Chocolate Valentines

I’d been debating what color(s) to use for Valentine’s cards this year…traditional reds,whites, pinks, or some years I’ve added black and gold into the mix. But I also love neutrals…creams and browns especially deep rich chocolatey browns. So I finally decided and went with the neutrals / browns. I mean Valentine’s Day is one of the chocolatiest days of the year right?!
Of course just as soon as I made up my mind, I kept seeing all these really gorgeous deep red and burgundy papers…I love paper almost as much as chocolate!
I’ve also been playing some more with graphics and digital stuff. I downloaded a great French postcard from Stampington & Co through signing up for one of their newsletters, and “negativized” it in my PrintShop program ( several other graphics programs have similar options). Then I aged it, colored the background, added a vintage heart which I changed the color to match my theme, a fleur-de-lis,  some scrollwork, and the word “LOVE” .

I printed this out on white cardstock, trimmed and mounted on brown cardstock to use as the focal for my cards.  I used various combinations of cream and brown papers to make a few cards, running metallic brown paper through my Cuttlebug, using a Textile folder. This is what the pattern looks like:

I then used the papers for the cards:

Cuttlebug embossed paper, adhesive rhinestone strip, scraps of paper charm borders accented with individual adhesive rhinestones.

Brown diamond pattern paper, Cuttlebug embossed paper, pearl and rhinestone adhesive strips and individual adhesive rhinestones.

Cuttlebug embossed paper corners,pearl and rhinestone adhesive strips, individual adhesive rhinestones.

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At least for now. I’ve missed you, and still think you were locked in the garage with the empty Christmas bins, now filled and returned to their home for the next 11 months. I was in  a Valentine’s mood but this is something I can keep up all the time:

Guess how it started out? No?

Pizza. Box. Lid. Yup.
Drew and cut a heart shape out freehand and covered with scrapbook paper.


Then I made layered paper flowers from some more of the scrapbook paper ( Paper Pizazz…Tan Swirly Flowers…that’s the real name) and hot glued those around the heart:

I had a coffee filter medallion left over from some book page wreaths I’d made and decided to plop that down in the middle. Plop is a technical term.

Then I added various brown buttons to the center of each flower, added a gold rhinestone on top of those and finished the whole thing off with a brown ribbon bow. I’d been debating doing neutrals for my Valentine’s décor…think I’m liking that idea.

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