Conie Fong Art and Design: Mini Valentines Cards

Now that Christmas is over, it's time to start on your Valentine's cards! I've come up with some mini size cards, but they are still large enough to meet the minimum size requirements of the United States Post Office (USPS). The envelope size is 5"W x 4"H and the minimum for USPS is 5"W x 3-1/2"H. 

I used three of Conie Fong's adorable bears to make these cards. They can be found in her Etsy shop: 1) Sweetheart Bella with Love, 2) Bella with Rose, and 3) Sunflower Bella.

I wanted to experiment with three water color pens to see how they would come out using Bristol paper. I used: 1) Arteza Real Brush Pens for Sweetheart Bella with Love; 2) Spectrum Noir Aqua Tints for Bella with Rose; and 3) Zig Clean Color Real Brush Pens for Sunflower Bella.

It was really hard to decide which pens I liked the best since they were all so similar.  I have the 60 pack of the Zigs, 48 pack of Artezas (gift from my son), and 3 packs of 3 (9 markers) of Spectrum Noirs (a prize I won). The Zig pens have a much smaller brush tip, so it's nice for the small details, but the Artezas and Spectrum Noirs are great for the larger areas. It was a fun experiment and I think all the bears came out great!

Now for the sizes of these mini cards. These cards are 3"W x 4-1/4"H. First cut the card base 3"W x 8-1/2" and score at 4-1/4" and fold in half (top folding card). 

Next, using patterned paper, cut one at 3"W x 4-1/4"H.

Optional:  I used the rectangle die from Stamp Anniething's Shaker Basics Set 1 to cut out the frame for the card. You can also cut strips of paper to make the frame or use washi tape.

Use dies or punches to cut out various sizes of hearts using patterned and plain papers. Use a small sentiment to add to a heart. My hearts are from the set made by Cricut called Stars and Hearts.

Adhere all the pieces as you wish. I used foam squares for the bears and the heart with the sentiment. 

I hope you give this card a try. It's fast and easy to mass produce! Thank you for visiting today and have a wonderful week.