Sunday, April 07, 2013

0+1+2+3+4+5+6+7+8+9 = Peacock

Feathers keep showing up all over the projects at Simon Says Stamp & Show, in addition to the usual lovely birds that love to flock onto craft projects of all sizes and styles. So it only makes since to have a challenge for it. This week we’re "Flying". It is up to you if you choose to jump onto the feather trend, from charms to paper accents to stamps, or you can just put a bird on it. You can even take the challenge more loosely and take a different soaring approach with just blue skies, or talk about what you feel like when you’re on cloud 9 in your art journal, or even use a metal bird (aka an airplane) on your project. Whatever approach you take, we can’t wait to see how you spread your wings and fly creatively this week.
Ah the peacock...probably the most gorgeous bird in the land, the male that is. He can't fly far, but the beauty of his feathers make up for any self-esteem problems he may have. I love the deep beautiful jewel toned colors in the peacock's feathers, and I tried to mimic those tones here, but as you can see this bird is sort of strange looking. That is because I used all 10 of the numbers in the Tim Holtz Numeric Stamp Set from Stamper's Anonymous to create the body of this peacock. WHY did I do that??? Well...it's a sweet story. When I was little, my mother who was not a very good drawer, but who knew I loved to draw all the time, and all over everything, would sometimes take a napkin and write letters and numbers on it, and then would connect them to form pictures for me. I always squealed in delight. My favorite was the first one she showed me how to draw when I was about probably five or six, which of course I also taught my own children.
As I grew older, this became my doodling...usually on the back of the phone book while on the phone for hours...and I'd turn numbers and letters into animals all the time. I made some great ones, and I'd give anything to have those old phone books and memo pads back. They were my first Art Journals! Sigh!
I found this pack of cedar planks in the getting ready to bar-be-que pile, and I swiped them. The gorgeous grain of the wood makes a fabulous base pattern underneath any Art piece. This measures 15x5 1/2 inches. I played with the numbers for a bit and configured them the way I thought best, but even changed them up again before I was through.
I began stamping the numbers on using Ranger's Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabbers in Stream, Butterscotch, a mixture of Citrus and Bottle, and Eggplant.
I painted in an eye, a beak, and feet. This really helped me to visualize the peacock, although my kids had their opinions. They think it's a turkey. Hey...I tried! I also knew I wanted a tree branch somewhere on here, so I die cut one from Tim's Bird Branch Die from Sizzix using some scrap I had.
I didn't want to paint the body on, because then I would lose my numbers in the process, but I needed color, so it was Dyan's Dylusions to the rescue. I used some paper to help keep it in place. I matched the colors to the paint, so I used Calypso Teal, Pure Sunshine, Fresh Cut Grass, and Crushed Grape. I allowed the Dylusions to sit awhile as this is wood and is porous.
Then it was time for water. I wanted to see if the Dylusions would still blend and run. The answer was yes! I love the properties of wood. I added a little London Blue around the bird. I let this sit now for about an hour and came back and dried it a bit with a heat tool. The grain is still perfectly visible and the color is wonderful.
I traced around the peacock with a pen, and started added some background. I stamped one of my favorite script images from Tim's Letter To Santa Set using a Pearl Dabber.
Then I stamped the mini Alphabet Letters from the Going Somewhere Set using Eggplant.
Next, came the flower from the Floral Tattoo Set using Butterscotch.
Then I finished the background by stamped the sentiment several times in Pitch Black.
Now, it was time to finish up my feathery friend. I stamped Tim's mini peacock feather looking images from Mini Ornates in Jet Black, along with several of the images from Maya Road's Vintage Peacock Feathers Stamp Set.
I gave the feathers some detail with the same colors of paint from the Numbers and added a turquoise colored rhinestone in the center of the main feather to help them pop. I painted the border with of the plaque with Pitch Black to give the piece a frame as well.
Back to the branch...I painted it with Pearl, and embossed it with the Wood Grain Texture Fade.
I painted the buds on the branch with the mixture of green paint, and highlighted the raised areas with Mushroom Pigment Ink. Some gold wire and beads from my stash made a quick hanging to finish this off.
 
 
Do you like birds, feathers, or things to do with flight? If it's your thing, create some type of Art depicting it and enter it into our challenge. You just might be the lucky winner of a $50 voucher to Simon Says Stamp. You can also be named as one of the "Top Three Picks" for this challenge. Good luck, and please visit the other DT member's blogs to see projects that just soar!
 
Supplies:


I hope your hands get creatively dirty soon!

67 comments:

  1. I love this it is so clever and so beautiful.. Love all the numbers and how you did the peacock out of them.. The details on the feathers are awesome they really pop..
    Sandy :)

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  2. Anita!!! This work is my favorite of yours! I love peacocks, their feathers their color, the numbers everything 'that you've created here!!!!

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  3. Oh Anita! Not only is this ingenious and brilliant, but you have taken me back to a part of my own childhood that was long forgotten. I recall a neighbor who could create a drawing from any letter of the alphabet we drew for him. In turn we drew characters ourselves from letters. Thanks for the memories and for sharing your memorable project!

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  4. Oh my, I'm speechless! Your peacock is amazing!

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  5. ...Anita your mind is genius! it's great how you've intermingled the numbers and created this amazing peacock, stunning work indeedy and very inspiring, love it...Melxx :)

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  6. That is really beautiful, great idea working on the wood and I love how the tail was crated using the number stamps. X

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  7. What an awesome piece Anita. So colourful and with an amazing tail. Stunning work

    Annie x

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  8. This is really, really adorable. What a gorgeous work and that with numbers. Love it. Great art work.
    Thanks for the pictures and description.
    lovely greet
    Marja

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  9. This is amazing Anita!!!! How imaginative and beautifully executed!! I am in awe of this. Hugs, Jenny x

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  10. Oh My Goodness! This is truly a work of art, Anita! The detail is amazing and I love how the grains of the wood were almost enhanced by the inks.

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  11. Two words...COMPLETELY AWESOME!! I love the technique and the colors. You never cease to amaze!!!

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  12. Hi Anita, you are a creative genius - it's official! This is such a clever idea and the result is absolutely gorgeous, I love your wonderful peacock, he is truly amazing. Hugs, Anne x

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  13. Anita....your peacock rocks! How in the world did you EVER come up with THIS idea? It's awesome. I love the numbers running down the side that create his tail. I love the bright colors! You did such a beautiful, creative job on this! <3 Candy

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  14. Love your wonderfully creative bird Anita, - just stunning, and such amazing colours!!

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  15. Very clever piece Anita and what a lovely story behind drawing using numbers, love it. I love how you used the large numbers and then drew around them to create a peacock, very creative. Love the wonderful colours and use of sprays too. Love this piece. Tracy x

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  16. Do I say this every time?....I think this is one of your best projects yet! I love the ideas that you put out here, animals from numbers, so creative. Thanks for sharing this, it is beautiful! :-)

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  17. Wow Anita! What a great piece! Your mom sounds like a fun, creative person to use numbers to teach you to draw animals. I can't draw, but now I am curious to try this sometime. Love the use of the cedar wood (gosh I love that stuff on the bbq!) Such great colors and he is so regal looking.

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  18. Whoa! I think you have set the bar very high for this challenge! Holy moly, my mind is boggled. 😊

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  19. If you find this missing you might want to check a certain house in east central IL! Oh my gosh, this is just so utterly fantastic!

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  20. WOW This is so beautiful! I love your use of the numbers.

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  21. Peacock is number 1 pick for me. Absolutely Fabulous!!!! Thank you so much for sharing. What awesome creativity.

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  22. Oh Anita, this is absolutely gorgeous!! And what a sweet story! Thank you for sharing your inspirational genius-ness :)

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  23. Fabulous hanging Anita. You are such a talented artist. I love the bright and vibrant colours. Hugs Rita xx

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  24. Anita,
    I love e idea of using numbers to create animals, what a fantastic idea. Your peacock is really amazing, gorgeous and one of a kind!!! I love, love, love it! Can you tell me, when you sprayed the Dylusions over the paint onto the old and let it sit for a couple hours, when you came back to it, did you wipe it away from the wood and painted numbers at that point or did it all dry on its own?

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  25. Oh my!! Anita this is absolutely stunning! The layout, the colors, the numbered tail/feathers!!! LOVE!!! Thanks for inspiring me!!

    *mwah*
    Steph
    Simon Says Stamp!

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  26. Wow Anita, what a wonderful idea. I am amazed at how you built the peacock with the numbers and what a great inspiration story too. Love the colours, the wood grain, all the stamping. Love it!

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  27. Oh, to have a creative mind like yours! Amazing!

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  28. Woah! I have to pick my jaw off of the floor ... adorable creation with those numbers, great painting (I can't draw at all ..) and awesome colours! Suzanne x

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  29. Wow!!! It is fabulous :) I love it. So amazing peacock and peacock tail numbers is so great. So beautiful colors and all elements. And the background is really stunning :) Greetings Asia:)

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  30. I would have never, ever, EVER, thought to do something this weird and crazy, knowing that it would turn out this incredibly COOL and I paint silver serving trays!! ;) Anita, most of all, beyond how impressed I am that you can see nature in numbers, I'm so touched by the wonderful story that you shared about your mom and her initiative to promote your love of art. If anything, this is truly a treasure and probably one of the grooviest creations I've seen to date!!
    Just LOVE it...oh and Mr.Bacon is pretty adorable too. :)
    p.s..It so doesn't look like a turkey...silly kids :D

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  31. Anita you rock! This is stunning and amazing! Such a clever girl. Thank You for sharing. I don't ever recall creating things with letters and numbers as a child. What a fun technique!

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  32. Gorgeous work Anita, I love your peacock! Brilliant use of the numbers...& Full of wonderful vibrant colours.. Love it!! Hugs May x x x

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  33. Wow Anita ! What a fantastic piece of art ! Jaw dropping! Sue C x

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  34. Fantastic - words fail me - so incredibly great design - I love it so much!! Sincerest greetings, Dagmar

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  35. How cool, that's a gorgeous hanging.

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  36. What a wonderful surprise - numbers become peacocks. Lovely, clever, interesting, fantastic!!!

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  37. This is freakin' amazing. Uh-MAZE-ing! I love the way your quirkly little mind works. That you used number stamps to create this gorgeous, vibrant, regal peacock just blows my mind. The colors are luscious. The movement in this piece is off the charts. Wow, wow, wow, wow, wow. Words fail.

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  38. This is stunning. I love the numbers incorporated into the tail feathers. I love the colors and bling!
    Kate

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  39. Anita... this is super clever cool! Love the idea of using the numbers as plummage, and how fabulous to know the story behind your Mom setting out those letter/number doodles.... love it!

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  40. What an amazing project! Your process is magical!! :) Evie

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  41. Wow, I'm impressed with this eye catching explosion of color. This piece is absolutely fantastic! You rock!!!

    Have a great week!
    Hugs,
    Gaby

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  42. Oh my this is just stunning. Love it.
    hugs {brenda} x0x

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  43. Brilliant! love how you cleverly intertwined the numbers into your beautiful bird!

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  44. WOW!!! Amazing! This is truly awesome and very inspiring! Lots of love from Laura xxxxxxxx

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  45. As some would say, this is just AMAZEBALLS! Totally love it!

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  46. Pin!!! What a great creation Anita! Very artful and impressive!

    kind regards, Alie :-)

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  47. Ohh Anita! This is magnificent! What a super idea to make this gorgeous peacock out of numbers! Love the colors too! Hugs, Sandra

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  48. This is unbelievably cool, Anita. I love the way the numbers are embedded in the design of the peacock. His colours are gorgeous and rich and the feathers are incredible. Fabulous background. What a cool reminder of a fun game that has become a family tradition. Love it!

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  49. An in reliable piece Anita, you are so inventive and inspirational, I absolutely love your numbers peacock!

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  50. What a handsome fellow--a fabulous peacock piece, Anita, brilliant!

    :)

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  51. I'm absolutely blown away by this creation Anita! The number doodling is genius...I NEVER would have guessed you used numbers to create this stunning creation! I've got a major crush on peacocks at the moment and your gorgeous guy is no exception. I <3 this with a passion!

    Amy*

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  52. WOW what an adorable creation, love the bird and the deep brilliant coloring combined with the aother elements.
    Hugs Anja

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  53. Hi Anita saw this beauty on SSSS and was wondering where you got the peacock stamp from! What a genius idea i did n't see the numbers till i read your post very very clever! I'd love to know what Tim thinks of the way you've used those fab stamps brilliant! Love the colours too x

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  54. What a fun piece, Anita, and VERY creative too. I remember learning to draw some number figures when I was little, but I had forgotten about them. Thanks for the memories!

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  55. wow how the heck did I miss this fabulous Peacock and it is fabulous Anita. Enjoy the weekend, hugs Annette x

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  56. Unbelievable! This is the most outstanding creation of yours ever, I think, Anita - I'm completely and utterly on the floor with awe!! The numbers are so clever as the base of your incredibly beautiful peacock, and like you I love wood, so to see the grain giving all that texture through the glowing colours is so fabulous. I hope there are lots more cedar planks in that packet!! Genius...
    Alison xx

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  57. So not only do you make great art...turns out you are a really nice person too. I was just visiting all the winners from Tim's March tag and you've made and encouraging comment on each post. That means so much to folks...rock on!!

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  58. Absolutely stunning! The colors are just gorgeous! I love that you did this on a cedar shake!!

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  59. Gorgeous peacock! Colors are stunning

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  60. I so enjoyed seeing your step by step process.
    Very cool art piece and tutorial.
    Connie :)

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  61. I love it so bright and cheery wow!

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  62. This is SO fabulous! I stopped by last week but didn't have time to leave a proper comment... just LOVE what you've done with the # stamps to form this amazing tail, as well as your stunning and colorful background!

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  63. Wow. I loved the numeric stamp set when I first saw it but wasn't sure how big those numbers were. now I know and I love them... Love the colours in this too. How clever you and your mum are using the letters to make pictures, I don't think the peacock looks odd at all. I think its amazing. absolutely fabulous.

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