But a few little things:

• How cool, Laughing Squid linked to the Tentacle Hugs v-day card! (We heart Laughing Squid!)
• Be sure to check out the valentines, Chinese new year, and mardi-gras themed recipes at Foodwhirl!

Here’s a roundup of Valentine’s related projects on Dabbled, too!

• How to: Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Hearts
• Valentines Day Marshmallows (and more)!
• Code Monkey Valentines Day Card Printable
• Tentacle Hugs Valentine Day Card Printable
• Yummy food links..and the new food blog
• Valentine Sweet Treats Flickr Roundup
• Valentine Ideas for little girls
• Heart Brittle Candies for Valentines Day
• Make Valentines Day Cupcakes, from Hello Naomi!
• IF: Muddy – I made you a pie for Valentines Day
• A Cupcake Flower Arrangement for Valentine’s Day

This was our snowman by the way:

We’ve features her fabulous work here before (here, and here), and she has graciously given us a tutorial on how to make some lovely V-day cupcakes.

See below for

• The Vanilla Cupcake recipe
• How to Decorate them

(a few translations from us Yanks, to the best of my ability: Icing Sugar = Powdered Sugar.  Castor Sugar = a superfine sugar, which you can purchase in speciality stores here in the states, or make by pulsing regular sugar in a food processor or coffee grinder)

I’ve included the pages as printable pdf’s at the bottom…

Download:

• Vanilla Cupcake Recipe – by Naomi Henderson
• Decorating Valentines Cupcakes – by Naomi Henderson

Thanks so much to Naomi for sharing!

Oh, and by the way, if you like food and cupcakes and dinner and such, check out the new Foodwhirl.com! I’m so excited about it.. stop by!

Downloads:

Single Card – Tentacles are for Hugging

Set of 9 mini-cards – Tentacles are for Hugging

2 cards – Tentacles version, Happy Valentine’s Day version

Download either the larger single card, or a set of 9 mini cards for school giving.

Quick Homemade Envelopes

If you want envelopes for your cards, the process is simple. (See the photos below for visual instructions!)  I like to use pretty coordinating paper for the envelopes. Scrapbooking paper works well for this — a 12×12 sheet of scrapbooking paper will make 4 envelopes for the the mini-cards (cut into 4 6×6″ squares.)

1. Cut out your envelop square.
2. Place your card in the center of the square, diagonally, and mark around it lightly with a pencil to estimate your folds.
3. Fold all the corners in so they meet and overlap in the middle.  (Make the folds slightly larger than your card.)
4. Place the card in the  middle.  Fold two opposing corners in, then the other two.  Secure with a coordinating sticker.

Click on a photo below to view larger, or as a slideshow.

Download :

—Code Monkey Likes You version: Code Monkey Likes You Card

—Happy Valentines Day version: Computer Monkey Valentines Day Card

*Code Monkey song reference link

If you’re not following Dabbled – Why not!? Don’t miss a thing – Get the Feed Here!

Chocolate Dipped Chocolate Hearts – and ways to fix and avoid chocolate problems. – More DIY How To Projects

It’s got some good hints for working with chocolate, and ideas for rescuing chocolate projects, too!

Don’t forget, voting ends today in the Anti-Valentines People’s Choice Award Vote

PS: If you are a winner in the Anti-Vday contest (judge’s choices) and haven’t emailed me, be sure to do so asap, so I can get the prizes out! If you don’t email me, you’ll be stuck with what’s left of the prizes!!

First off, a reminder that THIS IS IT, the last day to get in your entries for the Anti-Valentines Day contest. Go check out the Dabbled flickr pool for a quick look at some of the entries. Need motivation? Go check out the prizes from our lovely sponsors! You have until Midnight tonight, Eastern US Time.

And hey, don’t forget our sponsors who are bringing you the cool prizes — show ’em some love and go visiting!

So, some inspiration… I’ve picked a couple of our entries thus far to showcase here… But go check out all the entries in the comments over Here.

<– A lovely Anti-Valentine from kleio’s belly
&
A delightful Valentine’s Maggot from Pterodactyl Pants –>

Be a Dabbled emissary, and go visit them and check out their other cool stuff!

For you, a free Valentine downloadable card!

Here are two cards you can print and share, featuring our lovely valentine squid. (He needs a name, any ideas?)

You can either snag it from flickr (click on the above image), or grab the higher quality pdf (prints 2 to a page) here.

Aren’t Cephalopods the ultimate valentine’s day theme?

[Edited to remove special valentines deal on artwork – remember, you can always contact me directly for art–I will do commissions, or check out my artfire shop which usually has a few pieces in it… You can also buy prints of any of my work at my Imagekind shop– if you’ve seen a piece you want, and I don’t have it listed there, just email me.]

(It’s Cephalopod Week, see all squidy/octopussy posts here!)

The Peace Squiddee:

Apparently, in trying to be lazy this morning with my links, I got myself into a recursive loop. So, here are your links, now new and improved with 98% less infinity.

Pictured above, from my flickr travels:

Starburst Bracelet from candy_calamity

Valentine’s Day Waffles, in Miniature from bebetoby.

Really neat – you wouldn’t believe those pins and pendants are from plastic bottles! Check out monamivie’s stuff.

Also you’ll wanna check out:

Really neat – Turn an old sweater into a personalized Valentine! (via One Pretty Thing — lots of other great stuff here too!)

Valentine Home Decor ideas at Tip Junkie

Betz White’s Fast and felted scarflet

Art of Can Tabistry’s Corset from pull tabs

Valentine Vermin – a tutorial!

Via Whip up, Felted Soaps!

Party Decor on a Budget at Hostess with the Mostess

Really Gorgeous hand drawn animation
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Recently on Dabbled:
– More cool Robot Art
– Valentine Candy FAIL
– Judges announced for the Anti-Valentine Contest!! (Contest Details HERE)