Spring Home Decor using Crafter's Companion sentiment stamp & inks & thriftstore frame

I had a little frame that cost less than $1 from a second-hand store.  I had painted and repainted it and threw it in a drawer multiple times until I received the Verse stamps from Crafter's Companion.  Using Spectrum Noir water colour ink jars, I made a quick background, stamped the image and remembered the sad little frame stuck in the drawer.  A little chalk paint, glue on some embellies from my stash and now it's one of my favorite new makes.  Such an easy way to upgrade your home décor for the season.

DT Margarita Glass Robin Nest Spring Home Decor

Have you ever happened upon an area where the earth is reclaiming an old once-loved property?  Seems like some type of magic is at play.  The paint has started chipping and becoming weathered, decay has set in; yet, little plants and moss have started growing in obscure places.  Forest vines and ivy are veining up bases and through cracks of structures.  

On my last visit to the Dollar Tree I was surprised to find a very thick Margarita glass, it looked out of place among the thin glasses on the shelves.  When I picked it up, the shape reminded me of an old, white iron bird bath I had seen on an abandoned property on the edge of a forested area.  Patina, dirt, vines and moss had over taken it, but a recent spring rain storm had left clear water in its normal murky basin.  Birds were once again flocking to it for a drink.

I tried to recreate the patina in my mind's eye using gesso, chalk paint, and ink wash.  Some dried moss and Baby's Breath with a few feathers made the plastic "robin" eggs look like a viable spring nesting spot for a happy bird.  

I didn't have vines and ivy, but I did have paint, twine, dried moss and … parsley.  Yep, right out of the spice cabinet:  Parsley.  Here is the end result.  It actually only took me a little over an hour to make, well, 2 .. but part of that was watching Supernatural reruns 👻

This is the BEFORE picture - Margarita glass and foam circles from Dollar Tree

Doll House Fairy Garden Miniatures : Mermaid ( IOD) Fountain with Resin Water, Armillary, Gate Columns inspired by Heather Tracy at Thicketworks

Sometimes it's so easy to just post photos on Facebook to friends that I forget about keeping up on blogger posts.  Recently I have been binge watching tutorials by Heather Tracy and I feel like I have been in a mixed media class that I paid hundreds to attend -- I've learned so many techniques.  Here's a link to her videos Heather Tracy - Thicketworks .  You will definitely be excited to learn from this amazing mixed media artist.  Here's a couple things I've made following her tutorials this past month.

The mermaid and  fountain embellishment are resin pieces I made using molds from Iron Orchid Designs (IOD).  The fountain is approximately 7" tall.   Real Reindeer Moss and crushed parsley make for amazing "aged" moss.

The water is actually "clear" resin.  The basin and "algae" as well as the gray faux fountain patina are colored with #SpectrumNoir alcohol markers and acrylic paint.

I unrolled some Dollar Tree twine to make vines and following the Thicketworks tutorial using foam board, these tiny columns will make a great addition to an upcoming diorama.  The columns and armillary are approximately 4 inches tall.

Can you believe that Armillary is just cardstock strips?  Here's Heather's tutorial for the Armillary .  I may redo this one to make a bigger "table" more like the one in her tutorial but for now I'm on to another video of her wonderful creations to learn some new skills.