Thanks to Saint Valentine, February 14th is completely devoted to love. The shelves in stores are spattered with pinks and reds, chocolate makes its mighty presence known, and the scent of roses wafts just about everywhere. While teddy bears are cuddly, candy is delicious and flowers are beautiful, sometimes that special-someone deserves a bit more thought… after all, it is the one day a year that the sap-factor is bumped to 10 and hopeless romance is highly encouraged, especially by the ladies.
Nothing says “I love you” quite like a completely customized gift. You want to show the love in your life that they’re unique to you so, sorry talking Teddy, you’re just not cutting it this year. Check out some of the Creation Stories below to find out how you can turn an ordinary Valentine’s Day into something unforgettable.
The Inspiration
A man soon to be called a husband worthy of a customized carrier.
The Request
Create a dark brown leather laptop bag to be gifted from the bride-to-be. Engrave lyrics from the couple’s wedding song on the inside of the strap to discreetly remind him of her.
The Maker
Kerry’s Custom Leather
The Process
Interested in a personalized and practical gift, the Buyer sent the Maker a photo of a simple briefcase to be the basis of the Creation. Customized facets, including initials and lyrics from the couple’s wedding song, were submitted with specific ideas of placement and font. Applying her creativity, the Maker suggested a bag in Bison Brown to meet the Buyer’s expectation of a rich leather. After cutting the hide to the perfect measurements the Maker carved initials on the front flap of the bag, and the specified lyrics on the inside of the strap, before proceeding to dye the leather. The Maker hand-sewed the entire bag. She added magnetic strips to the front of the bag for ensured closure and inserted padding to an interior compartment for added laptop cushion. For the final steps the Maker sewed lining to the entire bag to give the inside a polished look and added a zippered pocket for miscellaneous items.
The Creation
A sharp-looking leather laptop bag with subtle reminders of the couple’s special bond.
The Inspiration
A girlfriend that’s just too significant to gift a run-of-the-mill accessory.
The Request
Turn a handwritten initial into a personalized charm, never to be duplicated.
The Maker
Paul Michael Design
The Process
The Buyer presented the Maker with an image of the first letter of his girlfriend’s signature converted to vector format. From the computer-generated design the Maker was able to visualize sculpting techniques and formulate the exact cutting degree to add structure and stability to the charm. The letter was cut out of sterling silver before it was sculpted to its final phase. A small circle of silver was soldered to the swoop of the H to ensure a level placement on the chain to finish out the charm.
The Creation
A perfectly personalized necklace completely bespoke to a very special lady.
The Inspiration
Matrimony sealed with a string of hearts.
The Request
Carve a one-of-a-kind wedding band befitting of a unique bride.
The Maker
Annie Raso Designs
The Process
The Buyer was first drawn to the Maker through a previous Creation that involved morphing wood into a ring’s center stone. While the Buyer was on the market for gold, she couldn’t resist the intricacies and singularity of a wood-carved ring. Bearing the Buyer’s original intention in mind, the Maker found a character-filled exotic golden wood that appeared to glitter in the light. After making a first pass at the ring the Maker was not content and went back to the beginning using a bent-wood technique that would make the ring stronger and display the long grain of the wood. Finally, a thin band of nickel rounded out the inside to further strengthen the hearts.
The Creation
A conversation-starting ring of love that makes saying “I do” easy.
Engagement Ring: Marquise Diamond Rose Gold
The Inspiration
A meaningful diamond passed down to a new owner with distinguished taste.
The Request
Create an engagement ring setting to complement heirloom diamonds.
The Maker
Devlin Design Studio
The Process
The Buyer inherited a stunning 1 carat marquise diamond from her grandmother and wanted to make it her own. Lusting after antiquated rose gold and simple design elements, she began communicating with the Maker, perfecting everything from band width to prong settings to texture elements. After several rounds of drafts, a couple of phone calls, a live meeting, and a life-size replica of the ring-to-be the design was finalized and the ring became a reality.
The Creation
A born-again engagement ring that lived happily ever after…
Beautiful work!