{ Pinterest Project - stained glass bird painting }

We all love Pinterest...let's be honest... many of us can't believe there was life before Pinterest!  I have decided to add a new feature to the Brown Bunny Blog.  Once a week I am going to attempt to do one Pinterest idea.  But I need your help.  Please submit your favorite new Pinterest ideas and projects that you would like to have me try via the comments below...if your idea is selected you will receive a small gift from Brown Bunny Flowers.  I'm hoping that if we work together this will inspire some of you to try more projects on your own!  Please leave an email address with your submission so that if your idea is selected I can contact you.  I'd also love to see your own Pinterest projects so that we can share and enjoy so please send those as well!

For my first project I selected this stained glass bird painting.  I loved it and thought this would look awesome in a play room or guest bathroom.  I used a much smaller canvas and created a gift for a friend.   But any size canvas can be used.  I buy mine on sale at Micheal's Craft store. 

1. You will need a canvas, pencil, scissors, small paint brush, Mod Podge, magazine clippings, cream or taupe acrylic paint, wood stain, gold or bronze acrylic paints (optional).  {$, approximately 1 hour over the course of 3+ days, skill level 2 on a scale of 1-5} You can do it!

2. cut out different images from your favorite magazines.  Cut sizes that are somewhat relative to your canvas size.  Apply Mod Podge to your canvas in small batches and "glue" your magazine clippings.  Carefully make sure they are really flat and have as few bubbles and creases as possible.  Overlap your clippings until you have covered the entire canvas.  Let dry overnight.

3. Next decide on your image. I found a picture of a bird on a branch that I liked in a magazine and cut it out. Find a sheet of paper, wrapping paper or newspaper that will fit the size of your canvas to use as a template for your drawing. Draw the image you want on your "tracing" paper and then cut out the image.  You can draw anything you want...an owl, flower, branches, silhouettes would all work...use your imagination.  Lay your "cut out" on top of the collage and trace with a pencil or light colored marking pen.  Be carefull that you don't use black or dark color to trace as this will "bleed" through your cream paint later. At this point you may need to adjust your drawing.  Mine had too many flower petals on it originally so I just cut them off.

4.  Take your cream or taupe paint and paint all over your canvas up to the lines from your drawing.  Leaving the magazine collage exposed and all of the area around it painted. Let dry overnight.

5.  Take your wood stain (I buy mine at our local hardware store and used Walnut color but a lighter color might work better).  Lightly brush on a small section of stain and wipe and rub off with a paper towel or old rag.  Rub along all edges of canvas as well.

6. If you would like to add interest to the painting rub on a bit of either gold or bronze  paint or both in my case.  I choose 3 spots on my canvas to highlight with a bit of "shimmer".