Aaaaarrrgggghhh.... The Agony!!!

Two Steps Forward.... Ten Steps Back......

I am Sure you have All had those moments, Dear Readers, when you just Can't believe that all that work you just completed with Such Satisfaction will probably have to be re-done! After weeks, no, Months of dithering, I had finally decided that I did need to paint those "Trees" that are such a large feature of the parlor in Hardwick Hall. Last week I showed them to you in their partly painted condition. All that was still needed was the "marbleing" to make them match the rest of the fireplace. It was something I could easily fit in around all the work of the RL redecorating, so I started right in!

Above you can see me testing the frame piece for the right hand side of the mirror.

Of course, I need to shine a bright light into the room 

for you to be able to see the painted effect! 

I thought it looked just right and started in on the remaining pieces.

Here you can see the left hand side painted too....

Still just being tested for color and uniformity of "marbling"....

Was it good enough? 

Was it ready for the Final step... gluing in place????

Yes!

It was Finally time 

to attach it all permanently in place... 

so we could go forward with the rest of the construction!

So I carefully threaded the wires through the holes in the wall 

where they would run down to the foundation and connect to the plug strip.

And piece by piece I glued the whole structure in place!

Including the extra branches on the outer side....

 

Doesn't it look Magnificent?

Of course, in order to thread the wires through the walls, 

I had to cut the plugs off and will re-splice them later. 

It was too late last night to do that step!

But tonight I wanted to take a picture for you 

of the completed hearth with lights lit, 

so I temporarily spliced the plugs back onto the wires....

But only One of them would light.......

It must be the bulb, I thought.... 

after all, it had fallen to the floor more than once...

So I dug out a replacement bulb.... 

but still no light....!

This cannot be happening I am thinking.... 

maybe it is just the plug....

so I hooked that plug to the coals in the grate....

The plug worked just fine.... 

the hearth glows Beautifully!

But only one of those intricately embedded lights works....!

AAAARRRRRGGGHHHH!!!!!

I don't know about You, Dear Readers, 

but I cannot believe I am going to have to dismantle 

that carefully constructed and firmly glued framework.....!

I can't imagine that the sculpey will all come off in one piece....

and even if it does, the light fixture is baked into the clay.....

and if the wiring of the fixture itself is compromised,

 I will have to start over from scratch.....!

AAAARRRRGGGGHHHH!

Yes, two lovely steps forward....

Ten Painful steps back!!!

The Agony!!!!