Sweetheart Mixed Media Frame

Hi everyone!  Hard to believe that January is almost over, and Valentine's Day will be here before we know it.  So, I have a sweet frame to share today that could be used for any romantic occasion, whether a marriage, an anniversary, or Valentine's Day. 

I found this very inexpensive wooden frame at my local craft store.  

Remove the cardboard insert and use it as a template to trace around the section of paper you want to appear through the opening.  Cut out and adhere the paper to the cardboard insert.  

Your print paper will look like this through the opening.

Remove the insert and set it aside, away from all the paint and mediums.  Next, paint frame with white gesso and let dry.  Spread crackle paste through a stencil on the top left and lower right corner of the frame.

Let the stencil paste dry.

Cut the lady apart from the frame at the arrows shown in photo below.

I always like to try out the pieces I choose to make sure they will work in my composition.  This is the plan.

Add three lace flowers to the lower left corner  of the  frame.  I used white gesso to adhere and cover the flowers, making them ready for paint.

Three solid hearts removed from the Hearts Background were gessoed and glued to the top right corner of the frame.

The Sweetheart piece was first gessoed and a piece of lace was attached to the heart with white gesso.

"Sweet" was inked with clear embossing ink and heat embossed with the Caramel embossing powder.  Then, the heart was inked with clear embossing ink and heat embossed with Magenta embossing powder.  I felt the pink embossing powder was a bit bright, so I ended up painting it with the acrylic paints, mixing colors (Quin Violet, Diarylide Yellow, Primary Magenta, and some white gesso) until I got a better match with the colors in the paper.

Trim a piece of  Chickenwire, coat with clear embossing ink and heat emboss with Caramel embossing powder.  Insert the cardboard background into the frame opening and begin adding your chipboard pieces.  Some fussy-cut pieces were added to the insert too.  For instance, a second bird cage image was cut and adhered over the paper with pop dots.  Extra flowers, a branch, and a cute little bird were adhered with glue and pop dots, as shown.

Paint frame with a mixture of Primary Magenta and Diarylide Yellow.  

I made it more pastel by dry brushing on a light coat of Translucent White.

When that layer dried, I added a coat of Raw Umber Antiquing Cream.  

You can let this dry and then wipe away as much or as little as you like.  

Re-align the stencil over the texture paste and, with your finger, apply the gold paste to the stenciled areas.  I also hit the high spots on both the lace flowers and the three heart shapes, as well as edging the frame.

Put the decorated insert back into the frame.  The Victorian Lady was inked with clear embossing ink and heat embossed with two coats Baby Blue Pastel embossing powder.  Then she was adhered to the frame, as shown.  A fussy cut butterfly from the paper was adhered to the top with the hearts.  A few gem stones were added to the lace flowers and the hearts, too.

Supplies Used:
GSL Word Art Romance (Sweetheart)
GSL Victorian Silhouette Frames
GSL Chickenwire 6 inch panel
GSL Hearts Background
Wood craft frame (8-1/2" x 6-1/2" with 4"x6" opening)
Rossibelle  print paper (Prima)
Crackled texture paste
White gesso
Champagne Ice Metallic Lustre (DecoArt)
DecoArt Acrylic Paints (Quinacridone Violet, Transparent Yellow Iron Oxide, Diarylide Yellow, Primary Magenta, Translucent White))
DecoArt Raw Umber Antiquing Cream
Clear embossing ink
Caramel embossing powder (Sparkle N Sprinkle)
Baby Blue Pastel embossing powder (Stampn' Stuff)
Magenta embossing powder (Delafield Stamp Co.)
Classic Treasure Gold metallic paste

I hope I have been able to inspire you with some fun ideas for your next mixed media project.

Thanks for stopping by, and have a wonderful, creative day!

Barbara