Happy Valentine's Day

DIY Heart Shaped Rings

Jumping right ahead to Valentine's season, here's a project you'll definitely want to try. This red wire heart ring would be a very fun and romantic gift for your Valentine, or a sweet gift for your Mom.

Thanks to Cut Out and Keep for posting the step-by-step here.


Like fiddling with twist ties? Here is an even simpler ring idea, you can make and share with your brown-bag lunch-mates. Or tie them on your friends as a reminder that you love them!


Thanks to YellowGoat for the tutorial here.

Red Velvet Valentine Treats

Make a delicious gift this week for Valentine's Day. Here are some beautiful inspirations. Click on the images for more info, recipes, and ideas.

Romantic Fonts for Valentine's Day

Looking to make a sweet Valentine greeting for someone special? Try one of these inspiring romantic (and free) fonts to get you started.

For more Valentine's Day card ideas, click here and here.

http://www.dafont.com/james-fajardo.font (Happy Valentine's day)
http://www.fonts2u.com/windsong.font (Please be Mine)
http://www.dafont.com/fiolex-girls.font (Love from 973 Third)

Vintage Valentines

Happy Valentine's Day with Love from 973 Third

Vintage card images courtesy of Susan Breslow Sardone

A Gift: Homemade Marshmallows

Once or twice a year I pull out my marshmallow recipe and make up a batch to give as gifts. I am always pleasantly surprised to remember that it takes only a few ingredients and is relatively straightforward, albeit sticky. The result is so delicious and remarkably light and fluffy. If you've never tasted a homemade marshmallow you must try it. This confection is probably closer to its mid-nineteenth century French origins than the more commonly known genus that comes in a cello bag.

There are plenty of recipes available to make your own marshmallows. Some call for corn syrup, which I use, others don't. I also like to add the vanilla flavoring early on for a mellower effect. Rather than waiting to add it at the end, I add it to the pan when I dissolve the sugar and salt into the corn syrup and water.

It's just a matter of taste. Enjoy and Happy Valentine's Day!

Quilling for Love

Valentine's Day is a holiday opportunity you won't want to miss to bring out the crafting supplies and make your own card. No more excuses: not enough time, never exchanged cards before, not your style, out of doilies, and on and on.

A homemade card with an expression of love (or like) is a lovely gift in itself. With a little daring inspiration and nimble fingers you can create an amazingly beautiful card just in time for Valentine's Day. The quilled cards above and below are from the archives of Martha Stewart's website, where you will find an excellent tutorial on quilling and many more inspirations for your Valentine's Day expressions.

Using a paper cutter, I trimmed colored paper stock for quilling paper and substituted a round toothpick for a quilling tool. Hearts are easy to start with. Your card design doesn't have to be elaborate or overly decorative to get your message across. A simple heart looks very elegant on a pink or white card.

Make somebody happy with a gift of a card on Valentine's Day!

Photos courtesy of marthastewart.com