Singing Bird

I'm loving die-cutting, it's the complete opposite from doing digital graphics, so much more hands one.  This little singing bird sitting on my fireplace mantle is made from recycled matte board and card, a shadow box I had hidden in a closet, a frame corner sample, acrylic paint and stamping ink.  The dies used include the Sizzix Bird Branch, Tattered Florals, Word Play and Flourish.

First I cut some matte board to fit into the shadow box and a trangle piece of matte board to fit into the frame sample.  I gessoed the matte board and pressed a Sizzix embossing folder into the wet gesso to add some texture. I painted both with acrylic paint.  I added a portion of a stamp that had a music score in the upper right corner with some permanent ink.

I added distressed inks to colour the bird and branch.  I trimmed the branch so it would fit flush with the frame but fall below the matte board down over the shadow box frame.

I embossed the flowers with some dots to give some texture and painted them with acrylic paint.  I added a small punched red circle to the centre of each.
The letters were cut from maroon matte board.  I over-painted with white crackle paint and added some red distressed ink after it dried.
The flourish was cut from the same maroon matte board which I left as is.