This mixed media Valentine combines overlapping hearts with lace, jeweled embellishments, glaze, and stencils.

SUPPLIES

• water container
• palette or plastic plate
• paper towels
• scissors
• E6000 glue
• pencil
• 3/8" stencil brush
• 1" flat brush
• cardboard
• baby wipes
• tacky glue
• toothpicks
• chain nose or needle-nose pliers
• lace
• assorted buttons
• brayer or old credit card
• scrapbook paper
• small wire cutters
• sheet music
• charcoal pencil
• script stamp
• rhinestone chain (optional)
• pearl beads (optional)
• two bead caps, bead spacers, or small beads - your choice
• round nose pliers
• choice of paper to cover back of heart
• 1/8" pop-up foam squares
• small nail and hammer
• Chandelier drop (optional)
• copy paper
• text
• ink pad

INSTRUCTIONS

1. Preparation: Fold one sheet of copy paper in half length-wise and cut out large heart shape. Fold the other sheet in half width-wise and cut out a smaller heart shape to fit inside the large heart.
2. Use the paper templates to trace the heart shapes onto the cardboard and cut out both.
3. Use the large cardboard heart to trace onto the scrapbook paper chosen for the backing of the heart. Cut out and set aside. (I chose an old piece of scrapbook paper.)
4. Use 1” flat brush to paint all sides of each heart with one coat of Gesso. Let dry.
5. Mix Sea Glass with a little bit of Bahama Blue and paint the front side of the large heart. (Save mix for later step.) Let dry.
6. Place the Jacobean Floral stencil on the front of the large heart. With Bahama Blue on the palette, load a stencil brush with paint; off-load most of the paint onto a paper towel. (You want a dry brush). Dab the brush over the stencil. Let dry.
7. Following the manufacturer’s directions, mix Burnt Umber with Glazing Medium. Brush the mixture over the front of the heart and, with a paper towel, lightly wipe off in a circular motion. (This gives an antique effect and helps push the stencil into the background.) Let dry.
8. Randomly stamp the front of the heart with the script stamp in your choice of ink color.
9. Tear small pieces of the sheet music and adhere them with Americana Matte Decou-Page to the front of the small heart. Apply Decou-Page to both the cardboard and on the top of the paper to seal. Let dry.
10. Add Warm White to Sea Glass/Bahama Blue mix from step 4 to lighten. Put some Modeling Paste on the palette and stir the color mix into the Modeling Paste until the paste is no longer white.
11. Place part of the Victorian Baroque Accent stencil on top of the left corner of the small heart. Using an old credit card or brayer, scoop up some of the tinted Modeling Paste and scrape over the stencil openings, being careful not to get under the stencil. Wipe the stencil off immediately. Repeat for the bottom right corner. (When you lift the stencil, if you find that you did get paste underneath, simply wipe off design and reapply.) Let dry well.
12. Mix Burnt Umber with Glazing Medium following the manufacturer’s directions and brush over the small heart including the stenciled areas. Gently wipe off with a paper towel in a circular motion to antique the background. Let dry.
13. Lightly pencil the heart outline in the center of the small heart. Using Bead & Glitter Glue, add buttons to fill and create a heart shape. Layer buttons as needed. Let dry well.
14. (Optional): Adding text to this project is optional. I used a word chosen from an old textbook, and the word “Love” from a magazine, adhering them to the heart with Decou-Page and letting dry. With a charcoal pencil, messily circle the word chosen a couple of times and outline the word “Love” and button heart. Gently smudge all charcoal outlines with finger.
15. (Optional) Using a toothpick, lay a thin bead of E6000 glue around the edge of the small heart shape. Add a rhinestone chain. Let dry well.
16. Adhere pop-up foam squares in several places on the back of the small heart. Remove the backing paper and add a drop of tacky glue to each for added adhesion and then place the small heart in the center of the large heart.
17. Adhere lace trim to the outside back edge of the large heart with tacky glue. Let dry. When dry, add backing scrapbook paper, also with tacky glue.
18. Measure at the top of the heart for a hanger, holding placement to make sure both sides are even. Mark with pencil and, using a small hammer and nail, tap through the cardboard to create holes. (Also add a hole for the crystal hanging at the bottom, if you choose to hang one).
19. Measure about 20” of 20-gauge wire. With round nose pliers, wrap the wire to make a small loop or two on one end of the wire. With chain nose or regular pliers, squeeze the loops together. (This will keep bead cap from slipping off.) Thread the bead cap onto the wire and thread through one of the top holes.
20. From the back, thread pearl beads onto the wire. (I used 22, but use as many as you like). Also, from the back, thread the wire through the second hole; add a bead cap. Trim the excess wire and repeat, creating loops as in step XX to hold bead cap on. Divide beads as you like and make a nice arch in the wire for hanging. With a toothpick, add a little E6000 glue to the backs of the bead caps to keep them in place.
21. With some excess wire you trimmed, add a wire hanger to crystal as you did for the bead caps by creating the loop on the back side of the large heart so the crystal will stay in place. (Leave a little room so the crystal can swing a bit.)

DOWNLOADS

Heart Pattern

RELATED PROJECTS