handmade valentines...

...this was my first holiday 100% handmade and it felt really good!

I made these pocket cards stuffed with vintage hankies and other goodies for grandmothers and my great aunt...

crocheted these dish cloths...

 

Pattern for pointed granny found here 

sewed these fabric baskets for my Mom and MIL using one of Pink Penguin's wonderful tutorials (the first one is made out of linen and a vintage sheet, the second is canvas and quilting fabric)...

  

and crafted these magnets

 

  

It was a lot of fun doing a mix of crafts... thank goodness my female relatives LOVE handmade!

Update: Oh my, I have blundered by forgetting to mention where I got all of the wonderful pink, red and white graphics! They all came from one place, one great resource, one generous designer, tricia-rennea . She is a wonderful illustrator and is often offering free personalized PDFs and free printables on her blog and also has a shop on Zazzle. I used her designs on the round magnets, the embellishements on the red valentines and the tag on the crocheted dishcloths. You really should check out her blog!!

valentine...

...for Grandma. Not sure which grandmother, but either mine or one of husband's grandmas. This is my 'prototype' for the others:

 

Using this Purl Bee post as inspiration, I started with a piece of white card stock. The black & white pockets are made out of the inside linings of envelopes I have been accumulating from statements, solicitations, etc. trimmed with black washi tape [purchased from Tinted Mint ].  Both the pockets and the card stock are hole-punched around the outside [somewhat evenly :D] and to hold it all together I crocheted around the edge with red crochet thread (size 3). I added a little tag to the front pocket, created a Happy Valentines Day tag [seen in back pocket], and stuffed the heart with a vintage hankie and a heart pin I crocheted with red/white bakers twine using the same pattern I used here. I hope Grandma likes it!

bakers twine and crocheted hearts...

...are a wonderful combination!
This week I received a recent purchase of bakers twine in seven great colors in the mail from Becca at lavender's blue.

What to do with it all?!
Well, first, in blog reading this week, I found a very nice tutorial at //Between the lines// for crocheted hearts and knew I had to make some!
So, these

plus some of this

became a crocheted heart garland!

The hearts are so simple and quick to make, I think I need to make more... maybe to turn into pins for female relatives, to put on cards... I better think quick, Valentine's Day is right around the corner!