Valentine and Queen of Hearts Swap Finals!
I hosted three valentine style swaps, we had a few late arrivals and some no-shows, so they didn't get out on a timely delivery, but they are all done, except for the Queen of Hearts Banner Swap, which I had to make up some extra banner pieces to take place of the missing ones. I cam currently attaching them to their ribbons now.

Here are some of the ATC's in the atc swap:

These next ones are my contribution to the ATC Swap:The Candyland Kewpie ATC is one of my fave's, made using my newest kewpie additions: The Sweet Chocolate Kewpies, which remind me of edible chocolate!
Here's a sneak peak at the banner swap:
The following photos are of my contribution to the Banner Swap:
Here is a preview of some of the postcards from the Valentine Postcard Swap:


The ATC's went out today, the postcards will go out Thursday and the Banner out on Friday! So glad I hosted these swaps, so many talented people joined in on it!

Magic and Joy,
Lisa!

A Marie Valentine, a project for you!

Marie's Soiree is my twist on a Vintage Valentine. Made using a medium sized chipboard heart base, aged crepe, my scrapbook papers: Cocoa Crowns, Pink Luggage, Marie doll form part from my embellishments line, scrapbook flowers, ribbons, trims, millinery, glitter, etc.!

Materials:
-Medium to large chipboard heart or heart party decoration
-Cocoa Crowns Scrapbook Paper, Lisa Kettell Designs
-Pink Luggage Scrapbook Paper, Lisa Kettell Designs
-Marie doll form, Lisa Kettell Designs

-Baby blue crepe paper
-Scrapbook flowers
-Ribbons and trims
-Millinery flowers, stamens
-Glitter
-Glues: Zip dry, Kids Choice and Fabri-tac, Beacon Adhesives
-Petal Porcelain, Plaid
-Tools: Scissors
-Inks: Tea Dye Color, Distressed inks, Tim Holtz, Ranger Ink
-Other: cardstock, rhinestones, pearl ornaments, white floral wire etc.

Directions:
1. Rub zip dry all over the chipboard heart, press onto the reverse side of the pink luggage scrapbook paper, trim the paper to fit the heart ( the reverse side is the non-illustrated side of scrapbook paper).
2. Apply ribbon/trim of choice to the heart using fabri-tac, trim to fit.
3. Paper pleat crepe paper, fold in half, glue fold point to entire border of heart using kids choice glue, let dry, about 15 minutes.
4. Rub distressed ink onto various sections of the crepe paper, then crumble and crimp the crepe paper ends, pressing them into random spots, for an aged look.
5. Insert white floral wire into a small pearl holiday bulb, insert into heart point, secure with kids choice glue, let dry 10 minutes.
5. Draw random fairy/butterfly wings onto cardstock, attach to back of the Marie doll part using kids choice glue, then attach to the center of the heart with more kids choice glue, let dry 10 minutes.
6. Coat the Marie doll part and crepe paper with petal porcelain, let dry about 45 minutes.
7. Embellish with a crown cut from the cocoa crown scrapbook paper, add more ribbons, trims, millinery flowers, rhinestones, and glitter.

Tips:
-Fold crepe paper and stitch down the center w/a needle and thread or sewing machine.
-Mix petal porcelain with a squirt of distressed ink filler in tea dye color, then brush onto the valentine.
-Add pearls to a foam ball using kids choice glue.
-Create smaller versions and turn into a banner for your studio or favorite room.
-Age your ribbons.
-Add Chipboard lettering.

Hope you enjoyed this tutorial
Magic and Joy,
Lisa!

Valentine Kewpie House Kit, Valentine Tag and Spellbinder Winners!

Here is a new kit I created for Valentine's Day, Made using a glittered red house, millinery, my small kewpie doll, lettering from my scrapbook paper: Candy, sturdy paper rosette, tin crown, chipboard and trim.

The kit includes everything above except for the glue.

I have 3 kits left, you get an extra kewpie (un-painted), extra banner: Candy, and some other surprises as well. There are 2 left on Etsy and 1 at the store, contact me or visit my Etsy to order.


I will be making up St.Patty's Day and Easter Kits as well!

I am hosting 3 swaps here on the blog: Vintage Valentine ATC, Valentine Postcard and Queen of Hearts Banner. I also took part in Artsy Fartsy's one for one tag swap. Here is my tag for that swap, already complete and ready to go.

I have been asked to make some similar tags, and full banners for customers. I will have some handmade vintage valentines, valentine tags, valentine ornaments and banners available for sale, including more kits and full size cupies available in the store and on etsy, artfire this week!

I'd like to announce the winner of the Spellbinding ATC Contest:
Elaine A is the winner, Elaine email your mailing address! My email: lisakettell@yahoo.com

I'd also like to send the others who participated some pre-cut spellbinder atc's from my paper as a token of my thank you for participating, send me your addresses!
Thank you to all who entered the contest!

xoxo
Magic and Joy,
Lisa!

3 Valentine Swaps for you to join!


To start let's ring in the New Year and Valentine's Day with a vintage style Valentine ATC Swap and Valentine Postcard Swap!


VINTAGE VALENTINE ATC SWAP
Sign up Deadline: Feb. 5
Swaps need to be sent no later then Feb. 11

-Think vintage valentines, lace doilies, paper doilies, paper dolls, chocolate hearts, cherries, crepe paper, vintage Dennison, etc.

This is a 2 for 2 swap ( make 2 atc's get 2 atc's back )
After sign up ends, you will be assigned swap partners

QUEEN OF HEARTS GARLAND SWAP
Sign up Deadline: Feb 1
Swaps need to be sent no later then Feb. 5

-Think vintage valentines,paper dolls, foil crowns, gilded crowns, dazzling tiara's, Queen of Hearts, Valentine Queens, Vintage Red Prom Dresses, crepe paper, vintage Dennison, etc.

This is 12 for 12 swap. We will each make 12 of the same or close to the same pieces that will hang from a ribbon and turned into a banner. Example, have you seen name and birthday banners made from card stock triangles, circles, squares with lettering on them?
Each piece base should not be bigger then 5 inches by 5 inches, its okay if you have ruffled papers, trims, etc hanging off your pieces.

Each of you will receive 12 pieces back, including the ribbon to hang/glue your banner pieces off of.

These pieces will be shipped directly to me, organized and shipped back out w/return shipping fee of $3.00 for US, $4.00 Canada, $6.00 Euro. This fee includes the ribbon, re-packaging, etc.

VALENTINE POSTCARD SWAP
Sign up Deadline: Feb. 5
Swaps need to be sent no later then Feb. 11

Make 5 valentine postcards, get 5 back, they don't have to be the same.
You will be assigned 5 swap partners

Think vintage postcards and valentines, costume parties, and candy shoppes.

_____________________________________________________
Remember, each swap item you send shows the amount of time you put into it. Many swappers put time into their creations, let's all respect each others time and efforts.

Sign Ups:
Leave your name in this post and tell me which one or ones you want to sign up for! If you prefer emailing me, facebook me or flickr me, you may do that as well. Once the deadlines are up I will assign the partners and inform you! When signing up I need your email!

xoxo
Lisa!

St.Valentine's Day Surprises!

Today I would like to wish everyone a Happy Valentine's Day! As tribute I will touch on the brief history of the day, followed by the earliest Valentines, Valentine Dollies, Sailor's seashell valentines: examples and free Valentine images!

These dolls are now available!

History:
Saint Valentine's Day aka Valentine's Day is an annual holiday held on February 14 celebrating love and affection between intimate companions. The holiday is named after one or more early Christian martyrs named Valentine and was established by Pope Gelasius I in 496 AD. It is traditionally a day on which lovers express their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards known as "valentines". The holiday first became associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished.

Modern Valentine's Day symbols include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have largely given way to mass-produced greeting cards.


Visit the Craft-Critique Blog for the Valentine Blog Carnival:
http://www.craftcritique.com/2010/02/valentine-blog-carnival-call.html

Note: Many of my paper valentines that you see here are made from my recycled papers, newspapers and trims, somewhat of scrapwork valentines. This is a great recycle project for left over papers from a scrapbooking or assemblage project, its a great way to use newspaper and left over holiday trims.

Earliest Valentine Cards/Giving Tradition:
The sending of Valentines was a fashion in nineteenth-century Great Britain, and, in 1847, Esther Howland developed a successful business in her Worcester, Massachusetts home with hand-made Valentine cards based on British models. The popularity of Valentine cards in 19th century America, where many Valentine cards are now general greeting cards rather than declarations of love, was a harbinger of the future commercialization of holidays in the United States. It's considered one of the Hallmark holidays.


The U.S. Greeting Card Association estimates that approximately one billion valentines are sent each year worldwide, making the day the second largest card-sending holiday of the year, behind Christmas. The association estimates that, in the US, men spend on average twice as much money as women.

Sailor's Valentines:
A sailors' valentine is a type of antique souvenir, or sentimental gift, originally brought home from a sailor's voyage at sea for his loved one between 1830 and 1890. Sailor valentines are typically octagonal, glass fronted, hinged wooden boxes ranging from 8" to 15" in width, displaying intricate symmetrical designs composed entirely of small sea shells of various colors glued onto a backing. Patterns often feature a centerpiece such as a compass rose or a heart design, hence the name, and in some cases the small shells are used to spell out a sentimental message.

Although the name seems to suggest that the sailors themselves made these objects, a large number of them originated in the island of Barbados, which was an important seaport during this period. Historians believe that the women there made the valentines using local shells, or in some cases with shells imported from Indonesia, and then the finished products were sold to the sailors.

In his book Sailors' Valentines, John Fondas concludes that the primary source for sailors' valentines was the New Curiosity Shop, located in McGregor Street, Bridgetown, Barbados, and a popular shop where sailors would purchase souvenirs. The shop was owned by the English brothers B.H. and George Belgrave. Fondas' research tells of a sailors' valentine reconstruction, during which the reconstructing artist found pieces of a Barbados newspaper inside the backing.

Today, antique sailors' valentines are collectables, valued for their beauty and unusual qualities. Collector interest has sparked a resurgence in sailors' valentines as an art form, and shell kits and patterns are now sold at craft shops. Many sailors' valentines, both new and old, can be found on Nantucket, Massachusetts.

For more info on seashells and history visit:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seashell

My Sailor's Valentine in Cloth Paper Scissors January/February 2010:
This valentine was made from an old pie pan, vintage image from my collection which I digitally altered, my clay doll parts (which can be found in my etsy store and website), various shells, found objects, Prima felt borders, vintage piano paper and more!
Here are my original photos:


Enjoy these 2 free images, many more can be found on my flickr site:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/moonfaires16/sets/72157603511546861/




Happy Valentine's Day,
Magic and Joy,
Lisa!