GSL Cuts: House Shrine Box by Barbara Rankin

Hi everyone! I am so happy to be here today, as this
is my first post with Gina's Designs. I was thrilled when I was asked to
be their guest designer for June, and I hope I can inspire you with my
creations. I have to admit though, that with great products, such as
these, it is quite easy to make even me "look good".

I love birds and wings and feathers, so my first project is
an altered bird house, using Gina's House Shrine Box.

Assemble box with Beacon's Quick Grip glue. Coat
entire box with white gesso and let dry. Then color inside of box with
Spanish Moss, and the outside with Cascade chalk paint.

Trim a piece of print paper from
the Tim Holtz Wallflower paper pad to fit inside the house, distress
edges, ink with Chestnut Roan chalk ink. Adhere inside box.

Cut an irregular piece of the Chicken Wire Large,
color with Krylon Silver Leafing Pen. Adhere at the top of the box
opening with the Quick Grip glue.

Measure and cut Boarders Sticks Lace to fit along roof eaves. Coat both sides with white
gesso, then paint with ColourArte Indian Copper Radiant Gel. Cut a
2" x 8" piece of silver duct tape, emboss with a decorative
embossing folder. Trim length of duct tape to 1-3/4" to fit the
roof. Paint the silver side with Indian Copper. Pick up a tiny
amount of the Cascade chalk paint with your finger and dab randomly over
the lace border, as well as the duct tape, to simulate patina on
copper. Peel off adhesive liner on the duct tape and adhere to the top of
the roof first, then adhere the lace border along the eaves. Use the two
extra lace pieces to form a decorative element at the center where
the two border strips join.

Coat one of the birds from the Birds on B ranches
Assortment with white gesso, let dry.
Color with Silks Acrylic Glaze in Nutmeg, Pretty Peridot, Silver Bells,
Mango Mamba, Ocean Wave.

Cut a few branches off of one of the Leafy Branches with Birds and
coat with white gesso. Paint the leaves with Pretty Peridot and the
branches with Nutmeg Silks. Adhere both pieces to the side of the house
and part of the chicken wire for support.

I first sketched in some details on my bare bird with a
pencil, then painted it with the Silks Acrylic Glaze in Pretty Peridot,
Silver Bells, Mango Mamba, Ocean Wave. I drew the eye with a black marker
and the white spot from a white gel pen. For added depth, I used a
charcoal pencil to shade in the same areas as my sketch.

Make three eggs from Creative Paperclay and a tiny bird's
nest from green excelsior. Paint the eggs blue and add tiny dots of brown
to each egg. Place inside the nest and then place the nest inside
the house. I attached a 1/4" dowel, approximately 1-1/2"
long, to the back of my bird so I could attach him to the back of the house, but
make him appear to be sitting on the nest.

Coat the Hypericum
Berries with white gesso, then paint
with Olive Vine and Rusty Mauve Silks, let dry. Add dots of 3D Crystal
Lacquer to each berry. Adhere to front of house. Here a a few
closeups.