chipboard gears

Hello dear Little Birdie Crafts fans! It’s Tracey here to share a new project. I don’t know about you, but I’m eager for spring which is just around the corner. Today I’m sharing a home decor piece that embodies a warm spring day. This 3-D layered butterfly wall hanging features Little Birdie Decoupage Paper, gorgeous Song of the Sea flowers, and Primed Chipboard pieces. Be sure to check out the photos below to see just how much dimension a side view shows you with all these layers.

In this DIY video tutorial you will learn how to use layers to develop dimension, create gorgeous faux metal gears with patina using chipboard, gilding flakes, and waxes, learn all the details to make this gorgeous 3-D layered butterfly, create a patina effect on flowers and feathers, and use items from nature to enhance your mixed media projects.

Enjoy!

Tips and Techniques:

This 3-D layered butterfly cut from Fairy Sparkle paper sits atop gorgeous Song of the Sea flowers brushed with Tinted Metallic paint for a patina effect. All these layers develop amazing depth and dimension.

Texture Tack is the perfect adhesive to apply copper and gold gilding flakes to these chipboard gears to create a faux metal effect. Aqua Sheen Metallic Wax and Caribbean Teal paint create a warm patina finish. Microbeads and colored craft pellets applied with soft gel medium create gorgeous color coordinated texture around the edges of the floral cluster.

These darling feathers are cut from the Dream Catcher Chipboard set and painted with Caribbean Teal and Tawny Glint Metallic paints for a shimmering finish. A patina effect is added to the flowers by dry brushing with white gesso, then again with Tawny Glint paint.

Three butterflies are cut from gorgeous Fairy Sparkle paper to create this layered butterfly. The top layer is brushed along the outer edges and randomly across the wings with Glazed Berries Metallic Paint which was sprinkled with shimmering Fairy Dust Glitter. I realized a a coat of gel medium would be needed to hold the glitter in place. The butterfly body and trail are metal pieces from my stash with gilding and patina like the gears.

This Thriving Thistle Chipboard is brushed with Glazed Berries paint, then highlighted by rubbing with Copper Blaze Metallic Wax. I tucked in a piece of birch bark for a natural element. I just adore the text on the Touch of Nature Decoupage Paper.

I took a walk in my winter garden to find these dried flower stems to add a linear element to this piece.

Barley Crunch – Stone Texture Paste applied through the Brick Wall Stencil adds fabulous texture to the background. I tucked in several natural feathers for a soft touch.

Little Birdie Crafts Supplies:

Little Birdie Crafts can be purchased at the online store: https://littlebirdiecrafts.com/

Other Supplies:
Wood Bracket Shaped Base purchased at a local craft store – 6 1/2 by 6 1/2 inches
Tim Holtz with Sizzix ~ Scribbly Butterflies
Tim Holtz with Idea-ology ~ Small Talk
Metal flourish and corner
Gold Leaf
Copper Gilding Flakes
Copper Microbeads
Nature: Feathers; Twigs; White Birch Bark
1″ Double Sided Foam Tape
Stylus and foam pad
Silicone Glue

Thanks so much for stopping by and taking the time to view my video. I hope you’ve been inspired to pull out your Little Birdie Crafts supplies to create a dimensional home decor piece to brighten up your day.

~ Blessings ~

Tracey

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Hi there Creatives!

I want to share one of my favourite techniques with you today: How to create a rust effect with paint and Little Birdie’s Grainy Texture Paste. It’s just perfect for any steampunk project.

First, I painted the chipboard gears with Grainy Texture Paste. You can leave it to dry naturally, but I used my craft heat tool to dry them.

To create the rust look, I used a small paint brush with hard bristles and Terracotta Chalk Paint, a little black Gesso and Mocha Color Splash. I used a dabbing motion rather than a painting motion to apply the colour to the chipboard gears.

Finally, I applied Tinted Metallic Paint – Golden Plum on them, with my finger.

I painted the MDF box with Rainy Day Chalk Paint.

Next, I stencilled with Mixed Media Paste and the Script Stencil. I painted the inside of the wooden box with cream paint from my stash. When the Mixed Media Paste was dry, I painted the box with the Chalk Paint again. The Chalk Paint dries very quickly.