Valentine’s Day – Page 2

Amelia’s Magazine | Valentine’s Day 2012: Gift Ideas

Rebecca-Hendin Valentines bear
Art by Rebecca Hendin.

Yup, it’s that time of year, Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us again… and I’ve been inundated with press releases for any number of loosely affiliated products for weeks on end. Here, then, is my round up of some gift ideas… although I’d like to add that my favourite gifts are usually home made. Call me odd, but I like the thought that someone has put time into creating something – shopping does of course take time as well, but you could always put those hands to use instead of those legs. And if there’s time for neither there’s always the mouse to hand…. As to what to do on the big night: why not read my round up of Valentine’s related events (including classes where you can make your loved a little special something).

Rebecca-Hendin Valentines
Rebecca-Hendin Valentines shakespeare
Firstly, gorgeous prints from Rebecca Hendin, available from her website. A steal! And perfect for evermore.

madi illustration valentines
Amelia’s Magazine contributor Madi has produce this lovely card for all you lovers, available on Etsy.

carne-griffiths-severred-2011-ink-and-tea-on-bockingford-watercolour-paper-75x56cm
For the art lovers amongst you: Debut Contemporary recommend a selection of work from their stable of artists. I adore this beautiful rose painting by Amelia’s Mag contributor Carne Griffiths.

Meet in the Park at night Front Row Society
Front Row Society is a new ethical platform. I like their Meet in the Park at Night printed scarf by Philippines based designer Jennifer Dayrit.

Cleo Ferrin Mercury has designed some lovely hibernating animal printed silk neckerchiefs for the boys.

pip n stuff scrabblecufflinks
Also for the man in your life, I like these very simple upcycled scrabble cufflinks by Pipnstuff.

Rob Ryan Valentines soma gallery
I particularly love this year’s annual offering from the original romantic Rob Ryan: there’s something gloriously old fashioned about it which is especially charming. Yours for just £120 from Soma Gallery and it hasn’t sold out yet.

secret envelope you too can look like this
*you too can look like this*

I’ve never been given knickers and personally I’m fine with buying my own, but if your lady likes a bit more luxury in the nether region why not subscribe to Secret Envelope? A monthly subscription for these designer knickers could be just the ticket, available at a very reasonable price.

maggie semple Gift card
How about this for another bespoke idea? Maggie Semple promises to trace the history of a favourite garment, and present the outcome in a beautifully presented book. I like the way that this values treasured clothing: the antithesis of throwaway culture. And all it requires right now is a gift card addressed to your loved one.

hannah martin valentines
On the jewellery front, how about this gorgeous abstract signet ring by Hannah Martin, whose new work is on display at Darkroom – a great destination for unusual gifts.

Maiden rude cakes
Finally I’m not sure what I think about these ‘profane cakes’ from Maiden, but they might appeal to the particularly cynical amongst you. They will be on sale between Friday 10th until Tuesday 14th February at the Maiden shop on Shoreditch High Street. All cakes are made locally in Hackney by Cakey Muto.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Thursday February 9th, 2012 4:17 pm

Categories ,Cakey Muto, ,Carne Griffiths, ,Cleo Ferrin Mercury, ,Darkroom, ,Debut Contemporary, ,ethical, ,Front Row Society, ,gifts, ,Hannah Martin, ,Jennifer Dayrit, ,jewellery, ,Madi Illustration, ,Maggie Semple, ,Maiden, ,Pipnstuff, ,prints, ,Rebecca Hendin, ,Secret Envelope, ,shoreditch, ,Shoreditch High Street, ,Soma Gallery, ,Valentine’s Day

Amelia’s Magazine | Valentine’s Day 2012: Gift Ideas

Rebecca-Hendin Valentines bear
Art by Rebecca Hendin.

Rebecca-Hendin Valentines
Rebecca-Hendin Valentines shakespeare
Firstly, gorgeous prints from Rebecca Hendin, available from her website. A steal! And perfect for evermore.

madi illustration valentines
Amelia’s Magazine contributor Madi has produce this lovely card for all you lovers, available on Etsy.

Cleo Ferrin Mercury has designed some lovely hibernating animal printed silk neckerchiefs for the boys.

pip n stuff scrabblecufflinks
Also for the man in your life, I like these very simple upcycled scrabble cufflinks by Pipnstuff.

secret envelope you too can look like this
*you too can look like this*

Written by Amelia Gregory on Thursday February 9th, 2012 4:17 pm

Amelia’s Magazine | Valentine’s Day 2012: Things To Do

Rebecca Hendin Valentines
Artwork by Rebecca Hendin.

You’ve read my suggestions for alternative and special Valentine’s Day gifts, now it’s time for a round up of interesting things to do as the day approaches.

First up, suggestions for classes where you can make your own gifts: Pop along to The Create Place tonight for a spectacular celebration of the kitschy, tacky and smoochy courtesy of the Second Friday Society. Cross-stitching will be tutored by Violet Iris, alongside biscuit decorating. Expect cocktails, sarcasm and silliness, all for just £14. You will be encouraged to approach Valentine’s Day with a pinch of salt. Last year contributor Jessica Furseth took on Valentine’s at The Create Place, read all about it here.

London-Jewellery-School-DIY-Valentines-love-heart-charm
At the London Jewellery School real romantics can make their loved one a beautiful Valentine’s charm – read my full listing for their bespoke Valentines gift class here on my website.

Feast for everyone valentines
One of my favourite suggestions comes from Run Riot – food charity FareShare are collaborating with Forgotten Feast and their eco-chef Tom Hunt to produce a unique banqueting experience – Valentines for Everyone. These clever people will be creating a tasty three course meal from foodstuffs that would otherwise end up in landfill, and everyone will be sat together in proper feast style, so all are welcome, whether with loved ones or alone. Donations from ticket sales will go towards feeding the most vulnerable, and tickets are available for dinner tonight and on Saturday 11th, late lunch on Sunday 12th February, and for dinner on Valentine’s Day itself. The ticket price includes 3 courses, a drink and canapés.

SLAG FLYER
Following on from her Taking Liberties Christmas pop up store at the Treatment Rooms Collective HQ, artist Carrie Reichardt will be holding a new female heavy show that includes examples of outsider art at her own studios in Acton, with the added chance to check out her ceramic covered House of Resistance. Expect strong visuals, such as the Goddess Kali created from found objects. The show opens today and continues all weekend, with donations going towards the activist video network Reel News.

Sarah Johns Music Party
For those of you who prefer to stay away from anything too saccharine and dinner based, how about a night out with some folk music? New alt/folk/Americana folk residency Folklore starts on 14th February at 93 Feet East on Brick Lane.

Mike Marlin – Left Behind

Many of the featured artists are still be under the radar so this is your chance to check them out first: Emma Gatrill, Mike Marlin, Sarah Johns Music Party and Lucy Kitt. Tickets can be bought online here and Facebook event here.

Amanda-Li-Hope-XOXO-trunk-show-simple-invite
Finally, if you are after a high end jewellery purchase why not pop along to Amanda Li Hope‘s trunk show (these are the latest thang, folks, following hot on the heels of pop-ups) on Saturday 11th February between 12-5pm at Wolf & Badger in Notting Hill. Peruse her signature ?XX? collection, whilst sipping complimentary champagne and nibbling on yummy chocolates.

Whatever you choose to do this Valentine’s Day, I wish you lots of love in your life.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Friday February 10th, 2012 1:33 pm

Categories ,93 Feet East, ,?XX?, ,Amanda Li Hope, ,Carrie Reichardt, ,Cross-Stitch, ,Emma Gatrill, ,FareShare, ,Folklore, ,Forgotten Feast, ,London Jewellery School, ,Lucy Kitt, ,Mike Marlin, ,Rebecca Hendin, ,Reel News, ,Run Riot, ,Sarah Johns Music Party, ,The Create Place, ,Tom Hunt, ,Treatment Rooms Collective HQ, ,Valentine’s Day, ,Valentines for Everyone, ,Wolf & Badger

Amelia’s Magazine | Valentines Day 2013: Jewellery, Handmade Gifts & Discounts on Chocolates

I’ve given you some great ideas for unique handmade Valentines cards, and now I bring you a round up of beautiful and unusual gifts, including, of course, some delightful jewels.

dowse design anatomy brass pendant
Dowse Design don’t pander to the usual romantic image of Valentines, instead they have crafted an unusual gesture of love that is bound to turn heads: the Anatomy etched pendant comes in steel or brass and is made in England.

With Love Silver Necklace_Nicola Crawford_RRP £135
Jewellery designer Nicola Crawford has based her designs on the lost art of letter writing in a collection entitled With Love. These tumbling letters may well spell out your own feelings.

Georgia Wiseman Sirus Limited Edition pendant
For something more jewel encrusted, Georgia Wiseman has some glamourous earrings. I love the art deco influenced Capella design, but she has also created a special limited edition pendant for Valentines; Sirus, which looks like a modern day flint, is made with a smokey Swarovski crystal set in rose gold. She’s offering free P&P up until February 14th too.

EOTW designs Hand made Solid SIlver Earrings
We profiled Eye of The World Designs back in 2011, and since then designer Hope Von Joel has been busy building the brand, which bridges interior design and jewellery. I love these bold laminated wood and perspex earrings.

Made & Told heart ikat cushion
Moving on to other gift ideas, Made & Told are offering hand woven Ikat cushion covers with a heart pattern. They are handmade in Uzbekistan and come gift wrapped for £30 (including P&P) using the code SAINTVALENTINE. The company promotes traditional crafts from central Asia and you can watch a film about the making of the cushion on their website.

Nichollette Yardley-Moore vintage silk scarf Rose cushion
Designer Nichollette Yardley-Moore collects vintage fabrics, scarves and original flags which she then transforms into beautiful one-of-a-kind cushions. I like her romantic floral cushions, which are made up with vintage silk scarves from the 1960s

MrPS happy hearts Hankies
These pretty hankies by illustrator Robert Shadbolt are covered in smiling hearts. They are screen-printed by hand in the Mr.PS studio and come in double-packs of candy pink & sky blue, and plum & turquoise.

Chloe Cook painted teapot
If you find an overload of hearts a bit saccharine, how about this starry hand painted teapot by Chloe Cook?

M.Hulot Strapped howe red bag
Or how about a beautiful rich red hand made leather Howe clutch from M.Hulot?

London Kills Me Reclaimed slate Heart
Slate hearts from London Kills Me are hand cut from reclaimed roof slate, much of it from the nineteenth century, meaning that each one has a slightly different patina. They can be written on in chalk pen: making them an ideal alternative to a paper card.

sabina savage hummingbird scarf
This wool and silk mix scarf by Sabina Sauvage features four bold hummingbirds and comes with a lovely blood red border.

Charlotte Linton Cove_paisley scarf
There’s something a bit, I don’t know, meaty, about this unusual bright red Cove Paisley scarf by designer Charlotte Linton. It would make an unusual gift, the swirls reminiscent of hearts and body parts.

David Shillinglaw Double Heart painted bottle
Artist David Shillinglaw offers beautiful hand painted bottles, which come with a short personal message: perfect for a beer lover perhaps?

And: for something a bit different, how about a personalised serenade over the phone from consummate karaoke professionals Hot Breath (above). ‘Intimate, passionate and 100% from the heart. All sung by a professional amateur to the best of their ability.’

To find exclusive handmade designs, go no further than the Love.Make Designs pop up shop at Craft Central’s Corner Shop in Farringdon, London from the 11-17th of February.

Luxury-Valentine-Gifts-My Voucher Codes Chocolates Hotel Chocolat
And don’t forget, chocolates will always go down a treat, so why not take advantage of some great discounts at My Voucher Codes? Get 10% off any purchase from Hotel Chocolat: how about their Sealed With a Kiss selection, which comes in a pretty heart shaped box?

Thorntons Be My Valentine chocolate selection my voucher codes
Or you could really make an impression with this Be My Valentine chocolates selection from Thorntons, with a bespoke message hand iced onto a chocolate tag. Take advantage of My Voucher Codes and get a free box of chocolates when you spend £20 with Thorntons, plus free delivery on orders of £25 or more.

To round off the blog, here’s a clever infographic describing spending patterns on Valentines Day, brought to you by the folks at My Voucher Codes.

Valentines Day spending patterns infographic
Fancy being featured in one of my regular round ups? Make sure you follow me on twitter @ameliagregory: most of these designers responded to open callouts for Valentines ideas.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Thursday February 7th, 2013 2:15 pm

Categories ,2013, ,anatomy, ,Be My Valentine, ,bespoke, ,Capella, ,Charlotte Linton, ,Chloe Cook, ,chocolate, ,Cove Paisley, ,Craft Central, ,cushions, ,David Shillinglaw, ,discounts, ,Dowse Design, ,Eye of The World Designs, ,Georgia Wiseman, ,gifts, ,handmade, ,Hope Von Joel, ,Hot Breath, ,Hotel Chocolat, ,Howe clutch, ,Infographic, ,jewellery, ,Karaoke, ,London Kills Me, ,Love.Make Designs, ,M.Hulot, ,Made & Told, ,Mr PS, ,My Voucher Codes, ,Nichollette Yardley-Moore, ,Nicola Crawford, ,Robert Shadbolt, ,Sabina Sauvage, ,Sealed With a Kiss, ,Sirus, ,Swarovski, ,The Corner Shop, ,Thorntons, ,Uzbekistan, ,Valentine’s Day, ,Valentines, ,Vouchers, ,With Love

Amelia’s Magazine | Valentines Day 2013: Jewellery, Handmade Gifts & Discounts on Chocolates

I’ve given you some great ideas for unique handmade Valentines cards, and now I bring you a round up of beautiful and unusual gifts, including, of course, some delightful jewels.

Chloe Cook painted teapot
If you find an overload of hearts a bit saccharine, how about this starry hand painted teapot by Chloe Cook?

M.Hulot Strapped howe red bag
Or how about a beautiful rich red hand made leather Howe clutch from M.Hulot?

sabina savage hummingbird scarf
This wool and silk mix scarf by Sabina Sauvage features four bold hummingbirds and comes with a lovely blood red border.

David Shillinglaw Double Heart painted bottle
Artist David Shillinglaw offers beautiful hand painted bottles, which come with a short personal message: perfect for a beer lover perhaps?

To find exclusive handmade designs, go no further than the Love.Make Designs pop up shop at Craft Central’s Corner Shop in Farringdon, London from the 11-17th of February.

To round off the blog, here’s a clever infographic describing spending patterns on Valentines Day, brought to you by the folks at My Voucher Codes.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Thursday February 7th, 2013 2:15 pm

Amelia’s Magazine | Valentines Day: Last Minute Ideas

Lucy-Eldridge-Valentines-Biscuiteers
Valentines Biscuits by Biscuiteers. Illustration by Lucy Eldridge.

They’re adorable to look at, ailment sweet to eat and best of all they’re NOT CUPCAKES – yes, there I have finally discovered Biscuiteers. Boldly going forth where no decorative iced biscuits have gone before. Why send flowers when you can send biscuits, sale I say? This discovery is unfortunately a tad too late for Valentines this year, but nonetheless I had to share this find…

Biscuiteers Biscuits by Madi Illustrates.

As a child I spent many an hour icing biscuits in the run up to xmas – they were cack-handed affairs that would never be saleable, but at least they were brightly coloured, covered in tooth cracking silver balls, looked great arranged in the centre of the table and most importantly were oh-so-fun to make. Every year I have best intentions to make iced biscuits for gifts, maybe in a slightly more professional manner. As yet this great plan has not materialised, but now I’ve discovered that the Buiscuiteers have published the aptly named Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits… I So. Want. To. Have a go.

Biscuiteers Biscuits by Madi Illustrates
Biscuits by Madi Illustrates.

Inspired by the Biscuiteers I’ve been looking online for a simple iced biscuit recipe, something which, oddly, is unbelievably hard to find. No wonder the Biscuiteers have managed to corner the market. The best I could come up with is this recipe on the good old BBC, which I plan to adapt.

Phoebe Coleman (Love me tender collection) by Bianca Hamilton
Phoebe Coleman Love Me Tender collection by Bianca Hamilton.

Another late find was these gold heart spattered pieces from the Love Me Tender Phoebe Coleman Collection (I discovered this new jewellery designer at LFW last season) – I particularly like the Flying Love earrings and the matching Flying Love necklace. Delicate, yet big enough to make a statement.

Valentines-something for the weekend

And if you’re in the Shoreditch area why not pop into the RCA jewellery graduate show Something for the Weekend, which runs until this evening. All the jewellery fits inside a condom box which is cunningly displayed in a condom dispenser, and most of the pieces are very reasonably priced at under £150.

It’s unfortunate I didn’t hear about this exhibition earlier, but I had a good chat with the two girls curating on Sunday and they explained that Something for the Weekend is just the opening exhibition of what will be a regular initiative to promote new jewellery graduates as they begin to negotiate the tricky ways of the commercial world.

Valentines-Heavy Heart by Kelly McCallum
Heavy Heart by Kelly McCallum.

Heavy Heart by Kelly McCallum is wonderful – a satisfyingly heavy gold plated silver heart of the beating kind. And nothing remotely cutesy about it.

Valentines-Jonathan Boyd

Jonathan Boyd‘s clever ring is a stand out piece. It features the words I prefer to keep my emotions hidden nestled in the middle of the ring, only to be seen when it is snapped open – the perfect statement from your typically emotionally stunted English man… but also a serious purchase at £800.

Valentines-Lucie Gledhill

Some of the jewellery is more conceptual than wearable, including the Love Trap silver pin by Lucie Gledhill. But much fun indeed – this could easily be displayed as a piece of miniature art on your wall. I look forward to seeing more of these jeweller’s work in the coming year.

Happy Valentines all… look out on twitter for my iced biscuit progress today….

Written by Amelia Gregory on Monday February 14th, 2011 1:01 pm

Categories ,Bianca Hamilton, ,Biscuiteers, ,Biscuiteers Book of Iced Biscuits, ,Biscuits, ,cupcakes, ,Flying Love Necklace, ,Flying Necklace Earrings, ,Goldsmithing, ,Iced Biscuits, ,jewellery, ,Jonathan Boyd, ,Kelly McCallum, ,lfw, ,Love, ,Love Me Tender Collection, ,Lucie Gledhill, ,Lucy Eldridge, ,Madi Illustrates, ,Metalwork & Jewellery Department, ,Phoebe Coleman, ,rca, ,Silversmithing, ,Something for the Weekend, ,Valentine’s Day

Amelia’s Magazine | Valentine’s Day- Pas Pour Moi?

Illustration courtesy of Mari Mitsumi

Valentine’s Day is soon to creep upon us and discharge its usual bile inducing or saccharine coated brand of bland commercial overload. What is a uniquely dedicated love-fest can make or break couples… How revealing the choice of a particular date night or specific card can be! Who said Lovers’ Day had to be like everyone else’s? The following suggestions of places to take her or presents to give him are for those who enjoy a good dose of self-parody or do care to treat their special loved one to a rare gift as cute as those lovely dimples!

Photograph courtesy of Shauna Richardson.

Spine-chillingly Cuddly Valentine:

In Shauna Richardson’s Crochetdermy, doctor the Endangered craft of crochet fashions life sized endangered species. Knitting has never looked so eerily attractive! For more information, no rx contact the artist here.

Photograph courtesy of Handmadebymachine

Unleash the Geek in You!:

He or she is a type lover? The Just My Type gift set is a series of postcards that will delight the typography nut in your life. Get them at Handmade By Machine

Illustration courtesy of Mari Mitsumi

Lovelorn Ones Need not Be Alone!

Resist the Vitamin Love deficiency blues with Abe’s Penny: the one and only postcard magazine. Why pay for martinis at the bar to drown your sorry ass when you can shake or stir at home for (at least $2) less? And send them postcards to all those trusted friends who stuck by you through thick and thin? Subscribe here.

Vancouver Island Marmot print courtesy of Molly Schaffer and Jenny Kendler

And a Big Hug for the Furry Ones:

Warm the heart of your animal lover companion! Molly Schaffer and Jenny Kendler’s latest illustration project plans to raise awareness and funds for critically endangered species. 100% of the proceeds of The Endangered Species Print Project (ESPP)’s limited-edition art prints support the species they depict. Prints are limited to the species’ remaining population count. For example only 37 Seychelles Sheath-tailed bats remain in the wild, recipe so for this edition only 37 prints will ever be made. These two artists desire to operate outside this white-wall system and use their artistic talents to directly support conservation efforts and biodiversity on Planet Earth. They aimed to craft a project that would use drawing (the thing they were best at and most enjoyed doing) to positively impact the natural world (the thing they cared most about and most enjoyed experiencing).

Photograph courtesy of Incredible Things

Bilmey! Your Birthday is the 14^th!

Well, those Lego Blockz birthday candles are unlike any other and fun! Get them at Incredible Things.

Image courtesy of Oriel Myrddin Gallery

Reap and Sew my Heart Stronger:

Twelve makers from a range of craft disciplines have been invited to participate in ‘Reap & Sew’, an exhibition to open on the 27^th of February. All use nature as an inspiration for their creative output. In the mid-time, a selection of beautiful craft and design objects influenced by gardens and growth are available to purchase now at the shop. And don’t forget, you and your Nature Lover are invited to join the folks at Oriel Myrddin Gallery for A Garden Party – plants, cakes, beekeeping and bunting…

Saturday 20^th March 2-4pmOriel Myrddin Gallery, Church Lane, Carmarthen SA31 1LH/ Lôn Llan, Caerfyrddin SA31 1LH

Photograph courtesy of Stylisheve

Love me Tender:

Stylish Eve is an online craft website with wonderful tutorials. Her current selection of Handmade Romantic gift ideas is perfectly suited to those wanting to transform simple and cheap ideas into matchless treats for Valentine! Learn here how to make soap yummy!

Photograph courtesy of Wrong Love

Torture me Tender:

WRONG LOVE is a naughty orgy of performances, site-specific installation, video and live music set within A Foundation, Liverpool galleries. Featuring 40 artists who will seduce a Valentine’s night crowd with explorations of romance, sexuality, and unconventional love. WRONG LOVE is the first happening produced by the new live arts event collective LAND and aims to showcase thought-provoking works from local, national and international artists. The night will include a bespoke hour filled with ‘wrong’ love poetry and short story readings from BRICKFACE press, a team of young, independent writers and self-publishers as well as performances and installations by Samantha Sweeting, Kimbal Bumstead, Shelly Nadashi, Baptiste Croze, Unit 4, Fools Proof Theatre and many more.

For a full listing of the artists involved visit the WRONG LOVE website. Tickets £10/ £6 concession on sale here. ?Saturday 13 February 2010 ?9pm-3am

Photograph courtesy of Mossonline

Flowers are Nasty:

…When they are polluted with insecticides and other repellent things! You should know already because you’ve read the Earth article today! Well, these ones are handmade and good for your heart. Nymphenburg Treasure Box of 7 unique handmade and hand painted flowers by designer Franz Joseph Ess available here

Illustrations courtesy of The School of Life

Learn to love life:

At the The School of Life Love Week End , be guided through love’s joys and pitfalls. You will explore some essential questions: How can lovers have better conversations? How important is sex? How can love be made to last? What can science usefully tell us about love? You’ll draw on ideas from philosophy, psychoanalysis, literature and art and discover what Plato, Shakespeare, Freud and others had to say about compassion, empathy and self. How institutions of love, such as courtship and marriage, have changed over the centuries and where that legacy leaves us now?

For further details and to book your place on the Love Weekend please click here.

Price: £125.00

Illustration courtesy of Rob Ryan

I think you are Lovely:

Loveliness has never been so artily crafted! Get Rob Ryan’ s hand printed silk screens and say it with a “Leaf Kiss”.

Written by Valerie Pezeron on Tuesday February 9th, 2010 4:58 pm

Categories ,A Foundation, ,Abe’s Penny, ,art, ,Biodiversity, ,conservation, ,craft, ,design, ,ecology, ,events, ,Franz Joseph Ess, ,Hand Painted, ,handmade, ,illustration, ,knitting, ,Lego Blockz birthday candles, ,Liverpool galleries, ,magazine, ,Mari Mitsumi, ,Molly Schaffer and Jenny Kendler, ,Oriel Myrddin Gallery, ,Postcard Art, ,print, ,rob ryan, ,screen-printing, ,Stylisheve, ,Taxidermy, ,The Endangered Species Print Project, ,The School of Life, ,tutorials, ,Valentine’s Day, ,Wrong Love

Amelia’s Magazine | Valentine’s Day- Pas Pour Moi?

Illustration courtesy of Mari Mitsumi

Photograph courtesy of Shauna Richardson.

Spine-chillingly Cuddly Valentine:

In Shauna Richardson’s Crochetdermy, the Endangered craft of crochet fashions life sized endangered species. Knitting has never looked so eerily attractive! For more information, contact the artist here.

Photograph courtesy of Handmadebymachine

Unleash the Geek in You!:

He or she is a type lover? The Just My Type gift set is a series of postcards that will delight the typography nut in your life. Get them at Handmade By Machine

Illustration courtesy of Mari Mitsumi

Lovelorn Ones Need not Be Alone!

Vancouver Island Marmot print courtesy of Molly Schaffer and Jenny Kendler

And a Big Hug for the Furry Ones:

Warm the heart of your animal lover companion! Molly Schaffer and Jenny Kendler’s latest illustration project plans to raise awareness and funds for critically endangered species. 100% of the proceeds of The Endangered Species Print Project (ESPP)’s limited-edition art prints support the species they depict. Prints are limited to the species’ remaining population count. For example only 37 Seychelles Sheath-tailed bats remain in the wild, so for this edition only 37 prints will ever be made. These two artists desire to operate outside this white-wall system and use their artistic talents to directly support conservation efforts and biodiversity on Planet Earth. They aimed to craft a project that would use drawing (the thing they were best at and most enjoyed doing) to positively impact the natural world (the thing they cared most about and most enjoyed experiencing).

Photograph courtesy of Incredible Things

Bilmey! Your Birthday is the 14^th!

Well, those Lego Blockz birthday candles are unlike any other and fun! Get them at Incredible Things.

Image courtesy of Oriel Myrddin Gallery

Reap and Sew my Heart Stronger:

Saturday 20^th March 2-4pmOriel Myrddin Gallery, Church Lane, Carmarthen SA31 1LH/ Lôn Llan, Caerfyrddin SA31 1LH

Photograph courtesy of Stylisheve

Love me Tender:

Photograph courtesy of Wrong Love

Torture me Tender:

For a full listing of the artists involved visit the WRONG LOVE website. Tickets £10/ £6 concession on sale here.  Saturday 13 February 2010  9pm-3am

Photograph courtesy of Mossonline

Flowers are Nasty:

Illustrations courtesy of The School of Life

Learn to love life:

For further details and to book your place on the Love Weekend please click here.

Price: £125.00

Illustration courtesy of Rob Ryan

I think you are Lovely:

Loveliness has never been so artily crafted! Get Rob Ryan’ s hand printed silk screens and say it with a “Leaf Kiss”.

Written by Valerie Pezeron on Tuesday February 9th, 2010 4:58 pm

Amelia’s Magazine | Craft Your Own: How to make a Hanging Heart Decoration for Valentine’s Day

As part of my drive to get more crafty in 2014 I intend to bring you a selection of things to make and do at home, hopefully at least one a month. I reason that if I post these projects on my website then I’ve got license to spend the time making said things out of all the stuff I have saved and stashed around the house over the years… not easy for me to justify in a world where I am working every snatched hour that I have away from the child. But yes, I want to use my hands, and I want to hand craft things like everyone else I write about, even if the outcome is not as polished and perfect.

Hanging Heart Decoration modelled by Snarfle - Valentines Day

First up is my DIY Valentine’s Day Hanging Heart Decoration, a delicate light weight mobile to hang up in the house at this time of year, or to gift your loved one. This was inspired by a hanging heart encrusted with buttons that I drooled over in a relative’s house over Christmas, which I looked at and thought ‘I am sure I can do that myself’. My only worry was what kind of wire to use; something solid enough to keep its shape, yet pliable enough to bend. Fortunately pinterest came to the rescue and I discovered that old wire coat hangers make the perfect base: we have plenty of those around the house, often broken. I also have lots of fabric scraps and ribbon remnants, and plenty of beads, plus some very narrow gauge wire. And so my idea was born. Here’s how I made my decoration, modelled above by Snarfle.

You will need: a wire coat hanger, fabric scraps or ribbon remnants, small seed beads, sequins or similar, 0.4mm or 26 gauge wire (easily available from ebay or craft shops) Lindt chocolate bunny bells and hearts.

Valentines hanging heart mobile 2014-wire coat hangers

1. Cut the hanging curve off your coat hanger (unless you want to use it to hang your final decoration, in which case invert the following instructions) – the twisted part will become the base of your heart. Bend your coat hanger into a heart shape by pulling out the sides so that they are smooth and pushing the centre inwards. Don’t worry too much if you don’t get a smooth shape – I didn’t. It won’t matter too much as long as you get the general shape right, because you can cover up unsightly lumps and bumps with fabric. You will need to apply a certain amount of brute force, but it is surprisingly (and satisfyingly) easy to reshape a wire coat hanger. The size of this heart is dictated by the wire coat hanger (it’s large) but I like that this decoration makes use of something that would otherwise be thrown away.

Valentines hanging heart mobile 2014-just ribbon

2. Cover up the sharp base of your heart shape with a few layers of masking tape, so your decoration doesn’t spike someone if it falls. Select a variety of fabric scraps or ribbon remnants and start wrapping them around the coat hanger, working outwards from the base. I used a selection of ribbons that I have collected from various presents and chocolate boxes over the years. Tie the second one to the first one and so on until you have covered the whole coat hanger, and finish off by rewrapping and tightening up your first ribbon or scrap with the last one. I made a feature of the ties, but you could tuck them in for a smoother appearance.

Valentines hanging heart mobile 2014-with ribbon and bells

3. Thread your Lindt bunny hearts and bells evenly on both sides of the heart (or you could attach whatever you fancy really, it’s just that I seem to have collected an awful lot of these). You can check the mobile is balanced by placing the centre – where the hanging thread will be attached – on the tip of your finger. Now if you are minimalist you could stop here… or you could keep adding to your hanging heart decoration, which is what I did.

4. Use your 0.4mm gauge wire to encrust the heart with whatever you like. I decided to use some little quartz seed beads and holographic red and pink sequins that I found in my hoard. I used wire lengths of approximately 40cm so that I didn’t get in too much of a tangle, cutting another length when needed. Wrap the wire tightly around the base a few times to secure it and then thread on a bead or sequin before wrapping it around again. Every now and again thread a bead away from the main shape and then twist the wire together below it. This is a technique commonly used for making tiaras: read more about how to do this here – it’s very easy and quick to do. When you get to the end of each section make sure to wrap the wire around the base a few times tightly again. The wire works well to keep the main fabric or ribbon in place, particularly at the base, and at the points where you have attached Lindt bells. Just before you finish be sure to check that the weight of the heart is balanced on both sides, as detailed above.

Hanging heart valentines decoration 2014-outside view

Eh voila, attach a ribbon to the centre, and you are done. It doesn’t get much more simple, does it? Why not make one yourself and spread the love with a hand made touch this Valentine’s Day. If you haven’t got time to make your own gift this year, then do check in with my selection of gift ideas by some of my favourite designer makers, right here.

Written by Amelia Gregory on Monday February 10th, 2014 5:09 pm

Categories ,0.4mm gauge wire, ,craft, ,Craft Your Own, ,diy, ,Hanging Heart Decoration, ,Lindt, ,make and do, ,Mobile, ,Snarfle, ,tiara technique, ,Valentine’s Day

Amelia’s Magazine | The story of LOVE. Shown through music.

Valentines Georgia Coote
Illustration by Georgia Coote

I’m not going to lie to you. Valentine’s Day didn’t start as well as some people’s obviously did. The flaunting has been hard to avoid. I don’t know how I feel about these hearty couples. Jealous/sick/admiring/touched. For me, information pills all I can say was that there were certainly no freshly squeezed orange juice glasses on the side table, sildenafil and croissant crumbs left in the bed. For one; it was 6.30am, for two; we ‘don’t do’ Valentine’s Day, and for three; we have smashed all our glasses (not through venom). Thus I give you 6.30am – 6.32am: Me: “Meh, I’m sick, knives have fallen into my throat and got stuck.” Him: “Huh, oh no.” Me: “Feel my forehead, there’s fire I tell you, fire.” He puts palm on my forehead: “Yeh you’re a bit warm. You look a bit sick. Have a lie in.” Me: “Ummm so Valen..” Him: “No, Hels *chuckle*, there’s no Valentine’s here. Now, see you later. Be productive!” Me: “Oh yeh.” He puts his forefinger out for the double forefinger touch (because he blatantly thinks I am horrid and contagious), and he’s gone.

Mine and Charlie’s own seriously overplayed song: Van Morrison, Sweet Thing

It’s not that I care. But I care. 30% of me was hoping for a card on the kitchen table. 70% of me knew there wasn’t. This morning I have moaned about it on twitter (low points) in between work and cups of tea. And now I am listening to my love songs. Because I wanted to write this post on the mighty songs of love. Darn it! And I still hold hope that old Charlie comes back with some garage flowers. Not that I care. I have Francois, my cat, always ready for hugging action. His card is sitting here on my desk. Charlie’s, not the cat’s. Sorry, I can’t stop the cheese today.

Loved up! Woo, YEH! EMOTICON USE time. 4Hero, Les Fleur

As much as I may not admit it. I just can’t get enough of love, feelings and emotions. If I had a bath, I’d sit in it. Musing for a lifetime on everything from the beautiful bliss to the horrifically heartbreaking. Alliteration accepted in such instances, it’s Valentine’s Day after all. It’s just the best thing ever. As are sweeping generalisations. I speak the truth! This is a post about love in its many stages. Unpredictable blighter it is. Respect the ticker. Your heart is YOURS.

1. So, let’s start with the date. Oh and it is magical. Hearts are drumming and the colour’s are bright. Everything looks beautiful. Even twigs. The blood’s rushing so much you can hear it. And. You. Can. Feeeeel, your heart beats pulsating in your lips when you kiss. Four Tet, Angel Echoes.

2. Oh and we’re fully on the merry-go-round now aren’t we? Are you falling in love? Yep, I think you might be. Lykke Li, Little Bit.
LykkeLibyRusstyBrazil
Lykke Li Illustration by Russty Brazil

3. And it feels like nothing else huh? Like you’ve been born again and now it all, as in life; the world; your purpose – makes sense. So do days in bed, massive breakfasts, log fires, roll top baths and footsie in the pub. You didn’t? Yeh, you did. Bon Iver, Stacks.

4. Kisses etc. Bit almost anti-feminist with Bob taking the dominant position here, but you can’t deny this is a special song. And I’d like a big, brass bed. Bob Dylan, Lay Lady Lay.
Bob Dylan Avril Kelly
Bob Dylan Illustration by Avril Kelly

5. …Days together…. Incredible man, Nick Drake, Place To Be.

6. It’s just intense huh? Does anyone else even exist? Who cares, let’s dance, run around mazes and have loads of baths together. Nat King Cole, Love.

7. YES, no, I mean – I definitely do love you. I love you. Decoder Ring, Somersault.

8. WOW. Percy Sledge, When A Man Loves A Woman.
percysledge by daria h
Percy Sledge Illustration by Daria Hlazatova

9. Everything just feels so great, doesn’t it? I mean… JOY. Devendra Banhart, Santa Maria De Feira.

10) Post six months of so. Ah love, aint it grand, yet also very scary? Real love will have you going up, down and around. It will always be changing, sometimes thrilling your socks off, other times leaving you in despair. But it’s super. Just super. Grizzly Bear, Alligator.
grizzlybear by daria h
Grizzly Bear Illustration by Daria Hlaztaova

For those that have recently split. I’m sorry. This man is a superstar and this song is fantastic. Roy Harper, Me and My Woman

For myself and Francois, The Cure, Lovecats. I’ve basically forgiven Charlie now. I’ve listened to so many love songs and gone through a harangue of emotions doing so. Love to you all. Love, love, love, LOVE!

Written by Helen Martin on Monday February 14th, 2011 6:11 pm

Categories ,4Hero, ,Avril Kelly, ,baths, ,Bob Dylan, ,Bon Iver, ,cats, ,Daria Hlazatova, ,Devendra Banhart, ,Emotions, ,Four Tet, ,Georgia Coote, ,grizzly bear, ,Helen Martin, ,Love, ,Lykke Li, ,Nat King Cole, ,Nick Drake, ,Roy Harper, ,Russty Brazil, ,the cure, ,twitter, ,Valentine’s Day, ,Van Morrison

Amelia’s Magazine | Valentine’s Day 2012: Gift Ideas

Similar Posts:

Amelia’s Magazine | Valentine’s Day 2012: Gift Ideas

Similar Posts:

Amelia’s Magazine | Valentine’s Day 2012: Things To Do

Similar Posts:

Amelia’s Magazine | Valentines Day 2013: Jewellery, Handmade Gifts & Discounts on Chocolates

Similar Posts:

Amelia’s Magazine | Valentines Day 2013: Jewellery, Handmade Gifts & Discounts on Chocolates

Similar Posts:

Amelia’s Magazine | Valentines Day: Last Minute Ideas

Similar Posts:

Amelia’s Magazine | Valentine’s Day- Pas Pour Moi?

Similar Posts:

Amelia’s Magazine | Valentine’s Day- Pas Pour Moi?

Similar Posts:

Amelia’s Magazine | Craft Your Own: How to make a Hanging Heart Decoration for Valentine’s Day

Similar Posts:

Amelia’s Magazine | The story of LOVE. Shown through music.

Similar Posts: