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Sunday 10 February 2013

DIY Valentines Gifts

Hello again  my lovers,

Today will be all about valentines, for me its just another day,  the "shops" however arranged 1 more excuse for people to spend  money, sometimes money that they don't even have.... I think love should be shown all year round and not a specific day, but anyway this is the culture we live in and so here goes some ideas for stuff to make ( which for me is way more meaningful)  instead of spending without limits :)

Regarding history however here's how it all started:
St. Valentine's Day began as a liturgical celebration of one or more early Christian saints named Valentinus. The most popular martyrology associated with Saint Valentine was that he was imprisoned for performing weddings for soldiers who were forbidden to marry and for ministering to Christians, who were persecuted under the Roman Empire; during his imprisonment, he is said to have healed the daughter of his jailer Asterius. Legend states that before his execution he wrote "from your Valentine" as a farewell to her.[5][6]

The day was first associated with romantic love in the circle of Geoffrey Chaucer in the High Middle Ages, when the tradition of courtly love flourished. By the 15th century, it had evolved into an occasion in which lovers expressed their love for each other by presenting flowers, offering confectionery, and sending greeting cards (known as "valentines").[1][3] Valentine's Day symbols that are used today include the heart-shaped outline, doves, and the figure of the winged Cupid. Since the 19th century, handwritten valentines have given way to mass-produced greeting cards.[11] 

And there you have it my lovelies, I think that mass produced says it all, for me its the little gestures all year round that count has I said so before, but you obviously don't have to think like me. So here's some ideas other than the originals " flowers; chocolates; and card"...

 Valentines Gifts Ideas:

Make a heart shaped cake

Make some heart cookies and decorate them

Make a voucher book full of naughtiness ;)

Make a candle light dinner just for 2 with rose petals spread on the table

Make a pillow saying LOVE ( or one with a portrait of the 2 of you, or any sort of statement like  I love you because ...)

Decorate and personalise a couple of ceramic mugs, with porcelain pens

If you think of anything else that you could do why not leave us a coment ;)

See you soon my lovers
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Saturday 9 February 2013

DIY hello kitty pillow

Hello my lovelies, how have you lot been??

 I finally re-started crafting this last week, has I had to make one pressie for a lovely little girl (7) that I know, I made her an hello kitty pillow, needless to say that she was very happy with it, and even slept with it that night, what more can one ask, but for it to be loved by the ones we care about ?!!

 It sure makes my day, and makes all the time I spend crafting worth it, the smile and the thought of an accomplished project makes me happy.... mind you I'm well known to start more than one project at a time... sometimes not even finish them, especially when they're for me lolol XD am I the only one?! Hope not...

Here's a picture of the pillow:
















If you would like to make a pillow like this, here's what you'll need:

- Plain white 100% cotton fabric
- Iron on Transfer paper
- Scissors
- Inkjet Printer
- Rectangular cardboard to serve has a template for the pillow size/shape
- Pins
- Butterfly Big Shot Die for the back + Jean fabric
- Google images
- Sewing machine ( + colour matching thread)
- Iron & Board or a heat presser
- Polyester filling ( toy stuffing)
- bondaweb

How To:

- Fold Fabric in half
- Line the cardboard shape and pin it to the fabric; cut the fabric according to the card template
- Select the images you'll require and print them onto the specialist paper
- Cut the required shape be it a rectangle, a heart , a circle or a square
- Cut the images and position them on the fabric, take time to consider this has you wont be able to change it after
- Press the images with a very  hot iron (ATTENTION: TURN OFF THE STEAM) or the heat presser for at least one minute keep checking
- Place the fabric right sides facing each other, and make a cut in the middle off the fabric piece which will be the back so that you can turn it later....
- Sew all around the fabric, thus completely closing it
- Turn the pillow through the hole you made and pop out the corners
- Fill the pillow through that hole and when full use the butterfly die cut together with the bondaweb to seal it and disguise the hole

And there you have it a homemade personalised/ or not pillow.

Hope you guys give it a try, has it is a very easy project for anyone to make :)

See you soon sweeties.

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