle.

 I used the white die cut on label paper on this card as well, on the left hand flap. I added a little confetti inside the fold as I love confetti!

 I have been gone ALOT this year. I think since before Christmas, I have been home one week one time and then one day another! We just returned home at midnight last night from a week and a half on the road, so going through the mail this morning was delightful, with all these great valentines!

 The first one is from my daughter, Allison. She does not have a lot of supplies for paper crafting but she did have a heart punch. I think she hand cut the letters for LOVE....I couldn't tell they were hand cut, but she emailed me that she needed a cricut to do them, so I assume she hand cut them...they look great!  It just shows that no matter how few supplies you have, you can make a handmade card if you try....I LOVE my valentine, Allison! (Allison did tell me later that she purchased the heart punch and paper specifically for Valentines this year and that for the letters, she used the computer to make her patterns and Craig helped her cut them out....thanks to Craig also!)

 My friend, Laura, knows I love neat folds and she sent me the card below....I have not seen this idea before, so I MUST write Laura and get the details so I can share them with you. I can see this used so many different ways! Love the color scheme also! So, so pretty!

I heard from Laura and she said it is a cascading card, which has also been on Splitcoaststampers. It can be made with cardstock base 12 inches wide or 10.5.
http://mississippi-mcgyver.blogspot.com/2012/01/interlocking-folded-card.html shows how to do the smaller width and there is a gallery of ideas at SCS Challenge TLS362.

 Next is my beautiful card from Tina. She has used cloth as a background (the pink and white striped) and oh so many details! I counted ten layers on the top portion of the card....yet she wrote me "I almost didn't send you one because mine are too basic"....OMW (oh my word!) if this card is basic, mine are elementary! It is absolutely beautiful!

 Love, love all the inking on the edges and the layers and the variety of textures...Love everything about it! I really like the key saying as I have die for keys that that would work great with!

 My friend Kathy sent me this lovely card with more of my favorites....die cuts, embossing (dry and wet) and coloring with copics! She seems to find stamps that are a little different like the turtle with heart shell and a bird on top. I am always anxious to see what Kathy comes up with.

 Kathy always has nice details in her cards as well, like the strip of color inside the card and the little punch on the liner. I think we used the same Spellbinders die on our card fronts.

My husband doesn't know when Valentines Day is (really!....one year he said, well it isn't until the 19th!) and he will be out of town on Tuesday so I am SO HAPPY to have all these beautiful cards to enjoy! I hope you enjoyed seeing them and picked up some ideas!
My Valentine's Day will consist of trips to the doctor....dentist, eye doctor and general practitioner....my way of showing love to myself I guess!
Hope each of you have a wonderful Valentine's Day!!!