hello & happy monday everyone! i have mentioned before the "love/hate" relationship that still stands with myself + our neighborhood deer. for instance...love that one eve this summer i spotted them playing in our front yard. a quick grab of the camera provided this shot {below}.
since i was in such a hurry...my hand wasn't steady on the shot and they were not sticking around for another photo op. but i think you can see a bit what's going on. it was a mama deer and her yearling touching noses while the newest member...her fawn...was right in the middle of the action. very sweet!
but with the sweet comes the sour. that would be waking up on many occasions to discover my lovely plants had become a midnight snack to said family. not that i hate the deer. can't hardly blame them for dining on the nicest plants i have. i sure wouldn't go for the wilted spinach on the salad bar either.
all this brings me to my love of deer antlers. i have collected bleached out, weathered specimens for years. and when i happened on a mount @ the local antique store...it didn't take me long to pounce. now this is the before {below}. not bad...but not quite my style.
so what would make it my style? well that would be something organic. and pretty. while maintaining a rustic charm. so out came my jar of hundreds and hundreds of tiny pearl seashells {below}.
off came the green velvet covering...hello to the blank slate. and goodbye to the oak backing. welcome weathered chunk of wood. with that...and countless hours {plus more than i care count hot glue burns later} i ended up with what i think fits the above criteria. a fine looking mount that will proudly hold some of my favorite baubles. {below}
hard to pick out in the photos...but the antlers actually have some hints of pink on them. which happen to compliment the pearly hue of the shells. not sure who requested the pink wash on them but i am definitely a fan.
i doubt that the taxidermist down the road will be knocking down my door for me to embellish any mounts soon...but i will have my jar of shells ready! and a box of band-aids just incase!
always appreciate you taking the time to visit my little corner of the web.
please stop again & often!
