Growing My Blog

It's that time again! Dear Vicki over at 2 Bags Full is hosting yet another wonderful "Grow Your Blog" party! Because of her, my readership grew by leaps and bounds last year, so how could I NOT participate again? With nearly 600 blogs signed up, it's going to be incredible!

Last year I marked the occasion with a tour of my Studio, but it really hasn't changed much since then (if you haven't visited before, Welcome! and click on the "Peruse The Studio" link at the top of the page if you do want to look around). What HAS changed recently is that I have learned how to add crafting videos to my very own YouTube Channel. They make it so much easier to demonstrate my work with the supplies I used and I hope is more entertaining for you too.

This week's project began after the tragic and sudden loss of a family member; all I could think about was how fleeting and precious Time is. So an idea began to simmer and I dove into a Steampunk-like sculpture featuring some vintage clock and watch parts I had on hand.

I began with a shadowbox I had picked up at Value Village a few weeks ago. It has a glass front, removable back and is made of unfinished wood. I decided I wanted my sculpture to be tactile, so I flipped the box around, chucked the back panel and made the glass the back. This way, my sculpture could break free of the box itself.

Gathering supplies; some were used, some were not

The inside was decorated using Ranger's Foil Tape Sheets after running them through my Cuttlebug with Tim Holtz' Alterations Gears embossing folder. The tape is backed with adhesive, so after laying it around the interior walls, I painted it to match the brass pieces I was going to use - first with Triangle Crafts Blackened Bronze paint and then Tim Holtz' Tarnished Brass Distress Stain. I popped off the stain's foam pad applicator and used a brush and my fingers to apply it, highlighting the pattern even more.

I needed a framework for the gears, so I first painted and then bent a long piece of aluminum wire in half, curved it into an interesting shape and secured it by running it through two holes in the box. Next I began the long process of attaching the clock and watch pieces with E6000 glue; just one at a time so they would set correctly. After they were in place, I snipped some areas of the armature away giving the piece the illusion of floating.

I'm sure Tim Holtz would cringe seeing me use his Tonic snips this way... but they worked like a charm!

I added Tim's Weathered Clock on the right side; I cut two out of chipboard, painted them the same as the rest of the piece and sandwiched clear acetate in between so I could add a gear center and clock hands. I cut it in half, adhering one side inside the box and the other outside the box.

I finished off the outside with Ranger's Crackle Paint, then washed it with watered-down Blackened Bronze paint. I also used Tim's "Mirrored" sheet, cut to size over the glass back, adhered with ScorTape and backed with black cardstock. I like the way the mirror allows you to see the parts from behind as well.

In place over my desk

Done. I've named it "Unwound". I can stick my hand inside and rotate some of the gears or play with the clock and watch springs...

Now if only I could turn back Time for real...



Thank you so much Vicki, for all your incredibly hard work putting together another extremely successful Grow Your Blog Party! Be sure to visit at least some of the nearly 600 blogs participating this year... I'll just bet you find some amazing ideas and new bloggy friends along the way!