20 hearts - #1

Hi my friends.  More snow!  I was going to go to the grocery store this afternoon.  I clicked on weather.com and found out that the snow which had just started was going to accumulate 2-4 inches.  So I decided the time to go to the store was immediately.  I'm glad I did.  The radio station I had on in the car said 4-7 inches expected.  I don't mind the snow.  I don't even mind shoveling, but I do not like driving in it.

The February monthly challenge at Motley Soul Mixed-Media Art is 20 4"x4" cards that each have a heart, all different.  I finally got started and have my first one finished.

I started with a piece of junk mail cut to size, coated with gesso and some old paint that is rather lumpy (great texture).  Then I added a piece of pattern paper and stenciled over it all with peacock feathers 6"x6" stencil from The Crafter's Workshop and two colors of paint.

I stamped a script stamp all over with jet black archival ink.

For my heart, I cut a heart free hand from corrugated cardboard (part of the protective packaging on a sofa we purchased a few months back - I just had to save what was in good condition).  For some color on the heart, I added some paint, gesso and ink.  I also cut a tiny heart out with a craft knife.  Behind the opening, I put a piece of card stock coated with paint and wrote the word 'love'.

For the fringe behind the heart, I used a pair of scissors that has five blades for cutting fringe (or herbs in the kitchen) to cut some narrow strips of brown paper bag.  I added vintage photo ink and scrunched up the ends and stapled the pieces to my base.

I thought it needed some faux stitching, so that was added with a white gel pen and a black Pitt pen, which is kind of washed out in the photo.

The words were printed from my computer, sponged with tea dye and vintage photo distress inks and glued on.

Because I thought the card was too flimsy, I glued it onto a piece of cereal box chipboard.