DIY--Memory Box

Welcome to Quince Cottage!
Today we have another shadowbox DIY to share.
When his dad died a little while ago, Ron wanted to find a way to remember him that went beyond a simple framed photo. Along with Ray's golf clubs, which might or might not ever see service, Ron inherited a small collection of personal items: a tie, some photos, a couple of rollerskating medals, etc.
To keep these special mementos safe but visible, Ron created a shadowbox. The box itself he got at Michael's. Ron's dad worked at a shoe factory in Manchester, New Hampshire when he was very young, so we found a wooden shoe form at a local antique store. It's a tiny, child-sized one, just right for this purpose. A small piece of leather behind the mold reinforces the shoe-making idea and highlights the shape of the mold.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

As you can see above, Ray was an early fan of the selfie! He also enjoyed skiing in New Hampshire's spectacular White Mountains. Some of Ron's funniest stories involve family ski trips.
Ray's wristwatch is in the photo below. Despite the watch, Ray was chronically late (this might be a genetic thing, although Ron's never actually left either of our children standing lonely on a street corner waiting to be picked up). While punctuality wasn't a strong suit, Ron credits his dad with instilling an appreciation of Nature, and that's why there's a bird feather.
As you may already have noted, Ron used a variety of objects in this shadowbox, some two-dimensional and some three-dimensional. Some are black/white, others have color. There's a mix of "hard" materials (metals and wood) and softer ones (fabric and the feather). All these contrasts, along with a variety of shapes, help to give the composition visual interest.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Ray met his future wife, Irene, when he was very young. In fact he was only sixteen when they got married! (She was a little bit older). They enjoyed rollerskating together and if the medals indicate anything, apparently they were pretty good at it!

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Ron included one of Ray's ties, and a photo of him wearing that very same tie.

© Rhiann Wynn-NOlet

Unfulfilled by his job making shoes, Ray started his own business building houses. He became well known in the area for his fine reproduction Colonials. Ron spent a few summers helping out and learning about house design and construction. With that in mind, Ron papered the back of the shadowbox with woodgrain paper and included both a compass (which had been Ray's) and a rusty old nail (near the feather).

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

I apologize for the distracting reflections in the glass, try as I might I couldn't find an angle where those were not an issue. SO frustrating! But I digress...
If you're assembling a shadowbox, play around with the placement of objects before fixing any of them into permanent position. The photos in this box are straight up and down, but if you'll notice, some of the other items (tie, feather, nail) are placed at angles. Again, this is a matter of personal taste, but the idea was to make the composition less static and more dynamic - moving the viewer's gaze around. Use whatever adhesive makes sense given the materials you're using (hot glue, regular glue, etc.).
We'll close up this DIY with a picture of Ray, looking very French-Canadian (he was born in Quebec). It's nice to have these tangible reminders of a loved one and their life story, both for Ron and for our children, who knew Pepere only as an elderly man.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Tell us what you think, have you made a shadowbox before? What was its purpose? Strictly decorative or something more?
Oh, wait...we can't say farewell without a cute Irish Jack Russell pic! This was taken a week or so ago on a walk by the Neuse River. As you can see Buster (aka Pork Chop) is keenly focused on the treat in my hand. Daisy is scanning the woods beyond, ever hopeful of finding a squirrel. Preferably a fat, elderly one, with a limp and poor eyesight.

Buster & Daisy © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

And one more thing! Don't forget to join us here on Instagram for our #MagpieMonday fun. If you collect decorative items of any kind, you're going to love it!

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Quince Cottage Style is #agrarianchic - a mix of old and new, rustic and opulent.

Our goal is to make our new subdivision house look inviting, beautiful, 

and as though it wasn't born yesterday!

Transitioning the Mantel to Early Spring!

Hello there, welcome to Quince Cottage!
We love every season here in North Carolina and we try to savor each for its unique natural beauty. We do this not only through daily doggy walks, but in our decor as well.
Having said that, we're getting a teensy bit tired of the dull browns and grays of late winter. So when we received a beautiful gift from a dear friend, that was all the excuse we needed to tweak our mantel display with a sneak peek of spring.
If you didn't visit us during the winter, here is our holiday mantel.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

And here is our post-holiday-but-still-winter mantel.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

And now, here's a view of the right side of our mantel.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

See those rose plates? They were in storage until Rhiann got them out for an IG post about collections for the MagpieMonday hashtag she cohosts.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Aren't they pretty?
Here's the left side of the mantel. That gorgeous pink hobnail covered compote is the gift we received from our friend Juls. She's an extremely creative and obviously generous person, with fabulous taste. Here's a link to her Instagram , she is definitely one to follow.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

You might have spied our recent shadowbox project up above as well. Click here for the DIY if you're curious. And now for the whole shebang... We'd originally planned to take the crystal garland down along with the other winter decor, but it's just so pretty we're leaving it up for now.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Are you decorating for spring yet? What are your favorite spring themes?
We mentioned #MagpieMonday earlier. Follow us on IG here for more about that.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Now it wouldn't be right to leave you with no doggy pictures, so here here you go! Buster in front, Daisy being camera-shy.

Buster & Daisy © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Quince Cottage Style is #agrarianchic - a mix of old and new, rustic and opulent.

Our goal is to make our new subdivision house look inviting, beautiful, 

and as though it wasn't born yesterday!

DIY Old Clock Shadowbox

Welcome to Quince Cottage!
Today we have a small-scale DIY project to share.
Rhiann blames Pinterest for this one. All those pretty pictures of fascinating, artsy shadowboxes made from Altoid's tins made her want to make one for herself, but in a somewhat larger size.
We found an old clock at a thrift shop. It wasn't working, so no need for remorse about disemboweling it. Besides, we plan to upcycle all the parts into various other projects.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Once the innards were out, it was time to scrape off what remained of the decal ornamentation on the glass front.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

She painted the inside a light blue to blend in with the sky image she found on the interwebs. After copy/pasting it into a Word doc, she printed it out, cut it to fit and glued it in. She used a different image, this time of mountains and hills, and repeated the process for the lower section.
We found a ceramic bird magnet at a little shop. A blob of hot glue and it's forever flying high!
A real twig, broken to size, simulates tree branches. A dollop of hot glue holds the stick in place. There's no need to over-worry the matter of scale. In other words, the ingredients all make sense, and that's sufficient in this kind of piece. Some moss from the hobby shop lines the bottom of the clock. (again hot glue here and there).
Finally the crowning glory--a real bird's nest that Rhiann found blown out of the trees after a storm. Look at that pretty blue thread running through it! That bird had a decorator's eye for sure.

Nest © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

This is what it looks like close up, with the door open.

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Here's the finished creation.

Shadowbox © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

This was a fun project that didn't take very much time at all. Maybe we'll do another shadowbox soon!
If you're on Instagram follow us here and show your decor collections for #MagpieMonday!

© Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

This week feels like winter here in North Carolina, but last week was warm enough to spend a little time relaxing on our back porch. Here's Daisy basking in the sun. What's the weather like where you are? Tell us in comments, we love to hear from our followers!

Daisy © Rhiann Wynn-Nolet

Quince Cottage Style mixes old and new, rustic and opulent.

Our goal is to make our new subdivision house look inviting, beautiful, 

and as though it wasn't born yesterday!