Collective Hearts

Three days til Valentine's Day. Never really been a fan of the actual day in the past. Not crazy about the Kay's Jeweler's heart necklances or the insanity at the card counter in Target. I think it goes back to the day, many moons ago, when it fell on the same Sunday as the Daytona 500. My husband could not be torn away from that race, so I took our kids and went to a movie...huffin and puffin the whole way!




Well...guess what? It's that year all over again! lol I've grown up a lot since then and I'm over it. Now, I just enjoy the beauty of the celebration. Miss the days of sharing valentine's with kids at school and those nasty tasting candy hearts hoping I'd get the "love" heart from the cute boy who sat two rows over. It seems those days are gone forever, unfortunately, but I have found a new sense of creativity and so I share my Collective Hearts with you.




I actually made this a few years ago. This year I've had some health issues, so was not up to par. As I look at this collage, I chuckle at how far I've come since then in my crafting/artistic approach. The new techniques I've learned. But, it's always fun to look back, so we can appreciate the creative path we're on.




I made this collage from wool felt. It is all hand stitched. You really can't read the words, "Be Mine", very well. I was going to go back and do something to make it stand out, but just never did. I added bits of old hankies, lace pieces, and doilies. I love the french knots I did in the center of the flowers. There are silk ribbon flowers and even a cheesy looking fake cameo that I picked up somewhere that I could not resist! The buttons are from my grandmother's old button jar that my sister got, but she shared some with me. It's just filled with little doo dads I've picked up and pinned on. If you look closely, you'll see hearts scattered to and fro and within the hankies and lace. I left enough space so that I can add more along the way.



However you choose to spend your Valentine's Day, I hope you enjoy every minute of it. I will be hearing the roar of the engines in the background while I get lost in something I love to do...maybe eating brownies!