Wedding Plaque Help (opinions)

[oldhudson]

Some time ago I posted under Pattern Help a request for help creating a pattern for a wedding gift. I did get a couple of great suggestions but decided I'd just give it a go on my own and see what happened. Check the pic and see where I'm at. (All the cuttings in the pic are 1/8" BB pw.) I took a couple of photos at the wedding and from those made a pattern and cut the silhouettes. The Infinity love symbol was on Pineterest. I snipped a copy and enlarged it and cut from that. Then over at DaFonts made the date (this is my 3rd time cutting the date - way too difficult for this OF).

I found this background at JoAnnes and the color works well with their wedding because all the men wore red ties and there were loads of red flowers. 

So my questions are: 1) What color should the cuttings be? I'm leaning to black or natural, but open to your great ideas.  2) There's a small piece of wood in the pic I was thinking of making the frame from, once again - color? I was thinking I'd just BLO it and add a topcoat. The piece in the pic has some naptha on it that sort of mimics BLO, but flashes off after a few minutes. But I'd be happy to paint it any color that works. 3) I really wanted to make a frame that was an ellipse, but at this point that seems like a lot of work and I've never been good at back routing profiles so I'm leaning towards a boring rectangular frame. 

So go ahead a offer up your suggestions. Thanks for looking!

Edited May 1, 2018 by oldhudson

[Rockytime]

You put together a great pattern and cutting.Unfortunately I cannot suggest a finish except say I would never paint it.

[MrsN]

I would tend to leave the pieces natural. If painting either white or black would be my choice, I think that white would show up better on the red but it might be a little too high contrast.

I would also tend to leave the frame fairly natural, but a black frame is always classic looking. 

 

This is all together a wonderful project, I can't wait to see what you decide to do.

[WayneMahler]

I think I would just leave the cutting natural with a top coat on it. As for the frame, something on the medium brown, you don't want to take away from the art work or plaque itself.  Nice job cutting this .

[woodduck]

Think I  would either leave it natural or paint it white .Can't beat white for a wedding & it would really stand out against that background.

[SCROLLSAW703]

I'm not much fer paintin', but seein's how it's fer a weddin', I reckon I'd have to say paint it white on the red background. Maybe make your frame out of oak, or somethin' along those lines.

[blights69]

12 hours ago, oldhudson said:

Some time ago I posted under Pattern Help a request for help creating a pattern for a wedding gift. I did get a couple of great suggestions but decided I'd just give it a go on my own and see what happened. Check the pic and see where I'm at. (All the cuttings in the pic are 1/8" BB pw.) I took a couple of photos at the wedding and from those made a pattern and cut the silhouettes. The Infinity love symbol was on Pineterest. I snipped a copy and enlarged it and cut from that. Then over at DaFonts made the date (this is my 3rd time cutting the date - way too difficult for this OF).

I found this background at JoAnnes and the color works well with their wedding because all the men wore red ties and there were loads of red flowers. 

So my questions are: 1) What color should the cuttings be? I'm leaning to black or natural, but open to your great ideas.  2) There's a small piece of wood in the pic I was thinking of making the frame from, once again - color? I was thinking I'd just BLO it and add a topcoat. The piece in the pic has some naptha on it that sort of mimics BLO, but flashes off after a few minutes. But I'd be happy to paint it any color that works. 3) I really wanted to make a frame that was an ellipse, but at this point that seems like a lot of work and I've never been good at back routing profiles so I'm leaning towards a boring rectangular frame. 

So go ahead a offer up your suggestions. Thanks for looking!

This is what it would look kind of like if it was natural with the backer and black frame and couple of other options   Hope this helps you to decide colours in some way or another

Edited May 2, 2018 by blights69

[lawson56]

Love your cutouts.Franks pics as come closes't to my thoughts.I would go with the top one,but with s dark stained frame.

[oldhudson]

3 hours ago, blights69 said:

This is what it would look kind of like if it was natural with the backer and black frame and couple of other options   Hope this helps you to decide colours in some way or another

No clue how you managed to render all those options and post them too. I'm just amazed!!

[blights69]

34 minutes ago, oldhudson said:

No clue how you managed to render all those options and post them too. I'm just amazed!!

Hey I have only a slight idea how I managed it luck I think played a part  

[lew]

5 hours ago, blights69 said:

This is what it would look kind of like if it was natural with the backer and black frame and couple of other options   Hope this helps you to decide colours in some way or another

First and third option I like the most....but the third backing is my favorite. I wonder what that would look like with white cuttings on the red back and the stained frame.....

All options are very good.....maybe leave it up to the couple?

[oldhudson]

It's supposed to be a surprise. 

[lew]

3 minutes ago, oldhudson said:

It's supposed to be a surprise. 

Oh...You'll drive yourself crazy trying to figure out the best option....When I get lost I just ask my wife.....she's a heck of a lot smarter then me anyway!!!

[Bill WIlson]

For simplicity's sake, I would likely leave the cut outs natural.  I would top coat them with whatever clear finish you prefer.

As for the frame, the wood in the picture looks like cherry.  I'm not a fan of staining cherry.  If it is cherry, it will darken significantly with age and exposure to light.  If you want it dark now, I would skip the BLO and simply apply a couple coats of Danish oil.  If you want to a glossy, film finish, you can use polyurethane or lacquer, but I would hesitate to apply over BLO, unless you make sure to allow the BLO plenty of time to cure.  BLO adds very little to the equation, if you use an oil based poly or varnish, so it's probably unnecessary.  If you want to use BLO with a waterborne poly or lacquer, I would suggest a barrier coat of shellac over the BLO, before the final topcoat.  Just to be on the safe side.

[heppnerguy]

7 hours ago, blights69 said:

This is what it would look kind of like if it was natural with the backer and black frame and couple of other options   Hope this helps you to decide colours in some way or another

nice helpful suggestions, Frank. That was really a great way to show what is could be like. Definitely if it were me, the top one for sure. I think everything works really well there.  To me, the black images just look cheap...just my opinion

Dick

heppnerguy

[blights69]

2 hours ago, lew said:

First and third option I like the most....but the third backing is my favorite. I wonder what that would look like with white cuttings on the red back and the stained frame.....

All options are very good.....maybe leave it up to the couple?

It would look like this Lew  

[blights69]

I prefer the one above  

 

Edited May 2, 2018 by blights69

[oldhudson]

No one has commented on an elliptical frame. Has anyone made one of those who could provide tips? I'd really like to try one and think it would really enhance the overall presentation. Maybe this isn't the time?

[MrsN]

I have never tried a non-rectangle frame. I can't be of any help. It would look cool, I just don't know how to do it.

[lew]

4 hours ago, blights69 said:

It would look like this Lew  

That's a winner!!

[Rockytime]

I could never make one but round and elliptical clock cases and doors that I have seen are segmented. I think a reasonable woodworker, and there are several on this site that I know of, could make one. Would be interesting to see a demo.Wedding Plaque Help (opinions)

[Buttkraken]

Whats blo and naptha?  If you paint it. May white on the birch and a white shabby shiek frame?

[oldhudson]

3 hours ago, Buttkraken said:

Whats blo and naptha?  If you paint it. May white on the birch and a white shabby shiek frame?

BLO = boiled linseed oil and naptha is a solvet similar to, mineral spirits, however it flashes off much faster.

[wombatie]

Yeah natural or white, definitely not black.  Great design you came up with, well done.

Marg

[oldhudson]

I certainly appreciate everyone's help on this. I really have issues reaching a decision with woodworking. But I finally moved on. In the end I left the scrolled stuff unfinished. And the frame as you can see it semi-gloss black. The size ended up at 8" x 10" because I had some glass here that was that size. (Sometimes I'm just cheap.) The stock (recycled from a broken case) for the frame has a nice beaded detail on the outside edge. I really like that look but the painted frame doesn't do much for the profile.  I never tried an ellipse, but I had a round mirror I'd made - I took the glass out and put that on piece - didn't care for it. 

Thanks again for your input.