Three Little Birds

Hello all!  It's time for a new challenge at A Vintage Journey.  Our host this month is the lovely Annie, and she would like you to conjure up The Magic of Three.  There's lots of amazing inspiration from my fabulous team-mates, and here's my offering to get you started.

I've kept things very simple really.  You can see my main "three" straight away... the trio of birds trilling away together on this ATC.  There are also three words to go with them.  And at least three layers in the background!

The whole thing is constructed using Calico Craft Parts - one of their sturdy ATC blanks and this delightful Songbird Trio on Spring Branch.  (That's actually what it's called.)

The medium-sized version is exactly the right size for an ATC.










I started with a coat of DecoArt Americana WhiteWash and then applied a rough coat of gesso.

Over that rough texture I added some PaperArtsy Fresco paint in Sky (well, of course), with some touches of a couple of other blues for depth.












And over that, I put a layer of the Media Crackle Glaze and once it was fully crackled and dry, I used Antiquing Cream and Media Fluid paints to highlight the cracks...














... as well as to darken the edges, drawing the eye inward.  And of course adding some white paint splatter.   See?  At least three layers...















I used a little bit of gesso and then Snowflake Fresco paint to highlight areas of the birds' wings and breasts.














The fantastic texture in the Craft Parts makes it really easy to make them look good!













I also gave the leaves a coat of gesso on the surface first, to allow the greens which followed to show to their full advantage.

I forget now, but there's Green Gold and Sap Green involved from the DecoArt Media Fluids, and I think some Hey Pesto and Hyde Park from the Frescos.










The branches themselves have been left entirely "naked".  Bare Craft Parts also look good!

I'm always amazed at the delicate cutting possible with these fabulous MDF shapes.












And I really love the dimension you get both with the ATC blanks and using Craft Parts generally.  It's a lovely way to add a touch of permanence and solidity to the ATC format.

And finally, of course, there are those ChitChat stickers...














... three of them, adding the Words component, and another little bit of threesome magic.

So that's my simple ATC for you, celebrating the Magic of Three.






I hope you'll check out the inspiration offered up for you by my fabulous travelling companions over at A Vintage Journey, and we hope you'll come and play along this month.

You might get selected as one of our Pinworthy projects, or be our lucky randomly-generated winner, with a fabulous prize on offer for April from Emerald Creek Craft Supplies.  Happy crafting all!

Rise up this mornin’,
Smiled with the risin’ sun,
Three little birds
Pitch by my doorstep
Singin’ sweet songs
Of melodies pure and true,
Sayin’, “This is my message to you-ou-ou:”

“Don’t worry about a thing,
‘Cause every little thing gonna be all right.” 
Singin’: “Don’t worry about a thing,
‘Cause every little thing gonna be all right!”
Three Little Birds by Bob Marley