The Magic Mirror

I first started carving this May/June 2010 when I found I needed some respite from an unsavoury cocktail of a frustrating work life and challenging business issues. It was a project that I chipped away at, not really knowing when I’d finish it, and hoping that I actually would. Anyway, here it is, done and dusted and ready for a lovely Chrissy present for my wife. Of course it’s no surprise as I’ve had the thing in parts lying all over the floor for the last 6 months. On Tuesday this week, I finally ordered and collected and installed the glass. Phew! There were honestly times when I thought it might end up as one of those DIY projects that start with a whiz and a bang of enthusiasm and eventually get quietly put aside once the thrill has worn off. So I can be honest and say I’m feeling fairly proud of myself for seeing it through and learning a new thing; this being the first carving project I’ve ever done.

The Magic Mirror

The inspiration for the design clearly has a flower theme and I settled on this because I was itching so badly to get into the carving that I simply chose a topic I knew Nikki would like and that hopefully wouldn’t be too challenging. We have a very nice yellow Hibiscus tree outside our bedroom window and this forms the centrepiece at the top of the mirror frame. I was also interested in mixing different types of stains (3 are used here) to achieve a style of dark mahogany colour, and utilising the style of antiquing to give a soft and subtle shading with the stains.

Structurally, it’s all solid which is mainly due to a timber bracket I fixed at the rear base. The pivoting mechanism is a series of washers and a 6mm diameter bolt with a wing nut. So, here it is.

Pivotting Wing Nut Assembly

I’ve got a couple of other projects I’ll post about real soon. One is this character I call Mr Fish which I started carving one weekend at the bach a couple of months back. The second item is a garden planter.   We don’t have room for a veggie plot in our garden, and we've also got a chicken who will, in her good-natured way, obliterate any vegetable patch. so I’ve built this freestanding planter. 

Stay tuned.

Merry Christmas good people.

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