Shabby-Chic Hearts

Hello and welcome  :)  I have a piece of home decor for you today.  It is another of my samples for Chocolate Baroque using the beautiful stamps they are featuring on t.v. today.  I have used stamps from CB sets Harlequin Rose and Words of Love; white gesso, acrylic paint and emulsion paint; PVA glue; gold embossing powder and two wooden hearts.

I wanted to give this project a shabby distressed look with cracked paint, as if it was old wood.
I started by giving both hearts a coat of gesso.  When that was dry I painted them with a blue acrylic, it can be any colour as long as it's dark.  When that was dry I gave them a coat of PVA, the thicker the  glue the bigger the cracks in the paint.  I left that to dry naturally and when it was nearly dry (the glue starts to form a skin and to crack) I painted over it with a neutral emulsion paint (tester pots from DIY stores are great!)

I then used a heat tool to dry the whole thing.  As it dries the heat causes the glue to react with the paint and cause the cracked paint effect.  The dark colour of the acrylic shows through the cracks just like old wood.  When dry and cool I stamped various images in Versamark ink and heat embossed in gold powder.  I painted some of the images with a liquid acrylic.  I punched some holes with a Cropadile and threaded the hearts together with gold cord and added gold ribbon bows to complete.

I love creating home decor projects and upcycling.  These beautiful stamps cried out to be partnered with some hearts and I'm really pleased with the result.  A simple home decor piece that would make a lovely addition to any home, or a great gift as you could use any stamps and colours of your choice.  I hope you have enjoyed this post, thanks for visiting my blog today and I hope to see you again soon  :)