Friday, February 5, 2016

Anything But Cute-Mixed Media Challenge # 10-Grungy Love

Hello crafty friends!   It's time for our second challenge of the year at  Anything But Cute, and I'm your hostess this month.  I chose "Grungy Love" as our theme this time. I'll share the details of the challenge, but first here is my grungy Valentine gift box.



To celebrate St. Valentine's Day, we would like to see you make a Gungy Valentine's project for your sweetheart!  It can be a card, tag, or anything else you might give a loved one to show them how much you care.  Just be sure it's grungy!



Here is what my box looked like before I added black gesso, painted metallic paper, and handmade and altered embellishments.


To start, I gave the box a coat of black gesso, inside and out.  I traced around the lid onto card stock and cut out the heart, and measured and cut card to fit around the sides.Next  I did a little variation of a Tim Holtz technique from his Volume 3 Compendium of Curiosities. I added Distress paints in Wilted Violet, Chipped Sapphire, Shaded Lilac, Peeled Paint and Picket Fence randomly on the card, spritzed and blended some. I dried it completely.  It's not important what this looks like because next I covered it with Distress paint in Antiqued Bronze, spritz and flicked with water, and dried just until the paint that didn't have water on it was dry.  I quickly placed a paper towel over the surface, pressed it down to absorb the wet areas and quickly peeled it off to reveal the "chipped metal" surface.  I dried this well, and applied Black Soot Distress paint, and while wet flicked on some rubbing alcohol with my splatter brush.  I let this dry overnight, as it remains tacky for a while, but you could probably dry with a heat tool.  I know I could take this one step further, but I pretty much ran out of time at this point. Have fun with changing colors when you try this technique.  You can get many looks out of it.


              I love this mottled organic look  the alcohol splatter creates.





When dry, I carefully adhered it to the top and sides of the box, making sure my lid would fit back on.  I couldn't put the paper all the way to the top of the base, because the fit of the lid was too snug. But leaving it with just the gesso along the upper rim looks fine. The last photo in this series shows where I've popped the lid up a little so you can see where the paper I made ends. I also repeated this technique on the side of the lid, but directly on the lid, not on card.  I like how you can see the original embossing, since it tends to resist the paint.  And you can see a little red poking out here and there. I added wooden bling to the sides of the lid. The last photo in this series shows where I've popped the lid up a little so you can see where the paper I made ends.





. I just added gesso to the bottom and did the little trick with a paper towel to get this grungy romantic look. I love how you can see the embossing that was originally on the box through the gesso. The pattern of the paper towel adds a little visual texture as well. Sorry for the extra particles; I was taking some photos outside and must have picked up some junk from the deck.


Next I worked on my embellishments.  The hearts are Tim Holtz Heartfelt die cuts, which I painted with Golden Cadmium Red Medium Hue. I followed Pamellia's tutorial to make the cracks, using  DecoArt Weathered Wood and  DecoArt Media Crackle Glaze. To show off the cracks, I wiped on some DecoArt Media Raw Umber Antiquing Cream, let it set up a minute, and wiped off the excess, leaving it in the cracks.Next I heat embossed the three largest hearts with Tim Holtz Boundless Flight flourish and Ranger Copper Embossing Powder. I heat embossed the smallest heart on the chain with Emerald Creek's Burnt Copper Leaves.









I heat embossed the chain with brown embossing puffs and black UTEE and dabbed on a tiny bit of Cracked Pistachio Distress paint. The XO are old Tim Holtz Grungeboard letters which I embossed with a Sizzix embossing folder then painted with Cracked Pistachio and heat embossed with Burnt Copper Leaves, copper embossing powder, and Embossing Puffs.



 The tag is from an old hot water heater (grungy, right?). I swiped Versamark ink on the flat side of the inside of a Tim Holtz Texture Fade, inserted the tag into the folder and embossed. I used Embossing Puffs to heat emboss and blended with Ground Expresso ink and spritzed with Ground Expresso Spray stain.The small heart was crackled in the same manner as the larger hearts, but  after the Crackle Glaze dried, I heated it with my heat gun and sprinkled with copper embossing powder and heated once more to emboss.



The Crinkle ribbon  was hand died with Ground Expresso Distress ink and Perfect Copper spray and twisted up into a bow to complete my grungy Valentine's box..


We hope you will join us in our Grungy Love challenge! Remember you can enter a card, tag or any other project you might make for your sweetheart--just BE SURE IT'S GRUNGY!

I would like to enter my box into the following inspiring challenges:
Mixed Media Place Creative Gym #16 New Beginnings I gave my old candy box, an old necklace chain and an old tag a new beginning as a grungy gift box.
Southern Ridge Trading Co. Anything Love! My little hearts may be red, but my big heart box is a non traditional color.
The Artistic Stamper February Creative Challenge-HeArt Art You need to look very closely for my stamping...it's Tim Holtz Boundless Flight Flourish on each of the three largest red hearts. I stamped  and embossed the 3 hearts.
Vintage Stamping Challenges # 41 Splatters and Drips My splatters are in the "copper" background; made by splattering alcohol onto paint. My smallest heart on the chain is dripping and splattered with copper embossing. My stamp is Tim Holtz boundless Flight flourish stamped and embossed on the three largest red hearts.
A Vintage Journey-February Challenge-Industrial  I was going for an aged copper look.

UPDATE: Yipppeee!
Honored! February 2016 Grungy Love
Thank you for stopping by today and for all your amazing comments!  I read and appreciate each and every one of them!
Hugs and Blessings!
Sara Emily

44 comments:

  1. Well slap my thigh and call me Binky!! What an incredible project Sara Emily!! I am drooling over every inch of this beautiful and grungy heart box!! Love that mottled organic background, wowzers!! I have that Tim book and I don't remember seeing anything this awesome in it (sorry Tim)!! All the amazing textures on the hearts, holy moses, your mega crackle turned out so amazing!! Thank you for the shout out, that was so sweet of you. I love the addition of the embossing powders and puffs, they create so many wonderful bits of metallics and textures! I have to say that the addition of the soft shabby bow right in the center really melts my heart, what a romantic tidbit amid the industrial grunge...LOVE!! I really had fun watching your process, it felt a little bit like I was there with you, watching you create! hugs my friend :)

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  2. Wow, wow, wow, grungy at it's best, Sara! What a wonderful post, amazing deatiled step by step and oh, a masterpiece of art that has stolen my heart! So many amazing techniques, so many fantastic details, breathtaking textures and perfectly turned out effects! What a talent, what a pure creativity! It's a glorious piece of art, my dear friend! Lots of love to you! Branka xxx

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  3. Oh my gosh, Sara Emily!!! This might be my favorite project of yours ever! This paper is truly amazing and looks so good on your altered box. Even without the embellishments, I would be in love! But they are perfectly arranged and have so much fabulous detail that they really make the project a WOW!!! The chain detail is fabulous, oh my! Will have to read this over and over again to try to soak up all this juicy information. Hugs and so wish I could see you when you're in upstate SC!!! AAAHH! <3

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  4. SERIOUSLY????!!!! It must just come to you in your dreams girl. You are a ceaseless creative genius.... YES... YOU ARE Sara. Your heart box blows me away AGAIN. I'm just AWED - as usual - this is just INCREDIBLY LUSCIOUS ROMANTIC SPLENDOR. And what a step by step - I don't even begin to think I would make it past step two... that's how incredibly FABULOUS this project is imagine. You are just truly AMAZING to me dear girl. Did you see the card that FLISS made - it's of a crazy bird - looking up to a heart on the wall that is framing her hero. That's how I feel about you... I am the crazy bird looking up at my creative genius hero. Just AWED. XOXO j.

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    1. That's funny, Joi, because that's how I think of YOU! Big hugs, my ARTISTIC friend!

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  5. The look you achieved with sprinkling the alcohol on it utterly fab-u-lous and breath-taking Sara! I would never have wanted to cover it up and then you go and add the most exquisite embellies - the chained heart is divine and I just love the 'patina' look XO - this is one heck of a beautiful project!! Hugs, Anne xx

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    1. Just popped back to say thank you for joining in our 'Industrial' challenge at A Vintage Journey Sara! Hugs, Anne xx

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  6. This is just STUNNING Sara! Even without the embellishments the way you have created the stunning walnut look effect on the box is just amazing. Fabulous work! Jennie x

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  7. Awesome!! I l love your grungy metal - that alcohol splatter is so gorgeous!! Your crackle is amazing throughout....as is your embossing - fantabulous make!! xxx Lynn

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  8. Amazing result on this box! Great techniques and you master everything! Thanks for the inspiring: I think of an ugly plastic heart-shaped box I didn't waste, that I could transform too.

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  9. Oh wow, this is jaw-droppingly amazing!! The techniques you used are spectacular...thank you so much for detailing them!! I want to try each one!! The texture, the design, everything is absolutely gorgeous!! I love, love this!! I want to run my hands over it to feel all of the amazing texture!! Stunning my friend!! Have a great weekend!! Big hugs :)

    Lisa
    A Mermaid's Crafts

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  10. great theme Sara and such a stunning piece - love it all and thanks so very much for the stepby step - brilliant! Hugs Rachel x

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  11. Really fabulous and so very cleverly put together, - absolutely love it!! Brilliant project! Great theme for the challenge too Sara, you are on a roll!!

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  12. I just want to eat this! Hehehe! Your color choices and textures are amazeballs and so fun! I know what you mean about the paint being sticky. Love the grunged goodness and the many different embossing techniques you have used. Fantabulous and original design and I will never look at a heart chocolate box the same! Wowzers and stunning! Hugz to you muffin! ~Punkin

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    1. And the crackle hearts are beyond, dearie. Not to mention that old water heater tag-Genius!!!! And your ribbon.

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    2. And thank you for joining us at SanDee&Amelie's Steampunk challenge! Huge Hugz again toy you muffin! ~Punkin

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  13. Beautifully grunted and wonderful textures. Love it xxx

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  14. Your beautiful grunge hearts are awesome! Great crackle and worn looking textures!
    Thank you for playing along with us at SanDee&amelie's Steampunk Challenges!

    Claudia xx

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  15. Your background work is stunning with all its detail and textures! Thank you for joining the Mixed Media Place challenge!

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  16. Love the grunge!! But it's still so pretty! You're so talented Sara and i just love seeing what you create! Thanks so much for sharing with us at the Emerald Creek Dares Challenge!
    Cathy - DT Member at Emerald Creek

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  17. Oh my little goodness, Sara Emily! This is a show stopper! The gorgeous finish, the color palette, and your incredible attention to detail just blew me away! What a fabulous, fabulous off the page project! Thanks for sharing it with us at the Frilly & Funkie enjoy your embossing challenge!

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  18. WOW, What a truly stunning box, love, love, love all the detail. Thank you for joining in this months challenge at The Artistic Stamper.

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  19. Oh my! This is one of those come back and see projects - you really are so clever...and artistic...and romantic...and,and. ....an utter genius! Hugs, Chrisx

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  20. Fabulous Sara, gorgeous texture and love the alcohol technique, wonderful transformation! Deb xo

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  21. Fabulous, fabulous, fabulous -- your box really looks like it is made from a rich chocolate to me!! Your are fabulously talented with gobs of creativity. I need to start following your tutorials and I just might be able to learn a thing or two. You are so much fun to follow!!
    Sandy xx

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  22. Okay pretty lady - I wrote you a long email this morning and it was returned to me -- said there was a fatal mistake in the email address someone near and dear to you gave me!!!!! What to do what to do!
    Sandy xx

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  23. Lovely splatters! The effect is fantastic and the embossed embellishments are beautiful too. But, without any stamping your box doesn't follow our rules at Vintage Stamping Challenges.

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    1. Apologies Sara I did not see this... I must admit that I did not read that paragraph on account that my eyesight isn't what it was and this is very very small.

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  24. Absolutely SUPERB!!! I love how you've got that aged/rusted feel to the surfaces on this. Jenny x

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  25. And thank you again for joining us at Frilly and Funkie! Jenny x

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    1. And of course thank you for joining us at Frilly and Funkie. Jenny x

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  26. This is a great idea - beautiful too! I always recycle the chocolate boxes that I get from my students, but I may need to safe a couple of them this time. Blessings!

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  27. Cool makeover and love how you did those trailing hearts Sarah Emily! xoxo

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  28. WOW!!! Sara Emily, this is one piece of artwork! It belongs to a gallery, not to be touched, just carefully observed!
    Hugs
    Samra
    Paper Talk with Samra

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  29. Love your box! All the different colours and textures are awesome! Thanks for joining us on the Southern Ridge Trading Company Blog!
    -Katelyn DT Member at Southern Ridge Trading Company

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  30. This is amazing Sara, brilliant techniques and so much to see here!
    Thank you so much for joining in with our challenge at Country View Crafts, and have a great week. Sue xx

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  31. WOW! So pretty! Amazing textures & I those hearts are my favorite :)
    Thanks for sharing the techniques.

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  32. Looking cool! Thank you for joining the Mixed Media Place challenge!

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  33. So gorgeous! Really love the hearts!
    Thanks for joining our challenge at Mixed Media Place!

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  34. This is brilliant! Love the colors and effect you created! Gorgeous!

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  35. Oh Sara Emily, I am tickled to death that this cool as can be project was picked top 3 at Love to Create! Such an amazing piece, and huge inspiration! You inspire us all and we are grateful for you, sweet girl! <3

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  36. Absolutely fabulous ! Sara . Love the aged rust look of the box . The trio of red hearts is the perfect embellishment . A fine example of grungy love . x

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  37. Its a shame that I din't visit you earlier! Oh Sara...this is just a fabulous makeover to that box. lOVE THE OLD METAL LOOK YOU HAVE ACHIEVED AND THOSE CRACKED EFFECT ON THE HEART IS JUST SO AAAH! Am I too loud here???? Those chain links are an awesome idea...I could just go on...simply SUPERB.

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Thank you for leaving your comments...they mean so much to me.