How to create...

Hello again

I recently created a small alternative Valentine's wooden plaque. As I mentioned, I'm not a fan of Valentine's day, I honestly feel that love and care should be shown everyday but I decided to do a little something for that particular day.

It wasn't a long process, the football was on so I had a couple of hours peace in which to create.

The base is a wooden icon, approximately 9.5cm squared and the stamp is 'Bubble Hearts' (JGCL549) by Woodware

• Cover the front with old book paper, covered with a thin layer of white acrylic paint - wipe back with a baby wipe to reveal some of the text
• Once dried,  randomly stamp a music script using black archival
• Once again, using black archival, stamp the wing of a butterfly off to one side, apply the ink sparingly to the stamps to avoid the images being too dark
• Once the ink is dry, apply a few coats of soya wax, fusing with a heat tool in between each coat
• Using oil pastels or distress crayons, distress the edges, massaging the colour into the wax surface with your finger
• Add a bold colour through a stencil to add a little interest. Knock back with a darker colour if you feel it is too bold
• Using a heavy weight cardstock or greyboard, stamp your heart image using archival ink. Apply Versamark all over the surface and cover with Platinum UTEE. Heat with your heat tool, this first layer may look pitted but the levels will even out with further layers
• Allow the UTEE to cool and reapply Versamark and the UTEE. Heat again, this layer should self level
• Ink up you heart stamp with Black Archival before repeating the last step of Versamark and UTEE. Once this final layer is melted and still hot (take care as this layer will burn if it touches your skin) stamp the heart stamp into the melted UTEE. Allow to cool before removing the stamp
• Once cooled you can decorate the heart with gems, pearls, glossy accents or glitter - the choice is yours. Stick to the wooden plaque using a strong glue
• Take a small glass vial and add large flake vintage glitter before adding cork to seal
• Print a few words to add to the front - I added 'Be Mine'
• Stick the words to the front and wind a little wire around the bottle neck. Use Glossy Accents or Pinflair Glue to stick it to the front of your plaque
• TO finish, use Alcohol Inks in Rust and Espresso to colour a small knob and a Tim Holtz Arrow Embellishment and stick in place using Glossy Accents

I'm sorry I don't have pictures to go along with this quick tutorial but I hope it all makes sense?

Enjoy the rest of your day, creative hugs xxx