VALENTINE SPOOLS

Me again!  My friend, Jeanne found the cutest blank cardboard spools at Red Lead Paperworks.  She bought some and invited me over to her house to play and make some vintage Valentine spools.  So, I packed up some Valentine papers, some Valentine stuff that I always keep on hand and off I went for a play date.

Here is what I made ...

The spools come in a package of 6; three different sizes.  We covered them with Valentine papers and then embellished them, using stuff we had on hand. It's amazing how quickly they went together for us!  It was so much fun!!!  

Here is a closeup of my first spool.  The paper is from Hobby Lobby.  It's cute paper just covered with Retro Valentines.  The little heart on top of this spool is from some treat bag toppers (package of 24) that I got less than half price last year after Valentines.  They match the paper!  The little red bead garland is from Christmas stuff, as is the tinsel garland.  Add a glittery red heart and some pretty red ribbon and wha-lah...spool number one!

The second spool is my favorite.  It is covered with My Minds Eye paper.  Then I added a piece of glittery adhesive rick rack (from Christmas stuff) to the center of the spool and a little "jewel" heart on the free space of the bingo paper.  

 

The little hearts cascading down the spool are punched from Valentine papers that I had.  This is a Martha Stewart punch.  Then I punched a little hole in the top of each heart and gently ran some red wire through each heart and wrapped it through the hole as I added them to the wire.  Then I glued the top and the bottom of the wire to the spool.  Next I added the little pieces of red tulle, tied to the wire.  The little hearts are free moving and I love that!!!

Another Jeanne "find" from Red Lead....these Penny Dolls.  Aren't they fabulous?  They come in a box of 5 and they are a white bisque finish.  I loved the dolls but didn't like the flat white bisque finish.  So, here's a trick...

I covered the dolls with Glossy Crackle Accents.  When it dried, the dolls were glossy like porcelain and had all of the little hairline cracks you see in them.  Then I added just a little Gathered Twig to the dolls and wiped away the excess.  I LOVE THEM NOW!!!  They look so vintage and just like they have been dug up in the factory yards of Germany!  I made the crepe paper rosette that they are standing on.  It's cream crepe paper (aged with Gathered Twig) and edged with Xmas Red Stickles.  I glued the crepe paper rosette in place.  Then I glued on the dolls, added the glittery heart behind them, then the little glittery sticks to the left.  Finally I added the little tinsel garland around their feet to hide all of the gluing.

The third spool is the smallest one.  It features Tim Holtz' Cupid Movers and Shapers die cut at the top.  He is set in a "flower" made out of pink tulle.  The spool's top is edged with vintage pink tinsel garland.

Cupid was cut out of chipboard.  I wanted him to look really old and almost like a thin porcelain piece.  And since there was so much cream in my Valentine paper, I wanted my Cupid to be light, not red or pink.  So, I gave him a basecoat of Butter Cream acrylic paint.  When that was dry, I covered him in Distress Rock Candy Crackle Paint.  When dry, I added just a little Fired Brick Distress Ink to give just a hint of red or pink tones.  Then I added some Vintage Photo and Gathered Twig to bring out some sepia tones.  He still wasn't quite right so I added some Gold Paint Dabber to his edges and washed a little Gold Paint Dabber over him; wiping off the excess.  Perfect! I love the imperfections that the Distress Crackle Paint left behind!  It gives him that much more character and makes him look even older.

Cupid is hold a little bouquet of flowers that I wired together, added a gold glittery heart (that was a leaf until I cut it into the shape of a heart) and added a gold wire bow.

I added some little red rosebuds to the pink tulle he's standing in and one bigger glittery heart to help support him on the top.

It's amazing how something so plain can turn into such cute Valentine decorations with not a lot of expense! 

Valentines Day will be here before you know it!!  Why not make some spools?  You think they are cute for Valentines Day?  Imagine Easter....Halloween....Christmas!!!  Oh boy...I better order some more!