Thursday 28 March 2013

Cuckoo clocks go Steampunk....

is the very first challenge at SanDee and amelie's Steampunk Challenge Blog. Well, being a fan of steampunk I thought I would have a go at this one.

Take this badge and display if you please!

My initial idea was prompted by a recycling theme and I was considering a toilet roll inner, which in turn made me think of something along the lines of an organ pipe (sometimes when I share my thought processes with you I do wonder what is going on in my head, it sounds so daft when you put it down in black and white).

So I extended the TR and made a conical 'roof' with some cereal box card. Added old book pages to strengthen it all and then painted.

I made the bird next from some metal covered card. Did some tooling marks and coloured with alcohol inks (can't seem to put them away now I've got them out). I was very pleased with it until I put the whole thing together - something about it doesn't quite 'gel' with the rest of the project (too flat and shiny?) but I don't have any better ideas so it had to stay.

I had kept a lot of 'clearly for art' waste from another project and now proceeded to cut it into little tiles. I knew there was a reason I had hung on to it!! I then heated each one individually to get a kink (not sure why they had to have a kink but turned out OK) and then stuck them one by one onto the conical roof.

That took quite a while......

While waiting for  that to dry I started treating the main 'cone' with distress EP applied pretty much all over and then added paints/stains/alcohol inks/inka gold and other metallic rub ons to grunge it up further. I should probably have done more paper or paint layers as the edges of the book pages were showing as lines but I was far too impatient - in the end I quite liked the effect, bit like flaky metal so I was glad I hadn't bothered to go for perfection (!)

I finished off with a clock face set in a cog and then various cogs and bits n bobs including the chains and a hanging wire. All in all I like this one and it's already got a nice space on my wall.

It's nearly the closing date for this month's challenge but why not make a note to join in next month?

Challenges: Sandee and amelie's Steampunk Challenge
                    Crafty Emblies Challenge Blog (Anything Goes)

20 comments:

Astrid Maclean said...

This is such a cool make Cindy, love the grungyness and all the different textures you have achieved with the EP etc. Very cool make!!! LOVE IT!!

Happy Easter!

SandeeNC said...

WOW WOW WOW....this is just AWESOME Cindy!! You did a fabulous job! waving hi from the hills of North Carolina ♥

Deborah said...

Wow, Cindy!Amazing steampunk creation (and I'm well impressed with your clearly for art roof tiles - ingenious.Happy Easter xx

chrissie said...

Wow! This is just amazing Cindy. So much to look at and admire on it.

Love Chrissie xx

Monique said...

That's a great idea and such a beautifull clock, love it!!
Monique xx

Claudia N. said...

Gosh, Cindy,

I would love to have your cuckoo clock hanging on my wall!!!! It's amazing and I LOVE IT!

The tiles, the bird (it "gels" quite well as I see it ;), the idea with the cone... a unique piece of art!!!!

Thank you so much for sharing it with us at SanDee&amelie's Steampunk challenges!!!!

Hugs,
Claudia xx

Gibby Frogett said...

Wowser! Fantastic steampunk clock... fabulous techniques..a clock I'd love to have on my wall... Gill x

Kate Yetter said...

This is so awesome! Can tell this took a lot of time! I love the roof. And the rusty effect is fabulous. Love it!

Tracy said...

What a fantastic project it looks great.
Thank you for joining the Crafty Emblies challenge
Tracy (DT Member)

Meggymay said...

Awesome make Cindy. It has the Wow factor, it must have taken hours to put this fabulous clock together.
Yvonne x

AlexaCzar said...

wooooooooooow, cant find the right words for this piece...love it !!!

Amanda said...

This has turned out as a fabulous piece of steampunk with sooooooooo much work in it.
Love
Amanda x

kksb said...

Your clock is great!

Elaine aka Ellapu said...

Fabulous work - so beautiful and right up my street. Thank you for sharing with us over at Crafty-Emblies this month. Good news is Crafty-Emblies is now an Anything goes challenge blog which encompasses all paper craft and altered art. Hope to see you join us in future challenges
Elaine aka Ellapu CEDT

Halle said...

WOW! I love that it's made from mostly waste products. Awesome job!

SanDee1899 said...

Wow Cindy - stunning that is absolutley marvelous - Amazing!
so cool!
Thank you for joining the SanDee&Amelies STEAMPUNK CHALLENGE!
XOXO SanDee

Kyla said...

Oh my, this is fabulous....I cannot believe its loo rolls and clearly for art!! Very inventive.

Kyla

Beccalite said...

Oh my word I have fallen in love. This is just brilliant, such a lot of work but what a fabulous end result.

Thank you so much for coming over and joining in with out 9th Challenge over at Crafty-Emblies.

Great Big Huge Hugs

Becca xxx (Crafty-Emblies DT Member)

Maura said...

Amazing! Such a cool. Take on the clock - love it!

Unknown said...

Wow Wow Wow, i'm so in love with this peice its absolutely amazing xoxo

What's On Your Workdesk Wednesday? #771

  Morning deskers, welcome to our weekly Wednesday Blog Hop - WOYWW. Here's the link to the one responsible, the lovely   Julia at Stamp...