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Esther Howland, know as the "The Mother of the American Valentine," was a Victorian era artist responsible for popularizing Valentine greeting cards in the US. Her work featured delicate layers of doilies, scrap images and paper cuttings. Her exquisite pieces are the inspiration for this Valentine card tutorial.
Supplies: Valentine + Flower Scraps, Cards, Dresden Frames + Doilies + Hearts, Paper Glue, Scissors
Step 1: Prepare your supplies: Cut apart a mix of Dresden pieces in varying sizes. Do the same for the scrap images.
Step 2: Begin assembling a mix of Dresden pieces and scraps: matching frames to scraps and choosing which pieces overlay others well. Lay them over your card before beginning to glue to check placement.
Step 3: Glue pieces in place. We glued corner pieces first and worked our way toward the center of the card. Let dry.
Step 4: Repeat to make more cards.
Tips: Don't be afraid to cut Dresden pieces apart to fit your card. For the rose bouquet card (below left) we cut the pillars and corner pieces to better fit the dimensions of the card.
Dresdens look good layered on scraps. Each card below features a Dresden element on top of a scrap: golden bird on rose bouquet, golden heart on heart wreath held by couple, golden bird over heart.
We built on cards from sets that include Italian paper-lined envelopes for an extra special touch.
Specific Supplies Used:
Pink Rose Bouquet, below left top: Dresden flourishes DFW320-G-B + bow DFW782P + dove DF8534AG + rose bouquet scrap S7232
Red Rose Bouquet, below left bottom: Dresden corners DFW309G + frame DF7906G + corners DFW61G + blue flower frame scrap S7352 + rose scrap S7344
Valentine Couple, below right top: Dresden corners DFW67G + bow DFW782P + heart DF7601AG + couple scrap S7177 + flower swag scrap S7352
Fancy Dove on Heart, below right bottom: Dresden doily DFD003-G + dove DF8534AG + corner flourishes DFW320-G-B + bird on heart scrap S7232 + flower swag scrap S7352
Item No. DFW61G
Sheet of 20 Dresden corners, each measuring approx. 1" x 1". Gold foil on front, white paper on reverse. Made in Germany.
Item No. DFW61LPU
Sheet of 20 Dresden corners, each measuring approx. 1" x 1". Light purple foil on front, white paper on reverse. Made in Germany.
Item No. DFW782R
Sheet of 10 medium Dresden bows, each measuring 1" x 1/2". Red foil on front, off white paper on back. Made in Germany.
Item No. DFW61S
Sheet of 20 Dresden corners, each measuring approx. 1" x 1". Silver foil on front, white paper on reverse. Made in Germany.
Item No. DFW67AG
Sheet of 4 Dresden corners, each measuring approx. 3-3/8" on the diagonal x 2-1/2" on each side, featuring extremely detailed embossed flowers and leaves. Antique gold foil on front, white paper on reverse. Made in Germany.
Item No. DFW67SF
Sheet of 4 Dresden corners, each measuring approx. 3-3/8" on the diagonal x 2-1/2" on each side, featuring extremely detailed embossed flowers and leaves. Aqua foil on the front, white paper on the back. Made in Germany.
Item No. DFW67G
Sheet of 4 Dresden corners, each measuring approx. 3-3/8" on the diagonal x 2-1/2" on each side, featuring extremely detailed embossed flowers and leaves. Gold foil on front, white paper on reverse. Made in Germany.
Item No. DFW67LB
Sheet of 4 Dresden corners, each measuring approx. 3-3/8" on the diagonal x 2-1/2" on each side, featuring extremely detailed embossed flowers and leaves. Light blue foil on the front and back. Made in Germany.
Item No. DFW67LPU
Sheet of 4 Dresden corners, each measuring approx. 3-3/8" on the diagonal x 2-1/2" on each side, featuring extremely detailed embossed flowers and leaves. Light purple foil on the front, white paper on back. Made in Germany.
Item No. DFW67P
Sheet of 4 Dresden corners, each measuring approx. 3-3/8" on the diagonal x 2-1/2" on each side, featuring extremely detailed embossed flowers and leaves. Pink foil on both sides. Made in Germany.
Item No. DFW67S
Sheet of 4 Dresden corners, each measuring approx. 3-3/8" on the diagonal x 2-1/2" on each side, featuring extremely detailed embossed flowers and leaves. Silver foil on the front, tan paper on the reverse. Made in Germany.
Item No. DFW67WH
Sheet of 4 Dresden corners, each measuring approx. 3-3/8" on the diagonal x 2-1/2" on each side, featuring extremely detailed embossed flowers and leaves. White paper on the front, off white paper on the back. Made in Germany.
Item No. DFW782S
Sheet of 10 medium Dresden bows, each measuring 1" x 1/2". Silver foil on front, white or tan paper on reverse. Made in Germany.
Item No. DFW782SB
Sheet of 10 medium Dresden bows, each measuring 1" x 1/2". Steel blue foil on front, white paper on reverse. Made in Germany.
Item No. DFW320-AG-B
Mixed sheet of Dresden frames and embellishments. Antique gold foil on front, white paper on reverse. Made in Germany. Overall sheet measures 3.75" by 7.5".
Item No. DFW320-G-B
Mixed sheet of Dresden frames and embellishments. Gold foil on front, white paper on reverse. Made in Germany. Overall sheet measures 3.75" by 7.5".
Item No. DFW320-S-B
Mixed sheet of Dresden frames and embellishments. Silver foil on front and reverse. Made in Germany. Overall sheet measures 3.75" by 7.5".
Item No. DFW309AG
Sheet of 3 Dresden medallions, each measuring 2.5" x 2.5". Antique gold foil on the front, white paper on the back. Made in Germany.
Item No. DFW309SF
Sheet of 3 Dresden medallions, each measuring 2.5" x 2.5". Aqua foil on the front, white paper on the back. Made in Germany.
Item No. DFW309G
Sheet of 3 Dresden medallions, each measuring 2.5" x 2.5". Gold foil on the front, white paper on the back. Made in Germany.
Item No. DFW309P
Sheet of 3 Dresden medallions, each measuring 2.5" x 2.5". Pink foil on the front and back. Made in Germany.
Item No. DFW309S
Sheet of 3 Dresden medallions, each measuring 2.5" x 2.5". Silver foil on the front and back. Made in Germany.
Item No. DFW309SB
Sheet of 3 Dresden medallions, each measuring 2.5" x 2.5". Steel blue foil on the front and white paper on back. Made in Germany.
Item No. DFW320-SB-B
Mixed sheet of Dresden frames and embellishments. Steel blue foil on front, white paper on reverse. Made in Germany. Overall sheet measures 3.75" by 7.5".
Item No. SA166
1 sheet of scraps featuring floral garlands and angels. Sheet measures 6" x 9.25". Scraps are die-cut and embossed on acid-free paper. Made in England.
Item No. DFW320-R-B
Mixed sheet of Dresden frames and embellishments. Red foil on front, white paper on reverse. Made in Germany. Overall sheet measures 3.75" by 7.5".
Item No. DFW320-P-B
Mixed sheet of Dresden frames and embellishments. Pink foil on front and reverse. Made in Germany. Overall sheet measures 3.75" by 7.5".
Item No. S7352
1 sheet of scraps featuring floral borders. Sheet measures 6.5" x 9.25". Scraps are die-cut and embossed on acid-free paper. Made in Germany.
Item No. SA158
1 sheet of scraps featuring 11 borders, frames and bird vignettes. Sheet measures 6" x 9.25". Scraps are die-cut and embossed on acid-free paper. Made in England.
Item No. SA157
1 sheet of scraps featuring 14 borders, frames and flower vignettes. Sheet measures 6" x 9.25". Scraps are die-cut and embossed on acid-free paper. Made in England.
Item No. S7251
1 sheet of scraps featuring floral boats and bouquets. Sheet measures 6.5" x 9.5". Scraps are die-cut and embossed on acid-free paper. Made in Germany.
