Fresh Baked Valentines

Okay, after lots of encouragement my very own blog has been born! I imagine that I will be posting my favorite crafts, recipes, home improvement projects, and general reviews of the wonderful world around me. Without any further explanation my first post is dedicated to one of my all time favorite hobbies...making cards!

This year my husband and I are both continuing our journey of health. With that being said, we are not exchanging sugar, chocolate, and flour filled treats. Instead, I *baked* a pan of Valentine's inspired by conversation hearts and sugar cookies. They are tastefully simple, easy to whip up, and look good enough to eat. I grew up in a home where Valentine's day was not just about romantic love, but loving your friends, family, and the people around you. Rather than taking treats in to an office full of people watching the scale, I decided to give out old fashioned Valentine's with sweet sentiments. The only thing I have not figured out is what I should write inside. I thought about jotting down some quotes about love that pertain to each co-worker. I want them to be moral boosters obviously, not gushy L-O-V-E quotes like I'd share with my dear husband. I suppose I could also go with the elementary style, "To: You From: N" sort of simplicity. Any good quotes about love and Valentine's day you can suggest?

Ingredients:

Ala Mode White Embossing Powder by Hampton Art

JoAnn Craft Essentials Pigment Ink pad (clear)

Paper Studio Clear Stamps in Sophie Caps

Craft Essentials Ribbon in C4 Spring

Colorbox Chalk Ink Pad in Dark Brown

Duck Permanent Adhesive

Paper Studio Natural Ivory Card stock

Paper Studio Pink 3 Card stock

JoAnn ScrapEssentials Red/Pink mini heart brads

Provo Craft Cricut Expression Machine with the Doodle Charms cartridge loaded

Yield: 1 dozen with spare parts left over

Prep Time: 30 minutes in your favorite craft store

Bake Time: 1 hour

Cost: Not including my wonderful tools, the supplies ran around $10.

Directions: I pre-set my Cricut to cut 3 1/4 inch sized hearts. I selected the scalloped heart with the shadow feature on and filled a 12 x 12 page with hearts. Each 12 x 12 sheet cut 6 hearts or enough to make three cards. For my next cut I took shadow off and did a heart without scallops. Each page made 9 hearts.

I distressed the edges of 12 of my 24 scalloped hearts with my dark brown ink. Next I used my arcrylic stamps to create sentiments. I embossed those onto my pink hearts and used the duck adhesive to mount the pink hearts on the cream scalloped hearts.

I cut my ribbon pieces to be about 2 inches. I used my piercer tool to make a hole in the ribbon after I folded it just right. I stuck my brad through the ribbon. I then used the piercer to make a hole through two lined up scalloped hearts (one with distressing facing outward). I stuck the brad with ribbon through the scalloped heart and flattened the bottom of the brad. Repeat 11 more times and you have one dozen valentines baked to perfection.

Valentine cookes slide open to reveal your sentiment.