Handmade Valentines, 2014

 Every year I make a new batch of handmade Valentines.  I started in 2011 by making little Valentines for my college friends.  In 2012 I made Valentines goodie bags for the kids in the after school program I was working with.  Last year was the first year I made Valentines to sell.  They ended up being very popular at the Urban Orchid, a local floral shop where I sell my books and cards.  Because none of them say "Valentines Day" anywhere, the cards also work well for anniversaries and other occasions where people give flowers.

This year I made many more Ohio cards, and some new ones with heart punched borders and a ribbon with a gem in the middle.  I also did some over-the-top layered cards with the heart punched borders.

Instead of doing a Valentines craft show this year I decided to focus more on Etsy.  I have a great selection of cards available, as well as minibook jewelry, and a few small handmade books.  Make sure to order by February 7th to guarantee delivery by Valentine's Day!

Pamphlet Books 346-361

Books 346-361 of my 365 book challenge are pamphlet stitch books featuring the state of Ohio.  These little books measure 5.5 x 4 in. and are great for carrying around and taking quick notes.

The covers are made from colored card stock with the state of Ohio cut out of contrasting paper.  The inside paper is 10 sheets of white copier paper.  I made two of each color combination.  Each book is hand stitched using waxed linen thread.  Pamphlet books will be listed on Etsy soon!  This weekend I will have my final blog post about my 365 Books in 2013.

Pamphlet Books 288-305

Yesterday I finished up some pamphlet stitch books for my next show.  Some have the state of Ohio, and some just have patterned paper for the covers.  After my last show I only had a handful of non-Ohio pamphlet books left... And most of them were Fall themed.  So I picked four nice patterned papers and made 3 books of each.

This brings me up over 300 books for the year!  Now I have 30 days to finish 60 books.  That's not so bad considering I am preparing for 3 more Christmas shows this month.

Pamphlet Books 203-215

More Ohio pamphlet books!  The week before my last show, I got a new stack of cardstock with lovely blue and green patterns.  I decided it was time to make more Ohio cards and pamphlet books.

I also pulled out a stack of fall themed paper I bought a few years ago.  I figured I better use it now instead of putting it away for another year!

Ohio Books 145-165

 My next summer show is coming up tomorrow at Notre Dame College in South Euclid, OH.  One of the projects I finished this week was another batch of Ohio cards and pamphlet books.  In the weeks leading up to the show I realized I did not have many Ohio themed items left.  Luckily, this is a pretty easy project to make in bulk and spread out over a couple of evenings.

Tuesday night I picked out which papers to use, cut a bunch of Ohios with my Cricut Mini, and cut all the covers and pages for the books.  Wednesday night I folded all the books and sewed them with a simple pamphlet stitch.  Finally, on Thursday night I attached an Ohio to each book and glued a heart over Cleveland.

All the cards and books shown here will be available at Art of the Circle in South Euclid, OH, June 22nd between 10am and 5pm.  If you see an Ohio book or card you like and need to have it, comment here or on my Minimeg facebook page.  (These don't stick around long enough to make it onto Etsy!)

Handmade Valentines- 2013 Edition

Snow is falling, Christmas is long gone, and everyone has gotten used to writing "2013" on their checks.  That means it is time for this year's handmade Valentines!

Ohio cards are some of my most popular handmade cards.  This year's Ohio Valentines are a bit on the Pirate side!  Ohio cards are available by request in any pattern or color I have.  Stop by the Urban Orchid in Ohio City or the Bazaar Bizarre Valentines Show to pick one up.

Books 015-029

Today was a perfectly snowy day, and the best kind of work day.  I had the whole day off to stay at home and get things done.  It has been snowing constantly all day, but is still light enough to be cozy instead of depressing.  So I got to work making books!

The Bazaar Bizarre Valentine's Show is coming up on Saturday, so I decided to make some pamphlet books with a Valentine's theme.  My Ohio pamphlet books usually sell very well at shows.  On a day like this I can make them assembly line style and get a lot accomplished in a short amount of time.  Today I made 15 little books, and I have enough Ohio's cut out for numerous cards.

This also means I am nearly caught up with where I should be on my 365 challenge.  Today is the 35th day of the year, and I've finished 29 books.  Not too shabby!