Love it or hate it Valentine’s Day is right around the corner. Will you be making your sweet something sweet or counting the days until February 15th? If you need some last minute inspiration check out Handmade Hellos, any of the card projects can easily be adapted for this saccharine holiday. And while we’re out of stock, Amazon still has our best selling The Valentine Kit available. But if you’re like us you may just not have the time (or energy) to whip something up for the big day. So here are our favorite crafty Valentines from Etsy!

The Love Cozy by Whimsie Dots

White Paper Bags from Twig & Thistle Shop from which you can make these adorable treat bags

Personalized Valentine Onesies from That’s Too Cute Boutique

Sweet Love Banner from Earmark

Love Bites Plates from Trixie Delicious

Caramel Pretzels from WordBanquet

Heart Locket Necklace from Pinking-Edge Designs

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Christina Loff
Craft Publicist

Kate Prouty
Craft Editor

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With the news of a human-canvas run-in at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, I was reminded of a recent Chronicle title that also involves masterpieces.

Artful Jewelry is a book plus craft kit that features 11 famous works of art—Vermeer’s The Girl with a Pearl Earring, Van Gogh’s The Starry Night, Botticelli’s La Primavera, among others—and 11 accompanying jewelry projects. All the materials you need to create six of the projects are included: teardrop pearl beads, headpins, earring wires, embroidery floss, a bracelet base, seed beads, and more.

Each jewelry project is inspired by key elements of the paintings. Here are some of my favorites.

There is something very satisfying about capturing Van Gogh’s mesmerizing (and untamed) swirls in a necklace:

Klimt is always decadent. These golden earrings are, too:

Understated and elegant, these teardrop earrings are inspired by Vermeer’s The Girl with a Pearl Earring:

And this bracelet is reminiscent of the one worn by Renoir’s Jeanne Samary:

These are four of the projects you can make right away.

Two recent Chronicle Books visitors, 12-year-old Bella and 15-year-old Ashley (pictured at the top of this post) picked up Artful Jewelry and couldn’t put it—or the completed projects—down. They are artfully adorned with the Van Gogh necklace, Degas ring, Gauguin bracelets, Monet rings, Egyptian bracelets, and Da Vinci necklace.

And if you happen to be in New York City when the Picasso’s The Actor is restored and back on view, what better way to honor it than by wearing one of Artful Jewelry’s completed projects, like the tulle ring on Ashley’s left hand? You can always check out the ring’s inspiration, Degas’s The Dance Class, also at the Met:

I guarantee that your Artful Jewelry crafting experience will garner you a new—or at least renewed—appreciation for the art.

Naomi Kirsten
Assistant Editor

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Don’t miss Etsy’s first craft night of 2010 with our very own Ed Roth! Attend the workshop in person if you’re in Brooklyn, or join in on the fun online in Etsy’s multi-user chat room, The Virtual Labs. Live demo starts this Monday, January 25th, at 5pm ET. In person workshop will be happening at the Etsy Labs from 4-8pm at 55 Washington Street, Suite 512 in Brooklyn, NY.

More info can be found here.

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Christina Loff
Craft Publicist

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I love the beginning of the year. It’s amazing that a simple change of numbers has the ability to refresh and refocus people. Naturally, it’s a good time to set goals. And the goals are always the same whether it’s for your personal life or your business: eliminate the bad stuff holding you down, strengthen what’s working for you, and get started on projects you’ve been dreaming of.

For independent business owners, the best way to actualize your goals is to plan, plan, plan. Of course, business success and good planning go hand in hand. So the first step to making your goals real begins with writing them down. The second step is to put together plans to make them happen.

For craft and design-based businesses, I’ve made it even easier to do those steps with the Craft Inc. Business Planner. I wanted a planner that would help people focus on all aspects of their business (from product design to garnering press mentions to getting into stores) as well as outline plans to accomplish their goals over a 12-month period. Though I wish I had this planner when I first started my business (it would’ve certainly eliminated some headaches), I’m glad that I have it now to kick off this business year and every year thereafter. Now I can visualize and lay the groundwork for my goals and the projects I want to accomplish within the year!

Meg Mateo Ilasco

Tell us one of your goals for 2010 in the comments, we’ll send one lucky commenter a copy of Meg’s Craft Inc. Business Planner.

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A friend at work just sent me this amazing stitchable necklace from UK-based Return To Me that reminded me of the project we published with Jenny Hart called Stitchable Stationery. They both have the same concept (we call it “craft lite” at Chronicle) that offers the ultimate in personalization. As a creative but busy person, I love it!!

So, what do you think, should we do more of this “craft lite” concept? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below and I’ll send one randomly chosen lucky winner a free copy of Stitchable Stationery!

The Return To Me Customizable Necklace is a gold-plated grid into which you stitch your own design.

Like above, for example!
Images from Return to Me

It’s the same idea with Stitchable Stationery. Jenny’s provided smart starting points with her illustrations - then you get to poke holes in the cards and stitch along the illustration lines, or add your own details. (Cards, envelopes, floss, and needles all included!)

Images from Average Jane Crafter

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Kate Woodrow
Craft Editor

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