Project No. 10—Part 5: Red's Urn

[October 31st, 2007]

Last week I gussied-up Red's Collage and attached it to a copper container—the ulitmate resting place for my dearly departed dog's ashes. I didn't know how to incorporate her tag, until, on a lark, I popped into Old Portland Hardware & Architectural (4035 SE Division St., 234-7380). Period hardware geeks rejoice, there's a new kid in town. Amid stunning antique doors and stained-glass windows I found a DOLLAR BIN! In the bin was a pile of ornamental medallions that the owner, Bret Hodgert, sold me for 50 cents a piece. They had fantastic patina and urn-like, medieval flair, so I bought six.

After rifling through kitchen drawers and random boxes in the basement, I realized I didn't have proper glue to secure the medallions to the copper lid. I picked up a tube of Loctite Houseware Repair ($2.98) at Lowe's (1160 N. Hayden Meadows Drive, 737-3000, lowes.com). Oddly enough, I think I like Lowe's this week.

To make the medallions lie flat I cut a little piece of metal off the back of each one. In order to create a flat surface that would lie flush with the lid, I filled the back of each with Diamond-Glaze Water-Based Dimensional Adhesive ($5/2 oz). After letting the Diamond-Glaze dry over-night I used Loctite to secure four of the medallions to the lid in a circular pattern. I glued lime-green ribbon between the medallions with Diamond-Glaze and set the lid in place. Something was missing.

I cut strips of the fancy paper I bought at Collage (1639 NE Alberta St., 249-2190, Collageonalberta.com) – this time a cream star-and-dot pattern on a black field – and played around with the arrangement. I used one strip to wrap the lid, and two others (one at the top and one at the bottom) to border the Collage. Although concealing most of the copper, the star-and-dot paper made Red's urn seem like a peaceful place to be. I smeared a dime's worth of Loctite to the underside of her beat-down, heart-shaped tag, glued it on top of the ribbons and between the medallions (like the center of a flower), and prepared myself to transfer her ashes.

Next Week: Socks!