by Lora S. Irish
A little stack of bright scrapbook paper, a few silk flowers and tiny seed beads, and a little creative time color penciling this Celtic Bird patter will make a wonderful carrying bag for that special gift.
General Supplies:
8″ x 10 1/2″ brown kraft paper bag
colored raffia
3 – 1″ purple plastic button stars
hot glue and hot glue gun
double stick tape spots or paste craft glue
fine embroidery scissors or an Xacto knife
12″ quilting ruler
cutting board
3 each of 1 1/2″ wide cream and white silk daisies
assorted pink seed bead
3- 4mm turquoise flat disc beads
Specialty supplies:
Staedtler Vellum, 4 1/2″ x 8 1/2″
Prismacolor Colored Pencils
Ultra fine point permanent black marking pen
Paper supplies:
dark green fabric textured paper, 4″ x 10 1/4″
medium gray green mottled paper, 10″
medium pink, frosted pattern paper, 9 3/4″
medium mauve fabric textured paper, 5″ x 9″
1 – 12″ x 12″ large pale gray green floral paper
1 – 12″ x 12″ large fushia swirls paper
2 – 2″ square pale beige plaid paper
1 – 1/2″ x 8 1/4″ beige and green strip paper
Create your colored pencil Celtic Bird centerpiece
Step 1
Click and save a copy of our free Celtic Bird pattern to your computer. Print one copy. This pattern is offered courtesy of Art Designs Studio and for Personal Use Only.
Step 2
Place one sheet of vellum over the printed pattern, you will be able to see the pattern through the vellum paper so you do not need to trace along the pattern lines. Tape the two papers together or secure them in a clip board.
Step 3
Using Prismacolor Colored Pencils color in your Celtic bird. For the best results keep your pencils very sharp during use. Sharp pencil points fill in the fine texture of the paper. Create your colors slowly by laying multiple layers of thin coloring over each other. You can create gradual blends by working different tonal values of one color over another or you can change the color on an area by working a different hue over the base hue.
Colored pencils are wax based. As you work the coloring bring each layer up to but not over the black outlines of the design.
To keep your colored pencil work clean, place a sheet of paper over any areas of the design on which your hand or fingers lie.
Step 4
When you have your pencil coloring completed use an ultra fine point permanent black marking pen to work the black outlines of the design.
Head and tail – Lilac #PC956, Murier #PC995, and Black Cherry #PC1078
Breast and Top Knot Feathers – Bleu Dece # PC1015, Vert Perroquet #PC1006, Violet Bleu #PC933
Leaves – Chatreuse #PC1004, Vert Primterros #PC913, Vert Neon #PC 1039
Beak and Legs – Orang Solell #PC 917, Orange #PC 918
Step 5
Cut each of the scrapbook papers according to the supply list.
Cut along one width of the medium mauve fabric textured paper, 5″ x 9″, at 45 degrees to create a square angle point at the bottom.
Cut the vellum colored pencil drawing along the bottom edge at 45 degrees to create a square angle point.
Cut the bottom edge of the 1/2″ x 8 1/4″ beige and green strip paper at 45 degrees to create a square angle point.
Using the back edge of your scissors score the back of the 2″ plaid squares along both diagonals. Cut each square into a triangle by cutting 1/4″ from the scored lines. Fold the paper along the scores to create a corner with ear flaps.
From the large pale gray green floral paper cut two to three flowers, following along the out lines of the flower design.
From the large fushia swirls paper cut 1 – large swirl, 2 – medium swirl, 1 – small swirls, 1 – extra small swirl, and 3 – pointed leaves. If you do not have a scroll or swirl pattern paper you can cut your own by using the swirl pattern to the right. If you trace to the pattern to the face of your paper use the pattern face up. If you chose to trace it to the back of your paper you will use the pattern face down.
A note about securing your paper stacks
There are several methods that you can use to secure your stacks of paper together and to the bag. My preference is small dots of hot glue placed where they will be covered by another paper. You may also use double stick tape dots or paste craft glue. White and yellow liquid glues are water based and can wrinkle or buckle your papers.
I find that during the construction stage of a project I get the best results by securing a paper in just a few places as along an upper edge. This allows the paper to float freely along three sides and avoids small buckles in the paper as more elements are applied. After the construction is complete I can add glue or double stick tape spots to secure any remaining edges in the work.
Step 6
Stack the dark green, medium grey green and frosted pink paper strips with the top edges flush. The medium grey green is placed 1″ from the left hand edge of the dark green. The frosted pink is placed 1 1/2″ from the same edge. Using hot glue or double stick glue spots secure these three papers together in the upper corners. Do not secure the lower sides or edges at this time. Place the top edge of the stack onto the paper bag with the top edge of the stack 1/8″ from the top and the side of the stack 1/2″ from the folded edge of the bag. Secure the stack at the top corners.
Step 7
Center the vellum colored pencil drawing over the mauve strip, 1/4″ of the mauve will show around the vellum. Secure the vellum to the mauve paper at the upper corners. Slide one plaid corner over each top corner of the stack. Fold the scored edges of the corners to the back and glue into place.
Place the vellum stack on top of the background paper stack with its top edge 1/2″ below the background stack and 1/2″ from the left hand side of t he background stack. Secure into place with hot glue in the upper corners.
Step 8
Create an arrangement in the upper right hand corner of the vellum stack with your fushia swirls, gluing them into position where the swirl tucks into the corner or under another swirl.
Slide your cut large flowers under the vellum stack in the lower left hand corner of the background stack. Glue into place where the flowers tuck under the vellum stack.
Tuck the beige and green strip stripe under the left hand corner of the vellum stack, allowing it to cover the left edge of the vellum.
Step 9
Once you have the paper stacks, swirls, and large flowers in place and free of buckles use a small amount of hot glue under each area to secure the remaining free floating corners or edges. You do not need to completely glue an entire side of any paper, a few well placed spots will do nicely.
Step 10
Hot glue three cream colored silk flowers to the top right hand corner of the vellum stack, placing the glue spot at the center of each silk flower. Cut the three white daisies in half and tuck them under the cream daisy petals, glue into place.
Working one cream flower at a time place a small spot of hot glue in the center of the flower. Immediately sprinkle fine seed beads onto the glue, press lightly to secure the beads. When all three flowers have bead centers, turn your bag over a paper towel and lightly tap to release any unglued beads. Hot glue one flat disc turquoise bead on top of the seed beads in each cream flower center.
Cut eight 3″ pieces of green raffia. Tuck and glue the raffia under the silk flowers to create leaves.
Hot glue three purple 1″ star buttons along the bottom right diagonal of the vellum
Step 11
With a fine point black marking pen sign and date your project in the bottom edge of the grey green strip! Your bag is ready to fill.
