Pirate Booty & Candelabras, or, how I spent my Saturday

I had a long list of things to do today, 98% of them were non-doll related tasks.  Most of them went un-done because I spent the day making candelabras and pirate treasure.  And doesn't that sound like more fun than washing the deck furniture and preparing the herb garden? 

I am still working on my Versailles-style Salon for Anne de Legere and I have several cake top candelabras that I have been meaning to finish.  These candelabras run about $10 each and can be found at many online stores, including Amazon.  This is what they look like when they are new:

They have a spike on the bottom to hold them on the cake.  You probably won't be able to cut it clean off but use a strong pair of scissors and it will weaken it enough that you can then snap it off.  Once you have the spike off you will want to prime it with a spray primer, any color is fine.  Alternatively, they do have spray paint now that bonds to plastic so you could use that.  Once you have it primed you can spray it with gold spray paint.  I used 24K Gold Spray Paint found at Michael's, for $4 a can.  Next you need the candles.  I used regular birthday candles and used an old serrated steak knife to shave off the colored diamonds:

once you get the color off them it's best to stick them into the candelabra with a dab of super glue.  You could be done at this point or you can bling it up.  After Christmas I found these dangly sparkly things on sale for 75 cents each.  They had perfect little crystals on them so I bought a bunch of them:

I used wire cutters to remove the crystals I wanted for the candelabra.  I then attached the crystals to the candelabra with a dab of superglue.  In process:

You should light the candles once so they have a burned wick, it will add to the whole look.  I forgot to do that and will go do it when I'm done writing this.  Once I was done I put the candelabra in the salon.  I have not yet constructed one of the walls so I apologize for it looking unfinished:

Then I was left with a pile of un-used crystals.  I remembered an old "salesman sample trunk" that I bought on ebay:

 I had intended to use it as a prop in Evangeline's attic but it was too big for her and looked out of scale.  These trunks don't come cheap.  I got a major deal on this one at $35 because it's in poor condition and missing the inner tray but pristine, complete, ones will run you upwards of $100.  Shop around and be patient.  

I got the trunk out of my attic and filled it with the extra crystals.  I must have stripped at least 15 of those dangly ornament things, my hands are killing me.  The trunk was the perfect size for my Iples.  Queen Doria would love a trunk of pirate treasure.  My Italian grandmother had half a dozen Infant of Prague dolls  that she would light candles in front of.  At some point the dolls went missing but the crowns were saved and I happily took them knowing they would come in useful some day.  Here Doria is admiring a crown of gold and jewels brought to her from the New World by an adoring explorer.  These crowns are quite expensive on the secondary market but they are truly works of art. Still I probably would never have spent the money on them but I do have these from my grandmother.

I filled the trunk with all kinds of mini treasures and am currently using the gold spray paint to spray tiny metal washers to look like gold doubloons.  This will take a long time but I enjoy the process and the gradual filling of the trunk.  The candelabra, by the way, is an excellent size because it can be used with 16" - 24" dolls.  Here it is with the pirate treasure:

Doria is so thrilled with the haul that she has asked me to find her a pirate to go out and get her more.  She has heard tell of a very sexy pirate named Leonard who always brings back a ship full of treasure.  She told me that if I don't acquire him she will be most displeased.  I guess the only question now is....would she prefer him to be light brown skin, or normal skin?