valentine's day handmade gift exchange bounty.

a few submitted photos of gifts exchanged/received in the valentine's day handmade gift swap.

this was so much fun to put together, and it makes me immensely happy to see how excited people were to make something for someone new, and to receive something from an unexpected new friend in the mail.  this is definitely something i'd like to organize more of in the future, time permitting.  what other handmade goodies did everyone else receive?  are there any other types of swaps you'd like to see in the future outside of general crafts?  if you'd like to participate in a future swap, please don't hesitate to email me or leave a comment to let me know.

hand painted valentines.

i hadn't wanted to post about these until i was fairly certain a majority of friends who i sent one out to received one, but this year i hand painted a couple dozen valentines and sent them all over, one of them even going out to london.  each card was also accompanied by a stuffed heart pin, though i forgot to take pictures of those, whoops.  i've been painting quite a lot recently, and this was one very quick little project that helped motivate me to practice painting regularly and also share the love, quite literally.  

also, i realize i haven't updated on the valentine's handmade swap, but i'm glad to say it turned out really well - i've heard very positive feedback from those who participated.  i'll update tomorrow with a few submitted photos of gifts either exchanged or received in the swap - stay tuned!

happy valentine's day!

image courtesy of samantha hahn

today is an important day for me, not only because it's valentine's day, but there have been a slew of projects i've been working on that's kept me insanely busy both at work and personally that i've finally finished, wrapped and will shortly send out.  i've already gotten the first set of photos from those who participated in the valentine's day handmade gift exchange, which has been hugely rewarding to organize - i can't wait to see what some people receive!  i would post some photos of the gift i'm sending out, except i don't want to ruin the surprise just yet - photos hopefully to come soon.  how will you be enjoying your valentine's day?  i plan to revel in finally doing nothing for a night except for hanging out with chris, the dog and the cats.  pretty sweet.

valentine's day handmade gift exchange.

for those of you that might have been following me on twitter, you may have heard about a project i'm starting that i'm super excited about - a valentine's day gift exchange!  and good news!  the flyer is finally ready.  all the details are in the flyer above - feel free to post on your personal blog or share it with friends you think might be interested in participating.  i think it's a great way to spread the love in a different way on a day that ofttimes draws such polarized feelings.  if there are any questions or if you'd like to participate, the most important things to note are 1) email me at whoskay (at) gmail to let me know and 2) please let me know by february 8th. 

first/second photo from the purl bee, third/fourth photo from martha stewart.

i was looking up projects for valentine’s day gifts and got the idea to do a valentine’s day handmade gift exchange - would anyone be interested in participating? i was thinking it’d be super simple and casual; basically email me if you were interested and i’d match you up with someone else from the pool and you two would work out the timing, secrecy of the gift and address of where to send it to. sorta like a secret santa really, except more like secret valentines in this case.

if interested, please let me know! send me a note at whoskay (at) gmail and i’ll start a list (friends welcome) of people interested.  i’ll update in a week or so after i get a better idea of how many people are participating. but seriously, what could be better than getting a handmade with love valentine’s gift from a new friend on valentine’s day? not many other things, that’s what.

photo 1: felt coffee cozies from the purl bee
photo 2: i-cord necklaces from the purl bee
photo 3: catnip hearts from martha stewart
photo 4: scented sachets from martha stewart

valentine's day redux: heart flowers

absolutely gorgeous post over on design*sponge today from studio choo on mini-arrangements a la chocolate heart.  these pretty little things can be handed out to co-workers, friends or the whole lot can go to your significant other, but what a unique and creative way to celebrate without adding to the standard issue chocolate and dozen roses en masse.  full instructions and (beautiful) additional photos here.

photos via design*sponge