Sew Mel’s Bird Row !

Sew Mel’s Bird Row !

Hi there!
Thanks for popping in.
Still a fair amount of GES today.
And yes, Hazel and Steve – you nailed yesterday’s riddle:
 GSOOTWA = Go Stare out of the Window Again.
So today, with your permission, I will just step away from the Groovi parchemnt world for an hour, and go back to a little piece I did on the telly last Sunday, using the wonderful 
Bird Row Stampset, illustrated by darling Mel. 
I LOVE these little fellas. They just make me smile. 
Mel has an amazing way of capturing the personalities of birds and animals which she draws. 
On the TV show, I simply walked the brayer gently up and down the Stencil card using various shades of the Viva Decor paint.
Just keep adding different shades over each other.
Made two – one for the live show and one for the finished one.
That’s the thing with the TV shows, you have to stage everything up. But the neat thing about that is that by the time you have staged up the steps a few times, you can do it in your sleep!!!
Once you’re happy with the painty background, add the outer mask of the birds, which also comes in with the stamps.
Load a little white paint onto the blending sponge and dab dab dab through the bird shapes. 
Let the first coat dry, then add a second coat to go white white.
Now here’s the thing. Even if you wanted to have yellow birds, or red birds, or pink birds, you really want to do a white undercoat.
Then dab dab dab the colour of your choice over the top.
Now it’s time to stamp the birds over the top. 
Black permanent Archival ink is best on paint.
Once the ink is dry, (is quick) cover up the birds with the inner masks and the base mask.
Add the large moon mask
Next I went for it.
Dab dab dabbed yellow randomly here and there.
Really easy.
Next, I swopped moon masks for the outer one and added white – but only on one side.
Ta daaa!!!
Moonshadow.
And by the way, the excess paint on the brayer is cooking up a fantastic background scrap for another blog….
So how to attach this to a canvas…
Sew it really roughly and randomly to a piece of black card, 
which is only slightly larger than the piece itself.

Use the stitches to create the lower side of the perch they are on.
Curl the  corners and tatter the edges with the blade of a pair of scissors after you have done enough tatty sewing.
Leave loose threads here and there. 

I need some double-sided adhesive sheets on the back of the black card. This will stick to the canvas board like you know what!!

So there we have it. 
A simple to make mixed media canvas, 
very achievable and easy on the eye.
Tomorrow we will randomly pick the winners of the blog candy surprise  I mentioned earlier this week….
Love & Hugs,
Barb
xxx

37 thoughts on “Sew Mel’s Bird Row !

  1. What a beautiful,piece of art. I loved watching you work on Sunday and thank you for taking the time to go to so much effort writing and photographing such a detailed blog for us. Annette. X

  2. I have my bird row and followed the steps in the calendar last year to make my canvas. Love the arty look of the sewing…not sure my mum would let me borrow her machine for sewing through card, I remember the look of horror when I attempted to use her pinking shears once!! Will have to make something else with my birds and walking the paint technique. Lovely sunny day for looking out the window. Xx

    1. Hi Donna,
      Yes our day was a bit like that too – very cold wind and very frosty this morning. Went out with friends for lunch this morning/ afternoon which was nice. They really are looking out for me! Love and hugs Alison xxx

  3. I think it was a sunny day here, but still too dozy after all that driving and the fabulous and intensive Groovi brain workout this week. My kefir has woken up faster that I have today. Its enforced rest while I was away managed to double it all in size. Glad to get back to it. I love it. Hope you found your IPad, Barb. xxx Maggie

  4. Hi Barb,
    Thanks for the step by steps for this. I loved the demo on tv and also the other one where you ran it through the Gemini – any chance of the plate sandwich for that please. I remember doing the birds in a row canvas that you showed too – a friend of mine liked it so much that she now has it hanging on a wall in her house! Hope you have found your iPod and will be nice and refreshed tomorrow. Love and hugs Alison xxxx

    1. Hi bloggy friends,
      Hope everyone is ok. Had a good day today – new record for me in swimming this morning and then lunch with friends. The wedding cards were gratefully received so that was a weight off my mind. Sending love and hugs to you all, Alison xxx

  5. Loved this one when you did it on Hochanda at the weekend. Thank you for doing the steo by step, it'll be great to refer back to as I didn't record the show. Hope you are feeling more relaxed after a gruelling few days, even though you really enjoyed it, it's bound to take a lot out of you. Love and hugs Pam xxx

  6. Hi bloggy friends, Hope you've had a good day and are all ok, we had sun and wind today but very pleasant seeing the sun again, Had a groovi few days making a 30th anniversary for my niece, I really took my time with the whitework and am rather pleased with it. It certainly pays to take your time and let it rest. Love and hugs Pam xxx

    1. Hi Pam,
      I bet your card was lovely. Yes it really is nice to see the sun and grass again. Hope your back is ok and that Pete is doing well. Sending love and hugs to you both, Alison xxxx

    2. Hi Pam, I hope you are both ok, it's nice to see some sunshine isn't it. I need to slow down and stop rushing my whitework. I found a piece the other day I'd started last year, had put away and had forgotten about it. I think I'm going to go back and do some more whitework on it, I think it might have rested enough by now! Xxx

  7. thank you for sharing the detailed step by step for the picture of the birds in a row. I have this stamp set so must dig it out & have a go. Yesterdays riddle got me foxed, obviously not on the right wave length !! hope all the retreat attendees are recovering well from GES!!

  8. Love this demo and will have to try a variation for myself now I've found my bird masks! So glad now that I ordered some more storage folders in the sale now x

  9. I so love this stamp and have made several cards with it just stamping and colouring the birds with pencils. They were all different and well received. So Barb, thanks for this demo and I shall try a mixed media picture in a frame I think this time.

  10. As soon as my Groovi pieces are finished I'm going to have a go at this super idea including the stitching – it's about all my aged sewing machine is good for although I managed to make two cushion covers with it last week xx

    1. Hello all. Car windscreen replaced yesterday so we can go out again now. Groovi came to my rescue last week. Anyone who has a car with the driver alert radar system beware, that also needs recalibrating after a new windscreen and not all garages have the equipment. We have to trek to Darlington next week and they say they need it all day!!
      All covered by insurance thankfully xx

    2. Hi Chris,
      Glad that you are able to get out and about again. Not sure what the driver radar system is, but I'm sure we haven't got it! Bit of a nuisance though that they need the car all day! Will they not come and collect it? That's what Evans Halshaw and Petch's do for us when we need the cars serviced . Could be worthwhile asking them. Glad Groovi helped you last week! Love and hugs Alison xxx

  11. Love the birds Barbara, I wonder what story they are telling each other. I hope today has been a little easier for you and the team. It was good to see the sun for a little while but that wind still has a bit of an edge. xx

  12. Hi Barbara
    Thank goodness it's nearly the weekend which hopefully means you can sit back and relax and spend time with your mum. I loved watching you do this on tv, you make it look so easy. One day I'm going to be brave and have a go, although I might attempt hand sewing instead! Take care.
    Love Diane xxx

  13. Hello Barb, oh the translation really made me laugh. Hopefully what you were staring at was your lovely garden, and that you will be able to put your feet up and rest a bit this weekend. I loved this demo on the tele, and the finished article is quirky and pretty. I am going to dig out my brayer and paints again and have a go at something similar. Take care all. Bx

  14. Loved watching you make this card on TV. it is such a beautiful stamp set will be looking for it when I come to Port Sunlight in May. xx

  15. This looks great Barbara, and love the distressed look with the stitching and slightly curled edges, and love these cheeky birds with loads of character. x

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