BIRDS OF A FEATHER ...

It's Monday, it's Spring and LIFE IS GOOD!

Time for another Simon Says Stamp and Show Challenge!  This week, our challenge is themed "FLY".  Things with wings or things with feathers; whatever inspires you to join our challenge and "take flight" with your creativity!

I loved this challenge because I love birds, love shabby chic, love Spring.  So I combined all of those things that I love to create this ... 

a plain paper mache book into a cozy little shabby chic habitat of pull out drawers, dimensional nests and serene scenes.

Here is what I started with ... a plain paper mache book measuring 7 1/2" x 4 3/4".  The interior is 2" deep...deep enough to create a set of four drawers out of chipboard and cardstock!

I used my Tim Holtz Design Ruler to figure out the dimensions I would need to create a "cabinet" to hold the four drawers and then the dimensions of the drawers themselves.

The Cabinet To House The Drawers

2 - chipboard pieces 4 1/8" x 1 3/4" - these create the top of bottom of the cabinet

2 - chipboard pieces 1 3/4" x 2" - these create the two ends.

1 - chipboard piece 4" x 1 3/4" - this is the center divider for the drawers to sit on horizontally

1 - chipboard piece 1 5/8" x 2" - this is the center divider piece that will separate the two sets of drawers vertically.  You need to cut a slit in the center of this piece so that the horizontal shelf can slide into this piece and fit flush in the front.

I lightly colorized all of the chipboard with an Espresso Paint Dabber on anything that would be visible. Then I simply taped the outside of the cabinet together to form a rectangle and slid the center sections in place.  I added a bead of Glossy Accents to hold the center dividers in place.  Next I covered the top of the cabinet with a piece of paper from 7 Gypsies Conservatory papers.  This is the only part that will be visible and the only part that needs covering.

The Construction Of The Four Drawers

4 - plain cardstock 3 1/2" x 3 3/4" pieces. 

4 - patterned cardstock 1 3/4" x 2" to "line" the drawer at the bottom.

4 - patterned cardstock strips approximately 8" x 1" to cover the exterior of the drawers.

 On the 3 1/2" side, score the cardstock at 7/8" and 2 5/8". On the 3 3/4" side, score at 7/8" and 2 7/8".  Cut one slit at each of the four corners and apply double sided tape to each "flap".  Distress all of the interior folds and edges. Fold the "flaps" over and glue in place to create a little rectangular "box".  Start at the back of the drawer and glue a cardstock strip to the exterior of the drawers and continue all the way around until the exterior of the drawer is covered with patterned paper.  This will increase the strength of the drawer and also decorate it.  Trim the excess paper.  Ink all of the corners and edges. 

    

With the smaller hole punch on a Crop A Dile, center a hole on the drawers and punch a hole.  Add a Tim Holtz Hitch Fastener to each drawer as a knob.  Slide the drawers into the "cabinet" and set to the side to be added to the book later. 

*Note - each book will be different so these measurements may vary a little.

Next I washed my paper mache book first with Classic Teal Studio Paint followed with a wash of Traditional Tan.  When I got the look I wanted, I let it dry.  It was a little bright but I knew I would be adding another wash of Burnt Umber and water that would dull it down considerably.

This is a paper mache book, so I wanted to make my "pages" look very shabby and like old dog earred pages of an old shabby chic romance novel.  To do this, I knew I wanted to experiment with Wendy Vecchi's Embossing Paste...my new favorite toy!  I love the feeling of her paste when it dries. I love how easy it is to work with and what great dimension it adds! I didn't want my pages to be white so I thought I might play around with adding color to the white embossing paste before I applied it.  It worked perfectly!  I combined a little Vintage Photo and then Antique Linen Distress Ink Refills (just a couple of drops) to the embossing paste and really stirred it up.  Using a plastic craft knife and a regular angled paint brush (wash after using), I fashioned my paper pages onto the paper mache book.

When I was happy with the coverage, I added some extra detail with an old hotel room key and let it dry.

Here is the finished result of the tinted Embossing Paste and fiddling around with it to make it look like paper.  I was pleased with the results.  LOVE the color and the texture against the teal-ish book covers.

What is a nest without eggs in it?  I had these plain little eggs but wanted them to look more like robin's eggs.  So, I lightly spritzed them with some Broken China Distress Stain that I converted into a 2 ounce Mister Bottle and dabbed with an Ink Applicator.  FAST and perfect color!

Ahhh!!! The inspiration for this entire piece!  This simple yet beautiful saying from Emily Dickinson.  This sentiment is part of Artistic Outpost's Quotable Quotes stamp set.  I stamped it onto manila cardstock using Coffee Archival Ink.  I lightly distressed the cardstock using Vintage Photo Distress Ink. 

I wanted the sentiment to look "earthy" yet shabby.  So, I found some craft sticks that I had, spritzed them with Vintage Photo Distress Stain that I had converted into a 2 ounce Mister Bottle and colored the sticks.  Then I fashioned this rustic little frame for my sentiment.  Simple to do and very effective on this piece.

Here you can see the frame in place sitting on top of a background of text paper from the 7 Gypsies Conservatory 8x8 paper pack.  The paper was torn and distressed with Gathered Twigs Distress Ink.  I also added Antique Linen Distress Ink and then did Tim Holtz' spritz and flick method to further age and mottle the paper background.  Then I stamped the eggs in the nest image using Coffee Archival and colorizing the flowers, nest, eggs and butterfly with Wild Honey, Scattered Straw, Victorian Velvet, Squeezed Lemonade, Tumbled Glass and Shabby Shutters Distress Stains and a Small Sakura Water Brush.  

 

I added Glossy Accents to the eggs in the nest to give them a little more dimension.  I stamped the pink flowers and the butterfly twice, colorized them and stacked them on top of the each other, creating more dimension.  I added a few little bits of feathers and fluff to the next using Glossy Accents.  Then I stamped a few wheat stalks and colorized those around the nest.  Finally, I added a feather and three little colorized eggs.  The interior cover of my shabby chic book was complete.

I fit the drawers into the book cavity and added some "nesting" material and the sweet little eggs.  I also added a few more little feathers and a touch of cut ivory Melissa Frances Tulle underneath the nest resting on the drawers.  The top of this side needed something though.  It had some really cute egg paper as a background from the 7 Gypsies Conservatory 8x8 Paper Pack but it needed something! 

I cut a Hardware Findings piece from plain Grungeboard and heat embossed it with Antiquities Verdigris Powder!  Love that rustic patina look.  But let's go a step further...

Let's add some Antiquities Rust Embossing Powder on top of that!  Love it! (I had to cut off the tip and a little of the other end so that it would fit in my book).

Now, let's make another sign like I did with the sentiment.  Only this time, let's suspend it from the Hardware Finding and on three large Jump Rings.  Yep...just what that spot needed!  It's shabby, it's dimensional and it swings! 

Oh!  In case you were wondering what the outside of the book looks like ...

Here it is.  I just left it shabby and plain.  I wanted the interest to be centered to the interior of this book.

I hope that this has inspired you to create something fun and enter our challenge at Simon Says Stamp and Show.  You could be the lucky winner of our 

$50.00 CREDIT VOUCHER!  And...if you are one of the TOP THREE entries for the week, you receive special recognition for that feat as well!  I hope you'll enter.  I'd love to see what you inspires YOU!

Here are the products available at Simon Says Stamp I used on this shabby chic book:

 

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