Happy Valentine's Day!!

These are the easy little Valentine's Day goodies I made with my consultant team at our team meeting in January and my customers also created these items with me at my First Friday Creative Class earlier this month. I hope you enjoy seeing them here and I'm even including my instructions for you also in case you'd like to try making something similar yourself some time!

Treat Bag Topper Instructions
(stuff the clear bag with any fun treats you’d like!)
The clear bag we’re using is intended to hold a 3x6 card and comes from clearbags.com (B3X6S - $5 for 100). The cardstock used to make the topper measures 3.5” x 7 inches (before it is folded in half). I really like this size of bag and topper simply because you can use any 3x3 card design from Originals or Wishes to inspire your creativity, and then your 3x3 design can be centered and attached to the topper base (fits perfectly!) You can use brads, eyelets, staples, punched holes tied with ribbon, or hand-stitching to hold your topper on to the top of the bag. Just remember there’s no need to waste a lot of adhesive on it as you don’t want it to be too difficult for the receiver to open (yes, as cute as it is, it is likely be opened – especially if given to a child – lol).

Here is a list of the item numbers for the different sizes of clear bags I prefer to use (from http://www.clearbags.com/) for all the different sizes of cards I like to make. You can use any of these sizes of bags to make treat bags with toppers, you will just need to measure them and cut your cardstock for the topper just slightly wider than the width of the bag.
6 x 6 card or scrapbook page (B66 – $6 for 100)
5 x 7 card (B75 - $4.90 for 100)
8 x 3.5 card (B83- $6 for 100)
4¼ x 5½ standard size card (B45 - $5 for 100)
3 x 6 card (B3X6S - $5 for 100)
4½“ circle or square card (B44XL - $5 for 100)
3 x 3 card (B33 - $4 for 100)
2½ x 3½ card (B2X4 - $3.50 for 100)
4¾ x 3 card (B3 - $4 for 100)

Lollipop/Sucker Covers
You can see some amazingly beautiful covers created by Jeanette Lynton on her blog (http://www.jeanettelynton.com/)!! She shared them last year on February 6th, 2009, so you will need to click on the “previous posts” link on the left to find them, but her lollipop covers are spectacular so I hope you will check them out!
These instructions come directly from Jeanette Lynton herself:
1). Each “lollipop caddy” measures 2 ½” x 2 ½” finished.
2). For each caddy cut a cardstock piece 2 ½” x 5 ¼.”
3). Score the middle of each cardstock two times. Measure 2 ½” from each end. This creates ¼” gusset at the top of your caddy for the thickness of your lollipop.
4). Then, decorate the two sides of the caddy any way you wish. Remember to add “to” and “from” on the back.
5). Punch two holes, one on either side of the lollipop and string with ribbon.
6). Slide the lollipop inside the caddy, and then secure the caddy closed by tying the ribbon in a bow or knot—and presto! You have an adorable, unique, fast valentine that says, “You’re Sweet” in more ways than one.

Altered Embellishment Tubes
Dress up your left-over empty clear tubes that come with the Ribbon Rounds, Photo Hangers, and Hinges from CTMH!
(You can also find tubes of mini M&M’s or other candies at the store that you could decorate in a similar way as well).
Stuff a clean tube with chocolates or any treat you wish to use. Adhere two or more layers of B&T duos together to wrap around your clear tube. For our project (using the You Rock papers) the outside layer (outdoor denim dots B&T) measures 2.25” by 6 inches. The middle layer (smokey plum star B&T) measures 1.75” by 6 inches. This will allow you a little extra paper on the 6” end to overlap a little as you wrap it around the tube and adhere it near the center of the tube. Then wrap a piece of grosgrain ribbon around the middle and tie a knot. For our project we will stamp a star and the sentiment “for you” and then cut it out and attach it to the knot with a safety pin. The B&T paper used to cover the top (lid) is a 1.5” circle that can be cut with a circle cutter or punch (I still like to use my discontinued Coluzzle). Then add a crocheted flower with a brad in the center using a glue dot to top it off! The many possibilities for ways to do this project are endless!