Valentine's

 I was at the library with my wee one and discovered this great Valentines book.

" Hearts, Cupids and Red Roses The story of Valentines symbols" 

by

Edna Barth

it contains

How St. Valentine's Day Came to Be

Valentines in the Old World

Valentines Cross the Atlantic

True-Love Tokens

Enter Cupid

Valentine Love Birds

Hearts and Sweethearts

Roses are Red

Valentine Lace

Red, Pink and White

Valentine Goodies

and Stories and Poems for Valentine's Day

I found this neat puzzle purse in the section on "Valentines Cross the Atlantic."

Puzzle purse valentines were a puzzle to read and to refold. Scattered among their many folds were verses that had to be read in a certain order. 

The Rose was sacred to the Roman Gods. They laid on couches spread with rose petals. Wore garlands of roses and crowns of roses.

Reclining on their beds of roses, they ate, drank, and gossiped. Anything said under the rose -the rose garland hung on the wall or the rose crowns on their heads- was sub rosa, and supposed to be kept secret. Meaning under the rose, this Latin expression became part of the english language. 

Here I found a sheet of roses for you.

Cupid, God of Love.

Cupid a symbol of passionate, tender, or playful love who's arrows were invisible, his targets the hearts of mortals or gods. The victim would fall hopelessly in love.

Here are some hears with Cupid in them.

Hearts.

The most vital organ of living beings is believed to contain the soul. 

Did you know people of the Middle Ages thought that birds chose their mate on Valentine's Day?

Lace was something lovely to look at, soft, flattering and handmade, it was a popular trim for clothing. 

Paper lace was first made in England in 1834. One day by accident a file brushed over a sheet of paper embossed with a raised design. The high points of the paper were filed off, leaving tiny holes and a lace like effect.

 I love this picture of Margot Robbie. She looks like a Valentine. 

I enjoy making my own Valentine Cards. If you do too maybe you can use some of these free templates I found above. Happy creating!

Love, 

Chandra

Life Book (LB) week 3 with Joanne Sharpe Lettering

In Life Book week 3 with Joanne Sharpe was fantastic! I love lettering so this was my time to really go with her lesson and try something new with my lettering. I usually just write some words and add a bit to it. The way she taught us here was a whole new experience for me. My own lettering. Instead of the perfectionist lettering I try to do freehand, she taught us to use our own writing. So here it is...

My first attempt at her lesson.

I am not too fond of watercolor. I don't feel very confident with it. I tried her technique but I am such a perfectionist I had to fill in every space with watercolor and try to have the colors blend. So you can see there is no white accept for where the letters are. 

This one I made with my own style of drawing and lettering on a very good water color paper with twinkling h2o watercolors. I never did finish going over the black lines so they are a bit twinkly.

This is my third attempt. Still struggling with the watercolor letting go a bit, but my drawing was getting better. This was lot's of fun so much that I did not want to stop and probably if I had all the time in the world to paint I would have made a hundred of these. I'm certain I will make more. They are addictive.

Chandra

Wordless Wednesday in Monterey

Wordless Wednesday

http://www.wordlesswednesday.blogspot.com