The Camling House

So I've been updating my Amazon wish list for the last two weeks. It's a must for this time of year for two reasons. Birthday and Christmas. :) My mom and sister live for Amazon and how convenient it is. This got me thinking about things I need and want. One of them is the canvas brush holder that rolls up.

Pebble rocks in an old flower pot.

As I was preparing to paint yesterday I realized I wouldn't mind having a brush holder for the desk that held them up right. I'm getting a bit restless with how much my brushes roll around on my table. I did a google search and of course, Dick Blick came up. But so did a Sephora Inspired Brush Holder.

I had pebble rocks, I had jars, BAM! I have an instant brush holder. I painted and it was AMAZING the difference a brush holder makes. And...I didn't have to spend a cent.

To the left you'll see mine. I had jars, but when I saw this flower pot (attached to my heart) just sitting there not being used I thought it to be perfect. The soup cup is my water dish. I really like finding things around the house to use instead of spending money. Plus, I think it gives your studio and table some character.

THE CAMLING HOUSE

One of my closest friend's birthday was yesterday. You might have heard of her...Candace Camling. If not, you should get to know her by visiting her blog HERE. As a gift, I created a bird house. She enjoys gardening, vintage, and bright colors. Also little critters like squirrels, birds, sugar gliders, and rabbits. I thought a bird house would be perfect!

I've painted bird houses in the past, and I wanted to give it another shot, doing a few things different this time.

I decided to use stencils first instead of painting randomly. I'm not very proficient in acrylic painting (and don't want to spend money on watercolor ground), so I have discovered keeping it simple is a good place to start.

I found it important to have a color and "theme" to start with. There are SO many possibilities with bird houses that it actually becomes overwhelming.

I first did the blue paint. Once it was dried I sanded it down to give a worn and weathered look. All of the trim and petals came way later in the process. I then moved on to imagery. I sponged in the branches, which left a lot more paint than I intended around my stencil. Not loving it I attempted to cover it with another layer of paint. I painted on the birds using a new tool (that worked much better...a sponge on a stick). After they were dry I then went in and painted them with a brush to bring the intensity of their shape back.

I discovered that I couldn't cover up the branches, but now they looked faded which was awesome! I took the sand paper and gently sanded away more paint from the branches in a few spots to bring out the lines. A happy accident. :)

Then came the detailing. I felt pretty confident with the direction and my imagination agreed. Things just started to come together. I kept thinking vintage, and the coral pinks went so well with the green blue. Reminded me of the old 3-D stop animation from the 70s (think Rudolph). I just started to add things that reminded me of Candace. A heart, the stripes, the line work around the hole which I thought looked like a large flower, etc.

I also added the white and pink trim to make the house feel more airy and sectioned. Adding her last name was pretty far towards the last detail I did. I thought if the house was outside how sweet it would be to have a personalized bird house. :) Alas, it is in her studio now, but still just as sweet.

Finally something needed to happen to the top. Brian and I discussed it and somehow somewhere I got the idea of doing a "cone" flower. lol It made me giggle but was so appropriate! So happy I did, because it brought the whole thing together!

All I did was glue on wooden shingle pieces I bought at Hobby Lobby for doll houses, then painted around. At this point I also learned of craft paint. Brian had some left over from college and it's amazing! Opaque like acrylic but more of a liquid. Much easier to work with! I then went crazy and brightened alllll of my whites. Totally made the piece pop! To finish, of course, the eyelet screw and a wee metal ball to decorate. I signed the bottom, added a yellow bow, and dropped it off.

Maybe when I retire (sheeeeah right) I'll make bird houses. ;)