Free Printable – Happy Valentine's Day Cards

The perfect accompaniment to any card is a cute little box of candy. Instructions to make origami boxes are from this book.

I've designed two Valentine's Day greeting cards free for you to download and print yourself. There is just one pdf to download, with one of each card per 8.5 x 11 inch page (see below for a preview). Click here or image below to download.

Simply print it out, cut along the dotted line and then fold in half. Each finished card is 5.5 x 4.25 inches. Make sure to print with Page Scaling set to "None".

If you have a lot of valentines ;) or are just looking for something different, stay tuned because I will be posting more designs as the holiday approaches. Also, check out last year's free Valentine's Day card.

Pierre Kitty Cat

I saw a knitted cat in a boutique last month. It was way out of my price range and I immediately decided that I could make one myself. (Check out the original here.) So admittedly, this is a total knockoff. I already had all of the supplies on hand so the only cost was time.

I knit this in the round using size 7 double pointed needles and Loops & Threads Cotton Club yarn. This is the same yarn I used for my cotton baby moccasins. The double pointed needles were kind of slow going so I'd like to try another animal on straight needles (also one size smaller) and then sew it together.

Friday Faves – Jan 20

Font: Ostrich Sans Rounded

My favorite font of the week, from The League of Movable Type, is simple yet bold. I used it in some Valentine's Day cards that I will be posting soon (check back in on Monday).

 

This stuffed penguin from the Purl Bee is so adorable (photo from Purl Bee). I can't wait to make one. I just finished making a knitted kitty-cat that I will be showing you soon (so cute!). I'm afraid making little animals could become addictive.


More things to check out:

Elegant Paper Wreath from Stylelist
Downton Abbey on PBS.org (Seriously good. I feel sad every time an episode ends.)
Yarn covered wire letters from Family Chic (via Stylelist)
McCall's sewing patterns M6512 and M6520. These patterns are basic, beautiful and provide lots of options.

Thursday Thriftday - Jan 19

Craft from the Past - Paper Covered Boxes

I decorated these little boxes ages ago. They are great for holding jewelry, makeup or other knick-knacks. And you can customize it them to fit any style. I purchased paper board boxes from the craft store (see one in the pic below) and then covered them in paper. For the box above, I used scraps of magazines arranged into a flower pattern for the top. For the sides of the lid and bottom, I used overlapping rectangle shapes.

For the box with the lavender patterned paper, I wrapped the side of the bottom with a long rectangle of paper. For the lid, I glued a circle larger than the lid to the top. Then to cover the sides of the lid, I snipped the paper to the rim (like when clipping a curved seam in sewing), folded the paper over the sides, letting it overlap, glued in place and then trimmed away any excess.

Book Review – Modern Paper Crafts

 I received Modern Paper Crafts by Margaret Van Sicklen for Christmas. It features a variety of unique and inventive paper projects. The photos are beautiful and the instructions are clear. The spiral binding is also ideal for reading and crafting.

 I love the subtle beauty of the Chevron Wall Decor from the folding chapter.

 The Pleated Lamp Shades are amazing. 

 First off I made some Treat Boxes. I've made this kind of box before. They are fun, easy to make and a bit addictive (so much so that I once used them to wrap Christmas presents). You can use a smaller piece of paper to make the lid so that it still shows the sides of the bottom box (see the two boxes on the bottom of the stack above). Sizing the lid to fit the bottom of the box can be a little tricky. I haven't figured out the perfect ratio of paper size and folds so it's a game of chance but is based on folding the sides short of the middle.

I also made a few of the Organizer Trays using scrapbook paper and card stock. When completed, these boxes show both the right and wrong side of the paper. Choose a double sided paper or make one using the instructions in the book.

The boxes were easy to put together and the perfect inspiration for cleaning up and organizing a messy drawer. Before and after above.

Work In Progress - Retro Rib Socks

Retro Rib Socks pattern by Evelyn A. Clark, featured in the book Favorite Socks