Gilding the light
I have been very busy lately, no time for miniatures! A few weeks ago I did manage to work on a pair of wall sconces for the dining room of my new canal house.
As I was rummaging through my box of unused miniatures, I found a pair of metal wall sconces with candles which I bought several years ago. Unfortunately the finish on them was not the same, one was a beautiful shiny golden metal finish, the other one seemed to have been painted gold. I never really liked the painted finish.
I decided to gild and electrify them. I use 23 carat gold leaf from Giusto Manetti for my gilding. A book of gold leaf costs around 30 euro's but will last you a long time as the projects are so small.
The sconces had very pretty candles in them, but I wanted to have working lights in the sconces so the candles had to come out. As they were glued in pretty well, I used a ball router bit in my Dremel to remove the candles from the holders.
I cut a pair of electrified candles down to size as they were too long for the sconces. After testing them with a battery I glued them into the holders and onto the sconces.
As I don't have time now to finish the wall on which the wall sconces will hang, I took a quick photo of the elements I will use on the wall. The wall will have panels with pretty yellow wallpaper from Small Interiors in them. Above the panels I will use Dresden paper decorations.
As I was rummaging through my box of unused miniatures, I found a pair of metal wall sconces with candles which I bought several years ago. Unfortunately the finish on them was not the same, one was a beautiful shiny golden metal finish, the other one seemed to have been painted gold. I never really liked the painted finish.
I decided to gild and electrify them. I use 23 carat gold leaf from Giusto Manetti for my gilding. A book of gold leaf costs around 30 euro's but will last you a long time as the projects are so small.
The sconces had very pretty candles in them, but I wanted to have working lights in the sconces so the candles had to come out. As they were glued in pretty well, I used a ball router bit in my Dremel to remove the candles from the holders.
I cut a pair of electrified candles down to size as they were too long for the sconces. After testing them with a battery I glued them into the holders and onto the sconces.
As I don't have time now to finish the wall on which the wall sconces will hang, I took a quick photo of the elements I will use on the wall. The wall will have panels with pretty yellow wallpaper from Small Interiors in them. Above the panels I will use Dresden paper decorations.
O, wat een kunst weer! Iets heel kleins met liefde en vakwerk voor elkaar krijgen!
ReplyDeleteBewondering en complimenten!
It looks great Josje! Very pretty!
ReplyDeleteI have a big book of 24 carat gold leaf that belonged to my grandmother. I have never used it. I should read about how to do that. How did you learn to gold leaf something?
Such luxury - pure gold lights! Gorgeous!! Clever lady. They look beautiful and I love the wallpaper too.
ReplyDeleteWat mooi, en wat een luxe idee. Het moet vast een leuk gevoel zijn om te kunnen zeggen dat je 23 karaats vergulde verlichting in je poppenhuis hebt hangen!
ReplyDeleteIk heb het me altijd afgevraagd en nooit geweten dat die papieren relief ornamenten Dresden paper genoemd werden, dat zoekt een stuk makkelijker.
Heeft small interiors ook een website? Het gele behang lijkt sprekend op het behang wat ik een luxe dames voorkamer in een monumentaal weeshuis heb gezien in Bolsward! Supermooi!
Josje, The sconce is so wonderful!!! I love what you have done with the gold leaf! They will be so elegant in your room!
ReplyDeleteHeel knap werk Josje. Ziet er weer heel luxe uit.
ReplyDeletePrachtig behang ook.
groet Heleni
splendid
ReplyDeleteOh, they are beautiful! I never thought about using gold leaf. Love your wall paper. :)
ReplyDeleteI once saw a bunch of gold and silver leaves being sold on the roadside in India . Wished I had bought them now :(.
ReplyDeleteA fabulous job on the sconce!
Hallo Fenny! Nou je weet het hè, als de drukte voorbij is ben je van harte welkom!
ReplyDeleteCatherine, the old method for guilding are much more difficult and time consuming than the new ones. I am using a modern all in one product as a base and through reading about how it should be done and just having a go at it myself, I have managed to guild some miniatures.
I don't have time for it now, but I will do a post on it in about two weeks.
Anneke, die papieren ornamenten worden verkocht door Elisabeth Elsner von Gronow http://www.elsnervongronow.de/frames.htm Ze staat ook altijd op de beurs in Arnhem en nog een paar andere beurzen.
Het behang heet Francesca van Small Interiors. Bob Willans is de eigenaar van Small Interiors en ook van Tollgate Miniatures. Hij stonds ook op de beurs in Arnhem. Tolgate Miniatures heeft wel een website ( http://www.tollgateminiatures.co.uk/Site/Welcome.html ), Small Interiors bij mijn weten niet.
Sans, yes that is a shame, I'm sure it would have been cheaper there. How would you know you were buying real gold or silver leaf though? But on the up side, any good art supply store will sell books of gold and silver leaf.
Gorgeous - the sconces, the wallpaper, the whole lot. Hope to see the finished effect when you have time to do it all.
ReplyDeleteHa Josje,
ReplyDeleteNa mijn lange vakantie eindelijk weer eens tijd om je blog te bezoeken. Wat heb je inmiddels weer mooie miniaturen gemaakt. Altijd een plezier om bij jou op bezoek te komen. Je levert zulk fijn werk. Die wall sconces zijn prachtig en zelf zou ik nooit aan gold leaf gedacht hebben, hoewel ik er wel af en toe mee gewerkt heb, maar dan bijv. voor een ikoon. Ik ga weer regelmatig proberen om bij je te komen kijken, maar ik wil wel wat meer tijd besteden aan het knutselen zelf!
Groetjes
Marion
Dankjewel voor alle links en info! Daar kan ik wel wat mee, ik ga gelijk even kijken!
ReplyDelete