Feeling Sentimental

It just washed over me. The sentimental gush of emotions from faint memories of my childhood. Not that I am totally surprised, since I am a rather sentimental soul. It began when I decided to look through the boxes I keep stacked on a shelf in my studio that hold a lot of things that I received from other crafters in online swaps, along with things I have made for challenges or just because I wanted to try a technique, or . . . whatever. As I peered into the boxes and went deeper into the layers of altered tags and Altoid tins, handmade cards, button fairies and decorated boxes, my memories of Valentines Days of my childhood carried me deeper into my heart. I must have stopped for quite a while. I don't actually recall. But I found myself daydreaming about 2nd grade and my one of my favorite teachers, Mrs. Adams. She was so nice. I thought she was very cool, too. She was young and pretty and sometimes she wore what looked like white majorette boots. It is funny what we remember about a person. She made learning fun. When it was getting close to Valentines Day, she asked us to each bring a shoe box, with a slot cut in the top, to school. She showed us how to cut out paper hearts, gave us red streamers and paper lace doilies, big sheets of newsprint paper, construction paper, crayons and paste. We decorated our shoe boxes for the big event . . . the card exchange.


At home, as the day approached, my father set me up at a card table in the living room, along with a mimeographed list that Mrs. Adams sent home from school, so I could get my little Valentines ready to take to school on February 14th. The cards were adorable. We bought them at the 5 & 10. They came in a cellophane pack and a thin cardboard tray that was so flimsy, it couldn't really hold them. I poured them out on the table and sorted them, making sure the one marked "teacher" was put aside for Mrs. Adams. The prettiest ones would be for my little girlfriends and I made sure I didn't give any mushy ones to the boys who used to try to kiss me in the cloakroom. Ick! Equipped with a pencil, I printed my name on the back of each card and then went down through the list and addressed each little envelope. I'm pretty sure there was some parental supervision, but I don't recall. As an 8-year old, I'm sure I didn't have it all together, even if I thought I did!


On Valentines Day, the classroom was decorated in red and white and there were treats, as I recall. Mrs. Adams, or more likely a classmate's mother, provided frosted cupcakes or cookies and there may have been a few conversation hearts in a dish, too. When it was time to exchange our little cards, we delivered them to the decorated shoe boxes on each classmate's desk and slid them into the little slot in the top. At the end of the school day, we took our decorated boxes, filled with cards, home. It was fun to open them and giggle over the cute little scenes on the cards. Some even had glitter on them!


My father and mother seemed to really enjoy Valentines Day. I'm not sure why, but perhaps because they came from a generation that was raised by Victorian parents. The Victorians elevated the holiday to a new high with lace, sentimental postcards, candy and romance. My father bought a big red lace-decorated heart-shaped box of chocolates for my mother . . . that I ate more than my fair share of; and my mother often made a heart-shaped layer cake with pink frosting and red Jell-O in little heart-shaped aluminum molds. It was very festive for a school night!


With a smile on my lips and a blank stare across the room, I snapped out of it and focused on those boxes of handmade things. I was actually rather surprised at what I discovered inside. Since I started paper crafting in 2012, I have accumulated more pretty little "makes" than I thought I had. In fact, after being inspired by watching several craft room reveals on YouTube over the past few weeks, I decided that these gems shouldn't be cooped up and stashed away in boxes. I have drooled long enough over other people's creative spaces. It is time for me to step up my game and make my studio a place that inspires me and reflects my creative journey. By doing so, I hope to stop devaluing the time and effort I expend when I create things. Let me think on that. That's fodder for a future post. But first, I will decorate our living room mantle for Valentines Day and make a plan to start redecorating my studio in a few weeks.

The mantle is the perfect spot to display the special finds from my studio.


PLEASE NOTE: I don't know why there is such a big gap beneath this photo.
When I tried to fix it, it grew even bigger!
Please scroll down.
Thank you!



From Left to Right:
A multi-fold Valentine I made a few years ago, an altered Altoid tin made by Gretchen Lont, an ATC (Artist's Trading Card) from Margaret Sallee leans on a explosion Valentine box I made a few years ago. A beautiful button fairy, one of a pair, made by Traci Savely, sits atop a pink gift box I made.

Altered Tags
From Left to Right:
"What's Love Got To Do With It?"  made for a challenge.
" O O O la la love" made for a challenge.
"Valentine Clown" made by Traci Savely.
"Be my Valentine" made by me just for fun.
"Red and Black Valentine" made by Yolanda Taylor.
"Absence Makes The Heart Grow Fonder" made to try a couple new techniques.

Left to Right:
Lace-covered book page pocket with pearl trim made by Tiffany Heggs Morrow.
Heart-shaped box painted, but not trimmed yet!
Handmade cube with designer paper (made by me).
Button fairy, second of a pair, made by Traci Savely.
Gift card made by Linda Kuniyoshi.
Chunky Mini Album made by me.
Altered shoe figurine made by Amber Cade.
Stick Pins by various makers, including me.
Tent-style Valentine I made a few years ago.

With Valentines Day a week away, there's bound to be another Valentine post. But, in the mean while, I thank you for taking the time to read my blog. As always, your questions and comments are welcome.


And, until we meet again, may the Lord hold you in the hollow of His hand.


Emmy