Here we are coming up on Valentines Day, coincidentally Bill’s and my half year anniversary. Coincidentally because we first met on the 14th of August and, when we decided to marry, set the date at one year from our first meeting. There wasn’t any thought about Valentines Day and it was probably several years before we noticed. Well, before I noticed. Bill is a lot better about those things than I am.  During our first year of dating he sent me a card on the 14th of every month.  On our first Valentines Day together, while I was still working in an insurance office, he sent me flowers, took me out to lunch and gave me a new watch. That afternoon the gals in the office were talking about Valentines Day and how they hated it. I chimed in, with a little smile and shrugging my shoulders, that I liked Valentines Day. Well, you can imagine the responses, punctuated with rolled eyes.

If you’re as old as I am, maybe a little younger, you might remember the decorated valentine box that sat on teacher’s desk for a week or so before Valentines Day. We all poked our little envelopes into the box and on Valentines Day the appointed mailman would deliver them. Those who received only a few were, of course, upset and that’s the good reason why there aren’t any valentine boxes in classrooms anymore. Or, if there are the children are instructed to either bring valentines for everyone or don’t bring any at all.  I wasn’t one of those who received only one or two, but I didn’t get a huge pile of them. I’ve stuck two valentine designs in my virtual valentine box and they’re for everyone. Click on the pictures to begin the downloads. As with all the free designs on the site, they’re in PES format, so you may need to convert if you use a different format.

I’ve put  some digital scrapbooking freebies in my virtual valentine box, too, for those who’ve gotten into the addicting hobby of digital scrapbooking or anyone else who’s looking for some valentine graphics for any reason. Please take the time to read my TOU (Terms of Use) that’s included in the zip file.  Click on the picture on the left to begin the download. {I'm so glad y'all have enjoyed the digi-scrap designs so much. The download link is working again. Thanks for your patience.}

By the way, I’m sometimes asked just why all the free designs are in PES format. The answer is pretty simple. AnnTheGran’s Design Exchange was originally set up for users of Brother’s PE-Design software to share their original creations and it’s been simpler to maintain that format even though users of all embroidery machines now visit. But, really, the bottom line answer is, “Because that’s the file format I use.”

Speaking of when the Design Exchange was originally set up reminds me that I’ve recently had 2 questions come across my desk, one about programmed fills and one about stitch to block, that have sent me scurrying to my archives to find answers. Both of those inquiries concerned functions of PE-Design version 2. We’re now up to version 8, and I had forgotten about how remarkable those two things were when they were first introduced. Both of those functions are still part of the program, but the reason most of us were using stitch to block, to resize designs and/or cut them into parts, is now moot as PE-Design now has a re-sizing function (Hold down the ctrl key while pulling or pushing the design to a larger or smaller size) and a cutting tool in the toolbox. Loes will be demonstrating and teaching PE-Design at our Community Circle and I’m anxious to take the class.

As I close, I invite you to join me in bidding a fond farewell to Greg, my Beamish Boy, and wish him well in his new ventures. Diane Brown, whom many of you met at last year’s Community Circle and through her blog here at AnnTheGran, is stepping up into the position of Community Coordinator and I’m exciting about working with her in the months to come. So long, Greg, thanks for a job well done, and welcome aboard, Diane.

TTFN,
Ann