OMG ….. My Jewelled Boudoir Mirrors Finally Finished ….. Nine And A Bit Months On!

Warning:- some of the photos in this post contain great globules of drying glue, such was my rush to get everything written up!!!

I can’t believe that I started my pair of “Boudoir Mirrors” back on January 4th this year, my longest running project, ever ….. putting them on What’s On My Desk Wednesday last week certainly gave me the kick up the backside I needed. I only challenged myself to finish one ….. but in the end I finished both!!!

This is how they started out, measuring 35ins x 12ins with a frame of just 1/2” wide, bought from a “bargain discount” shop in Wolverhampton for £3.99 each.

Using E6000 glue I attached two old wall sconces that I’d had either side of my bed for years,  but had grown tired of ….. I wasn’t sure if it would work and wasn’t sure either about the colour of the glass tea light holders, but once stuck on, there was no turning back.

Progress was very slow, I had a few bits and pieces left over from other mirrors I had made for Christmas presents, but when Primark went and completely changed their style of jewellery, my source of cheap, large, jewelled or enamelled flower bracelets, necklaces and earrings to disassemble disappeared and I allowed myself to be temporarily scuppered!

Then Marc helped me out with a huge pile of flat backed gems and other bits and pieces ….. and I managed to source some large flat backed flower gems  and metal flower embellishments on e-bay.

I also asked WholePort for a variety of plastic/resin cabochons and fimo flowers to try, but was fearful that with a more diverse range of materials, some of the effect could be lost or the overall look would just look tacky. At this stage, after more hopeful but fruitless trips to Primark,  both in Wolverhampton and London my enthusiasm waned ……. until last Wednesday, when looking at the half done mirrors finally got on my nerves …….

On Friday night I started and finished the first one …. I had had a rubbish day at work and needed something to take my mind of it.  In all I think it took about three hours to fill all the gaps in. 

And then on Saturday morning I got up at about 7.00am and started on the other one, which didn’t seem to take as long, as I didn’t need to experiment quite as much in finding where things would fit.  The mirrors are not identical, but follow a similar pattern ……. and all the garish plastic/resin that I wasn’t sure about because they broke my rules about mixing materials actually worked!!!!

It seemed to take an absolute age before all the great globules of the various types of glue I had used had set and it took almost as long to remove all the straggly bits and blobs and smudges before I could finally hang the mirrors in situ, complete with tea light holders.  Now my “boudoir” is finally complete, tastefully over the top and “me”!!!  I am not discounting adding a few more bits to them if/when Primark get their act together again ….. but for now I am absolutely THRILLED with how they have turned out despite my original doubts.

Last time I was down in London in August, London Lounging with Marc (of that more in a future post) he suggested incorporating a set of small battery operated LED lights into this sort of mirror ……. hmmmmmm, now where can I find another suitable set?  Will I ever learn?

Can’t believe that I left the Windolene visible at the end of my bed in a couple of these photos !!! Aghhhhh!!!