Silvery Tree Shells

 

  What are those silvery things swaying in the breeze?

 Why, they are tree shells, of course!

Caution: Another glitz project!

Remember tomorrow is Life in Rehab's Glitz Hack Off (Monday, July 23 - see the button at the end of this post).  The assignment was to view her photos of items for sale at Z Gallerie and either copy-cat it or create something in the same glitzy spirit.  See Sunny's post HERE.  

I sort of jumped in the deep end and silvered and bejeweled and tagged and... well, you get the idea.  I went overboard.  So I have at least three glitzy projects loosely based on Z Gallerie merchandise.  I have never even heard of the store until Danni Baird at Silo Hill Farm challenged me to do it.  Thanks to Sunny and Danni, I have chrome fingernails, silver glaze on my pliers, and snippets of bead wire all over my work table.  Chucks said it matches my hair.  Gee, thanks!

Here is the great idea.  There was a photo of a chandelier with glass globes hanging from it with silver metal around the tops.  I liked that look and scoured through my junk, er, stash to find some glass globes.  However, in the middle of this adventure, I had to run to the Habitat store - it was half-price day.  

I found these over-sized bulbs and some ceiling fan globes that resembled shells.  I decided to make tree shells!  ( you know you have shop too much at Habitat when they save burned-out bulbs for you!)

This project is pretty simple so I will try not to be too wordy, but I am not promising.

You will notice there are three of one shape and one of another.  There was not four of a kind. (You know how rare that is!)

Use Rust-Oleum chrome paint on the inside - two coats.

Use chrome paint on the outside - two coats.

Here is an after and a before. Sorry, I never get that right.

I did not take a picture of the clear glass globes - I know you have seen hundreds of them in thrift shops.  They must multiply at night.

Whoops, strict rule:  no extra talking!

While you are spraying the globes and the screw part of the bulbs, go ahead and spray some shells, too.  Do the front and the back.  I am a nut case about finished backs!

I used this bunch for all three of my glitz projects.

As all this was drying, I glazed with taupe metallic the shell images from Karen over at The Graphics Fairy.  I cut them out and made tags.

 The giant bulbs screwed loosely into the globes and were glued in with E6000.  Silver bead wire was wrapped around the top of each with a foot long end left.

As the glued dried, I wired the shells and finished the shell tags.

Yes, there are tags.  No, there are no tassels.

Maybe I should have made tassels for a glitzy project.  No, I am thinking of a different type of tassel. Never mind!

 O-o-o-o-h,  a-a-a-a-h.

Here is a silvery tree shell with the tag and shell attached.

Look how the shape of each mimics the other.

You would almost think I planned it that way!

Now, how the heck do I hang them from the tree?

Rummaged through the bins in the pantry (where I keep hardware and tools, not food!) and found some dark green chains to hold potted plants.  I wired the chain to the tree shell with the tail of the bead wire.

These chains have a thing-a-ma-jig at the end of it that hooks back to the chain.

I was going to fill in the name for that thingy, but I still can't think of what it is called.

Here they are just a-swinging in the crape myrtle.  My neighbor thought they were cute, and two birds were definitely interested.  I just hope they are glitzy enough to sort of, kind of, resemble Z Gallerie stuff.  Even if you don't have a thing to wear to the glitz hack off, come by to see just how crazy crafters can be when letting their glitz show!

See y'all!

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