a handmade Valentine card

I think we can all agree that February's weather is less-than-appealing, but when it comes to holidays, Valentine's Day is up there among my favorites. Nothing says "I love you!" more than a handmade gift, or more specifically, for the focus of this post--a handmade card. 

Another watercolor creation, for this beauty, I started out with a very light pencil outline sketch of my cupcake. I then did a few sweeping lines to show where the frosting would be. From there, I went crazy with my Pelikan watercolor set. 

Naturally, in true Avery fashion, I smudged a great deal outside the cupcake, so I ended up cutting the sweet little dessert out and pasting it on another watercolor paper which I'd folded in half and added a watercolor border to. 

I love a good mix of textures, so I opted to add this shimmering blue/purple bow. It picks up the exact tone of blue I used in my cake, so it's perfect harmony.

The inside (which I regrettably admit I did not photograph) reads, "The sweetest thing about this card...is the person holding it." A sentiment just as sugary as the card illustration.

Naturally, if you're going to take the time to hand make a card, creating a handmade envelope only seems like the next step, so I created this square envelope out of the same heavier watercolor paper that I painted the cupcake on.

I've made my own envelopes for a while now, but if you're wanting a good tutorial, I suggest this one from Lindsey at The Postman's Knock, which comes with a free template.

On the front of the envelope I used Tombow Dual Brush Pens and my Pelikan watercolor set to create bubbles and a color-blocked look with some fun, modern calligraphy text.

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