Day 2, Countdown to February 14, Choose the paper

You can find specialty paper in stationery,
art, and craft stores, with flowers and
leaves embedded right in the fibers. 

Paper is the most important part of any picture.  Make your love letter an original by exploring beyond the standard medium of pencil on notebook paper, or ballpoint on copy paper.  Even black ink on red background might seem too predictable if you want to be original.  Look for off-white solid tones, luminous colors, or subtle background patterns.

Let the paper you choose appeal to more senses than just your  sight by choosing an interesting texture, and add your own favorite perfume--lightly--if the paper does not have its own aroma. 

Don't let an exotic surface scare you from writing.  You may have to stick with a ballpoint pen or try out a paint pen, to write on very soft or absorbent paper surfaces.  If you love a paper that is really hard to write on, attach a smaller piece of white paper, or translucent vellum, for the actual handwritten message.

    You can find more suggestions in my books, about choosing paper, pens, and words: The Art of the Handwritten Note and The Art of the Personal Letter, both from Random House.  margaretshepherd.com