It's been a long but rewarding nine months since I've been on the Atkins diet. But my real challenge comes at this time of year, when Valentine candy arrives. It seems that in every store, I'm faced with wondrous tiers of red, pink and purple heart-shaped packages of creamy chocolates and such.

This year, I'm using crafts in my defense: If I can't eat the sugar-laden treats, I can at least decorate with them.

These lovely drink coasters are made from terra-cotta saucers, resin and a sweetheart staple - conversation hearts. I'm planning to rest my low-carb chocolate shake on them.

Conversation Heart Candy Coasters

Supplies
4 terra-cotta saucers, 4 inches in diameter
Acrylic paints in red, pink, white and purple
1 bag of conversation hearts
E6000 adhesive
Resin
Paint brushes: base coat and liner
Protective felt tabs

Directions: Paint a base coat on the saucers; let dry. Add words or narrow designs around the border of the saucers with the liner brush. Glue the conversation hearts face up in the center area of the saucers (use ones that are of equal thickness); let dry. Mix the resin according to the package directions and pour over the candies until they are completely covered and the resin is at an even level. Put a dab of resin on your finger and rub it over the border to seal in your painted design. Let the saucers cure over night. Apply the protective felt tabs to the bottom of the saucers so they won't scratch your furniture.

Tips and variations: Pop any bubbles in the resin by carefully blowing on them through a straw. For more accents, drop some metallic stars or hearts into the resin after you pour it (push them down with a pin) or trim the saucer's border with squeeze glitter.

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STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR

* All content/photos copyright, Kathy Cano Murillo, 2006. Photos property and courtesy of Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: food crafts, resin, Valentine's Day