Magic House Hanging by Julie Ann

Hello, it's great to be back at Calico Craft Parts blog. I hope your Easter was a happy and relaxing one. I've been having lots of fun being inspired by the versatile tag designs Calico have introduced. Not only do the individual tags come in all kinds of exciting shapes and sizes, but the sheets of mini tags have so many possibilities.

 I grabbed a handful of tags and shapes and started to let my imagination run wild! This is what I came up with - a magic house hanging/art doll!

This project all began with one of the pointed top MDF Tag shapes, which really reminded me of a tall house!

The quality of these beautiful tags is such that you can paint straight onto them and create excellent effects. Before doing that, though, I wanted to experiment with arranging different elements onto the tag.

Here is one of my faces glued onto a birch plywood heart-shaped plaque. The pair of Paperclay hands are created from moulds taken from metal matching hand charms.

These tiny tags from the sheet of mini tags looked so much like little doors! Although Calico has a sheet of tiny doors and windows, these will also work equally well on house projects of all kinds. I've combined them on this project with one of the incredible Calico door designs and a couple of miniature windows to show the possibilities when you mix and match Calico Craft Parts. A tiny silver bead becomes a giant door handle for a fairy!

Returning to my pointed top tag, I blended different shades of blue acrylic paints before stencilling in cream and brown through a doily style stencil.

I was pleased with the effect of stamping some script and some lace onto the painted tag with a brown Archival Ink pad. A few, old gold sequins and a scrap of lace provided my heart lady with her pretty collar.

I'd been waiting to use this lovely sunburst door for some time. I decided to crackle glaze over it with DecoArt One Step Crackle and then age it with some antiquing medium blended with a chocolate brown acrylic paint. A quirky flying house goddess seemed to be taking shape!

Meet Melissa, the domestic goddess of hearth and home! She flies towards you with open arms, offering you iced, heart-shaped cookies; the birds are always singing outside her windows and she invites you in to her cosy haven of kindness, comfort and magic.

The 2 tag doors are attached by copper wire, threaded through a couple of holes I drilled into the bottom of the tag. You could create a tag like this to attach to a 'Good Luck in your New Home' gift with a special message written on the back. It could even make a hanging in its own right for a cosy nook.

With birds building their nests and new beginnings everywhere, it's not surprising that Spring is traditionally the time for moving house. If you know of anyone moving at this time, you might like to create a tag or a hanging to wish them happiness in their new home. I hope this spring will be a time of opportunities and doors opening onto new vistas for you too. Have a lovely fortnight until we next meet at the Calico Craft Blog.

Calico Craft Parts Used
MDF Tag with Pointed Top
Sheet of Mini MDF Tags Classic
Sheet of Mini MDF Tags Rounded Top
Standard Heart Birch Plywood plaque
Door MDF Style 11
Mini Wings Style 3
Sheet of tiny doors and windows
Songbirds in Spring Branches