Friday 1 May 2015

Clarity Challenge 27 Clocks


Clarity Challenge April 2015 - Clocks

Rock Around the Clock


Hi from Shelagh-land again. Cannot believe it's time for the next Clarity challenge.Where have the first four months of this year gone? I do recall someone saying time passes so much more quickly when we are 'older' but I'm not THAT old YET! Pondered long and hard over this challenge, tried a few different things but kept coming back to the clock. In the end, the idea would not disappear and  I doggedly persevered. This was yet another departure for me as I was using Fresco Finish (now available from Clarity) and Spectrum Aqua pens. The clock was a reduced item I spotted and purchased from a local supermarket as I thought it had potential.
Many apologies for the lack of step-by-step photos this time but I had revised my write-up and added more when the server refused to play and I lost the lot. So, I'm afraid it's chalk and talk this month!


Materials:-
·         Wooden Heart Clock:- purchased from a supermarket for a couple of pounds
·         Gesso:- Pebeo White
·         Fresco Finish Acrylics:- Sherbet Opaque, Claret Translucent, Honey Dew, Crackle Glaze
·         Clarity Stencils:- Elegant Ladies
·         Grunge Paste
·         Clarity Stamps:-Remountable Music Clear Stamp Set, Remountable Birdsong Set
·         Ink Pads:- Ranger -Archival Black, Distress Inks – Old Paper, Black Soot
·         Spectrum Aqua Pens
·         2B pencil, eraser, paper stump
·          Black, white card (Clarity)
·         Cut’n’Dry sponge
Instructions:-
1.       Firstly I removed the ribbon from which the clock is suspended (I'm not a fan of ribbon on household items.) then taped over the hands with masking tape.
2.       White gesso was applied to front, back and sides mainly to cover the painted message on the front of the clock (for the life of me I cannot recall what it said, obviously meaningful!) – and also to cover the unreal colour of the wood as it was a grey/green/ yellow shade.
3.       This was where I made a bit of a mistake.  I painted the base of the clock in Sherbet; dried it; added Crackle Glaze then sponged on areas of Claret.  When it was dry, it was too sugary-pink. Back to the drawing board – or alchemy corner of the kitchen as Mike my husband calls it.
4.       I drew around the clock onto some canvas paper to create what I call mock-ups. I painted one of these with Sherbet and Crackle Glaze, allowed this to dry then sponged on Honey Dew. This created a much more eye-friendly cooler tone; I repeated this on the clock-face and the desired cracks reappeared. Phew!
5.       Old Paper and Black Soot Distress inks were gently blended onto the clock face and some areas removed using  baby wipes.
6.        I decided where I wished the right-hand figure to be placed, taped on the stencil and smoothed Grunge Paste through this. The clean, dry stencil was flipped over and placed at the other side of the clock and Grunge Paste dragged through again.
7.       Once the figures were dry, I sanded them gently before adding colour. Spectrum Aqua colours were scribbled onto a palette - Peach for skin, Yellow for hair, Slate for shirt and Scarlet for trousers and picked up using a fine, wet paintbrush, intensifying the colours in areas of shade. (I tried using the pens 'neat' on a 'mock up'  but could not achieve the intensity of colour to create shade, hence resorted to diluted colours. NOT the pens fault, I hasten to add, but mine.) 
8.       Three records were die-cut from black Clarity card and added to top, middle and foot of clock. The records at 6 and 12 o’clock were stuck to the clock by using a sheet of Clarity double sided sticky film. The middle record was slit from centre to outside, Glossy Accents applied to flip side and smoothed down around the hands.
9.       With black Archival, I stamped the musical staves from the Musical Birdsong to waft out from each record, two Treble Clefs, a number of notes and the single note repeatedly around the edge – all from the Remountable Music set.
10.   Armed with a 2B pencil and an eraser, I gently shaded around the figures, notes and records. (It took me two evenings to create the depth of shadow I wanted.)
12. The clock hands were coloured using a dark red alcohol marker.
11.   In my craft stash, I found tiny red seed and larger black glass beads. With a length of fine silver wire, I created a hanger for the clock, threaded it through the hole at either side, through the first black bead on either side, tied it off and clock complete!
Et maintenant, we have ‘Rock Around the Clock!’ 

Thank you for looking in and remember to have a go at the new Clarity Challenge, number 27. Each month I look forward to viewing the marvellous creative masterpieces you produce and I'm always quite blown away by the amount of talent you all display.
Bye for now,
Shelagh.

19 comments:

  1. Hi there Shelagh, I have to admit you have had me singing Rock around the clock since I saw this super creation. I love it. Super inspiration and great use of the stencils. xxx

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    1. Hi Naomi, thank you so much, I'm pleased the clock is having the desired effect. It's currently swingin' in my kitchen!
      By the way, I'm having a bit of a trial posting comments to the DT team so please bear with me, it's not for want of trying. ;~}

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  2. Chalk and Talk...love it Shelagh!!! Laughing aside...this is a lovely piece and the instructions are brill. The details are fantastic. It is a shame about the loss of what you already had...its a bummer when that happens. But this is an inspirational piece nevertheless. Sorry back to laughing!!!

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    1. Thank you, Emma. There was a bit of stress attached to this one as it was another departure from my normal stuff and I only had one clock so had to 'get it right' first time.
      Yes - the joys of IT!! I keep losing my comments I make on my iPad too so it's a bit of an all-round disa-a-aster, Darling! My comment on your blog was one of the first I made but I couldn't see it when I checked; holding out for more success soon! ;~}

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  3. I love the design of this clock and the colours you used you are so talented. Xx

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    1. Hi Carol, thank you very much. I'm pleased the colours look acceptable as I had wanted the pink to be a vibrant scarlet red but then I couldn't get the shading to look right; a bit more practise needed I think. ;~}

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  4. You came up with a very good idea I love it xx

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    1. Thank you, Julie. I wish I'd taken a photo of the original so the change was visible but at that time I had no idea it was going to work or indeed if it was going to be my post! ;~}

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  5. oh what a shame you lost your stuff - but still your chalk and talk instructions are great. Its a fab clock and the depth of shading you have achieved is great - not convinced I would have had the patience. Another person who has seen something unloved and then transformed it - I never think of things that way - maybe I should try harder.

    I know what you mean about losing stuff and commenting - I got a tablet to make it easier to blog and comment - but its impossible to do it as quickly as on the laptop and as a result I find I no longer visit blogland as often as I did...must try harder xx

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    1. Hi Linda, thank you so much, being on the look-out for end-of-line/discontinued items is new to me, too. It was never a problem when I saw bargains for any of my primary classes, anything from educational toys and books to unusual art and craft materials but homey stuff is a different matter; there's already enough clutter from our times overseas. Maybe that should be my next port of call - recycling some of it and de-clutter a little at the same time! ;~}

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  6. Hi Shelagh, your clock is brilliant. I love picking up "stuff" from the supermarket specifically for up-cycling, I head straight to the reduced section to get the slightly broken stuff no one wants :-)

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    1. Thank you, Julie, you are very kind. As I said to Linda above, spotting something to change is very new and I still have to exercise some restraint otherwise .............. well I suppose those charities which still accept bric-a-brac would find themselves with sizeable donations! ;~}

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  7. Hi Shelagh, so sorry to hear you lost your first edition - how frustrating, the chalk and talk is great - and shows how much work was involved in this masterpiece - especially with the shading. Like Linda I never seem to think of taking an older piece and up cycling it - so clever of you. xx

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    1. Hi Angela, how lovely of to comment. Really, the clock started out as a bit of tat, that anyone wouldn't look twice at, never mind hang anywhere. I spotted it in the supermarket, decided I'd give myself some thinking time and kept viewing it for another couple of days; it wasn't the value of it but the thought 'Can I really do something with it' that haunted me until it was complete. Oh, and the box it came in has also been saved for another project! ;~}

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  8. Brilliant idea and project, Shelagh, and good, clear instructions too. Chalk and talk lessons were always good to fall back on but not when Ofsted were in though! x

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    1. Thank you, Lesley, the clock turned out ok in the end.
      Remember the HMI inspections vividly and quite glad that I don't have to endure them now. ;~}

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  9. So creative Shelagh - It turned out great that's for sure!
    A great step-by-step blog too - Isn't it amazing what can be done with a bit of imagination and some crafty materials!
    I'll certainly be keeping my eyes open for any bargain potential crafty items in the shops - thank you for the tip.
    Have a great Bank Holiday weekend xxx

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  10. Thank you kindly, Mrs P. Once I began looking around, it was amazing how many things I saw in a different light. Another thing to look at is the jewellery found in the children's area, it's great for charms and the like. ;~}

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    1. Great idea Shelagh - we've got a charity shop quite near to us, so that'll be good - I can top up my crafty stash and do some good for the charity too :-) xxx

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