Friday, February 12, 2016

Grungy Valentine

Hello crafty friends!  You didn't really think I was going to give a pink and flowery Valentine's card to my husband, did you?  I am feeling much more comfortable with grungy hat on again,and I know my husband will like this card much better than my Vintage Valentine.


I forgot that I had ordered a hearts embossing diffuser, and I wanted to  put it to use. This is how I went about making this double embossed card.  I used Tim's Steampunk Texture Fade first. Using the included heart as a mask, I sprayed Distress inks (UPDATE: that should be spray stains.)  I built up the background using Distress inks, Lindy's sprays, Ranger embossing Puffs, Burnt Copper Leaves, and some of my hand compounded embossing powders.


I took this shot to show that this is one card, embossed with two separate folders, not layers of card. I used the outer diffuser to emboss Tim's BullsEye Texture Fade for the heart. I made a stencil out of heavy scrap card, so I could lay down a variety of Distress paints and inks, and embossing powders listed above. You can see this really turned out to be a mess, but I just kept adding paint and ink and sprays until I was happy with the look.  In the process, much of the embossing got "filled in".


The chain around the heart and the springy looking things are from my stash, and I altered them with alcohol inks and embossing powders.  The gear is a gift from my super talented and always fun bloggy friend  Niki of Pawsitively Creative Crafts.  Be sure to stop by her blog--her work is fabulous, and she always brightens your day with her fun posts. I added some Distress paint and Embossing Puffs, and that center is a fussy cut bullseye from the BullsEye Texture Fade.  It is embossed on mechanical repair tape. Do you see those two little copper blobs in the corner?  That's a couple of large particles from the Burnt Copper Leaves. I'm not getting paid to say this, but I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE Burnt Copper Leaves!  I swear it even smells like burning leaves when you melt it! You can sprinkle it on sparsely and get that gritty texture or add a good amount to get a beautiful metallic enamel look, like you see in the corner of my top panel.


You can see a little purplish haze here from the Lindy's Moon Shadow Mist. This is my first time using it, and I can see loads of possibilities...I'll have to play with that one a little more. "Together" is an Alpha Parts with Cracked Pistachio Distress paint. The crackled hearts are cut from red and brown card stock using Tim's Heartfelt die, and crackled with DecoArt Crackle Glaze. I used DecoArt Patina Green Antiquing Cream on the red, and Barn Door Distress Paint on the brown to enhance the cracks. The two smaller die cut cogs tucked behind the hearts are also gifts from Niki, and the larger wooden one is from my stash. I painted and heat embossed them to give them their rusty and metallic look. Another grunged up springy thing holds my hearts together. Thank you, Niki, you're a treasure, and your gears and cogs were just what I needed to pull my card together!





Ooops, my foam tape adhesive is showing! (I had to use two layers to get the sentiment to clear the chain.)  This is taken somewhat looking down, so the tape shows, but I kept this shot because the light at this angle really allows the true colors and the texture to show well. Ignore the foam! The last shot looks down, too, but the shadow hides it.



I would like to enter my Valentine into the following inspiring challenges:
-Mixed Media Place Creative Gym # 16 New Beginnings I tried out some of my new crafting goodies--diffuser and sprays.
-Frilly And Funkie Love is in the Air!( I hope it is vintage enough!)
Simon Says Stamp Wednesday One Layer (Really it does have a base, too, but I saw one of the inspiration peices did, also, so I thought it was OK.)
Scrapy Land Challenge # 35 Anything Goes I used a Sizzix Heartfelt die.

UPDATE: Yippee!
Thank you for stopping by today and for all your lovely comments.  I read and appreciate each and every one of them!
Hugs and Blessings!
Sara Emily


43 comments:

  1. Wonderful! I can't stop looking at all you textures and grungy beauty! Really fabulous! Xx

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  2. OMG, Sara, this is definitely my favourite grungy industrial Valentine's card of all time! Burnt Copper Leaves is on my wish list now! What a perfectly turned out rust/patina effect! So many fantastic techniques, as always! Oh, dear, what a lucky man your hubby is! I am sure he is going to adore it! You are such an inspiration, my friend and I am always so amazed by your art! Glorious grungy card! Lots of love to you! Branka xxx

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  3. Wow, what an amazing grungy Valentine's Day card, wow!! That layer with the double embossing, genius, and I love the turquoise addition, so perfect for all the rusted eroded metal parts! I sure am loving that embossing powder, looks so authentic for the metal effect. What a lovely gift from Niki, and you put it to great use here! This is just awesome my friend and your hubby is surely going to treasure it forever!! Big hugs!!

    Oh yeah, before I forget - Thank you so much for joining us at Frilly and Funkie for our 'Love is in the Air' challenge! Hugs, Pamellia DT :)

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  4. LOVE your card, Sara!

    And you made such brilliant use of Niki's gift too! ;)
    The Emerald Creek Burnt Copper Leaves embossing powder is one of my favourites too!!!! And I love how it looks on your card! Grungy goodness!!

    Thank you so much for sharing this fabulous make with us at SanDee&amelie's Steampunk Challenges AND Emerald Creek Dares!

    Hugs,
    Claudia xxx

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  6. I really, really like all the metallic goodness in this card. Great grungy male valentine - your husband will love it, I'm sure.

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  7. Cool textures girlfriend! You really did rock out the grunge for your man! heehee
    happy V-day sweetie!! xoxo

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  8. I love it. None of that sickly candy pink. It's a winner for me:-)

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  9. Love your card! 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

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  10. Very nice masculine Valentine's Day card Sara Emily!
    Thank you for joining our challenge at Scrapy Land!!
    Samra DT
    Paper Talk with Samra

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  11. Oh my goodness Sara, I reckon this is the best Valentines card I have ever seen for a Gent. I'm sure your husband is going to adore this. Stunning, I just adore everything on it.
    Julie x

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  12. Oh my gosh, this is amazing, Sara!! Wow!! The texture is spectacular!! I love the gears and the embossing and heck, I love everything!! It's truly fabulous...your hubby will adore it!! Thank you so much for playing along at Scrapy Land!! Have a great weekend!! Big hugs :)

    Lisa
    A Mermaid's Crafts

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  13. Fabulous grunge going on here, girl!! I love the patina, and I cannot wait to get my mitts on that fabulous embossing powder!! I love, love, love that thick application - just stunning! xxx Lynn

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  14. The one of your Valentine cards I prefer! Perfectly grungy, fabulous textures!

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  15. It's a good job you didn't become a pink person or we wouldn't have got to see this fantastic card -guessing that hubby will love it! Hugs, Chrisx

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  16. Gorgeous piece, love the texture and how you embellished around the outside of the central heart. Gorgeous colour way too. Thanks so much for joining in the industrial challenge at A Vintage Journey X

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  17. Wow!!!! This is so fabulous Sara x love those yummy textures on the hearts and cogs. Great colour palette too and I am sure your DH will treasure his Valentine x thank you for the lovely feedback you left on my blog.........I just couldn't believe that I did not have Black Soot DP!!!!! I am such a TH addict I am sure I must have bought it and misplaced it !!!!

    Huge hugs and great to have you on board at AVJ xx

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  18. OMG Sara, this is incredible! The colours, the layering, the embossing, the crackling - love every single detail! Your hubby is one very lucky man indeed!

    Thanks so much for joining in our Industrial challenge at A Vintage Journey. Hugs, Anne xx

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  19. Stunning Steampunk Valentine! Your husband will love this card! I love how you did the embossing with two different embossing folders! Thanks for playing along with us at Scrapy Land Challenges!

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  20. Gorgeous card sure DH will love it, so much texture and colour to admire
    MaggieH

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  21. Really wonderful Valentine card, and I love the many wonderful textures and enamel looks.!
    Thank you for participating in SanDee&amelie's Steampunk Challenges.
    Hugs, Susan

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  22. Grunge-tastic! Love love love this card. Love the rust, the crackle hearts, the double embossing and the icing is that chain around the heart! Thanks so much for joining us for the Frilly and Funkie "Love is in the Air" challenge. :)

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  23. Be still my gear and cog heart! Swoon! I am drooling a bit but still need to type so I wiped of my keyboard. Hehe! AMAZEBALLS! Need I say more? Yes, because this is my absolute new fave of yours and the whole kit and kaboodle! Love the grunge, the textures, the colors, the layers, the way you have used the gears! Wowzers and stunning! Happy V-Day dearie! And Hugz to you muffin! ~Niki

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    1. Popped over here from Marjie Kempers Tuesday Tutorials where this grungy lovely design was featured today! Huge huge congrats to you dearie! And I still absolutely love this to pieces!!!

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  24. I absolutley love this! The texture, the metallics, the amazing embossing...the composition...all sheer perfection. Then that great pop of red in the wonderfully crackled heart. Wow, Sara Emily! This is really a fave for me! Thanks for sharing it with us at Frilly and Funkie "Love is in the Air" challenge!

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  25. Wow this is absolutely amazing. The grungy background is a real stunner, and I'm sure that your husband loves his card. Thank you so much for playing along with us again at Country View Crafts. Sue xx

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  26. I can envision your Hubby receiving this WONDROUSLY SPECTACULAR LOVE NOTE... and staring at it in amazement. Then he looks at you and smiles - looking back at the card while beginning to touch each different texture with his finger. Then he turns it sideways and over and again... looks up at you with love shining in his eyes... thinking how hard you worked to make such a ELEGANTLY INTRIGUING Valentine. And what comes after that??? Well only the two of you know!!!

    Seriously Sara - this is BEYOND BEAUTIFUL... I love every inch of it. The textures are Yummy Yummy Yumminess. You never disappoint - that's for sure. HOPE YOUR VALENTINE'S DAY was LOVE..LY!!!! Hugs. j.

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  27. Super cute!!! Thank you for joining us at Cardz 4 Guyz, good luck!!! Amy DT

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  28. Sara!!! Stop making such amazing creations and making me want to go get all the things you use!! LOL Such a gorgeous piece and the hearts with the crackle are perfect! And I'm so excited that you have the discovered the wonderfulness that is the Burnt Copper leaves!! :) Thank you so much for sharing with us over at Emerald Creek Dares!
    Cathy - DT Member at Emerald Creek

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  29. WOW! What a fantastic grungy industrial valentine! Very Funky and you have made both the Frilly and Funkie version of Valentines and both are equally beautiful and awesome. Thanks for playing along again with us at Frilly and Funkie Challenge!

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  30. Lovely! Thank you for joining the Mixed Media Place challenge!

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  31. Beautiful project, Sara. Can you please send me your email address? Thanks.

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  32. Lovely card, thanks for joining us at Cardz 4 Guyz this week, hope to see you again soon
    Hugs Sharon DT

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  33. While I do appreciate your efforts - I just don't think people like you and me can do one layer! ha ha ha! This is fabulous, the dimension you've added (without trying to add layers) blows me away! So cool, love this grungy look!

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  34. Fantastic use of different surfaces and textures! Thank you for joining the Mixed Media Place challenge!

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  35. Beautiful card! Wow! This is fabulous!! Love all of the texture it has!!

    Thank you very much for joining us this week at the Simon Says Stamp Wednesday Challenge Blog!

    hugs...
    Melissa

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  36. Sara, I do not even know how to comment on this! The textures, the colors, the layers... everything is grungy perfection. Whatever 'hat' you wear, you wear it well! This is such a special Valentine, filled with unique beauty. Always know how much you inspire me, my friend. I am having a terrible time getting to Blogger to leave comments while my family and I endure much unsparkliness, but I am doing my best. Thank you for your patient love! I'm grateful for you and for the inspiration that always awaits me here. :o)

    Hugs and blessings,
    Karen

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  37. WOW! Your husband is very fortunate to have such a talented wife. Blessings!

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  38. My goodness - this looks so much like rusted metal - what a beautiful layering of pieces, inks and embossings - I've got to go back and look again! Julia xx

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  39. I don't like a lot of grunge makes I see but I sure do like your Valentine - so creative and really quite pretty!
    sandy xx

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  40. I completely missed this one Sarah, but so glad I got here now via Marjie. This is totally spectacular!! Your hubby is indeed a lucky man! I bet it has pride of place!

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  41. I must have missed this one when I came down with this rotten cold. It's brilliant huni, absolutely brilliant. I have no idea how you used these products to create this but I do know you are one brilliant artist hun. I wish I could scoop you up to visit and teach me this - wow! Karen x

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