Grungy Love at Anything But Cute #10

Well it's that time of the year where Cupid is flying around acting all sorts of crazy. So at Anything But Cute #10 we are celebrating love-grunge style! Our fantabulously amazing hostess this month is: Sara Emily of Sara's Closet and here's what she would like to see: To celebrate Valentine's Day, we would like to see you make a Grungy 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!

I decided to try mending a heart (artistically). My best friend just had an 8 year relationship end and I thought she might be cheered up with this design. Her Destination in love is Unknown as of now, but I am confident she will find the right dude!

I started with a 5x7 canvas and used the TCW brick stencil then made my heart out of cardboard and some of the Cold Country papers. Love that paper set! I then added some holes so I could stitch my heart back together. I used elastic thread and a rather large needle so I could double up on the thread and my fingers wouldn't hurt so bad. The holes were pre-punched with a hammer and a nail. Smashing success it was! Lol

I then sprayed my canvas with some black DecoArt spray and wiped off the excess. When that was dry, I sprayed with some Colour Arte Primary Elements-Hunter Gray that I put in a mini mister. Random bricks were painted with Silks-Black Emerald (my new favorite color!) and some were painted with white acrylic paint. I added the hooks in the bottom left corner with Glossy Accents. 

I wasn't sure where to go next with this design, so I walked away for a bit. When I came back to the canvas it screamed at me-flowers! I am not a big flower person but that is what my canvas was telling me. So, I went to my small flower stash and pulled out a few and painted those with the Colour Arte-Black Emerald as well. The feather was inked with Alcohol ink and then lightly dry washed with the Emerald Black. I added some Black Prima Art Ingredients Mico Beads with Mod Podge.

The "corset" lace up was a blast to make and something I am going to be doing again and again, and maybe again. I used embroidery floss doubled up and tied it into a bow. The bow was glued to the canvas just in case, I didn't want it to come apart and fall off. The entire canvas was then splattered with white and black acrylic paints. I covered the heart, flowers, and corset with scrap papers so it would stay nice and clean while splattering. The plaque at the top is chipboard and stamped with my sentiment, with brads in the corners and the edges are dabbed with black acrylic paint. I sure hope you enjoyed this design as much as I did making it. My new favorite piece. Don't forget to see what my amazeballs teamies have come up with for their Grungy Love designs! What will you be making?

Come to think of it, those hooks look like what you see on your bra, hmmm, well I believe I used these bra hooks in a more unusual way. :) Hugz and Carpe Diem! ~Niki

I would love to share this canvas with these delightful challenges:

Emerald Creek Dares-Valentine's is NOT in the Air

Our Creative Corner-Sew and Sew

The Artistic Stamper-HeArt Art

Things to Alter #1-Anything Goes Not Cute

Creative Embellishments February Challenge

(I was inspired by the metal, the heart, and the sentiment in the photo)