Summer of '12 Mantle

I have had so much fun with and am happy with the

DIY projects that went into this mantle vignette

 that I will probably keep it up for the

whole Summer of 2012. 

The art print reminds me so much of the beaches of

Alabama and Florida where I have spent many a

summer vacation during my life.  I guess it could look

like a pretty beach almost anywhere.

The title of the print is "Rendevous". 

I think it is a gathering of the seagulls that inspired the

artist, Carolyn Blish, to name her painting that. 

This print has been mounted on foam core and sealed.  I haven't added the brush strokes like

I did to the prints for my Winter Mantle  and for Springtime in Paris mantle, but I intend to.

The black metal firescreen that I usually keep out all

year just looked too heavy with this vignette of neutrals,

blues and greens so I took it down and added an

arrangement of houseplants, spikey Dracena

( $1 each at the garden center at Walmart )

and some tropical-looking faux leaves from

last year's Summer mantle.

The planter (from the back back back yard) got a

new coat of paint in driftwood colors.

After I saw this post on how to make your own

Japanese fishing floats on the blog Sand and Sisal,

I have been looking forward to making some for

summer decorating. 

I am so disappointed that I didn't realize that the memory card was not in my camera while I was

taking the steps I took to make these floats.  I had (I think) gorgeous shots of them drying while 

hanging in from the crepe myrtle trees.  When the morning sun hit them while they were waiting

 inside on the coffee table be placed on the mantle, they looked almost as pretty. 

I ran out of the pre-made fishnet from the craft store so

I made some twine "cages" for the faux floats.

The wooden items from craft stores also had

most of their "how to" photos made without

 a card in the camera.  Here is how the faux

lobster/crab trap floats looked before painting...

...and here is what the float/lures looked like...

....this is a group photo when I DID realize the card was not

in the camera showing the paints that were used and

most of the items before sanding...

...the fishing lures/floats in the foreground have been

sanded, the background ones have not been sanded...

...and here it is all together:

The DIY decorative log pilings are detailed in Using My Noodles(s) blog post.

I hope you have a wonderful Summer of 2012!

Opps! I don't know what "happened to" the other parties I linked this to but I am sharing also at

Seasonal Sundays @ The Tablescaper