Stitched Valentines

Valentine's Day has always been a favorite of mine.

I love the idea of a day set aside for loving those who have left an impression on our life.

I know that some people snub the idea of a planned day for organized affection-giving, 

but I have to admit... I'm a fan.

In recent years, I have become intrigued by stitched paper art. 

I know that glue will do the trick, but I really love the effect that stitches have on stationery.

It adds texture and interest.

I decided to surrender to my inspired ideas and create a few stitched valentines  this year...

I gathered paper from my stash that provided inspiration.

I made a bookmark for my bookworm daughter and zig-zagged a pocket holder.

Next, I cut 3 small hearts (an inspiration from Martha Stewart) and sewed them to a torn flat card.  I mounted the card onto dark pink card stock for contrast.

I really love the 3D effect of the hearts:

I wanted to experiment with a black background for POP!

I sewed the edge where the hot pink paper meets the black with a zig-zag stitch.

I cut out a small flower and used a straight stitch to attach it to the valentine:

Finally, I wrapped a flat card in polka dot paper and mitre cut the edges on the backside 

so they almost met.

Next, I stitched the paper to the card in a zig-zag stitch.

Before finishing the stitching, I made a small "love" tag to insert into the stitch:

Zippity-zap!

In about an hour, I created several stitched valentines that 

I'm excited to fill with words of affection and deliver on February 14th.

In the words of the adorable James Taylor,

"Shower the people you love with love.

Show them the way you feel."

Love, live, and create intentionally,

Kristi