February Make ART Challenge - Hearts

Now that I have more time for this challenge, I can explain what it's all about.  There's a new blog out there in blogland that celebrates the art & products of Wendy Vecchi, who's a Signature Designer for Ranger Ink.  The blog is called Make ART Challenge Blog, and you can find it by clicking here.  Each month a new challenge will be posted on the first Thursday.  This one posted Thursday on the 5th, and we've got until Feb. 25th to complete the challenge and post it on their blog.  Oh, and the best part ... each month a company is offering a prize for a random winner.  The prize this month will be for $25 gift certificate for The Funkie Junkie.  (Love this site!)

There are a couple of rules though, one being you have to actually use what's called for in the challenge, and two, you have to use at least one of Wendy Vecchi's products.  Done & doner.

I began by creating my background.  On my craft sheet, I put 3 drops of Wendy's Carnation Red reinker, and 3 drops of Wendy's Dandelion reinker.  I poured some denatured alcohol generously over them, and mixed the ink and alcohol together.  I then added a couple of drops of Ranger Pearl Alcohol Ink.  I then took a piece of Ranger Specialty Stamping paper and slid the paper around in my big colored puddle.  I turned it around, and leaned the card to & fro while drying it with my heat gun.  I again dipped my paper in, and dried it.  I did this a few times, until I was satisfied with my layers of color.  Dried one last time.  I used Wendy's honeycomb stencil and the Coffee Adirondack ink and added a couple areas.

I stamped the hand from Wendy's #077 set Worried About Art with Jet Black Archival Ink.  I grabbed some Inky Antics Honey POP paper for my dimensional honeycomb heart and cut it out using Tim's Base Die with a Movers & Shapers Heart die (I only cut half the heart).  I used the new Tombo Extreme adhesive on one side of the half heart and glued it on my project.  I added lots more Extreme glue to the other side, and then 'pulled' the other half of the heart over and adhered to card.  I decided to doodle around the heart a bit, so I used my Ranger Black Fude Ball pen.  I also added scritchy lines around the edges of the card.

I decided on a quote (from Be Inspired ... Make Art #027) to add to my card with Ranger Jet Black Archival ink.  Then, I decided to fill in some blank areas with the Ranger Archival Coffee ink with the Script background stamp from the Live and Make Art set #038.

For the string, I used some of Stampin' Up!s Linen Thread and poked a hole as far down into the point of the heart as I could get.  I got the thread through the hole, and poked another hole under the bottom edge of the finger where I pulled the string through from the back--I pulled out enough to make a bow.  For the other end of the thread, I had it coming from the tip of the heart on the front of the card--I made a larger hole under the finger, and pulled these threads thru to the back.  I made a hole above the finger, and pulled the first thread up to this one to tie a nice bow.

These challenges are also of fun because you just have a small hint of what to use ... the rest is up to you.  Wendy's got some fabulous stamps, inks, stencils, SiSi, and so much more.  Have fun playing, get creative, and post your creation.  Ya never know ... you just might win!  Good Luck!