Free as a Bird

This is a lovely piece of artwork that I made a few months ago in spring colours.  I had some new stamps and paints to try out - and this is the result!  The stamps are by Crafters Companion from their Textures range, and the paints are Pebeo Dyna paints.  I have also used Blue Lagoon and SepiaVersafine ink;  clear embossing powder; gold gilding wax and Holly stickles.  I started with a thick piece of board and gave it a coat of white Gesso.  Then using a sponge I applied the paints, one at a time, randomly over the board.  The sponging effect added texture.  I used the same technique on four stampboard squares.  Next I stamped some tissue paper with one of the corner stamps and some script by Sheena Douglass and left it to dry.  I then took a hessian texture stamp and stamped it around the edges of the background board, and heat embossed with clear powder.  This is to add more texture.  I placed the stampboard pieces together in a square and stamped them with a couple of the images from the stamp sets, then heat embossed them.  I added a little gilding wax in places to highlight, and some stickles.  I attached torn pieces of the stamped tissue paper on two corners of the background board and across the centre using Decopatch glue varnish.  This adheres and seals the tissue, making it translucent so that the colours of the paints underneath can be seen .  I then attached the stampboard tiles in the centre of the background panel, equally spaced apart, with strong glue.  I then took some buttons and wooden embellishments.  I coloured the birds with watered down Dyna paints and edged them with gilding wax.  I coloured the watering can and cage with gilding waxes and stickles.  Two of the buttons were already patterned, I added blue gilding wax to a textured button, and covered another with tissue( for texture) and added gilding wax.  I then attached the buttons down one side of the board and added stickles to the centres.  I threaded some bakers twine through the top of the cage and the key, then attached the remaining embellishments to the artwork.  I created this piece just for fun but I think it would make a lovely wall hanging.