Crochet Valentine Cards

After having so much fun creating the set of crochet Christmas cards last month, I thought I would have a go at designing some Valentines cards ready for the 14th Feb. These are just perfect for sending to that special person in your life, family members and friends, even pets if you anything like me.

I'm really happy with the five I have created so far. I think they are especially cute, particularly the Bee and the Ewe. Soooo, I've started to put together written instructions for these appliques, and am hoping to make a few 'how to' videos over the next week or two. These appliques are so versatile and can also be used to embellish blankets, bags, wall hangings, or even framed in shadow box frames as gifts.

For the cards, I picked up these rustic brown ones from Hobbycraft last week. Whilst definitely functional for general greetings cards, for crochet pieces I feel that more sturdier cards are required. I am on the lookout for more heavier cardstock for future cards so that only means one thing for me . . . more craft shopping - yippee!

I used various DK yarn colours and a 3.5mm hook. This hook size is slightly smaller than the 4mm recommended for my yarn choice as I wanted a more compact stitch for my appliques. These cards are great for using up odds and ends of yarn but I'm afraid they didn't really make that much of a dent in my stash. In fact, I purchased a new ball of yellow especially for the bee as I wanted a darker shade of yellow than I had. So I ended up adding to my stash rather than reducing it!

The sentiment messages were a little trickier to create. You may remember I used word stickers for my Christmas cards which looked effective. For the Valentine cards I purchased Typewriter Mini Alphabet wooden stamps on a whim, also last week during my visit to Hobbycraft. However, these possibly weren't the best option for someone who strives for perfection in everything. The letters were so fiddly to try and get in a straight line. There must be a knack of which I am not yet aware :-) All I can say is it was a good job the cards came in a pack of 30!! I think I will look at printer options going forward.

So, Easter and Mothering Sunday next. I need to get planning and designing!