I've made valentines every year for at least 40. This year I started with a monoprinting project with my preschool-age granddaughter when we spent a week together in California in January. On walks, we picked up "specimens" and "treasures". We rolled out red ink and transferred leaf and seaweed impressions to 3-1/2" x 4-1/2" rectangles of mulberry paper. My set of hand-carved rubber stamp hearts added to the fun. When our time together was over, we divided up our prints.
Once home, I embellished mine. I added colored pencil. I collaged in snippets cut from the slick Howard Hughes Medical Institute Bulletin, placing them behind and on top of the semi-translucent paper. I poked pinholes. I tore or cut the mulberry paper.
I hope you enjoy this collaboration. Here are all 15 of the 2014 batch. Each original was mailed by snail mail to a special someone.
