Custom Jewelry Box Re-Do

A friend of a friend saw my architectural jewelry box recondition projects and asked me to re-do a jewelry box that once belonged to her mother.  She intends it as a gift for her niece.

These photos show the completed jewelry box after repair, cleanup, paint, and application of architectural elements copied from a book of old etchings.  The architectural elements in this case are from ancient Roman buildings---the etchings of the arch of Septimius Severus provide most of the ornamentation I arranged on this box.

The box was also intended to display the three generations:  niece, her mother and her grandparents.  The client made the photo montage for me to incorporate into the design of the box decoration.

The Arch of Septimius Severus still stands near the foot of the Capitoline Hill in Rome.  Septimius Severus (Latin: Lucius Septimius Severus Augustus;^[4] 11 April 145 – 4 February 211), also known as Severus, was Roman Emperor from 193 to 211. From Wikipedia.

I've used this arch on a couple of very different boxes prior to this:

The boxes are an on-going work.  See more here and here.  Many more boxes will be ready in time for the Christmas holidays.

Old Curtain Rod in the Garden

 

This weekend  I used several discarded inexpensive curtain rods in the garden to protect flowers and shrubs from the hose as I drag it along while watering.

I cut the rods down to two-foot lengths.  I temporarily removed the finial while I pounded the rod into the ground about one foot deep, leaving one foot of the rod above ground.  Then I reattached the finial.  You've probably noticed that rods come with different types of finial attachments.  Some finials screw right into the end of the rod while others may have a side screw that threads through a small hole in the side of the finial and tightens against the side of the rod.  I have a couple of different sets of old rods with both methods of attaching the finial to the end of the rod.  Either type will work for this purpose---just be careful not to damage the finial or its attachment while pounding the rod into the ground.  I'm happy to have found a new use for these old rods and to have my flower beds protected!

Where my head wants me to be today...

"The Pond" - Woodway, Washington: The Morris Graves Estate

I'm looking to frame this gouache painting I recently completed - The Pond  (Toni Youngblood 2012 (Woodway, Washington: The Morris Graves Estate) and will submit it for an upcoming exhibit.

Note cards of this painting are available here.

Large Louis XVI Dining Table in the works....

This is a big dining table when all three leaves are installed.  It is an oval Louis XVI style with very nice detailing on the legs.

It is a reconditioning work in progress, if you believe you may be interested in this lovely table, please let me know by writing a comment below this post or sending me a message.  Upon completion, I'll post photos.  The table will be delivered to the consignment shop if I don't hear from you by that time.  And sadly, that means the price goes up for you (the purchaser) and my proceeds go down.  :o(  With this being the case, why then do I consign my pieces?  Not everyone reads my blog and the consignment shops receive lots of foot traffic giving my pieces broader exposure.  And to you, Dear Readers, I'd prefer the win/win situation of your purchasing directly from me.  ;o)

The end table below was delivered to consignment today.  It's a very sturdy table with presence and measures a hefty size:  approximately 33"Wx30Dx23H. 

Though sturdy, this sweet thing has some graceful lines.

Lots of Irons in the Fire

A moment of repose during busy times...

Tables: Contrast of Forms

Above:  Mid-century Modern corner table

I run across all sorts of styles of furniture in my "travels".  These two tables demonstrate a couple of examples of what you may consider extremes.

Above:  Mersman Company 1930-1940's Lyre Harp table design uses several common ornamental classical motifs.

The table pictured above is a pretty good example of what we have come to call "Mid-Century Modern", furniture designed in the middle of the 20th Century.  I love its nearly boomerang-shaped slab top and sleek tapered stiletto legs.  Though this table is very "modern" in appearance, its form is based on classical elements.  And the sweeping curve of the top looks like the leftovers after the oval was cut out for the Lyre Harp table.  :o)

At the connection of the legs to the top there is a simplified entablature.

 

 

The Harp & Lyre table is made of various parts curving in many directions. 

Besides its curving oval top with raised edging, the legs curve much like those of Duncan Phyfe furniture and terminate in a clawfoot brass cap (The caps have been removed for restoration).

The Lyre Harp with carved ornamentation sweeps up and the base on which it attaches to the legs is concave and the legs sweep down.  The image of the lyre harp appears in early Greek and Roman art.

The modern "boomerang" table is available at Home Again Consignment.  The Lyre Harp table is in my work shop being restored from years of neglect and abuse---the condition in which I found it---but it will soon be a beauty!

Pet Portrait: Corgi

Woody, Toni Youngblood, 12"x12" acrylic on canvas, 2012

Order your own custom pet portrait here.