As well as the two background stamps I got sent to use this month, Creative Expressions also sent me their Pronty MDF bird house. This comes as a flat pack, with laser cut elements still attached. Not satisfied with it remaining flat, and becoming a fan of assemblage and shadowboxes, I decided to make it deeper by adding a foamboard frame and roof, decorated it up with acrylics and embellished mercilessly with flowers and distress ink.

You will need:
Creative Expressions Swirl Background A6 unmounted stamp
Creative Expressions Winter Flowers unmounted stamp
Creative Expressions Ribbon Roses: White
Creative Expressions Teresa Collins 8×8 Designer Pad
Creative Expressions Clear Micro Glass Beads
Cosmic Shimmer Specialist Acrylic Glue
Cosmic Shimmer Specialist Black Pearl PVA
Pronty MDF Element Bird House
Ranger Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber:
Sandal/Snow Cap/Sunshine Yellow/Citrus/Wild Plum
Ranger Distress Paint: Festive Berries/Barn Door/Vintage Photo
Ranger Distress Ink Pad: Vintage Photo
Inkssentials White Pen

1. Cut out the laser cut elements using a sharp craft knife. Snibs can be sanded back with fine sandpaper if required.
   
2. Cut a strip of foamboard 3cm wide and then into the following lengths: 2 x 10cm and 1 x 7.5cm. Using the Cosmic Shimmer Acrylic Glue, stick into place on the rear of the front section of the birdhouse.
   

   
3. Cut a strip of foamboard 4.5cm wide, and into the following lengths: 4 x 3cm, 2 x 6cm. Place one of the pieces end on at the top of one of the 6cm lengths and draw a line across to cut the thickness off the top – these form the roof sections. Stick into place with the Cosmic Shimmer Acrylic Glue, overlapping the top sections at the apex.
   
4. Once everything is dry, undercoat with gesso and allow to dry.
   
5. Coat everything inside and out with a layer of Sandal paint, allow to dry, then sponge over a layer of a mixture of Snow Cap and Sandal on the outside. Allow to dry.
6. Apply a layer of Snow Cap to the Swirl Background stamp (don’t mount on acrylic block) and stamp random sections onto the front part of the birdhouse. Clean off stamp with soap and water immediately after using it.
7. Apply a layer of Snow Cap to the cyclamen stamp (again, not on a block( in the Winter Flowers stamp set and stamp onto the back of the inside section. Repeat. Clean off stamp with soap and water immediately after using it.
8. Distress the edges of three ribbon roses with Vintage Photo distress ink and stick into place with Cosmic Shimmer Acrylic Glue. Set aside to dry – it takes a little while to set the flowers as they are non-absorbent, but they will set.
9. Meanwhile, punch leaves out of cream card stock, edge with Vintage Photo distress ink, smear with Cosmic Shimmer Acrylic Glue and then cover with Clear Micro Glass Beads. Set aside to dry before sticking into the birdhouse behind the flowers.
10. Colour the laser cut elements using the other paints, dabbing on the paint. Shading and detail can be added with black and white colour pencils and Inkssentials opaque white pen. Glue the items together as required using the Cosmic Shimmer Acrylic Glue and allow to dry. I reinforced the joins with a dab of glue across the join on the rear of the pieces and allowed to dry completely before handling again. Stick on a stump of foamboard to stand off the back using the same glue and stick into the birdhouse.
11. Cut sheets from the designer paper pack to fit the roof sections, edge with distress ink and stick into place. Cut a smaller section to create the apex and shade with black pencil.
12. Punch shapes from the designer paper, edge with distress ink, shape and combine to make flower embellishments. Dot the Cosmic Shimmer Black Pearl PVA to make the centres. Cut out a bow shape using a template, distress and stick into place.