Grow Love and a Re-purposed Picture Frame

I have the most incredible collection of heart ornaments....all from one source....a dear friend of mine...hand made perfection.

So I decided this year I wanted them all displayed on a tree.  My first Valentine's Tree.  

I cut a branch from outside and stuck it in a small galvanized pail full of sand.  Shredded music paper gives it a finished look.

So this isn't technically a heart...I also hung the snow flake ornaments she has sent.  Look how evenly she stitches!

Little beads add such punch.

And, look at the little garland of crocheted hearts.

It was hard to photograph this garland as the light was a bit low and the mirror in the background makes it busy, but in person you can see it all.

Can you see the paper bag one there with blanket stitching around it?  Less fancy, but just my style!

A fabric stuffed heart with a crocheted cover and it's very own key.

This one has been starched and stiffened.

That's me. :)

That's a vintage mother pin attached to this one!

A very feminine pink one peaking from behind the bold red one.

I'd been waiting for a sunny day to take these pictures but when the sun was finally out yesterday, I forgot. :(

And, really what better metaphor than a tree with hearts for love?  Because love must be tended to, watered, pruned, set in the light (Christ), to grow.  I don't care if it sounds corny.  It's true.

This is the "card" I made for my husband this year.  Do you remember my Friday Finds a couple of weeks back?  I knew I wanted those folding frames for a reason!  They make perfect cards or "books" if you have a story to tell.

The letters and tree are stamps and I needle felted the little hearts "growing" there and glued them on.

The paper I used for the backing is from the same book we used to make the hearts for my daughter's wedding. It was a very old book on marriage and some of it was kind of..."too much" so I chose the page with a little caution, ha!  

I aged the frame a bit with Tim Holtz alcohol ink.

(The same friend made the crocheted runner this all sits on!)

I guess I can toss the branch back outside when I take this down as it will be easy enough to get another one next year.

Happy Valentine's Day to you!!!