Challenge Entry: Bird in the Hand

Have you seen the insurance commercial spoofing Antiques Roadshow with the ceramic "bird in the hand" valued at "two in the bush"?  So funny.  And apparently, inspirational.

I had started off planning this project as a two-fer with SSS & Show an old wives' tale challenge from a few weeks ago, but then I realized that my theme wasn't an old wives' tale...it was a proverb that actually refers to falconry...doh!  (Isn't the internet a wonderful thing?)  Sooo...so much for the two-fer, but it still qualifies for my original goal of Inspiration Emporium's We Challenge You to Use: Packaging and I just think it's cute!

The Details:

• The base was cut from the flap of a corrugated cardboard box that I'm sure contained and transported craft supplies at some point, but contained a kitty at the time I cut into the flap.

• After trimming to size (approx 4.5" sq.), I tore a paper layer off the leftover piece to expose the corrugations.  I brushed on Delta Raw Linen acrylic paint and used the scrap cardboard to stamp the background grid image onto my project piece.
• I continued to build the background with images stamped in Broken China DI and also shaded areas with a foam ink blending tool with Broken China.
• A scrap piece of K&Co decorative paper was torn and added to one edge...more Broken China & Old Paper DI shading added.
• I then layered up my elements and images:  a strip of TH Symphony tissue tape, the girl image, the bird, and the wording.
• For the "two in the bush", I stamped two small birds directly onto the cardboard base using StazOn Timber Brown, then colored them with DI inks and a water pen.  To highlight them and use more packaging, I cut the bubble from a TH embellies package, scalloped the edges, slightly distressed it with Sandal Alcohol ink, and glued it over the top of my birdies using Glossy Accents.

• After adding the flowers and ribbon, I covered select areas in Matte Mod Podge and added glitter.

So did you count?  That's three unique ways to use packaging in your art:

1. Cardboard as a base
2. Corrugated cardboard as a background stamp
3. Bubble packaging as an embellishment

Could such a pretty little piece really have started life as a cardboard shipping box?  This was such a fun experiment...look around your craft room, your whole house...what can YOU make from packaging?  Renew, Reuse, Recycle!

Supplies:
Paper: K&Co; scrap background paper
Image: Crafty Secrets
Stamps: My Mind’s Eye ‘Pretty’
Inks: Distress Ink ‘Old Paper’, ‘Broken China’, ‘Barn Red’, ‘Peeled Paint’; Delta acrylic paint ‘Raw Linen’; StazOn 'Timber Brown'; Alcohol Ink ‘Sandal’
Embellishments: Me & My Big Ideas number stickers; pearls; Prima flowers; leaf ribbon; TH tissue tape ‘Symphony’; Maya Road hat pin; JoAnn glitter ‘Crystal’
Tools: glue dots; Glossy Accents; water pen; 3M Super77 spray adhesive; scallop decorative scissors
Misc: corrugated cardboard box; TH embellishments packaging