My newest creation in my Strathmore 5.5″ x 8.5″ Watercolor Journal. I completely panicked in making this angel. My white Posca Pen ran out of ink shortly after starting the outlines. I had a pretty good groove going on and didn’t want to stop so I switched to my white Uni-Ball Signo Gel pen and it worked beautifully. It makes a broader line but the gel ink is also bolder. Just like the Posca Pen, if you make a mistake you can quickly erase it with a little water and a brush, but the ink has to be wet. Once it dries it’s permanent.
Last week I wrote a post about the history of Valentine’s Day and learned we had a “Mother of Valentine, “Esther A Howland. I found her very interesting considering she was born in a time before women basically had rights and as a result the odds were not in her favor. Despite that, Esther persevered and moved forward with her vision. Below are some of the highlights of Esther’s lifetime accomplishments below:
1828 Esther was born in Worcester, Massachusetts. Her parents were Southworth Allen Howland and Esther Howland.
Her Father, owned the largest stationary and bookbindery business in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Esther attended college at Mount Holyoke Academy the same time as Emily Dickinson did.
1847 Esther graduated college at the age of 19 and received a Valentine card from one of her father’s friends which was decorated with lace and cut out flowers. During this time, Valentine Day Cards were imported from Europe into the States.
Esther loved the card and thought she could do better. She talked to her father and he bought her supplies to make her own cards. She created a dozen designs.
Esther gave the samples to her brother for his next sales trip for their father’s business. She hoped for $200 in sales which would be worth around $6,380 today. But to her surprise he returned with over $5,000, worth $159,501 today.
Esther knew she couldn’t handle these orders by herself so she employed friends, primarily women who were said to have been paid liberally and had pleasant working conditions. She used a guest bedroom on the 3rd floor of her home for her new business. She set up an assembly line to create the cards and inspected each one.
1850 The Worcester Spy published the first advertisement for Esther’s Valentine Cards and she became officially known as a businesswomen.
1870 Esther incorporated her business, New England Valentine Company (N.E.V.Co).
In red ink, Esther began stamping the letter “H” and price on the back of her cards. She also included in red ink, the letters for her company “N.E.V.Co.”
Esther’s business grossed $100,000 annually the equivalent of $3,190,024 today.
Esther expanded her business and made cards for Birthdays, Christmas and New Years. She also created May Baskets and Booklets.
1866 Esther suffered a knee injury and became bound to a wheelchair.
1874 Esther moved her Valentine factory from her home to Harrington Corner.
Esther passed away in 1904 at the age of 76. Although she was considered “The Mother of Valentine” she never married.
Since I filled up my other journal, this is the first angel in my new journal, Angel of Prayer. I tried something new with her halo but I’m not sure if I like it. What do you think?
I also limited my color palette on this one. After she was all done, I took a look at her and she reminded me of Easter with these colors.
Did you ever wonder how it all got started? I mean, who came up with this idea to celebrate love on February 14th? The roots of St Valentine’s Day go back to 270 AD. I’m sure you don’t want a major history lesson so here are a few of the highlights:
Geoffrey Chaucer, an English Poet was the first person to record St Valentine’s Day as a day of romantic celebration in his 1375 poem “Parliament of Foules”
The oldest recorded Valentine was written in 1415, by Charles, Duke of Orleans. After the battle of Agincourt he was held prisoner in The Tower of London and wrote a Valentine to his wife which is now a part of the manuscript collection of the British Library in London, England.
Cupid is depicted on many Valentine Day greetings as a cute, chubby little cherub. However, his roots actually go back to the Greek God of Love, Eros.
In the mid 1800’s, friends and lovers would exchange small tokens of affection or a hand written note. By the 1900’s, printing technology improved and printed cards replaced the handmade versions from the 1800’s
In the 1840’s, Esther A Howland who became known as “The Mother of Valentine” began selling the first mass produced Valentines in the United States. Her creations were beautifully made with lace, ribbons and colorful pictures known as scrap. Esther’s brother took a dozen card samples to their father’s store where she hoped to get $200 in sales. But her brother returned with over $5,000 in sales!!!
Today approximately 145 Million Valentine Day cards are sent each year making it the 2nd largest holiday to Christmas.
Below is a photo of Esther A Howland and a few of her Valentine Cards
“For it was not into my ear you whispered, but into my heart. It was not my lips you kissed, but my soul.” ~Judy Garland
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In the spirit of Valentine’s Day which is just a 4 days away, I made this Angel of Love. This was my last painting in this 5.5″ x 8″ journal. I finally filled it up, Yay!
I somehow keep making that beautiful turquoise blue color. I have mixed and mixed trying to duplicate but haven’t had any luck. Funny enough, it happens completely by accident. I don’t even notice it until it dries. I’m waffling buying a tube of paint, the hard part is finding the color of turquoise.
Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. We all know that we should express our love every day to those we hold dear, but Valentine’s Day is that 1 day to really shine. Without spending a lot of money, here are 14 Ways to Show Your Love to that Special Someone in your life:
Make a nice breakfast.
Take over and do their chores for the day.
Go for a nice walk together.
Do a yoga or other exercise class together.
Go out on a picnic.
Watch a movie with candy and popcorn.
Bake a special sweet dish like the vegan brownies from last Thoughtful Thursday!
Make a handmade Valentine’s Day Card.
Create a surprise “Love You” display on the kitchen table with candy, flowers.
Order a “To Go” meal and have a candlelit dinner at home.
Create a romantic music play list and dance the night away.
Leave little love notes for them to find.
Give them a Spa Day at home with candles, chocolates and bubble bath.
Spend quality time together talking with no distractions and really listen.
“Where there is Love, there is Life.” ~Mahatma Gandhi
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I always believe that angels are around every minute of every day, guiding and protecting us. In these tough times we need their love now more than ever.
I painted this angel, Bethany on 9″ x 12″ 140lb Watercolor Paper. She is full of bright, fun, happy colors and made with lots of love 💖 and is available for purchase in my Etsy Shop: FlowingWatersArtShop
“May Angels guard you through the night and keep you safe till morning light.” ~ Unknown
Many moons ago when I tried eating vegan, it really wasn’t the tastiest, at least not the recipes I tried. I’ve been vegan now for the past several years and can say that the recipes have improved tremendously. Some recipes are so good you can’t even tell they’re vegan and not made with eggs, milk and the usual ingredients. A lot are even better all plant based.
You may have seen Zucchini Brownies for sale in health food stores and restaurants. The thought of making something as delicious as a brownie from a vegetable didn’t quite appeal to my taste buds at first. But being a chocolate lover I finally gave into my curiosity and tried one at a small restaurant. To my surprise it was so delicious and moist, I pretty much inhaled it, lol.
Since I love to bake, I figured someone on the internet must have a pretty good recipe. Lo and behold I came across ElaVegan.com hosted by Michaela. She is a very talented vegan food stylist, recipe creator, photographer and writer.
Michaela’s Zucchini Brownie Recipe was absolutely delicious as are her many other recipes which I highly recommend you try. The recipes are written with easy instructions, lots of photos and helpful tips. She also puts a tab at the top of each recipe for a quick print. Even if vegan isn’t your thing, it’s a delicious alternative to healthier meals. I highly recommend trying these delicious brownies!
“Health is like money, we never have a true idea of its value until we lose it.” ~Josh Billings
This is my latest angel that I created in my Strathmore 5.5″ x 8″ watercolor journal. I started with a sketch and then painted her. I wasn’t too crazy about her green colors at first but it definitely grew on me. I can’t decide whether I like the halo or glowing aura more. Which style is your favorite?
Soap nuts, also known as Sapindus mukorossi are native to India and Nepal. They are not nuts, but actually a fruit, a berry to be specific. However, when you dry them, it forms a hard outer shell that looks like a nut. The shell contains saponin, a natural detergent. Saponin gets released when the shell absorbs water, it also softens your clothes. Soap nuts are a great alternative for people with allergies who need a chemical free detergent.
To use soap nuts you would need to put about 4-6 of them in a muslin bag and then toss it in your washing machine with your laundry. If you prefer a scent just add essential oils to the muslin bag before tossing them in. Soap nuts don’t create a lot of bubbles and can be used several times before they break down. They are very eco friendly and cost effective!
You can also use soap nuts to make facial washes, shampoos and natural soaps. I found quite a few site online that sell soap nuts. So I’m going to buy some and see how it goes.
“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.” ~Mahatma Gandhi
Flowing Waters Art 