tick~tock goes the clock

This is my latest make, a little plaque for my brother-in-law's 50th birthday.

I think it's always difficult deciding how to give something a masculine twist, however Steampunk has made it  a lot easier and as that is a theme I love, I have quite a few cogs, springs and clock-faces lying about!

This is made in two parts, the first is a paper mache plaque, and the second is a re-purposed beer pump clip!  I was lucky enough to snare quite a few of these just last week.  Phil and I had managed to escape for a few days and being real-ale lovers and members of CAMRA we looked up a few pubs.  One that I had especially wanted to visit was The Three Barrels in Berwick on Tweed, it had great write-ups and seemed to boast a great atmosphere - well I'm so pleased we did!  The pub itself is fantastic - definitely worth a visit if you are ever up that way.  The decor is right up my street, very eccentric but it works, it even boasts an old dentist chair!!   Anyway I digress, on one side of the bar was a box of pump clips (these are the plastic labels that attach to the front of a beer pump with the name of the beer on) labelled 'Free to Good Home'!  Obviously I had a good look through, and picked a few I wanted but didn't want to seem greedy.  Phil noticed me drooling (!) and asked the barmaid how many we could take.  All of them if you like, was the reply, as they will just end up in the bin otherwise.  So, they came home with us!

 

So having decided on a slightly steampunk theme for this, I chose one of the clips that was in a shield shape and covered it with several layers of crumpled brown tissue paper.  Once dry, I rubbed some Rub and Buff in Autumn Gold over the surface, blending it in to the creases then when dry, buffing it with a soft tissue.  Next I took a chocolate coloured ink pad and swooshed this over the top.  It's not easy to photograph the end result, but it came out looking like an aged leather.

The paper mache plaque was made by first sticking various elements on the bare surface, numbers, cogs, stars etc. Then I covered it with a sheet of adhesive metal tape.  This was worked into place, and burnished.  I took a combination of alcohol inks and used these to cover the foil.  The next step was to cover the raised elements with a copper leafing pen.  I used to use this technique all the time, it's great over peel-offs too but haven't for a while.  I think it fits in really well with the theme of this piece so was pleased to give it a go again.

The next step was choosing and attaching the elements to the shield.  I chose a word band from Tim Holtz, some clock faces and a large clock spring.

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And there you have it!

I am entering this into the following challenges:

Frilly and Funkie Challenge Blog, Time after Time - here : http://frillyandfunkie.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/time-after-time.html

The Artistic Stamper, Embossing and Texture - here http://theartisticstampercreativeteam.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/april-challenge-embossing-and-texture.html

Artful Times, Heavy Metal - here 

: http://artfultimes.blogspot.co.uk/2014/03/challenge-52-heavy-metal-make-metal.html

Haunted Design House, Steampunky Junk - here http://haunteddesignhouse.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/macarbre-monday-186-steampunk-junk.html this fits the theme as the pump clip was destined for the bin!!

and Inspiration Journal, A Few of my Favourite Things - here : http://blog.inspirationemporium.com/?p=2192

Thanks for reading :o)

Edited to add : Wow! I was a winner at Artful Times :oD  and got this great new badge for my blog!!