Shot Through the Heart: An easy arrow technique

I thought a little Jon Bon might put some get-up-and-go into your Monday morning. Sing it with me now!

"Shot through the heart, and you're to blame..."



Okay, okay, the real reason we're talking Mr. Jovi is because I'm talking arrows today on the Scrapbook & Cards Today Magazine (SCT) blog.

Arrows are a big trend in crafting at the moment. And, when you read the SCT post, you'll see they're also a trend in all walks of life (fashion, home decor, art, etc.).

So, getting in on the arrow action, I thought I'd share a little layout I created for my Geek of Technique CKU class last year.

Supplies: Cardstock: Bazzill Basics; Patterned paper: Webster's Pages; Washi tape: Queen & Co. and Webster's Pages; Micro beads and letter stickers: American Crafts; Paper straw: Queen & Co.; Dots: BasicGrey; Spray Ink: Tattered Angels; Heart punch: Fiskars; Sewing machine: Brother; Staple: Advantus; Pen: Sakura; Adhesive: Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L. 

Here's how I made the beaded heart that shoots through the heart on this page.

Flatten 2" of straw on both ends.

Apply tape that has been cut to a point to one end of straw, wrapping around front and back of straw. Layer second, thinner strip of tape to first strip (front side of straw only). Cut dovetail in outside end of straw and finish "feather" but cutting fringe into tape.

Sandwich opposite end of straw between two foam hearts, making sure the heart's point is facing out. Remove adhesive backing from one side of heart only, and dip in micro beads until fully covered. Note: Really push the beads into the adhesive.

 Cut patterned paper at an angle.

Spray mist a heart onto white cardstock using a heart mask. I used the inside of a large heart doily to create my mask.

Tip! To make a mask you can use again and again, first cover the inside of doily in ModPodge and let it dry. This makes it so the spray ink won't soak in, allowing the doily mask to be used multiple times. (Note: ModPodge doesn't have to be glittery; that's just what I had out.)

Place mask on white cardstock and apply light green spray ink. 

Position your straw arrow parallel to the angled paper you cut (which should now be adhered to the upper left corner of the heart page), and mark where heart meets straw, approximately 1" above heart. Cut and adhere heart to page. Repeat at the feather end. Finish by cutting a small piece of straw (approx 1") and adhering it to the heart's center. Fill heart in with photos.

Finish by adding pleated washi tape around heart and sewing over tape and straw pieces using sewing machine. (Sewing optional.)

And there you have it—a DIY heart accent! (Sorry about the blur.)

I adore the Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L foam hearts! And they also come in spots of clear glue for a flat heart. *swoon!*

And, of course, my heart wouldn't have been complete without the lovely POP micro beads from American Crafts and the cute paper straws from Queen & Co.

Now, point your creative arrow in the direction of the SCT blog for many more arrow ideas. Thanks so much for making a point of stopping by here today!

Cheers!