Bluebird of Happiness by Paula Cheney
Hi friends! Happy Saturday! Please join me in welcoming back special guest Paula Cheney who made this masterful mixed media piece to share today! Read on to learn more, and enjoy!
Hey everyone! I’m thrilled to be back on the Simon Says Stamp Blog today with a new project.
I’ve used the largest Idea-ology Square Vignette Box (5.5 x 5.5″) for this piece. It’s such a manageable size, perfect for an easy project you can complete in just a day or two.
The inspiration for this project came from a little metal bird that I painted a cheerful, bright blue. With spring finally here, I felt it was the perfect moment to celebrate the joy of being outdoors in nature, and what symbol could be better than the bluebird of happiness right there with you? The words on the bottles capture her heartfelt wishes, serving as a reminder to embrace hope and extend grace to everyone we meet.
Vignette Box
Use Distress Collage Medium to adhere pieces from the Worn Wallpaper Scraps pack over the outside of the largest Square Vignette Box. This is the perfect project to mix and match different patterns. I used two patterns on the outside of the box and two on the inside, along with two strips to extend the paper. The hardest part is picking only four papers to work with!
Add a layer of Collage Medium over the Wallpaper to seal. Once dry, scribble Walnut Stain Distress Crayon on edges and seams, then rub with a damp fingertip. You can mitigate any brush marks with a damp wet wipe. Let dry.
On the inside of the Vignette Box, adhere strips of Wallpaper to the sides with Collage Medium.
Cut the “Made in England” edge from the large floral Wallpaper in the pack.
Use Collage Medium to adhere another patten of Wallpaper to the center of the Vignette. Add the cut strip to the left side of the box. Add a layer of Collage Medium over the inside and let dry.
Add Design Tape Trim to the lip edge of the Vignette Box. I chose a delicate looking scallop from the pack. Even though this is tape, I still like to use Collage Medium underneath for long-lasting adhesion.
Repeat step 2 to add Distress Crayon to the inside of the Vignette Box.
Pull the die-cut flowers from the Worn Wallpaper Scraps pack. Choose one to use in the background. Add double stacks of 3D Foam Squares to the back of the flower so it will sit away from the back of the box.
Add the floral to the back of the Vignette Box.
Gold Mixative
Use a felt pad and Gold Mixative to color a small Salvaged Heart. Drip the Mixative over the heart, then use the felt pad to pounce over the top so the gold over the entire front and sides.
Once the Mixative is dry, add a bit of Walnut Stain Distress Crayon to the edges and rub in with your thumbs.
Adhere Salvaged Heart to Vignette Box with a 3D Foam Square.
Working one at a time, add Gold Mixative to three Corked Vials of different sizes.
Use a cotton swab to swirl the Mixative inside the bottle. You are not trying to cover the entire inside of the bottle but make interesting patterns with the Mixative. Let dry.
Once the Mixative is dry, use Collage Medium to secure the cork stopper. Add a blank sticker from the Postmarked Sticker Book (there is a page of blanks at the back of the book). Adhere words or phrases from the Clippings Sticker Book as well as Cello Sticker Tape to the sides of the blank sticker. You can add string or even wire to the neck of the bottle if you wish.
Here are the three completed Corked Vials. I added a bit of Distress Crayon over the sticker and so it looked aged. Crayon works perfectly over a slick surface and both the stamps and Clippings have a slick coated surface. Perfect for Crayon use.
Paper Doll
Choose a Paper Doll from the Paper Doll Solos pack. Color directly on the Paper Doll with Distress Crayon and smooth out the color with the tip of your index finger. I used a mix of Worn Lipstick, Milled Lavender and Aged Mahogany to color the dress. Use a cotton swab to pounce over each cheek with Aged Mahogany. Tap your index finger over the cheeks to smooth out the color.
Make simple marks, like polka dots and stripes, on the Paper Doll with a POSCA white paint marker. Using a POSCA paint marker is an easy way to add interest to the clothing and it dries rather quickly.
Paint the small metal bird from the Adornments Sweetheart pack with Broken China Distress paint. Rub off some of the paint to reveal the metal below. Let dry.
Use a sewing needle to poke two holes in the hand of the Paper Doll. Sew the bird to the hand with a needle and thread. Use a small piece of Cello Sticker Tape to secure the thread on the backside.
Adhere a 1/2” wood block or a bingo chip the back of the Paper Doll (If you do not have either of these, you can use stacked 3D Foam Squares). Adhere the wood block to the flower in the background so the Paper Doll stands at about 1/2 of the depth of the Vignette Box.
Use Collage Medium to add the three Corked Vials. Once secure, add small pieces of the Reindeer Moss so it appears to be growing from behind and moving into the front of the box.
Add a small piece of 1/4” Scor-Tape to a set of Transparent Wings. The package comes with many sizes and colors of wings. Pick a set that works with your chosen Paper Doll.
Adhere the wings to the back of the Paper Doll avoiding the top of the Corked Vials.
Adhere a Screw Head to each end of a handle from the Mini Hardware Set.
Adhere the handle to the top of the Vignette Box with Collage Medium and set aside to dry. Once secure, scribble with Walnut Stain Distress Crayon to appear distressed.
SUPPLIES:
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Thanks so much for stopping by, and thanks to Paula for being our guest!
Sale alert! This weekend ONLY!
Wonderful tutorial… almost made me pull out my stuff right now !! Love it !
Another beautiful vignette Paula 💖
As always, Paula has a great project with easy to follow instructions. Thanks!
Oh wow this is stunning
Really Beautiful!!!!
stunning work
This information on the website is excellent. In reality, hardly any people do it. The manner you just did. That so much information has come to light on this subject and that you have worked so hard astounds me.