FAIRY TOPIARIES

I am a day late for WOYWW over at Julia's place. This has been on my desk and I finally got them finished this week and posted. Pop over to Julia's and see other interesting work spaces this week!

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And as the seasons come and go, here's something you might like to know. There are fairies everywhere: under bushes, in the air, playing games just like you play, singing through their busy day. So listen, touch, and look around — in the air and on the ground. And if you watch all nature's things, you might just see a fairy's wing. ~Author Unknown

   When I saw these fairies over at Retro Cafe Art Gallery, I knew I had to have them.
I ordered the chipboard because I had other plans for them and then like all good plans, that changed and I decided to use them on some wooden chunky ATC blocks instead.

So I turned the blocks horizontal and decided I would try my hand at making Fairy Topiaries. 

 I first painted the fairies with white gesso to give them extra strength, although the chipboard is pretty sturdy. I also applied gesso to the little chipboard mushrooms that I ordered along with the fairies. 

Once those were dry, I applied Finnabair's Art Alchemy Opal Magic Paint to the fairies and to the mushrooms... makes sense that fairies need magic paint right? 

I made a sample so you can see how awesome these paints are. They turn before your eyes depending on what color you paint them on. 

I painted the wings of the fairies with black gesso as well as the script chipboard words

and then applied the Opal Magic paint to each one of the fairies covering the entire fairy and wings using a different paint with each fairy.
The Opal Magic Paints turned the wings and the script words a beautiful gold and gave a glowing illuminating color to each fairy. I used the colors shown on my sample. There are more Opal Magic colors available, so be sure to check them out. By my pictures you can't really see how they really glimmer and shine.

After, the fairies were dry, I took a rubber stamp with lettering and stamped each fairy. I also stamped words on the back of each block.

For the wooden chunky ATC blocks, I turned them horizontally and drilled a hole in the center of each one. I added my choice of background papers for the back and front and top of the block, and collaged the sides with images (the size used for dominoes and slides), then I glued on some gold Dresden foil trim all around the tops of the blocks.

Next,  I put in a dowel rod (with wood glue) in the drilled holes and cut it the length that I wanted it to be. Then I slipped on a wooden square one inch block with a pre-drilled hole, (you can find all these wooden pieces at a craft store like Michael's or Hobby Lobby) and I topped it with a wooden round ball with a pre-drilled hole in the center and secured it with glue.

I painted the block,dowel rod,and the ball black and used the Opal Magic Paint to stripe the dowel rod. On the blocks, I used a small nail file to distress the edges a bit.

Using the small one inch block on top of the chunky ATC block gives you a lot of options for placing your fairy and mushrooms or lettering. It also adds extra stability to the chipboards.

 I used the E6000 adhesive to glue the script words to the dowel rod and the one inch wooden square.  You can also use this glue for everything but I covet mine because I use it so much in my art, so I used the wood glue when when applying wood to wood.

 I always love the finishing process, like adding your  embellishments and images like the paper mini roses and the little birds nest.

I also adore these butterflies that I found at RCAG and they worked perfectly for adding to the topiaries.

The butterflies come with the cut outs so I only had to paint the back side. I used the Opal Magic Paints and then stamped words on the back of the butterflies,only to find out later that once I glued them on the dowel rods you couldn't see all the words. A minor detail, but I thought it still worked well and I liked that you could still make out the words.

 Once my fairies, script words and mushrooms were all glued n place, I took some of the Opal Magic Paint and went around the edges of the blocks just adding some gold color to finish them off.

The possibilities to create with these little fairies are endless. 

Thank you for stopping by and commenting....here's wishing you lots of Fairy fun! 
Fly, Be Brave and Inspire!

 

Supplies I used and where to find them

Chipboard Fairy Cut Outs

Chipboard Mushroom Cut Outs 

Chipboard Word Cut Outs:

Live, Dream,Inspire

Layered Butterfly Masonite and Paper Cut Set

Finnabair Opal Magic -Rose Gold

Finnabair Opal Magic - Blue Gold

Finnabair Opal Magic - Green Gold

Garden Fable Wood Icons 

Moss Variety Pack 

Cradle Bird Nests and Eggs 

Mini Paper Blooms 

Bird Paper Cuts 

E6000 Industrial Adhesive

Art Basics Heavy Gesso - Black

Art Basics Heavy Gesso - White 

Chunky ATC Wood Blocks

Wooden Dowel Rod

Small 1 inch wooden square 

Small round wooden ball with hole

Little Bunny Brads and the Dresden Foil trim I used from Retro Cafe Art Gallery

*Background papers,rubber stamp and images from my personal stash