Why Handmade: Valentine’s Day

by Lynn Mohney of Prunella’s Workshop

I don’t care for Valentine’s Day.
There. I said it.

I don’t necessarily buy into the idea where one day a year someone buys me jewelry, chocolate, and flowers to tell me they love me, because their calendar told them to. I do, however, think on occasion we should do something for the people we love, simply because we can. Despite my opinion, on February 14, men everywhere will be looking for gifts for the woman in their life, and as a professional artist, it is essential I am prepared with possible trinkets for their perusal.

Textured Heart Earrings by Prunella's Workshop

I am considering whether my line of jewelry supports a lot of heart-shaped items, or if simply having merchandise is sufficient. I do have some hearts worked in here and there, on a piece or two. Fortunately, unlike other holiday-themed items, such as Christmas trees or pumpkins, hearts are acceptable year-round. It is when we add wording such as “Be Mine,” that our work becomes specifically tied to Valentine’s Day. From a design perspective, hearts are fun to work with, as they come in more than one shape. There is the round plump heart, the asymmetrical heart, and the long narrow heart, just to name a few.

Day 46 - Valentine's Jewelry by slgckgc

It does bring me back to a time when I was younger, in elementary school. Everyone brought in a shoe box decorated with red, white, and pink construction paper, with a little slit on the top. We’d walk around the room, sliding handmade Valentine’s Day cards into everyone’s boxes. There were fewer commercial cards back then and more heart-shaped white doilies. You went through each and every one of those cards looking for the one from a special friend. To capture this feeling in a piece of art for the holiday; that would bring back the spirit of what Valentine’s Day should be.

Monster Truck Valentines by Janet