MY VALENTINES

I didn't make too many cards for this holiday . . . maybe 6 or 7 like this one:

While thinning out my over-abundant collection of paper recently, I came across the designer paper and the vellum with silver foil hearts and set them aside for my cards.  And then I dug even deeper to find the perfect ribbon.  I have no idea how old that pink organdy ribbon is, but I used to really enjoy working with it because it is so easy and not bulky.  I used Stampin' Up!'s retired heart-shaped dies to cut the hearts, which were embossed with the Lovely Floral embossing folder.  The word "love" was cut from one of the retired Expressions Thinlits dies.  As a Demonstrator (next month will be my 15th anniversary), I have grown accustomed to constantly using new products.  I actually feel proud of myself when I reach for retired products now and then because they need to be used.

When it came time to make cards for my husband and son, I opted to design shaped cards using Cricut Design Space.  My husband's card is a tall coffee cup:

It turned out cute, huh?  I love that the Cricut Explore has a pen port and will write (draw) shapes and text, such as the sentiment.  I thought it would be a good idea to fill in the word "you" with some lines, but that turned out to not be such a good idea.  I was pleased with the rest of the card, though.

Lastly, my son's camera card.  Chad is quite a skilled photographer, and he seems to enjoy "collecting" cameras and lenses.  He recently invested in a used Nikon film camera and all the required items for film developing but, shortly before the warranty was to expire, the internal battery died.  He was able to return the camera for a refund (whew!); otherwise, he'd have a rather expensive door stop.  I was surprised at how much he enjoyed everything about film, and he is missing all of that for the time being.  Deciding what kind of shaped card to make for him was easy, but I think it needed just a little more pizzazz--I just couldn't decide what to add at the time.  

Just like with my husband's card, I let the Cricut Explore write the sentiment on the inside:

And there you have it . . . my 2019 Valentine cards!  

Happy Valentine's Day!!!