What I do when I'm not playing with yarn.

Folks!  I was lucky enough to take part in the Make a Splash challenge for March over on Crafting in the Rain!  Steph gives her challengers an element/item to use in a crafty way and let's us go crazy.  This month's item?  Wood rosettes.  




Wood rosettes?  Wood rosettes???  What in heaven's... don't get me wrong.  I like a good challenge as much as the next guy.  I like to use all kinds of medium in unexpected ways.  But I've never given an ounce of thought to wood rosettes.  I was very tempted to paint them fun colors, let my kids go wild, and call them "decorative architectural building block fun"... but I dismissed that quickly.  My next thought was a vase... but it didn't seem quite right... as I searched my brain, my eyes fell on the unused lamp I'd purchased on the super cheap from Walmart and then painted for my son's room.  I'd created a shade to match the theme of the bedroom and the entire thing sits down in the basement gathering way too much dust.  And so was born the:

I used a total of 16 wood rosettes for my lamp redo - stacked 4 high on each side.  It was a very simple process to put it all together and involved only gorilla glue and elbow grease (though I do recommend clamps if you have them).  I did have some issues with the shade, since I was trying to use what I had on hand and the only shade that was up to par required a harp - which this lamp did not have.  I used the harp off of a different (FREE!) lamp I had in stash and screwed it to the lamp with copper pipe brackets and bolts and secured it with some gorilla glue.  I chose to stay with a very simple, unembellished shade with clean lines since the base of the lamp is (obviously) the focal point.  I wanted to do a paint staining technique with watered down paint and dry brush, but in the interest of time and ease I opted for spray paint.  I initially was anticipating leaving it very glossy, clean and modern, but I was disappointed with how the detail of the rosettes was lost.  I decided to do a faux glaze (faux because I didn't have any real glaze and I'm the kind of gal who likes to use what I've got first!) that basically involved black spray paint, a small dry brush, mineral spirits and an old rag.  I'm surprised at how much I like considering 

1) I generally gravitate to more polished, clean lines, high gloss, modern looks 

2) I had no idea what I was doing and

3) I was using entirely wrong materials for glazing.

Coming soon - a full tutorial!  


Everything for this lamp redo I had on hand - except for the rosettes of course! Although this was a project that took a different direction than I'd originally planned, I ended up with a lamp I will actually use - in our dining room and NOT our basement! - which I'm happy about.  If I had it to do again, there are definitely things I'd do differently, but all in all I think branching out with an unlikely crafting element paid off! 


PS.  Don't forget to comment on this post to enter the AWESOME giveaway from Gnome Acres!  And go check out googiemomma, too!

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