Stoked to be the Top Talent Spotlight over at Our Creative Corner

Get out!  I am so honored to be highlighted over at Our Creative Corner today.  The challenge theme this month is 'Anything Goes'.

You may remember that way back last spring I couldn't resist the $1 wooden birdhouses at JoAnns.  In my typical Julie ADD fashion I flung myself into decorating birdhouses with wild abandon but quickly burned out before finishing the last one.  Since then this lone sad little birdhouse has relocated numerous times on my work desk silently mocking me.  The combination of the 'Anything Goes' challnege and a long, grey winter kicked me into gear with visions of a warm, green spring, and fairies frolicking in my garden.  I decided they needed a shelter. Here's how it went down...

The lone birdhouse survivor. It had been sitting here gessoed and with a blue roof for months.

The blue roof wasn't working for me anymore so I went with green.  I had visions of mud-packed walls (it is the Pacific NW after all) so added some texture with modeling paste.

I painted the walls with a combo of brown, burnt sienna and black paints.

I really liked the way my Garden Nymph Hideaway turned out last year so I added flowers to the roof of this one too.  I think I've had these flowers for almost 10 years.  So happy to put them to use!  My plan was to have it monochromatic like the garden nymph's digs but once the flowers were all on there I kind of liked the  multi-colored look.

While browsing the clearance section at Hobby Lobby several weeks ago I spotted some acrylic glazes reduced 80%.  Without a clue how to use them, but loving a good deal,  I picked up some bottles.  It turns out they are intended for model makers to add to their vintage airplanes etc.  "Hmmm..." I thought to myself.  "What the heck.  Let's give it a whirl!" I added some Pine Wash over the mud-caked walls of my little cottage.  The barest hint of green that it added is just perfect to suggest what a mini dwelling hidden away under some ferns in the forest would look like.  Almost done!

 

I went to the craft store to pick up some finishing touches.  When I grabbed the packaged moss I noticed that it sure did look like the 'real moss' that serves as grass in my backyard.  Why pay for that?  I felt confident that I could harvest my own.  It was ridiculously easy.  I took a fork and gathered up chunks of moss.  Then I set them on a paper towel and placed it on a heater vent overnight.  The next morning I shook off the excess dirt and wah-lah!  Dried moss!  I attached it and the little mushrooms with hot glue.  Some Stickles in the flower centers completed my project.

Now that Valentines' Day is past I'm ready to start decorating for spring and St. Patrick's Day.  I think my little Faerie's Cottage will fit right in on my mantle.

Thanks so much for stopping by and slogging through my post.  ;)  Have a wonderful day!