Mixed Media Vanetine Heart

Hi everyone! I'm here today with a mixed media project, which is being featured today on the Altered Pages Artsociates blog.  I used a pressboard heart and created a decoration for the mantle.

Pressed wood is thirsty so I coated the heart with gesso before painting.  The gesso makes a nice base coat so that your paint goes on evenly and the color stays true.  After the base was completely dry, I squirted on three different colors/types of red paint.  One of the paints was glossy just to give the piece a little more texture and interest.  Then, instead of using a brush, I brayered the entire surface, which created wonderful lines and patterns.

And now the fun began!  I started by choosing the Queen of Hearts collage sheet and cut out one of the little beauties.  She is backed with a German scrap spiky flower and also sports a German scrap crown.  Black lace made a nice background to highlight the game tiles.  

This wooden heart will be free-standing with on a plate rack, but it could just as easily be turned into a wall hanging by adding a loop of ribbon  glued to the back.

Thanks for visiting today!  This project and many more can be found on the Altered Pages blog just by clicking HERE.

Visit Altered Pages.com for your art supply needs!

Supplies used on the mixed media heart:
Gesso
Brayer
Tacky Glue
Ribbon, lace and flowers (cut apart)
German scrap
Game tiles
Glitz giant rhinestone stickers
Dew Drops
Bazzill paper flowers
Collage images
   Queen of Hearts
   Valentine Faux Postage
   Mini Images Valentine

A little vintage Valentine's Day romance

Winter is in full swing here in the US and as the joyful December Christmas and other holiday decorations are coming down it's time to look ahead.  Valentine's Day is right around the corner and love is in the air over at Altered Pages!  Today I have a card to share that will be sure to please your honey.

The color scheme makes this card suitable for a man or a woman and is super easy to make.  Start with the Young Lovers collage and punch or cut out the kissing couple into a circle shape.  I have a scalloped die set, but concentric circles would be just as pretty for the matting.  Ink the edges of your picture to soften the edges a little.

The card elements were made from three sheets of the Graphic 45 Artisan Style paper pad.  These papers are two sided and contain the same two colors on each sheet so they coordinate perfectly with one another.  A heart was cut out of the main panel, allowing the bottom layer of cardstock to show through.  (And leaving me a beautiful embellishment to use on another card!)

The tan floral paper used for the bottom circle layer was also used to stamp the Mailbox Muse dragonfly, which was cut out and mounted at the edge of the heart-shaped hole.  Three black gems give the card a touch of sparkle.  There is still plenty of room to write or stamp an "I love you" inside the heart.

Now, you just need to plan the rest of your romantic evening...

Thanks so much for stopping by.  I hope you'll come back again real soon.  Until then...Happy Crafting!

Products used:
Graphic 45 Artisan Style 6x6 paper pad
Young Lovers 2
Mailbox Muse Dragonfly stamp set
Glue stick or adhesive tape
Score Pal