Helen Chilton #4 Postscript Project

Helen Says: I wasn't planning on doing another project but that die cut bird kept tweeting at me so I just couldn't resist making something with it. I often find you get some of the best stuff from projects you haven't planned at all!

I've been a bit naughty as I've used a different stamp set to the ones I originally agreed on with Leandra and Gillian, but for me, this little birdie cried out for the HP1006. I think that was the first Hot Picks set I bought and I've used it over and over again.

So, here goes!

Here's the cutout - I'm using the negative shape which is actually a leaf that you get in the bag with the flower your Grungeflower 1 die set, but it's perfect for making a bird as well!

I'm going to emboss part of the lower bit of waxed paper using the Tim Holtz Floral Frame embossing folder

Then I highlighted the pattern with some White Fire TreasureGold so it looks like this:

Tear the lower paper to fit, add shading with a Portfolio oil pastel and a pearl for an eye and, hey presto, a bird is born, hatched or whatever a bird does!

Then you can create your background. I continued in Sepia and stamped 'Sanctuary' twice and inked around the edges.

I then added a wash of the Fresco paints just to knock back the white.

Look at that lovely dried out paint on my palette - I'm going to have to keep that for something! ...Anyway.... I'm rambling (I'm easily distracted!) With the background and focal image ready I started to play around with putting it together. I covered up one of the 'sanctuary' words as I thought it was a bit distracting.

Stick it onto some brown kraft card, part cut, part torn.

I've curled some very thin strips of painted wax paper to make the tail and then stitched round in blue in nice wobbly stitching.  I've kept the loose cotton ends and just anchored them under the die cut.

Here's the finished card layered onto some Coredinations cardstock

And that's it from me for this month's posts - I'll see you in March!

Helen!

Leandra Says: Ohhh, loving the bird's squiggly tail feathers, and isn't white fire and blue/green paint the best combination ever! I am hooked on your idea of lots of layers of Crunchy sewn together! Stunning. Look forward to seeing you back in week 2 of March!

Gillian Says: Loving all the squiggly bits too, great use of the die and love the patina effect you have achieved using the paints. Thanks for a great week of projects Helen.

If you are inspired by Helen and want to have a go at some of these ideas, link your picture from flikr, pinterest or your blog etc here to show us what you've been up to this week and you could win brand new rubber stamps!! You have until Lunchtime Sunday to link up, and we will announce the winners Sunday Evening, 7pm as usual.