Introducing This Year's Valentine's Day Collection!

Good morning, everyone! The big release is just one day away (all of the new products will be available Saturday 12/28 at Noon EST) and that means we're making the rest of our introductions today. There is love in the air and we're really feeling it!

I also wanted to remind you that I will be going live on Instagram again tonight at 8pm EST to answer any questions you might have about the new release.

First up, we have the Chocolate Box Details Die (retails for $38 - coordinates with the Basic Heart Die with retails separately for $17).

This handy die transforms your Basic Heart into the lid of a box of delicious chocolates. The die includes layers that build to resemble a box, tray, and a selection of embroidered chocolates. This die pairs particularly nicely with the Scalloped Heart Details Die and Ribboned Heart Details Die for additional design possibilities.

We also have the Chocolate Box Messages Die (retails for $20). This die, similar to the Conversation Hearts Messages, adds a greeting to your Chocolate Boxes or other heart projects. 

Valentine's Day is synonymous with chocolates *and* bouquets of flowers, so we're also debuting the Fresh Flowers Die (retails for $32) to make sure that everyone has as happy a Valentine's Day as possible.

This bundle of flowers includes embroidered stems, a trio of layered florals, and a little bow for arranging your posies in the sweetest bouquet. The design includes ample opportunities for embellishment and so much delightful texture!

The Love Notes Die (retails for $28) is a petite envelope that is perfect for any tiny trinket or romantic missive you may want to deliver.

While this envelope is well suited for packaging a gift card, it is also ideal for jewelry, business cards, notes, and more!

And last, but certainly not least, my tip-toe back into cardmaking.

The Plaid Coverall Die (retails for $24) cuts a plaid background sized for an A2 card front (the die doesn't have an outer cutting edge though, so you have some flexibility if you would like to try other card sizes or techniques). Plaid is such a classic pattern that it seemed like a perfect fit for our first foray back into the land of paper.

Ok! Now that I've made the basic introductions, let's get to some projects! I'm going to kick things off with the Chocolate Box Details Die.

If you were here last year, you might remember the Valentine's Day tree chatter (long story short: it's sad when the Christmas decor goes away, so we've decided to extend the home decor by turning one of our trees into a Valentine's Day tree). Well, it's coming back this year, so I decided to make some new ornaments using this new die! I kept these flat, so there isn't any stuffing involved in either of these. Each "half" of the box (meaning left side, right side) is 2-3 layers of felt. You could also double up the box layer if you wanted to stuff it.

I wanted to make one ornament look like the chocolate boxes with the frilly scalloped lid, so I added a Desert Rose Scalloped Heart layer between the box shape and the Red Currant Basic Heart. I added the greeting from the Chocolate Box Messages Die to the top of the box and embellished with a few sparklies for good measure. The chocolates on this one are Cocoa and the tray is Truffle. Gosh! This turned out cute!

On this ornament I wanted to go for a wrapped look, so I used the Ribboned Heart Details Die to add interest to the lid. I also went with another greeting from Chocolate Box Messages. The box is Cardinal and the bow is Rouge. You can see the embroidery on the chocolates a little better here, too. I love how each one is unique. I used Satin Slipper for the tray and Walnut for the chocolates.

I wasn't quite done making ornaments for our Valentine tree, so I used the Fresh Flowers die to create another new addition.

I used the new Lasting Love Color Story (plus some Tundra, Seaspray, and dark green thread) for this bouquet ornament. I'm super happy with how it turned out!

I cut the base layer from Tundra and began by embroidering my stems. I did a basic running stitch and then I went back over everything with a whip stitch. It makes the stems a bit bolder and smoother and I love the look. Nearly everything on this ornament can be done with the running stitch, but one of those leafy branches looks great when done with lazy daisy stitches. You could do straight stitches though, if you prefer.

Adding the flowers is as simple as sewing in a circle, honestly. I also added in a sprinkle of tiny four-petal flowers, but they're totally optional. I assembled the bows and used hot glue to attach them. I don't always choose to decorate both sides of an ornament, but I did the exact same design on both sides to make it pretty. If you decided to do a similar ornament and didn't want the back decorated, I would recommend simply sewing through the holes with matching thread so it all blends together (I hope that makes sense). I truly love how much texture is in this bouquet!

Next up, I have a pair of gift envelopes that I made using the new Love Notes Die.