Chocolates . . . Yum!!!

Hi there, everyone!

It's the Blog Hogger here with another Valentine's Day card.

Now I know I said yesterday that valentines were best in bunches, but that only applies when they are quick and easy cards to make! lol  Today's card took a lot longer to make, although most of that time was figuring out the details of the concept. If I had to redo it, I could do it much faster.

Anyway, the concept for this card was to replicate a box of chocolates and, after a fair bit of fiddling, I have a card I like! Yah! Although I'm using it for a Valentine's Day card, it could be put to use for pretty much any occasion since chocolate is always applicable!  Wait!!! I just realized I wouldn't use it for a "Good-Job-Losing-All-The-Weight" card unless the recipient had lots of willpower and a great sense of humor! lol

So, here's the card:

I used Chocolate Chip, Real Red, Very Vanilla and Crumb Cake cardstock (cs), and the only stamp used was a sentiment from the Teeny Tiny Wishes stamp set. I also used the heart folder from the Adorning Accent Folders, and the Word Window and Modern Label punches.

I wish I could give you the template for the bottom of the chocolate box but I did it freehand and can't figure out how to make it into a PDF. Sorry! I can tell you the front of the box measures 3 13/16" and the side is 1 1/4".

However, I can explain how I made the chocolates:
(1) I used Chocolate Chip cs which, let's face it, just makes sense! lol
(2) I used a White Gel Pen to replicate the white icing.
(3) The rectangular chocolates were made using a 3/4" x 1" piece of cs. I attached a scrap of cs to the middle of the rectangle to use as a handle and punched the edges with the 3/16" Corner punch.

After doing this, I cut the rectangles in half and hand cut the bottom edges of the chocolates.

(4) The cherry chocolates were made using the 3/4" Circle punch. I put a piece of cs most of the way into the punch.

(5) My favorite piece is the cherry chocolate that someone poked a whole in! Seriously, folks, it's pretty obvious that it would have been a cherry chocolate, so why poke it and let all that gooey goodness leak out! lol 

So, what I did was simply tear the side off one of the chocolates. Then I punched a 1/2" circle from Real Red cs and glued it to the back. The "gooey" part was made using Crystal Effects and a touch of Pretty In Pink ink. I mixed it together on a piece of waxed paper and put it on the chocolate using a toothpick. I left the rest of the mixture on the waxed paper overnight and scrapped it off with a sharp knife. It took on a slightly crystallized look which worked for this card.

(6) I finished the chocolates by sponging Chocolate chip ink around all the edges. (I also sponged the edges of the box.)

I'll finish this rather lengthy posting by giving you a few tips about using Crystal Effects:

1. Use & store it at room temperature.
2. Be careful to let it dry completely before handling. I often leave it alone overnight if I have used a thick layer of it. Let it dry for at least an hour if you've applied a thin coat.
3. Don't shake it up because that causes bubbles to form.
4. If the tip of the bottle becomes clogged, use a straightened paper clip to gently open up the hole. I always keep the paper clip in the hole between the times I'm using the Crystal Effects . . . while I'm working on a project. Once I'm finished that project, I put the cap back on. I keep the paper clip attached to the bottle with an elastic band so it's always easy to find. (I just took it off for the picture.)
5. Never use a heat gun to dry it! It will cause bubbles to form!

So that's it for now, all you crafty people!

Gooey hugs filled with chocolate and other sweet things,

Colleen