Birds of a Feather…

Hello everyone. You had better sit down because I have created a scrapbook page!  I realized I have been having so much fun making cards and other altered type projects that my poor scrapbooks have been languishing for ages. This is a photo I took at a local historic mansion and gardens. All throughout the grounds they have sculpture installations and I think this is a combination of art and function. I'm not sure how the birds like the condo complex but I think it looks pretty cool. I also wanted to play with my new Petal Drop Die from Tim Holtz.

For the Petal Drop part of the background, I started out with a sheet of manila cardstock from an old file folder. I did lots of layers of marbled stains and stamping with archival inks to create a collage look. I probably should have taken a photo of it before I cut it up with the die. Oops! I really like all the colors and textures in the shapes.

Another thing I forgot to take photos of are the steps for making the stencil monoprint background. I was fortunate enough to recently take a class taught by Paula Cheney at my local scrapbook store. (I still need to finish my project…) One of the many things she taught us was this cool way to make a print using your stencils. Lucky for us, I recently saw that Richele Christensen shared the same technique on her blog so you can check it out there for pictures and details. It's not difficult. Tap your ink pads directly onto the stencil until it's covered with ink, mist it generously with water and then lay it ink side down onto your paper. Blot excess water with a cloth if needed and pull up the stencil. I wanted a lighter image so I used Old Paper and Pumice Stone Distress Pads on the 12 x 12 Woodgrain stencil. I like the effect. Here's a closeup:

Another thing to note is that I stamped the bird onto Specialty Stamping Paper. This is such a detailed stamp and I wasn't getting the crispness I wanted stamping onto regular paper. I remembered I had some of the Specialty Paper and it works really well. The stamped image is so nice! It takes the coloring well too. I used Distress Inks and a water brush to add the color. I helped along the drying with a heat tool because there a bit of a coating on the paper.

Most of the supplies I used for this project can be found at Inspiration Emporium. Follow the links below and use my code JUICE to save 10% if you go shopping. I will also point out that US shipping is always $5 and international shipping is just $10! ;-)

Tim Holtz Collection - CMS180 - Bird Feather	Tim Holtz Collection - Mixed Media	Sizzix Bigz Die - Petal Drop by Tim Holtz	Sizzix - Bigz Die - Garden Greens	Sizzix - Sizzlits Decorative Strip Dies - Spring Greenery	Sizzix - Bigz Die XL - Vintage Market
Prima Marketing - Designer 12" x 12" Stencils - Woodgrain	Tim Holtz Collection Stencils - THS002 - Bubble	Tim Holtz - Distress Crackle Paint - Scattered Straw	Tim Holtz - Idea-ology - Grungeboard Basics	Ranger - Specialty Stamping Paper - 8 1/2" x 11"	Super Heavy Gesso
Tim Holtz - Distress Stains - Ripe Persimmon	Tim Holtz - Distress Stains - Shabby Shutters	Tim Holtz - Distress Stains - Frayed Burlap	Tim Holtz - Distress Stains - Iced Spruce	Tim Holtz - Distress Stains - Old Paper	Archival #0 Pad - Coffee
Archival Ink Pad Designer Series: Wendy Vecchi - Fern Green	Archival Ink Pad Designer Series: Wendy Vecchi - Dandelion	Archival Ink Pad Designer Series: Wendy Vecchi - Orange Blossom	Archival Ink Pad Designer Series: Wendy Vecchi - Watering Can	Archival #0 Pad - Jet Black	Tim Holtz - Distress Ink Pads - Antique Linen
Tim Holtz - Distress Ink Pads - Pumice Stone	Tim Holtz - Distress Ink Pads - Vintage Photo	Tim Holtz - Distress Ink Pads - Spiced Marmalade	Tim Holtz - Distress Ink Pads - Black Soot	Tim Holtz - Distress Ink Pads - Barn Door	Tim Holtz - Distress Ink Pads - Scattered Straw

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