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Madonna of the Birds Tutorial (& Giveaway!)
Filed under Art Projects, Contests/Winners, Design Team, Featured Artwork, Giveaways, Newsletters, Sale, Tutorials
Note: most of the links on this post no longer work, as we moved to a new Web site in 2018. However, you can see the supply list items from Lora’s project that are still available on the new site.
You will love this fabulous plaque called Madonna of the Birds that Lora Mahaffey created. Lora was inspired by a recent trip to the National Gallery of Art where she saw an exhibit called, Heaven and Earth: Byzantium Art from Greek Collections. Like a crazed magpie who cackles while drinking champagne, Lora was drawn to the shiny gold halos and Madonnas that were everywhere she turned.
There’s so much to love about this piece! Texture, beautiful images, luscious paper and of course, a shiny gold halo! Lora’s base for her plaque is the On Sale! Monarch Brocade Varnished Paper using a very cool and easy technique to bring out the pattern of the varnished paper using the New and On Sale! Brilliance Pigment Ink Pad – Galaxy Gold.
Hey, why is that paper on sale? ‘Cause the ENTIRE scrapbook paper section is On Sale! (actually three sections: Scrapbook Paper: Single Sheets, Christmas Scrapbook Papers, and Scrapbook Paper Sets ).
AND you know what else? Since Lora’s lovely artwork has lots of sweet little birds, Leslie added a New! Tropical Birds Clear Stickers to today’s Giveaway and put the ENTIRE Stickers Section On Sale!! And a reminder: the Steampunk Theme Sale ends Saturday night, January 25th!
Back to the lovely artwork at hand: don’t you love the shiny gold halo? It’s made from an On Sale! 4″ Paper Doily and in her tutorial Lora is going to tell you what her secret is to achieving such a marvelous golden glow.
If you’ve never used Copic Markers I bet you’ll want to after you see how Lora uses them. What? You’ve never heard of them?! Copic Markers are alcohol based, permanent markers with nibs at both ends. The colors are translucent and can be used to spruce up color on collage sheets and other ephemera (as you can see through the color to the printed design underneath). They also make outlining fussy cutting so much easier than trying to use a stamp pad or blending tool!
And what a great idea: tinting that tiny strand of Liquid Pearls “pearls” with the Leather colored Copic Marker (included in the New and On Sale! Madonna of the Birds Set)! You can make pearl trims in most any size or color you’d like!
Here’s a link to Lora’s Supply List, and fly on over to Lora’s blog, where she’ll tell some of her secrets in her tutorial. (oooh I love secrets!)
More New Goodies – All on Sale! | |||
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January 24th Update: |
Hooray! A Birds & Cages Giveaway!
In addition to a January Kit (so you’ll get both collage sheets and some of the scrapbook paper Lora used), Miz Meghan added both of the varnished papers that Lora recolors in her tutorial, some birds and cages not in Lora’s project, but the right scale for a similar project (Wood Bird Cages, Bronze 3D Birdcage and Fly Away Resin Birds Set) and these three New and On Sale! bird-themed items:
– Antique Brass Birdcage Charm
– Antique Silver Birdcage Charm
– Tropical Birds Clear Stickers
Here’s the full list of all the goodies in the Giveaway.
To enter the Birds & Cages Giveaway drawing all you have to do is leave a comment on this blog post TODAY (the deadline is 11:59 pm PST, January 23, 2014).
Don’t forget to leave your (hello! correct) email address, too, so I can contact the winner; your email address does not need to be made public. Note: I’m offering free shipping, too, but only within the USA. International shipping will still apply.
Please be patient! Spammers try to post crap here a lot so comments are moderated. So if you don’t see your post in the comments section, be patient and check back in a few hours before re-posting it, please!
After midnight, I’ll randomly pick the winner (via Random.org). So make sure to check back to see who won! And check your mailbox on Thursday morning for the next Giveaway and Newsletter!
Hey, who won the Romantic Steampunk Giveaway? That would be Bobbie Kangas! Please check your email for my message about getting your mailing address.
NOTE to KATHY, who won the Ribbon Skirt Giveaway: the email address you entered bounced, so you have until this Sunday, January 26th, to contact John in Customer Service before I draw another winner!
OMG! Love those Rabbits in Teacups!
PUT A BIRD ON IT! Great items — I hope I win!
Birds are a favorite theme of mine. Love the set!
What an amazing flock of bird goodies; I would love to win these treasures! Thanks for the nice drawing!
Fantastic collection! Love to win!
This is a great giveaway!!!
Love the birds…makes me want to move somewhere warm. I’m dealing with -25 degree wind chill right now!
Birds and cages intrigue all of us. I’d love to win this one.
What a great collection. Thanks for the chance to win.
I adore the little birds! Such great elements.
Looks great would love to have it!
Love the birds and wish I could see that exhibit at the Nat’l Gallery!
WoW, what a great collection! Thanks for the chance to win!!
I’d love to win.
I was just refilling my coffee and watching birds at the feeder this morning. And then I open up the Alpha Stamp email and see this beautiful, birdy giveaway. Wow…what an amazing coincidence! Love Alpha Stamps!
Great tutorial. Would love to play with all of those gorgeous items!
Awesome awesome giveaway! I love it all!! Great giveaway in the dead of winter to help us look forward to spring! Thanks & blessings, Lori
Awesome! I need some birdcage images for a project I’m working on.
Oh, all the marvelous cards and decorations and “things to fly away with” I wish I could make with this wonderful kit…!
Looks good, like the mix of supplies.
Another great tutorial. Those bunnies in the teacups are adorable.
Love anything to do with birds!
I love the birds and cages; how could anyone not enjoy cards with them attached?
Lovely supplies, the possibilities are endless. Love birds.
I loved the tutorial and how to use all the inks and copic markers. Thanks!
Fantastic ,,
Oh what a great way to start the new year a winning give a way. always love it here. xoxox
Makes me want to have a spring tea party!
Wonderful give-away! Hope I get it.
Love the birds!
Ooh, birds and pretty ladies! This is a luscious collection and I’d love to win it.
Now you’ve done it … gone to the birds! And I say “hooray.” Would really love to win this one.
Love the birds! What a wonderful collection.
Oh my gosh! Who wouldn’t love to win this creative giveaway???? Birds are a favorite of mine. Thank you for the opportunity to enter this giveaway.
I just love this collection. It would be fun to play with it.
It would be great to win.
Thanks for the chance Alpha Stamps
Love the birds. Would love to play with these.
LOVE this set, as birds are one of my favorite themes, and there are some wonderful goodies in this package. Thanks for the chance to win!
What a wonderful collection and a great project to celebrate Spring. Hope I win. Thank you
Oh, how this giveaway would help cure my cabin fever. And the birds remind me of all my feathered friends I’m feeding this winter.
So pretty – I love the little birdcages!
Another wonderful give-away – count me in!
Fun new project to inspire us through this long winter!! Love the new resin birds and the teacup bunnies!! Spring can’t be too far away, can it?
OK so I didn’t win the ruffled skirt give away. Maybe I’ll have better luck this time.
Wow, what a generous give away. This would definitely get rid of those winter blues. Come on Spring!
Love the birds and bird cages!
Frills , birds, cages flowers and girls what’s not to like.
Thank you Alphastamps for your wonderful inspiration to all of us, and the incredible giveaways. What a nice one this is!
Love birds and steampunk. I alwayy check your site to help get my creative juices flowing.
As a bird lover, this project & giveaway really gets my attention. The little cages are adorable.
tx for the giveaway! i love all your stuff! aloha, angi in hana
Ohhh birds galore!! Love this kit – awesome!! Another fab giveaway!! 🙂
A great giveaway, both plain and colourful birds!
“Madonna of the birds” so freakin’ clever
I love all the birds and cages!
I’m new to this craft. I was wondering what Copic markers were and now I know. I love Byzantium art.
Such a beautiful piece! I’m a birder, so of course I like this very much! Thanks for the chance to win all these fab goodies.
Truly wonderful! I’d love to win this, it would be amazing for some projects to create!
WHAT A FUN GIVEAWAY…PICK ME PLEASE!
Love the birds! This giveaway is like a little taste of spring.
Lovely…I would love this!😍
How fun. I hope to win!
Beautiful plaque by Lora Mahaffey & another great giveaway.
Love the birds,thanks for the opportunity to win prizes!
Wow, I am working on a project with cages and birds and what an addition those beautiful items would make.
Here’s hoping you cpick me.
Birds are my constant theme! Great set to win!
Such fun!
Birds and cages with ladies and flowers! Who could ask for more?
Wow. Cool stuff.
Lovely giveaway as always!
Love love love this!! hope I win!
So many goodies, I need to win this great gift!
Pick me, pick me! The higher the hair, the closer to God. 🙂
What a beautiful collection! Would love to win!!!
so much fun one could have with this! Thanks for the opportunity!
Might be time to try something new. Can’t hurt.
Love all of the pretty things this wonderful give-away. I collect a lot ofbirdthings and would love to play with this set.
Wonderful giveaway.
always….. such beauty!
Beautiful! Thank you for the giveaway.
Oh My! I absolutely LOVE all things BIRDS!
I would Love Love Love to win this lil stash of Birdies and goodies! Thanks for sharing and a chance to win! What fun! 😉
OHHHH…my favorites….Birds and Cages…thank you for the opportunity.
SPRING is in the Air !!!!!
Liane 🙂
Amazing giveway. Love, love birds. Thanks for the opportunity. Your papers are gorgeous. And your design team so creative.
Thanks,
DianeD
Love all the Wonderful items in this giveaway! Thanks for a chance at it!
All those beautiful birds make me think about Spring.
This is a lovely giveaway! I love Copic markers – they’re fun to layer and paint with!
Would simply love this!!!
birds = spring!!!!!!!!!
Its amazing as always #lovethebirds
Love the birds!!!
Love! Love this give away!!
Birds yay! They seem to find their way into all my pieces! I need this kit for sure!
I am a bird nut so this is so perfect!
Be still my heart! I love, love, love birds. Thanks for offering this amazing giveaway. A really great collection of goodies to play with!
This is the BEST! Love the birds, I would love all of these an give them a good home!
Rabbits in teacups and birds! Oh my! love it all!
Wow, great collection!
I love this one!!!! It has birds!!!!
lovely!!
I love your site, would love to win anything from you thanks for the chance!
Oh my mind is creating. I love birds and birdcages!
Such a beautiful give away. I would love to be the one chosen so I can make beautiful images!
Love it!
Have to love the birdies!
Who doesn’t love birds and bird cages. Love this giveaway! Hope I win!
Love the layers and the colors in this!
Birds are always a sign of the coming of spring to me.
What an amazing giveaway! Such fun, such possibilities! Gigi Jordan
How tweet!
Love the birdcage!
Love love this combination of goodies! What fun in store for the lucky winner of this!
Would love to win this blog candy. Everything about it is perfect!
Another great giveaway, and how cute are those bunnies in a teacup!
With all this cold weather and snow, I just love looking at this beautiful bird papers.
What a lovely giveaway! Madonna of the Birds is beautiful, as is everything Lora does.
There’s nothing that says Spring than pretty birds! Pretty project!
fly to me little birds
Oh my, sooo many birds. I love them and I would give them a good home in my 2014 gaden journal that I need to start creating.
How enchanting! Thank you for the opportunity. Your designers are all so talented. 🙂
What a lovely collection and thanks for the chance to win!
So elegant and full of class. A wonderful giveaway!
Oh, how spring is coming and this bird theme will help make that wait shorter!
Yes please! I would have so much fun with this!
What a lovely variety of birds.
Your giveaways have been awesome but the
birds are my fav Even in the cold the
birds bring spring.
OMG , i dont think there is one thing in kit that i dont love, the blue lady is adorable, the birds and cages will fit just anywhere.
Thank you for the beautiful kit giveaway and hope for once you pick me.
It is top notch!!!!!
Just visited lora’s blog on the Bird Lady! What a cool way to walk the birds!
Experimented with copic markers but have not tried using colours on varnish paper! On my to-do list now. Thanks.
Bird cages are one of my favourites in decorating my ATCs and jewellery! I’d be the winner! 🙂
Love this collection! Just wonderful!!!
The birds are beautiful! And distress ink always makes me swoon! Thanks so much for the chance to win!
Wow-this collection is truly gorgeous-and such a delight to look at this time of year. Lora’s plaque is stunning!
A bird in the hand is worth two on the web. I’d love to hold these birds and play with them. Thanks!
This little birdie would like to win!
Awwwwh ! Come On Man !!!!! I want this, I love it !
Love the birds, can’t wait to try my creativity.
Well, since it feels like spring here in California, time to think about birds. Hope I win!
I love, love, love birds! I feed them everyday! How cool would it be to win some!
Like everyone else I love birds. It would be so wonderful if I won one of your giveaways. Thank you for your generosity.
What a fun bird kit that this is.
Love the bird cages. 🙂
would love to win the Birds! Thanks
So beautiful. I do love the look of your Giveaways. You always inspire <3
Thank you for this opportunity! So lovely, Linda
wahat a beautiful collection! Thanks so much for a chance to win.
I want in on this neat giveaway. Love your products.
Paula
This a most fabulous giveaway of desirable goodies. Mahalo for the op to win some awesomeness.