Well Christmas is over, and now we can get back to making non-Christmas cards!

Since Valentine’s Day will be here before we know it, I decided to make a Valentine’s card.  While this card wasn’t difficult, it was very time-consuming, so if you are going to do something similar, allow plenty of time. (This card took well over an hour from start to finish!)

The background was made using scrapbook paper from Kaisercraft (got it on a clearance sale yesterday).  I then distressed the edges after cutting to size, using Dried Marigold. I also cut a small piece of white cardstock and totally covered it with the same color. (You can see it peeking out between the two distressed strips of paper.)

ribbon and pearls from my stash. Made the strips with white cardstock, then sprayed with Perfect Pearls mist, (Forever Green for one, and Interference Red for the other).  You can either let air dry, or to speed up the process, as I did, use a heat gun.

Once dry, I distressed the edges, then edged with distress inks. I used Spun Sugar on the Interference Red, and Peacock Feathers on the Forever Green.

The flower was made using  Tim Holtz Tattered Flowers. After I’d cut out four pieces of each of the two smallest sizes, I sprayed them with water and scrunched them up.  While they were wet, I shaped them how I wanted, and left to dry.  It took forever, so I finished off the drying process with the heat gun.

After gluing all the pieces of the flower together, I added Perfect Pearls Interference Red, then dried with the heat gun.  To give the flower a bit of sparkle, I added Stardust Stickles around the edges.  As an afterthought I added some ‘gauze’ and placed under the flower.  (Sorry, I’m not sure of the correct name, but it looks like gauze!)  Keeping in line with the flower, I ‘sprinkled’ Stardust Stickles here and there on the gauze.

These were then put aside for the glue to dry before being adhered to the card.

The lace was put on the card before anything else to make sure it was properly covered where needed.  I ruffled a small piece on the left, then added a pearl brad. Now you can add the small piece of colored cardstock, then the strips and the flower.  Lastly add your pearls.

The greeting was added last.  I had intended to stamp on the right-side green colored strip, but simply forgot! So I made a little ‘tag’ and added it sideways (as can be seen in the photo).  I used the same Perfect Pearls (Forever Green), and distressed the same as the other piece.

This card was definitely a lot of work, but it was worth it!