Mr Steampunk Bird and his TopHat

Hi ya, I know it's been so long since I blogged.  This month has been so busy working preparing for a week off for our hols, which ended up only being two days seems we had to rush back for a family emergency.  More on Wednesday's Woyww Post.  During all this busy time I did manage to do some creating so lots to post over the next few days :-).
But today it's a Mixed Media Challenge Time over at That Craft Place Challenge Blog and I kept my love of brights at bay and went with my other love of steampunk.  I had a large birdcage and couldn't at first work out what to do, then one day I was playing with fimo and I made some birds (which I can't find the pics anywhere grrrr) and suddenly thought that they would go really well with the bird cage.  So here is my take of Mr Bird and his TopHat, lots of pics as it was hell to photograph, plus some step by step pics with a brief explanation.
I would like to enter the following challenges :-
SanDee & Amelie's Steampunk Challenge Blog - Tic Tac Toe - TopHat, Metal Pieces, Rust
Rhedd's Creative Spirit Challenge Blog - Altered Art Anything Goes
Mixed Media World Challenge Blog - Gorgeous Textures
Frilly and Funkie Challenge Blog - Touch of Gold (birds have gold clock parts and Treasure Gold)
Altered Eclectics Challenge Blog -  Altered Art, Mixed Media Anything Goes
Crafting By Design Challenge Blog - Things With Wings

I have took 3 pictures of the whole piece, and they all still don't look right lol

Lots of close up pictures :-)

Some Step By Step pictures.

First off I started with a large wooden cage for That Craft Place and used

Prima Art Basics Texture Paste Graphite straight on top.  This took ages to do

as I wanted it nice and thick.

I made some birds from Black Fimo, I can't find the pictures anywhere.

I just had fun, it took around 3 hours to get 2 decent birds. I stamped Paperartsy gears

into the fimo.  Then  I added

the wire legs and holes for the feathers before cooking.

I then started looking at placement of some wooden gears and cogs.

I used the Viva Rusty Paper paint to add around the edges and back of the cage.

I die cut some gears and cogs from thin greyboard and stuck them together

to make large stacked gears for the bottom of the cage.  I then used the Rusty Paper

paint to the wooden bottom and all the gears.  Next I used some Cosmic Shimmer

glue and sand (children's sand from the supermarket).

I then added some Viva Glitter Gel Bronze in areas plus some Golden Transparent

Red Iron Oxide in areas on top.  (oops first I painted the sand with the rusty paper paint).

I compared it to some rusty wire I had and decided I needed some yellow on top as they

didn't look rusty enough.

To make the birdcage a bit rusty I mixed Prima Art Basics 3D Gel with some

Rusty Paper, Daler Rowney Yellow Ochre and sand.

To make the gears look more rusty I used the Transparent red oxide and Yellow ochre 

with some Liquitex Glazing Medium and painted them.  I then took a damp

cloth and wiped the glazing off, this left areas of the yellowish rust.  I normally

use a wipe for wiping off but it kept getting caught on all the texture.

To give the gears a bit more metal feel before rust took over I used Golden

Micaceous Iron Oxide WOW WOW WOW I love this colour, it's instant metal,

beautiful.

On the birds I added the Golden metal colour on the legs and body, I then added

3 different Treasure Gold - classic, silver, copper.  I added the clock parts and feathers, plus the wings

and top hats I made.  I used some Treasure Gold on the gears and cage.

Here you can see them all together.

I also added the Golden metal paint to the bottom, plus here you can see the

top hats before adding them on the bird.  I also added googly eyes as well for a bit of fun.

All that was left was putting it all together.

Hope you enjoyed my Steampunk Bird, any questions please ask and I will help all I can.  Thank you so much for visiting.
Happy Art :-)
Hugs Kezzy xxxxx

Product List
Black Fimo
Viva - Rusty Paper Paint, 3D Glitter Gel Bronze
Sizzix Alterations - Large and mini Gadget Gears
Watch Parts, Feathers, Sand, Wire, Googly Eyes
Prima Art Basics - 3D Gel, Texture Paste Graphite
Golden Paint - Transparent Red Iron Oxide, Micaceous Iron Oxide
Liquitex Glazing Medium
That Craft Place Wood - cage and gears
Daler Rowney Paint - Yellow Ochre
Treasure Gold - Classic, Copper, Silver
C Roberson & Co - universal lacquer
Paperartsy stamps - Clocks 5