Thursday, February 5, 2015

It's almost Valentine's Day!

Hi all!  I'm happy to have you visit.  Well, I'm over winter now and I'm so happy that it's the first week of February.   To me that means that March is that much closer!  And, happy day, my crocuses and daffodils are showing their green!!  Crocuses are my favorite flowers because they are the first ones I see in the late winter and early spring.  Of course, February also means Valentine's Day is right around the corner.  I've been thinking of what I'm going to make for dinner that night and what yummy heart shaped dessert I'll serve.  I always have made a special dinner and dessert for my family on Valentine's Day.  I spend the beginning of February planning and making things to celebrate this pretty bright day in the middle of a dull winter.  This year, there are still cards to be made and dinner to be planned but I took some time to make a Valentine card to put on the table in the family room.  Since the Frilly and Funkie blog has as their challenge theme "Be My Valen-twine"for the next few days I thought I would enter it in the challenge too. The "twine" is the requirement to use twine in whatever you make.  Here is what it looks like.




 I started with a piece of kraft card stock and used Wendy Vecchi's embossing paste and a new Memory Box stencil to make the background.  I tried a new-to-me technique I found on the very talented Astrid's blog.  While the embossing paste was still wet I sprinkled some of it with gold embossing powder and the rest with red glitter embossing powder and heated them.  I love the way the embossing paste bubbled and puffed.  I let the gold spill onto the red so I had a two toned embossing.   I cut a piece of red CS with the TH trellis die and used my finger to rub some gold Gilders' Paste on it.  I also rubbed Gilders Paste on the edge of the CS. I had the vintage Valentine clown image in my stash.  I wrapped the card with gold wrapped bakers' twine.  I glued the kraft CS to a striped paper that I had distressed and rubbed with Vintage Photo DI on the edge.  That was glued to a piece of red embossed CS which I rubbed with Gilders Paste.  Here are some details.


 
 
 


 So, there is my first Valentine for this year!  It looks great on the table. 

I have continued on with the #28patterns challenge which I talked about in this post

Here are two of the Zentangles I've posted the last couple of days.  



My initial done in Joanne Fink's Zenspirations style.
 
 
 
 
 
So, that's what I've been doing the last few days.  I think the Muse is beginning to wake up!  Must be seeing those crocus and daffodil leaves!!
 
 
Thank you so much for visiting with me today.  I hope you have a wonderful and creative day!




10 comments:

  1. Great to see your muse waking up with the bulbs :-) The trellis and the striped, tattered paper are the two details I zoned right in on. What a sweet Valentine! And the M zentangle with the touches of green ~ wonderful!
    Your family must really enjoy your Valentine's Day dinner, with all the thought you put into it. We don't have a regular way to celebrate in my little family, but when I was growing up my mom would make nothing but desserts for Valentine's Day dinner. We thought that was the best, especially on a school night :-)

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  2. What a gorgeous card - I love the striped paper and the embossed hearts, and the little image you've chosen is adorable. Fantastic zentangles again - the patterns are amazing and look so tricky to do - I love the squishy squares that look like 4 legged starfish! I'm so glad the early hints of spring are getting you in the creative mood again, and I hope you have a wonderful family Valentines day.

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  3. Your card is beautiful! I love the red and gold and your striped background. Your hearts pop with the embossing paste and powder...I will have to visit Astrid's blog.

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  4. Wow!! Love the card as always - but am really loving the new zentangle!!! I adored your zantangle heart from the previous post with the darling ruffled border and the sweet little hearts!! Miss that Queen's Ink!!!!

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  5. Hi Maryanne! I love your happiness and I can feel the excitement at your home for Valentine's Day! I think your dinner is going to be absolutely fantastic. And I love the fact that March is on its way, too. Crocuses have always been my favorite flower, too! I actually had a snow globe with crocuses peaking through the snow!!! And I absolutely love your V-Day card. It is so beautiful - thanks for showing us how you made it. Your Zantangles are always amazing, too. Thank you so much for sharing your talents with all of us, my friend!!! HUGS to you!!!!

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  6. Fabulous Valentine creation. Love the embossing and the fun vintage image. Thanks for joining us at Frilly and Funkie.
    Hugs!
    Cec.

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  7. Love your Valentine, Maryanne! What a sensational heart stencil - love all the different size hearts and the random pattern. Very cool work with the embossing pastes and powders and of course, I love your vintage image. Totally made me smile. Love your Joanne Fink style letter too. She was on my flight going out to Anaheim for CHA and we shared a cab from the airport. Always a pleasure to have you joining in the fun with us at Frilly and Funkie!

    Hugs,
    Linda

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  8. I love how you celebrate every Holiday, and add to the festivities with your handmade art! I just love your initial - it would make for an awesome log...so original!

    Hoping you stay warm in the coming days, as there is one heck of a nasty cold front coming through tomorrow!!,

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  9. Oh Maryanne this is beautiful! I love how you've altered the hearts in the background. Thank you for joining us at Frilly and Funkie. Jenny x

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  10. this is so gorgeous, loving all the stunning detail .. beautiful x

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