“The Hand of St. Valentine” sounds kind of gruesome doesn’t it? Don’t worry, it’s just paper mache.

I painted the hand with a base coat of black with Folk Art Enamels. After it dried I used the Folk Art Crackle Medium.  I spread on a fairly thick coat because I wanted BIG cracks.

TIP: When painting paper maché (especially the first coat or two) make sure to paint THIN layers to prevent the paper from getting overly wet which may cause bubbling of the paper.

Then I went over it with Folk Art paint in a dark red. Once all of that was dry I sealed it with a spray sealer.

I found some $1 Valentine’s bracelets and added them to the wrist.

I shortened the wire hanger for this little sign and hung it between the thumb and index finger.  I like it with AND without.  Which do you like best?