A Little Birdie Told Me - Mixed Media Card

Hello Everyone.

I hope you had a great weekend! Today I want to share with you my second attempt at a true mixed media card. Here's a quick overall shot, then I will tell you about the card.

First I would like to send out a big hug and many thanks to all of the amazing design team members over at The Mixed Media Challenge Blog for choosing my very first mixed media card - Birthday Wishes as a highlight in their very first mixed media challenge - Touch of Nature. There were so many amazing projects entered, I cannot begin to tell you how honoured I am to display their badge. If you click on their badge, you can see all of the other beautiful projects that were highlighted, as well as the winning project by Luli.

  

This month, their challenge is Challenge #2 - Summer. They asked us to do something that reminds us of summer and the first thing that came to mind is my Mom's wonderful patio garden filled with birds. So, that is what I went with! They also gave us an option to include some burlap. My intention was to line all the layers of my card with burlap, but when I put the first piece on, I just found it to be too harsh against my soft pastels, so I opted for layers of white crinoline instead.

There are lots of photos because I wanted to capture all of the little details that I included. Here we go!

How I did the background:

I covered my paper with a layer of home-made texture paste and made sure to make it smudgy and smooshy (yes, those are words). I globbed it on real thick in some spots so I could press some seed beads into it here and there. I also pressed some bits of cheesecloth into the paste, then I let it dry.

Then came the DecoArt Paints. Many layers of Crafter's Acrylics and Americana Arylic paints in Early Spring Green, Cherry Blossom, Daffodil Yellow and Flesh until I got the look I wanted. Then I added some Ranger White Studio Gesso here and there to put a bit of grit on it. Next, I made some sprays using Tim Holtz distress stains Gathered Twigs and Spiced Marmalade by mixing them with water in mini misters. Gave some squirts over the beaded areas and let it drip down the page. I also used my blending tool to add some distress ink Spiced Marmalade, Crushed Olive and Shabby Shutters, just to highlight the green and peach paints. Then I used my paint brush to flick some Gathered Twigs, Spiced Marmalade, Worn Lipstick and Peeled Paint in random spots.

I stamped some images and designs using Ranger Archival ink Coffee and then took a sponge with some white paint and highlighted all of the raised areas. Lastly, to add a bit more interest, I put some home-made crackle paint here and there around the birds.

The birdhouse was done using Poppystamps - Carolina Birdhouse die and home-made crackle paint. The bird was handmade using polymer clay and a Mod Melt mold and then textured with Ranger Picket Fence crackle paint. I painted her with some Spiced Marmalade, Shabby Shutters and Gathered Twigs.

The ribbon was coloured with Spiced Marmalade, Squeezed Lemonade and Shabby Shutters. The birds stamps are from the Prima Songbird collection.

The green panel was stamped using Tim Holtz Fabulous Flourishes and then stencilled with Crafter's Workshop Reverse Chicken Wire. I highlighted the chicken wire by rubbing the Spiced Marmalade ink pad directly over the paste.

I wrote this sentiment because I thought it was perfect for a card with birds all over it. It was done by hand using a Studio G wood mounted miniature alphabet stamp set...cutsie right!!

I am thrilled to also enter my card into the following challenges:

ABC Challenges - Q is for Quote
Country View Challenges - Word Play
Sweet 7 Designs Challenge Blog - Challenge #1 - Birthdays
Suzy Bee's Bloomin' Challenge Blog - #40 - Anything Goes
Make My Monday - Birds

I already entered a card for this next challenge, but my birdie sentiment seems to fit so nicely, I just couldn't resist:
Fussy and Fancy - Challenge #119 - Words



That's it for today. Thank you for stopping in and for all the amazing comments. I read and appreciate every single one! If you have any questions, please let me know.