Valentine's Day is coming...

This week's Shining the Light challenge is a Pink, Red, and White Color Challenge.

I used one of the Apothecary Bottles with its matching Apothecary Bottles die, added the cute little heart candies from Canning Jar Fillers, and added the little heart with the "hugs" from Ornate Borders Sentiments.  Keeping it simple, I embossed the white, added a pink doily and matted it.  But then it still needed a little extra something, so I fussy cut a bunch of the little hearts and sprinkled them around the bottom of the bottle.  

Being curious about the origins of Valentine's Day, I found more than I could imagine about how it started and its meaning…good and bad.  

Over the years, gift-giving and exchanging hand-made valentine cards made of lace, ribbons, and hearts spread to America. It wasn't until the 1850s that Esther A. Howland, known as the "Mother of the Valentine," made elaborate creations with real lace, ribbons, and colored pictures known as "scrap." Initially these cards were hand-colored by factory workers, but by the early 20th century even fancy lace and ribbon-strewn cards were created by machine. And now many of us are back to making handmade cards, which are a delight to send as tokens of love and affection to family and friends. How nice that a handmade card is still of value in this hustle-bustle society in which we live.

This card is going to a precious little girl along with a special gift that is being handed down from her great-grandmother, my mom, who is now with the Lord. I plan to write a note about why it was special to my mom. I am going to share how my mom loved the Lord dearly...and how she would have loved her great-granddaughter very much too.

To see all the creations in one place or join the challenge, please visit Our Daily Bread Designs Blog. You have until February 2 to join us. You may use any stamps to enter, but if you have any Our Daily Bread Designs stamps, we would love to see you use them. If you participate, you have an opportunity to win a $15 certificate toward ODBD stamps or to be "spotlighted" for the Shining the Light Award (the SLC award is only for those who use ODBD stamps). We would so love to see your creations!

For more absolutely gorgeous inspiration for this challenge, please visit my precious design team sisters:

Chris Olsen * Diana Nguyen * DJ Rants * Elizabeth Whisson
Linda Carson * Guest Designer Robin Clendenning

Thanks so much for "stopping by" and leaving a comment or sharing a thought. As I anticipate Valentine's Day, I think of the greatest love…God's...in that He sent His only Son Jesus for us! There is no greater love!

For His glory,

Card Recipe:

Stamps:  Apothecary Bottles, Canning Jar Fillers, Ornate Borders Sentiments (ODBD)

Paper: Solar White (Neenah), White (PTI), Pink (Bazzill)

Ink: Tuxedo Black (Memento), Black (Versafine)
Tools/Accessories: Copic markers, ODBD Custom Apothecary Bottles dies, Classic Hearts dies (Spellbinders), Geometric Rings embossing folder (Cuttlebug), doily (Michaels), DMC perle cotton, empressor tool, 3M dimensional tape
Card Size:  4 3/4" square