make | A Rock Candy Valentine (for your crush)

Valentine's Day is my favorite (favorite!) holiday. So if you want to complain about it being "a Hallmark holiday" ... let me start by saying "save it, sour puss!" There is so much love around us - all the time - so why not take one day a year to celebrate it?

The challenge is : there are lots of different kinds of love. And I'm not just talking about platonic vs. romantic. Not all of us are in a committed multi-year relationship where one might feel comfortable saying the l-word. Sometimes, relationships are just starting ... sometimes they're just ending. Sometimes they're in that weird place where you're like "are we a couple? are we not a couple? I don't want to have this conversation". So, to save you from the awkwardness, I've created five fun projects this week for everyone on your love-list!

(day 1) For Your Crush : the object of your affection and fantasies of future marriage.

Lucky you! You have a crush. I know you're probably having all sorts of uncomfortable stomach turning feelings while obsessively checking for text messages. But remember, this is the fun part! This is the part that you will look back at wistfully, potentially derailing a long term successful relationship just to feel again. 

So let's celebrate that! Nothing too sentimental, just a sweet (and kinda steamy), cute (and kinda cheeky) nudge to let them know they make your heart go pitter-patter.

materials: 
Rock Candy :  from OldTimeCandy.com 
Earth Toned Drawing Paper : from Blick Art Supply
Exacto Knife
Embroidery Thread
White Paint Pen

1. get out your candy and your paper. You can use standard brown craft paper - but I like the texture (and variety of colors) in drawing paper. The card I'm using is roughly 5 x 6 inches.
2. make two small vertical cuts with your exact knife 1/3 of the way down your card. These will be our guide holes for threading in step 4
3. write your message with the white paint pen. I chose a line from Michael Jackson. But the pun possibilities are truly endless! Go over it for a second coat. 
4. using your needle and embroidery thread - go down first through the left slit and then up through the right. Pull the doubled-over end all the way through to make a single line.
5. now, stitching over your rock candy, make a second pass. Leave the doubled-over end threaded through, to create two threads on either side. Cut the needle free.
6. tie in a bow
7. give to your crush!

Tomorrow we'll make valentines for the boy that's bound to break your heart ... see you then!


photos and original project design by Samantha Shorey