'FRIENDS' Heart Make-Do With Crow

I had 2 of these wooden candlesticks that were painted green.  I painted this one black and then sanded it in areas to give it a worn look.  It's also been sprayed with sealer. 

The heart is made from Char Sethman's heart make-do pattern but I made the crow and 'friends' cloth tag from a pattern by Saltbox Mercantile.

Both heart and cloth tag are coffee stained.

I wrapped yellow & burgundy pipberries around the base of the candlestick and the small crow sits in the berries.

 

He looks brown in the photo, but he's black with cinnamon rubbed in and he has a 'leather' look to him. 

 

This one is listed in my EZshoppe KKL Primitives

With the other candlestick I'm going to make myself a similar heart make-do - but with  a different floral  fabric and the cloth tag will read ' Family'. 

Key To My Heart Grungy Makedo

This one is now listed in my EZshoppe KKL Primitives

Stands about 10" high

Base is glass candlestick that I gave the faux rust treatment to

I ALWAYS dry my stained items either in my oven on low heat or I'll use my blow dryer if the item isn't too wet.

I thought this time I'd try my microwave as it's supposed to speed up the drying and give the stains an old water stain look.  The first make-do ( in previous post ) turned out 'ok' but wasn't as stained as I'd wanted it to be.  So I really applied a lot of coffee stain to the next one and put it in the microwave for the recommended 35 seconds.  Flipped it over and repeated the 35 seconds.  Still too wet.  Repeated this process.

WARNING !!!!  Don't do what I did!!!  It almost caught fire!!!!  I probably should have reduced the seconds to 20 or less because it was COOKING.  The seams burnt right out, it was badly scorched and I had to toss it.

I tried it again on a new stuffed heart.  Reduced the times and it still scorched.  But I re-stained it and put it in the oven to finish the primming process and it's the one in the photo above.

I've learned my lesson.........I will only cook FOOD in my microwave from now on.  I'm sticking to my good ole reliable oven.

adapted from a pattern by  Char Sethman - Charsshowroom