Be Still and Listen! - by Claudia

Hi, servus and welcome to "my" Monday over here on the Calico Craft Parts Blog!

This time I went quite romantic and created a little, forgotten garden arbour that seems to have been conquered by birds, ivy and other garden plants over time - so it has become a peaceful place where you can go and just listen to the birds and take a break from everyday life.

The little cupid on its pedestal will also patiently listen to whatever sorrows you want to tell him about (and he will keep them safe).

Calico Craft Parts used: 

- MDF Shrine Kit - Garden Arbour with Trellis (with open front) - small
- Songbirds in Spring Branches MDF Wood Shape - medium
- Robin on Winter Fir Bough - MDF Bird Wood Shape - small
- Summer Gazebo Scene - MDF Wood Shape - large
- Ivy Leaf Corner Garland - MDF Wood Shape - small
- Ivy Leaf Garland - MDF Wood Shape - small
- Sheet of Mini MDF Keys & Escutcheons Wood Shapes
- Leaf and Twig Wood Shapes
- Wrought Iron Style Pair of Gates Wood Shape - Style 4


I started by dry brushing all the pieces I wanted to use on both sides using DecoArt Americana Chalky Finish paint "lace". First I painted the arbour's insides - and then I used matte DecoArt Decou-Page to glue the arbour together.

While that dried, I painted all the other bits I wanted to use. I only added a thin layer so the MDF would still kind of tint the paint and make it look more shabby and "forgotten".

The Gazebo Scene wood shape only got painted around the outer edges as I was going to glue that behind the arbour - this way it looked even more overgrown and the Gazebo piece also worked a bit like a stage and created the feel of garden surroundings. The iron gate was cut in half using a precision knife and a cutting mat - this way I got two iron gate wings that would close in the middle.

To fix my little cupid (a frozen charlotte) to the pillar (which is a little bobbin actually), I glued a cut to size top piece of a skewer into the bobbin's hole, leaving the very tip of the skewer to snuggle right into the crevice of the backside of cupid's legs. Then I used super glue to glue cupid to that stand.

I also die cut some additional ivy and other twines from heavy Kraft paper that I then also painted with "lace" Chalky Finish paint. This way all the elements used had the same feel to them and fused just beautifully.

Time to assemble my "little garden scene with birds and cupid". I used a worn small detail brush and matte Decou-Page again and first glued cupid on his stand in place. Once that had dried, I added the MDF and die cut paper twines one by one. The iron gate was glued in place by simply generously adding glue all along the vertical edges and "leaning" the gates against the arbour in the desired position. While the glue dried, I thought I still needed more birds...

...so I decided to cut some off the beautiful "Songbirds in Spring Branches" wood shape. Of course these needed to be dry brushed with "lace" Chalky Finish paint too.

Yes! That looked even more lively! 

I finished my garden arbour off by adding a word sticker. 

Done! 

The ivy wood shapes, the die cut twines and the twines from the Gazebo scene that got glued behind the arbour all create the impression of an overgrown, secret hiding place in a beautiful garden that has been conquered by nature. I really love how it all came together.

There is still a key there, neatly hung up in its original place - but no one obviously wanted to lock poor cupid in.

And so he gets visits from garden birds and other little garden animals and already starts to get covered by ivy and other climbers. I like to think that this keeps him warm and safe in some way. ;)

But let's have the close ups tell the story...

And if you take the time to get still and just listen to what's all around you, you will very likely feel the magic of this place...

Just little cupid, the birds - and you. 

I hope you like my little arbour scene!

Thanks for stopping by

and as always

hugs and happy crafting!

Claudia

xxx