A Case for Valentine's Day

I know that some married couples don't celebrate Valentine's Day, believing that it's just for dating couples.  But Scott and I go all out, with cards, gifts, and a special meal.  Really, we'll take any excuse for adding a little sweetness to our lives, and Valentine's Day is a ready-made excuse.  I expressed my feelings about this with the layout below, which was inspired by CSI Case File 56.

Supplies: cardstock by Wausau Paper; tickets, parentheses stickers, mini alphas, & buttons by October Afternoon; dotted paper by Studio Calico; fussy-cut doily paper by Echo Park; postcard cluster paper, label sticker, & alpha sheet negative by My Mind's Eye; white pen by Ranger; black pen & cloud template by Creative Memories; title alphabet stickers by Bo Bunny; paint by Deco Art; recycled metal charm by Trinket Foundry; red ribbon by Berwick Offray; blue ribbon upcycled from gift packaging; translucent white ribbon upcycled from bouquet; product packaging upcycled from Studio G chipboard pack; thread by DMC; household stapler; vintage sequin; used postage stamps.

My journaling says: "I believe in Valentine's Day.  I believe it's more than just a 'Hallmark holiday'.  Sure, you can share your love any day, any time--not just on Valentine's Day.  But why pass up an extra opportunity to be romantic?  I'm optimistic, and every year I catch the spirit of Valentine's Day."

Here is the case file that I had to follow.  From the Evidence column I chose clouds, strings, dangling item, translucent item, dashed lines, and plain cardstock.  My choice from the Testimony column was to use the inspiration words in my journaling.  I'll walk you through a few detail shots that illustrate some of my design choices.

I added white paint to this metal bird charm.  I spread the paint on, then wiped some away with a rag, in order to reveal the texture of the metal.  I repeated this process until the metal had an interesting, aged look.

I also swiped a bit of white paint along the edges of the photo.  This gives the photo a timeworn look and also helps it stand out.

I covered my title with a translucent piece of white ribbon.  I saved this ribbon from a bouquet that I received years ago!  Glad it finally came in handy.  :)  The red ribbon is translucent as well--notice that you can faintly see the underlying tickets through it in the photo above.

The edges of the clouds are also translucent.  I achieved this effect with a Tim Holtz Distress Marker in "Picket Fence."  I used a very old Creative Memories template to draw these clouds.  Then I added some freehand doodling and writing.

The notes on the label mean that the photo is from February 14, 2012, and the journaling was written January 26, 2013.  I wrote "I love Scott" on the postcard.

In typical Denise fashion, I incorporated a number of recycled elements into my layout.  This is not one of the CSI requirements; it's just my personal preference.  I already mentioned the ribbon from the old bouquet, and you probably noticed the used postage stamps and the negative from an old MME alpha sheet.  In the photo above you can see how I added extra layers to my photo mat with two black-and-white pieces of cardboard that came from some old chipboard packaging.

There we have it--my cheerful, eco-friendly Valentine's layout.  Thanks for visiting my blog today!

ETA: I'm also linking this post up with Rednesday, a linky party for those who loved all things RED (especially vintage and handmade items)!