Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Meet the Alpha Stamps Design Team Blog Hop

Welcome Alpha Stampers!

The artwork I'm highlighting in this post was created using new Collage Sheets made for the Birds in Hats Swap at Alpha Stamps! Click the picture below for more information.


I'd like to share this lovely project I created for Alpha Stamps called Coo Coo for the Birds!  The inspiration for this project came from fellow design team member Laura Carson.  Be sure to leave a comment on this post between June 7 and June 10, 2012 and you could win the lovely "Stage Beauty" ATC I created for Alpha Stamps.  Please leave your name and email in your comment, if you prefer not to leave your email please check back on Monday June 11, 2012 to see if you're a winner.

Coo Coo for the Birds!

I started this project by covering two of the Chipboard Birdhouse Shapes with the shimmer vellum on one side.  To do this I used studio multi-medium in matte (the stuff in the jar), laid the vellum down and then used one of my Tim Holtz grid blocks to squeegee out the excess mutli-medium so that the vellum wouldn't wrinkle (being the use what's on hand person I am, I then placed the birdhouses under my dapping block set which is very conveniently stored in a nice flat wood block and is also very heavy while they dried).  I also covered the backside of one of the houses with the flora & fauna aqua bird eggs scrapbook paper.  (My plan at a later date is to attach a picture hanger on the back so I can then hang this on the wall).

While the houses dried I cut 1/4" strips of heavy chipboard, painted one side with metallic champagne paint and then glued them on edge to one of the Chipboard Birdhouse Shapes with hot glue, making sure the painted side faced out (I wanted to make a 3-D clock with one of the Tim Holtz Clock Keys which you can see peeking out on the left side).  I then painted both sides of one of the birds from the Trinket kit with the some gesso and a couple of layers of the champagne metallic paint.  I then assembled the bird using only one of the niche inserts.  I then used more shimmer vellum to cover the bird.  Inside the niche I used the vintage brass bird charm (cutting off the loop) and added a couple of pink Lucite flowers that matched the cherry blossoms cut out from the Finches Collage Sheet.  

I then began to layer on different bird images and the clock face (I attached the spinner with one of the brads that comes with the spinners, leaving enough leeway so that the spinner would spin).  I glued the clock face down with studio multi-medium in matte (this time the stuff in the bottle).  I love this stuff, I use it to glue down everything.  I used tiny clamps to hold the clock face down and let it all dry.  

I then covered a tiny chipboard house (front and back) with more of the shimmer vellum (before covering the house I colored the edges with a gold krylon marker).  I then attached this using the dollhouse hinge and the teenie weenie little tacks that came with the hinge.  I laid the hinge down and used a stick pin to make pilot holes, used my chasing hammer, a pair of bent noise jewelry pliers,  and hammered the little suckers in.  I then used a 1/16" dowel to help drive in the tacks that were hard to reach with the hammer.  This is where an extra pair of hands would have come in handy!  But after many, many attempts I finally got them in.  I then glued down the bird that hides behind the door, making sure he was hidden when the door is closed.  I then used a copper colored filigree piece from my stash on the outside of the door.  

A picture with the door open

Before gluing the clock face onto the "box" I created with the chipboard strips, I used a crop-a-dile to punch a hole for the clock key and attached it.  I then punched two small holes into the bottom for the dangles.  

To create the dangles I used vintage Lucite trumpet flowers, threaded a golden colored czech rondelle on a head pin and made a loop at the top that I could attach to the chain.  I attached one dangle, threaded the chain through the holes, cut the chain to length and then attached the second dangle.  To keep the dangles from moving, I used some more mutli-medium (in the bottle) and glued the chain down.

A close-up of the dangles

I edged the underside of the roof with the dresden boarders and once dried, attached the face to the bottom of the "box" with hot glue and finally attached the bird trinket to the top with more hot glue.
  
I used the following Alpha Stamps Products in this project:
Thin Fleur Dresden Borders  (I used bronze but you could very easily use black and paint them)
Chipboard Birdhouse Shapes 

Be Sure to visit the other Design Team Members Blogs to enter a chance to win some of their amazing artwork! 








45 comments:

  1. I love Coo Coo for the Birds! Thank you for giving us an indepth step-by-step on how it was created!

    Smiles~
    Marilyn
    mcgoo4(at)gmail(dot)com

    ReplyDelete
  2. this is beautiful, love your colors, hugs

    ReplyDelete
  3. Coo Coo for the Birds is fabulous! I love the colors and how they blend so nicely with the birdhouse/clock.

    ReplyDelete
  4. My favorite!! Coo coo clocks!! Its beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Luv your coo-coo clock with the pulls. So creative! Thank you for the chance to win one of your fun pieces of art. :)
    blessings, denise :D
    deex355@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. Oh your coo coo is soo soo sweet!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Such creativity! Your work is stunning. Absolutely love the Coo Coo Clock!!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Beautiful. I want to make something like that. It's just too coo coo.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Say, that is the cutest Coo-Coo clock I've ever seen. Very clever.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Oh how sweet!! love the dangles yuo made for this too!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Amazing birdhouse !!!
    Barbara Bird
    Mdstrwbery@aol.com

    ReplyDelete
  12. Your Coo Coo for Birds is so much fun. Way better than the the coo-coo clock we had when I was growing up

    ReplyDelete
  13. The trumpet flower dangles are fabulous!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Shannon, I love the CooCoo clock. How clever you are!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I think i just pushed the wrong button...and lost my message. I love CooCoo!!! Pretty and clever! I primarily work with jewelry (but love paper, too) and this is charming. I know I have some little pieces like that which would be great dangles. Would have never thought of it!
      Fondly,
      Suz

      Delete
  15. I love it Shannon. Thank you - how beautiful....Theresa Goldman

    ReplyDelete
  16. I'm coo coo over your coo coo for the birds beautiful and creative art piece. I love the colors and embellishments. Thank you for sharing your amazing art. Enjoyed visiting Alaskan SapphireRose.
    Carmenmolly5829@yahoo.com

    ReplyDelete
  17. Your work is beautiful. The Stage Beauty ATC is fabulous and I would love to win it!

    ReplyDelete
  18. hi shannon - i love your work!! i also love that you are a fellow alaskan! yay! i've been an alpha stamps junkie forever so was excited when i saw you on the design team!
    i would be thrilled to have a piece of your work come my way!
    deb
    debsea61@hotmail.com

    ReplyDelete
  19. Jo J. Love your coo-coo bird.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Loved the coo-coo bird. Very cute.

    ReplyDelete
  21. what a fun and cute bird house. I love it. I especially love all the birds and the dresden you used across the front. very nicely done thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  22. this is so lovely! i love all the little details! thanks so much for the chance to win your giveaway!
    peggy aplSEEDS

    ReplyDelete
  23. Too cute! Am in love with the birdhouse chipboard!

    ReplyDelete
  24. A lovely piece! I liked all the different elements you put into this, especially the dangles.

    ReplyDelete
  25. love these bird houses and the dangles...wow

    ReplyDelete
  26. What a clever and beautiful idea!

    ReplyDelete
  27. How clever and so real. Love your choices of color--pretty soft shades.
    Dottie in CT

    ReplyDelete
  28. A walk in the woods couldn't have been more fun. I'm sure I just added a bunch of new bird sightings to my list. Falemenderit shumë

    ReplyDelete
  29. Lovely work! I would love to be a winner!!

    ReplyDelete
  30. Lovely ATC!! I am in a Bird Swap in another group & getting all kinds of inspiration from you gals!! Collette/g-cswf66@charter.net

    ReplyDelete
  31. The birds all love your little cuckoo clock house! Clever idea for the dangles!

    ReplyDelete
  32. Gorgeous "coo coo" birds. the detail is beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  33. Love the lucite. Can't wait to see what's next.

    ReplyDelete
  34. Oh this is so pretty and you have certainly inspired me!

    ReplyDelete
  35. Adorable!!! I love all the tiny details ~

    ReplyDelete
  36. Your coo coo clock is just darling!
    Lynn

    ReplyDelete
  37. I love all the details you shared -- great artwork!

    Happy creating,
    Birgit

    ReplyDelete
  38. Gorgeous work! Thank you for sharing. xo

    ReplyDelete
  39. I love your clock! Hugz - Allison Brooke
    allyb171@live.com

    ReplyDelete
  40. I love your clock ..wow what detailed labor you put into all your wonderful wonderful pieces.
    I love your blog very nice.
    susan s.

    ReplyDelete