Valentines for Bridie's Friends and Teachers

This week the kids have all had Valentines parties at school, which of course requires them to have valentines to share with their classmates.  Although it would have been a lot easier to go out and buy some (we needed quite a few after all!), what is the point of having a cupboard full of crafty stuff if you don't use it?  So the production line was started up again, and 78 valentines cards were made.  

First up were Bridie's.  Initially she wanted them to have cars for boys, and flowers for girls, and all sorts of different colours.  The potential for tears (from Bridie and her friends) if they didn't get the 'right' colour or design convinced me to convince her, that maybe we could stick with birds instead. After all, the friend sentiment in the 'cheep talk' stamp set would be perfect for preschool valentines cards, and those little birds really are cute: 

 

We broke out some card from the retired pile (because kids aren't worried about a little detail like that!) and satisfied Bridie's desire for different colours, by alternating a pomegranate mat on a wasabi card, with a wasabi mat on a pomegranate card.  The stamped card front was the same for all the cards.  She was pretty happy with the results, and quickly set to the serious business of signing all those valentines:

We had had plans for some baking for the teachers,  but didn't quite get there.  With all the valentines we were making, as well as Hayden's birthday this week (and  the associated baking that went with that) we decided to go for a quick and easy little bag of chocolates instead.

  

We wrapped some Raspberry Tart patterned paper around the chocolates to pretty them up, put a matching little topper on the bag, and finished it off with one of the clever flowers that Megan McDonald has been inspiring us all with this week.

I think I will have to keep a stash of these chocolates hidden away for those times we need a quick little gift.  It is easy enough to choose a paper to suit (pretty and girly or all masculine and tough) - and who doesn't like chocolate? (or know someone to share it with?)