i paint my own jewels

Happy Monday to ya. Hope your weekend was good. If it was half as crafty as mine, I bet you are nursing a few glue gun burns as well. We Christmas'ed up the place and are now in full holiday mode. And all this week I'll share the results. Super exciting, I know.<br /><br />First up is a little Pottery Barn hack.<br /><br />I was looking at my 7th Pottery Barn catalog of the month on Thursday and feel in love with these mercury glass votives. I instantly thought of Mary McDonald ala Million Dollar Decorators. Loving the jewel tones. And of course the mercury glass, I'm always a fan of mercury glass.<br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41FzKUb4wQDUXqW1f58Dy8O4tpwk9OrhcRE1P8VYC1Z8O3lDWyjicRYZuwt4ILnGdteBZxvq9LHTzVau7_1qlHEugXJd1d9-z79uzPMT3ofVXUOJL0ZeTIK1gYxBXXPWo6mfdFkKSYDZN/s1600/img58o.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41FzKUb4wQDUXqW1f58Dy8O4tpwk9OrhcRE1P8VYC1Z8O3lDWyjicRYZuwt4ILnGdteBZxvq9LHTzVau7_1qlHEugXJd1d9-z79uzPMT3ofVXUOJL0ZeTIK1gYxBXXPWo6mfdFkKSYDZN/s400/img58o.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.potterybarn.com/products/jeweled-mercury-glass-votive-cups/?pkey=choliday-mercury-glass-shop&cm_src=holiday-mercury-glass-shop||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_--_-" target="_blank">Pottery Barn</a></td></tr></tbody></table>However, the last thing I need are more votives, and I've got way bigger fish to fry...or gifts to buy right now. (I've got rhyme skills) So I recycled the catalog and went on with my day. It was very responsible of me.<br /><br />When I started pulling out Christmas stuff the next day, these fell out of an overstuffed cabinet. I mean, I noticed them perfectly in line on a shelf labeled votives.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmregkV92XHdrH0a9efT3qhr71xRstyOdXQ3X_HFjTIBqNuCHJMKQ-cT4wz2u4glDoj08NgDMkT8aGsTjhb6SF5Z2Y986wv-1fvwKuwaeDiFl8zKM4I0gEwgxdCR0HDfn9vkN5WETNRJx/s1600/MercuryGlassbefore.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrmregkV92XHdrH0a9efT3qhr71xRstyOdXQ3X_HFjTIBqNuCHJMKQ-cT4wz2u4glDoj08NgDMkT8aGsTjhb6SF5Z2Y986wv-1fvwKuwaeDiFl8zKM4I0gEwgxdCR0HDfn9vkN5WETNRJx/s400/MercuryGlassbefore.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>I got about 10 of these from the dollar bin at Target a couple years ago. And it just so happens I also have a drawer full of <a href="http://news-these-days.blogspot.com/2012/04/seeing-spots.html" target="_blank">paints left over</a>.  I could hear Mary McDonald's voice in my head, 'jewel tones. I'm in love with jewel tones.'<br /><br />Who needs stinkin' Pottery Barn?  I can make my own colorful votives damn it. It was all very Norma Rae. Before I knew it I was painting one, and then another. I did it all so quickly that I didn't even take any progress pictures. Although, what is there really to photograph? Dip your brush in some paint and paint the inside. The end.<br /><br />To give them a bit more of a weathered vibe and stick to the spirit of the mercury glass, I did make sure not to put on too much paint. Just a washed out effect.<br /><br />Now I didn't have the exact colors I wanted so I mixed a few and made due with others. Not exactly jewel tones, but certainly jewel tone inspired. (Have you started a drinking game with the word 'jewel tone' yet?).<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJeg4f2VXznxFT8GA9m20iSQZ0TG1XDveUD91SRb3wQiaRDo0MfTfD02KGo9KqCtsh9QZ7ariLMZfURPkDJZKm_jDaxfxuzshRBWxhEMLWJYRpYn4x_OE9u5Qklyr9y8V5DX6JjviDi6w/s1600/IMG_0822.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqJeg4f2VXznxFT8GA9m20iSQZ0TG1XDveUD91SRb3wQiaRDo0MfTfD02KGo9KqCtsh9QZ7ariLMZfURPkDJZKm_jDaxfxuzshRBWxhEMLWJYRpYn4x_OE9u5Qklyr9y8V5DX6JjviDi6w/s640/IMG_0822.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />They look magnificent lit up, and work perfectly with the 'theme' of this year's mantel. (Although I really hate decorating with themes, so I shouldn't use that word). Anyway, take that Pottery Barn.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDDGMYy4UxUTRATQbLQWkIx1WzQN-I7MaYe_2a-X8zKrjzxLYOAaAB9mOJk6BPSDRO15sKiak1-8LcGhkTwnG5XimR99kE6xBOWruTK7pDI30Ou-UiBD53p_WqxtAPWAHnJnmqlK7ZmdP/s1600/MercuryGlassAfter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBDDGMYy4UxUTRATQbLQWkIx1WzQN-I7MaYe_2a-X8zKrjzxLYOAaAB9mOJk6BPSDRO15sKiak1-8LcGhkTwnG5XimR99kE6xBOWruTK7pDI30Ou-UiBD53p_WqxtAPWAHnJnmqlK7ZmdP/s640/MercuryGlassAfter.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Come back tomorrow and I'll show you the mantel...if you show me yours.<br /><br />Any luck with holiday DIY? What is your favorite holiday project? Need any votives? I've got a bag full of the suckers from IKEA circa 2002 and I'm STILL not out of them.

i paint my own jewels

Happy Monday to ya. Hope your weekend was good. If it was half as crafty as mine, I bet you are nursing a few glue gun burns as well. We Chr...

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