Monday, February 11, 2013

{Love Bird Art}

Hey, y'all!  I have a really fun piece of art to share today just in time for Valentine's Day.  The great thing about this is that it's not just for the Day of Love.
I have had a piece of thin plywood in my craft room for months just begging to become something beautiful.  Recently, I found the cutest little phone cover on one of those daily deal sites.  (The deal is over, so, unfortunately, I can't link to it.)  It had a tree with initials carved in it, and there were two birds in the tree.  Immediately, I knew I had to create a piece of art based on the phone case design.
I have had a wood burning tool since before I got married because I used it to burn the edges of the wedding invitations I made.  I haven't used it since.  I thought it would be neat to use it to recreate the phone cover design on my piece of plywood.  I started by sketching a tree on the wood.
The great thing about sketching a tree for this project is that getting the tree shape somewhat decent is the hardest part.  The "bark" of the tree is just lines as you can see.  After the tree is all sketched out, it's time to use the wood-burning tool.
Let the tool heat up, then simply trace your pencil lines with it.  Of course, you must be very careful not to touch any of the metal pieces at the bottom of the tool.  Also, do this in a well-ventilated area because you will definitely be a bit overwhelmed with the burning wood smell when the tool is at its hottest.  After I traced all the lines with the tool, I used a flat tip to lightly burn some of the natural places on the tree to give it more of a realistic look.  After I finished wood burning the tree, I painted the surrounding area white to make the tree pop.
I sanded down the white paint a little to give it a worn look.  Then I cut out two little birdies from scrapbook paper and used Mod Podge to attach them to the art.  I used my distress ink pad on the edges and on some of the white paint.  I also painted three little red hearts above the birds and then sealed the entire piece of art with a coat of Mod Podge.
I LOVE my love bird art!
I made sure to use colors that I regularly decorate with in my home so that I can display the art year round.
I'm not sure if I like the birdies or the heart with mine and my husband's initials more!  This was such a fun project to do because I used a technique I've never used before.  Now I can't wait to think of more ways to use my wood burning tool!
If you don't have time to create your own love bird art before Valentine's Day and you're looking for something that involves zero work, you can always download the Valentine's Day printable I shared this weekend {HERE}.  Enjoy!

35 comments:

  1. This is really beautiful! I'm visiting from PJH Design!

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  2. GORGEOUS! This is so pretty Bethany - you are amazingly talented. :)

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  3. This is really beautiful. You're very talented! :)

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  4. This is amazing!! My dad used to do the same kind of stuff for me when I was little, only he used a magnifying glass and the sun, lol. I can totally smell the smell right now! This is a beautiful piece, I love it!
    (I've tried sending this comment like 3 times so if you get multiple just ignore :) )

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  5. Hi, Bethany

    This is just beautiful! I love all the details in this gorgeous art piece. Love the birds and the heart! Sweet!

    My favorite project so far!!!

    Vanessa

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  6. This is darling! I just shared it on my FB page :)

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  7. What a sweet project!! Great idea:) Pinning!http://www.sewsweetvintage.com/2013/02/lombard-gable.html

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  8. Wow! You are so detailed! This is adorable!

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  9. I love how this turned out! The funny thing is, I have one of these wood burning things I bought to make Halloween tombstones haha and I've never used since then, thanks for the great idea.
    Leslie (Gwen Moss)

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  10. Really pretty! You are so talented! =)

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  11. very very pretty!!
    and happy valentines day!

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  12. This is beautiful! You've got such talent.

    I'd be tickled if you'd link up at this week's Off the Hook!

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  13. This is awesome! I absolutely love it and am pinning it for future inspiration.

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  14. This is too cute! You're very talented.

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  15. Wow...That is the cutest picture ever!!! I want to give it a try!! :) I'm pinning it to my DIY Board for later.
    Denise

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  16. Hey there! We are writing a quick note to let you know that you are one of our nominees for the Liebster Award. Check out our blog for more details!


    Have a great weekend!


    Jen @ TwoEverydayDivas.com

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  17. This is soooo darling Bethany! I love this!! That tree is really fabulous.

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  18. Oh my gosh!! I love how cute this is!!! You did an awesome job!
    Selene @ restorationbeauty.com

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  19. This is wonderful! I pinned it!

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  20. This is so adorable!! I feel like I need a wood burning tool now! haha :) Visiting from Classy Clutter!

    -Bonnie @ Revolutionaries
    www.revolutionariesblog.com

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  21. Wow this is so cool. Your hard work was totally worth it. Pinning this for the future.

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  22. Hi Bethany! This is so pretty! You did a beautiful job on that tree. Well on the whole thing! I love it. Thanks so much for linking up at Transformed Tuesday. Hugs, Peggy

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  23. Stopping by a little late... but this is darling as can be!! Love it girl.
    You rocked it ;)

    Shannon

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  24. Love this B! I featured it as part of my link party wrap up today.

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  25. You'll be featured later tonight on Transformed Tuesday. Thanks so much for linking up. Hugs, Peggy~PJH Designs

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  26. This is so cute I want to try this one day. Thanks for sharing at Artsy Corner :)

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  27. i love this! also, i think your new website layout is so pretty! great job bethany!:)

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  28. This is so cute! You are so talented, wish I could make something like this!

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  29. I think I need to buy one from you. Please email me and let me know how much it would cost. harvey.karalee@gmail.com

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  30. So cute! What a brilliant idea!

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