HAVE A HEART: NATALIE

Today we have a layout created by Natalie. She is ready for Valentine's Day, just needs to snap a few pics of her sweeties and she will have a completed layout. Have you tried to create layouts without pictures? It can save you a lot of time!
Deb♥

I made this layout with My Mind's Eye paper for the background and large border strip. The scalloped heart is Basic Grey paper from a couple years ago. The cupid and heart sentiments are from the Lovestruck 2010 Cricut Cartridge. I altered the words inside the hearts with my Gypsy, using the hide function I hid the original lettering and put in my own letters from Plantin Schoolbook and then grouped them together! I stickled the sentiment hearts with Diamond. The large heart is cut *I think* from Lovestruck as well. I distressed it with Tim Holtz firebrick red and Stampin Up! Real red. The heart ribbon used for the arrow is from Michael's. The picture mats and journal box are from Creative Memories.

I wanted to create a style that reflected romantic blendid with childhood memories of receiving candy hearts from your classmates and maybe the occasional cute boy!!! I left the picture mats blank because I am waiting to take pictures of my husband I. The journal gives thanks to St. Valentine with inspiration from this excerpt from http://www.infoplease.com/spot/valentinesdayhistory.html

"Most scholars believe that the St. Valentine of the holiday was a priest who attracted the disfavor of Roman emperor Claudius II around 270. At this stage, the factual ends and the mythic begins. According to one legend, Claudius II had prohibited marriage for young men, claiming that bachelors made better soldiers. Valentine continued to secretly perform marriage ceremonies but was eventually apprehended by the Romans and put to death. Another legend has it that Valentine, imprisoned by Claudius, fell in love with the daughter of his jailer. Before he was executed, he allegedly sent her a letter signed "from your Valentine." Probably the most plausible story surrounding St. Valentine is one not focused on Eros (passionate love) but on agape (Christian love): he was martyred for refusing to renounce his religion."

I plan to value Valentine's Day by using this holiday/myth to teach my children about it's history and making a special dinner and dessert for my love, my hubby! I love being able tie Christian love into our American holidays which seem to have just become another day to buy junk you don't need and gifts that wither and die, break your wallet, or make you fat!!!