I got this 20ins x 20ins mirror from a charity shop a few weeks ago for £2.95, it was quite battered, but as I knew I was going to cover it more or less completely, it’s overall finish really didn’t matter.
However, when I removed the mirror from the frame ….. I only went and dropped it, shattering it, arrghhh ……. but fortuitously, I live next door to a glass shop, so a replacement piece shouldn’t be a problem.
I gave the frame two coats of cream emulsion to make a base on which to build my colours on, using a match pot type sample that I got for 10 for a £1 ages ago from a resource centre.
I planned to use Promarkers and other pens for the design, the Promarkers took to the painted base instantly and kept the colour …… but then, I made a mistake ….. when I used an ordinary thick Berol marker pen to outline the leaves, the effect was decidedly shonky …. and I admit to wondering what had I done …. my idea ruined before I had barely got started, slightly crestfallen so I abandoned the project for an hour or so before going back. I decided to put a sample of both types of pen on the back of the frame to see if they would hold when varnished, as I suspected the Promarker held, but the Berol just “disappeared” ….. doh, doh, doh, doh, DOH!!!
However ….. I found that the Berol on the front of the frame could almost all be removed with a damp cloth ….. so we are on target again. When I am next in town I plan to buy a couple of permanent black Sharpie pens, which also have a finer nib than the Berol which means that the outlines will be more accurate when I tackle them again ….. phew, good thinking Batman!
Oh, I forget to say at the beginning that my overall plan for the mirror, once coloured and outlined is to embellish it with lots of assorted flat backed gems …… but for now it’s a case of watch this space ….