7.21.2007

For the Birds

Inspiration: Bird


Using a 4 by 6" wooden box from a yard sale, Very Mary painted and sanded the box, added background papers and songbook pages, then polyurethaned the entire thing. After that, she added a jute hanger secured by white furniture tacks.


Moving clockwise from the top left, she used twigs, a mushroom bird, silver glass beads, and reindeer moss:



She also squeezed in some buttons, a wee glass bottle full of silver glass beads, millinery flowers, and stapled on wire:



Adding a tiny nest with another teeny bird, she adorned it with pins, more buttons, more moss, and another twig:



She finished off with a ball of jute, more twigs, and a couple of speckled eggs:



Then, because one bird creation surely wasn't enough, she tried something a bit brighter and more whimsical. Using an oval balsa wood box (5 by 4"), she painted it light lime green, added some K&Company papers, and then sanded and poly-ed the whole thing. But wait! There's a great surprise:



A Bird in a Box! Using the container as a bit of a shadow box, she piled in a bird and a nest and a twig clothesline:



Of course there's an egg, decoupaged with phrases from an old flower book, a few buttons, and sweet little pieces of fabric:


And, to make this a piece more functional, she added a bit of wire through the back so it can be hung...

11 comments:

Jennifer W. said...

Well, now I have to say these projects are what is inspiring me! Absolutely beautiful!!

Roxanne said...

I absolutely love both of these! Your detail work is amazing. Nice work!!

Raesha D said...

These are so beautiful!!! My clutter is inspiring me...I'm sick of the piles of stuff so I've been creating like crazy:)

Raesha D said...

I've never gotten Somerset Studio - I just got the Somerset Life one I think...and it was awesome. I've been thinking about ordering the sample issues of all their other magazines. You should definitely send these in:)

Anonymous said...

Both creations are fantastic! I love the colors and detail. I'm on an austerity program myself, so I feel your pain. I always indulge in Somerset Studio but have never been brave enough to submit anything.

maggiegracecreates said...

I have considered submitting work to a magazine, but have always been afraid of the rejection. You know - my work is not as good as some others, but I am going to take your challenge and send something to someone. I am actually considering the Cloth Paper Scissors tryptich challenge from the current issue.

I love both of these pieces - the bird in the box is my favorite - maybe because green is my fav color.

The only breakdown I have had in using what I had was my birthday. I am calling that a success.

Have a great day.

Anonymous said...

Mary Ann! What beautiful pieces! My Mom has had some pieces in their magazine, her name is Lynnette April Cooper. She keeps bugging me to submit some items too. I think you should submit some things! Your talent is endless!! Maybe I'll try too!

Stephanie said...

They are beautiful!! VERY pretty!

www.angelinascards.com said...

Hello, I love the collage you made too! I wish I had a talent for collage. Thanks so much,Angelina

Sallie - AKA *Sparky* said...

I love both of your collages!The wood box one is just fascinating. The bird's nest w/buttons and pins is wonderful. I can't believe how cool the jute string ball looks! The oveal bird house w/clothes line is so charming it made me laugh!Hope you're published. Sallie

Dinah said...

I think both of these are terrific Mary Ann, and certainly worthy of being published. My favorite has to the be the blue box, but I love the green too! Send your entries in lady! You'll never "know" if you don't.