The rusted heart

Something to consider.  The COVID-19 (Coronavirus) will not as Trump contends, "magically disappear" and is not intimidated by presidential tweets.

Today I'm back with my final entry at Art Journal Journey.  I will also have a wrap-up of the month, too.  Of course, I'm still in recycling mode, so I'm also joining Try it on Tuesday. 

Let's start with rusting our heart.  If the heart looks familiar, it's because it was the template I used nearly two weeks ago for cutting the hearts I shrunk.

Unlike real rust, which must be handled with disposable gloves, this rust begins with black acrylic craft paint

that I spread on the heart cut from the soda cracker box originally destined for the recycle bin.

While still wet, I added the terra cotta craft paint

and spread it on the heart, too.

Immediately after the two colors were on the heart, I added a ton of ground cinnamon

to the heart.  When I removed the heart from the card stock on which I created it, much of the cinnamon came off, too.  I think by taking photos along the way, I allowed the paint to form a thin crust/skin that prevented the cinnamon from sticking thoroughly.  I let the heart sit for about two weeks, because I was not sure where to go from there.  In the meantime, however, I used the card stock with the outline of the black heart in my tribute to Kobe Bryant and David Stern.

As an aside, the cinnamon was purchased to use in crafts, not food safe items.  Even though it is edible, I don't mix food products with craft products.  It doesn't cost that much to purchase items for craft projects and different ones for food.  Safety above all else, I believe.

I finally came up with a spread I liked.

I only wish the center line on the heart was less noticeable.  It was less noticeable until I knocked all the excess cinnamon off the heart.

For the background, I used a mat that had been in a rusty tray. 

The real rust on the mat looked about the same to me as the faux rust of the heart. 

In case you can't read the sentiment, it is:

He missed her so much his heart turned to rust.

The photo, a TH found relative,

was encased with a black heart.

A few more photos

For this page, I began with the faux rusted heart that I set aside until I had a plan for the page.  I had this rusted mat I'd saved from a rusty tin drawer.  I carefully washed it (after donning disposable gloves) using baking soda and water to neutralize the rust.  Once the rust was neutralized, it was safe to sew to the background, a sheet of 110 lb. card stock.  I used green variegated thread because I know rust sometimes turns green when exposed to air.

Next, I added the faux rusted heart, the found relative, and the black open heart in that order.  I computer generated the sentiment, colored it using two water soluble crayons, and added it to the page.

In case you are wondering, for Try it on Tuesday, the heart was recycled from a soda cracker box, and the rusty mat was recycled from a rusted tin drawer I left outside over winter last year.

Here is a recap of the other Hearts I created during February.

Thanks so much for stopping by today. Your visit means the world to me.  I hope to also see you in the next few hours at Art Journal Journey.   I also hope to see you at Try it on Tuesday with your recycled project or your green project.  

And to completely finish this month, here is my completed February calendar.

Left side

and right side.