Valentine "Love" Hanging

It's week two over at the CHEERFUL STAMP PAD's

"Romance Is In The Air" Challenge.

For my newest submission, I created this little Valentine's Day hanging.

The base is a red metal sign that I picked up from Hobby Lobby when they had all their Christmas stuff marked 80% off ...I paid just 29 cents for it!  I took an old paper doily and attached it to the sign using matte medium and then distressed all over with Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Distress Inks.  The image is from Tim Holtz's Seasonal Stash Pad and I put it into a chipboard frame that I first painted with Fire Red Ceramcoat acrylic paint then added a coat of Distress Crackle to.  I sprinkled some Diamond Dust glitter into the Crackle coat and once it was dry, distressed with Walnut Stain.  I then added all the elements. 

TIP (For Top Tip Tuesday):

I'd like to share a tip on the roses.  I've been picking up odds and ends of those white "bridal" flowers from thrift shops lately for next to nothing.  Probably because if someone's not going to use them for a wedding, why buy them, right?  Well, grab them!  With Distress Stains (or DIs), you can make them any color you like.  And the secret to a nice looking rose is color variation.

Here's how I made the ones on my hanging: 

 I got out my Fired Brick and Vintage Photo DS and a water pen.  The water pen makes it easy to get the color in just the right places but you could just add the stain right from the bottle.  If using the pen, press out a puddle of stain onto the craft mat and pick up from there.

Start by "hitting and missing" with the color all around the flower. 

Some spots are heavily inked and others are lighter.  Then go into the folds and crevices with Vintage Photo.  That adds more shading to the flower.  As you can see below, I added touches of Rock Candy Distress Stickles here and there to add some sparkle.  I also did the little leaf the same way using Forest Moss and Vintage Photo DS.

Another way to use your Distress Stains or Inks is on white Seam Binding.  Again, just color the binding to match your project and you have the perfect ribbon!

 

Some other elements I added:  a little flower doily (also distressed with DS), string of pearls that I colored with Gold and Copper Mixative alcohol inks.  I added red and gold beads to the heart headpin and dabbed on the same AIs to that and the heart button.  Finally I cut a strip of cream cardstock and lightly distressed with Vintage Photo.  I stamped the sentiment using Festive Berries Distress Ink.

This piece is entered into the following Challenges:
Dream Valley Challenges--#25 Valentine
My Sheri Crafts--#78 Love is in the Air
Crafty Ann's--#58 Love is In the Air
By the Cute and Girly--February Love is in the Air
Top Tip Tuesday--#69 Valentines