Inspired Barbola Mirror

Some of my projects seem to stop and start and then do an awful lot of resting in between, as is the case of my version of a Barbola mirror …….. and don’t be fooled by the pictures, it’s not over yet!

I started back in June 2020 http://itsallfiddlefart.blogspot.com/2020/06/my-take-on-vintage-barbola-mirror.html. by making the flowers using thick embossing powders and Martha Stewart moulds.

Then in September I did an awful lot of work on the flowers with Marc at the cottage http://itsallfiddlefart.blogspot.com/2020_09_02_archive.html where we experimented with a whole lot of shimmer powders and paints, but when I got home …….. it all went into hibernation again ……..

…….. until last week when they started to niggle at me again ……

I went over the flowers again with very pale pink, yellow and blue and then gold acrylic paint.

…… before arranging them roughly, along with the metal leaves, (taken from a necklace and painted previously at Marc’s), on a 25cm x 25cm copper edged, chained mirror (£2.99 from Poundstretcher). I was originally going to use a big, vintage, wood backed mirror, however, it was really heavy and would have required a super strength hook/screw to keep it on the wall ….. plus I had no where to put it.

I was finally, ready to permanently stick it altogether, only trouble was I was a cheapskate and thought I would use my glue gun instead of E9000, big mistake, as the glue just didn’t stick solidly to the flowers or the mirror with any sort of gumption.  However, I carried on regardless just to see how a finished mirror would look. As I write this now several flowers have unceremoniously dropped off, the glue is just too brittle, doh!

I also added the small, cream coloured flowers (from a charity shop necklace) to the flowers that had a more defined sort of centre. I like them, but you can see the holes in them where the chain used to be and I can’t help it, my eyes are now constantly drawn to them. 

So it’s back to the drawing board, it wont take five minutes to remove the flowers and leaves and then refix them, this time with E9000, when I get round to ordering it.  I think I might be able to cover the holes on the cream flowers with a scrap of tissue paper and then paint over it.  Looking at real Barbola mirrors I think I could go even more pastel on mine, plus add more colours to each flower, I have been subtle, but perhaps not subtle enough, so I am afraid on this third attempt, it’s still a case of watch this space!

Charity Shop Shopping

I can’t tell you how good it feels to be able to go out and have a good mooch again.

Today a few small tranklements to fill the odd corner all from the Vale Wildlife Shop in Evesham. They cost me pence and when I tire of them I can simply donate them back or put them in my various tut sacks for Christmas family gatherings!  My total spend was £1.90.

I  had so wanted to be able to find a few more Easter bits and pieces to add to my festive shelves this year before lockdown fraughted my ambitions, which is why this little Easter egg trinket box was a no brainer at 40p!

It wasn’t until I got home that I saw the label on the bottom that said Gisela Graham.  I reckon there’s a bit of age to it as the style of the label print looks a bit different to a present day one and I can only find one other reference to it online on eBay. I also guess that new it wouldn’t have been that cheap.  Not to everyone’s taste, but on my festive shelves, for just three or for weeks, it will do very nicely.

Another no brainer here, 20p (?) and again when I got home I saw the label ……..

…… this time it’s from East of India and is still available on Amazon for £12.99, all be it without its fancy box.  I’ve found a home for it for now as I really like it, but where else am I going to find something for 20p as a whimsical nonsense at the Christmas or Boxing Day table?

I am assuming that this 80p hand painted vase was possibly originally from Greece (?), bought because I had just moved something from my shower room shelves and it seemed to fit the space.

The shelves are filled with other bits and pieces that also cost no more than £1, except for the largest of the hands which cost me £4.00, which is going some for me! The vase on the top left annoys me as it really doesn’t go, so I am now on a lookout for it’s replacement, then I shall take it back from whence it came.

I also found a small terracotta pumpkin tealight holder for 50p, safely put away for Halloween, it’s nothing special, but I think I might cover it with a lightweight, small print, Halloween design paper and varnish, even perhaps adding a couple of plastic creepy crawlies to it ……… we shall see.