Well, that 31 Tags of Halloween really wiped me out but I'm hoping to get back to a more regular blogging schedule.
Today's post is my work in progress, "Harvest Time." It is a Tim Holtz Assemblage Clock that I've spent waaaay too much time on.
It started with the clock on sale at the local craft store. I had a vague idea what I wanted to make and even did a sketch one day when I was home sick with GERD.
My first step was to color the Tim Holtz Ancestors paper doll with some Distress Markers. I edged in Black Soot and colored the back black as well.
I made several attempts at backgrounds with Adirondack Alcohol Inks and finally settled on a purple-toned sky made by combining Pitch Black with Ranger Blending Solution. I added small drops of the Blending Solution to make stars.
The paint for the clock was a pain, but I'm happy with the end result. I coated the outside of the clock (and the back) with Sophisticated Finishes iron paint and then added the rusting agent. It didn't rust very much, but I dry-brushed white gesso over it to distress it some. I mixed up a wash of crimson red paint and washed it over the whole thing but the white just turned pink. I added more crimson and it looked nice, but too Christmas-y.
After letting it sit, I decided the best thing to do would be put more iron paint on and rust it again. This time, I added tissue over the entire clock and then applied the rusting agent. I find it keeps the agent in place and it doesn't just run off the project. With so many curved surfaces, I needed all the help I could get.
With the rust more prominent on the piece, I'm pretty happy but may add more color. I'm going to let it be for a few days and go back to it.
I painted the crimson paint on the inside of the clock and then added black acrylic over it. My alcohol ink background is held in place with Ranger Glossy Accents.
I wanted a crypt of bones beneath the pumpkin patch and decided to use molding paste. After three days, the glob of paste still wasn't dry and I grew frustrated so I ripped the Tim Holtz Boneyard pieces and the skulls out of the mess and cleaned them up. Luckily, I had Aves Apoxie Clay on hand so I made a base and pressed the fake bones into it. I used a piece of plastic to act as a barrier between the clock and the clay so I could easily remove it and paint it when it dried.
With the bone crypt painted and glued in place, I created the flat surface for the paper doll and pumpkins to rest on. I started off with a piece of cardboard covered in molding paste but didn't like the thickness of it. I decided to use a piece of Bristol board instead and coated one side with a thin layer of paste. Once dry, I painted both sides black. I added Glossy accents to half of the non-paste side and then added Distress Glitter in Black Soot. This glittered section will be over the skulls.
With the base dry, I added the paper doll. I made a brace out of a strip of cardboard I painted black and glued it to the paper doll and then to the base.
I ended up hot gluing the base to the top of the skulls and then making a support brace to make sure the base stayed up.
I kneaded together more Aves Apoxie Clay and made five pumpkins. I rolled small balls of the clay and used a thin metal probe to press grooves into them. I made a hole for the stems and debated going into the cold to hunt down a branch. A trip to the fridge saved me from freezing outside - we had a bunch of grapes and the clusters would make perfect stems!
Next, I added orange paint to the pumpkins and then glued the "stems" in place. I added Distress Ink in Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain to grunge the pumpkins up a bit.
A bit of Glossy Accents holds the pumpkins in place in the clock.
I love how the clock looks and can't wait to see it with fresh eyes tomorrow. There's more bits I want to add to really make it something special.
Now that I've almost completed this project, I can share a few learning moments:
Today's post is my work in progress, "Harvest Time." It is a Tim Holtz Assemblage Clock that I've spent waaaay too much time on.
It started with the clock on sale at the local craft store. I had a vague idea what I wanted to make and even did a sketch one day when I was home sick with GERD.
My first step was to color the Tim Holtz Ancestors paper doll with some Distress Markers. I edged in Black Soot and colored the back black as well.
I made several attempts at backgrounds with Adirondack Alcohol Inks and finally settled on a purple-toned sky made by combining Pitch Black with Ranger Blending Solution. I added small drops of the Blending Solution to make stars.
 |
| Alcohol ink background |
The paint for the clock was a pain, but I'm happy with the end result. I coated the outside of the clock (and the back) with Sophisticated Finishes iron paint and then added the rusting agent. It didn't rust very much, but I dry-brushed white gesso over it to distress it some. I mixed up a wash of crimson red paint and washed it over the whole thing but the white just turned pink. I added more crimson and it looked nice, but too Christmas-y.
 |
| Iron paint on exterior |
 |
| Rusted exterior with crimson accents |
After letting it sit, I decided the best thing to do would be put more iron paint on and rust it again. This time, I added tissue over the entire clock and then applied the rusting agent. I find it keeps the agent in place and it doesn't just run off the project. With so many curved surfaces, I needed all the help I could get.
 |
| Rusting agent on tissue |
With the rust more prominent on the piece, I'm pretty happy but may add more color. I'm going to let it be for a few days and go back to it.
I painted the crimson paint on the inside of the clock and then added black acrylic over it. My alcohol ink background is held in place with Ranger Glossy Accents.
I wanted a crypt of bones beneath the pumpkin patch and decided to use molding paste. After three days, the glob of paste still wasn't dry and I grew frustrated so I ripped the Tim Holtz Boneyard pieces and the skulls out of the mess and cleaned them up. Luckily, I had Aves Apoxie Clay on hand so I made a base and pressed the fake bones into it. I used a piece of plastic to act as a barrier between the clock and the clay so I could easily remove it and paint it when it dried.
 |
| The paste that won't dry |
 |
| Aves Apoxie Clay to the rescue! |
With the bone crypt painted and glued in place, I created the flat surface for the paper doll and pumpkins to rest on. I started off with a piece of cardboard covered in molding paste but didn't like the thickness of it. I decided to use a piece of Bristol board instead and coated one side with a thin layer of paste. Once dry, I painted both sides black. I added Glossy accents to half of the non-paste side and then added Distress Glitter in Black Soot. This glittered section will be over the skulls.
With the base dry, I added the paper doll. I made a brace out of a strip of cardboard I painted black and glued it to the paper doll and then to the base.
I ended up hot gluing the base to the top of the skulls and then making a support brace to make sure the base stayed up.
I kneaded together more Aves Apoxie Clay and made five pumpkins. I rolled small balls of the clay and used a thin metal probe to press grooves into them. I made a hole for the stems and debated going into the cold to hunt down a branch. A trip to the fridge saved me from freezing outside - we had a bunch of grapes and the clusters would make perfect stems!
 |
| Aves pumpkins freshly painted |
 |
| Cutest stems ever? Maybe! |
Next, I added orange paint to the pumpkins and then glued the "stems" in place. I added Distress Ink in Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain to grunge the pumpkins up a bit.
A bit of Glossy Accents holds the pumpkins in place in the clock.
I love how the clock looks and can't wait to see it with fresh eyes tomorrow. There's more bits I want to add to really make it something special.
 |
| In the home stretch of "Harvest Time" |
Now that I've almost completed this project, I can share a few learning moments:
- Do not paint the inside lip of the clock. The back fits very snugly and the extra paint makes it difficult to take the back off and on.
- Remove the glass. Dust be damned, remove the glass.
- Measure things. Multiple times.
- Take more photos as you go.
- Aves is your friend for this kind of thing.
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