Enchantress Planter, updated for the 80s!

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

I think I posted this once before, complete with my idea. For those who don't remember, want to guess - without looking it up? Here's my thought: The Enchantress was "updated" into a minimalist 80s look by adding the Midnight series. But the Enchatress came in two versions... What if both had been adapted for the 80s? What would they have done to change the colorful plastic greenery to make it match the theme of the glossy black base, or would they have substituted something else in the tray?

I have a guess, but I want to hear others' ideas. Mine is currently in-the-works, as I transform a spare Planter base. Previously, in the mid-90s, I tried filling the tray on a brass one with broken auto safety glass. That looked sort of interesting, but wasn't really spectacular.

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

I, too, was thinking flowers. But not brightly-colored plastic. Something else - just as showy, but better suited to the Midnight, which is best used in a dark room. Even in the dark, I wanted the plants to be part of the focus.

I love your suncatcher idea. Those look really cool, I'd buy one. Do any prototypes exist?

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

Here is what I decided would be the new-for-the-80s companion to the Midnight... the Midnight Planter! As Enchantress is 8100 and Planter 8200, Midnight is 8400 so Midnight Planter might be designated 8500 series. Base was sanded down thoroughly, then sprayed black with high-temp stove paint. The flowers are plastic, removed from cheap 80s lamps, stems trimmed to length, stem bases tinted using colored Sharpie markers. Holes were drilled, and flowers were expoxied in place. The stems were colored black so they would not glow. I paired it with THE CLASSIC Midnight color - white/blue.

Hope you like.

[LampHead]

Cool Jonas !! I like the look of that. Are those fiber optic flowers ?? that you drilled holes into the base for ? That looks great in the dark.

LampHead

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

Yep, cut from those cheap blue-smoked plexiglass box lamps. I painted the stems black with a sharpie so they wouldn't glow, and tinted the bases of the stems with colored sharpies so each flower's light color matches the color of its petals. They're held in with black silicone epoxy. The base was sanded with sandpaper, then sprayed with black stove paint. I encourage others to try one, too!

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

Thanks a lot, I'm glad you seem to like it. I've had this idea for well over a year, but just now got around to buying the fiber-optic lamps and building it. If someone shipped me a Planter base and paid for the fiber-optic lamps (I'd hunt them down) and also for my time and work, I'd consider making another. The fiber lamps are around $5-10, and I guesstimate needing two or three - this one used two. What style of flowers I use all depends on what lamps appear at the thrift store. There are basically two types: flowers like roses, which are made from folded and bent flat fiber sheets, and "puff" flowers like those I used, which have a spiky puff of fibers in the middle of a fake-silk flower. I see the latter more often, and they're easier to use.

[Autumn]

How has this lamp held up? Do you have problems with the fibers melting by the light? Me and a couple others are going to make one of these lamps.

[Jonas Clark-Elliott]

No problems save that the colors I used on the bundled fiber ends fade and have to be re-inked.