LITTLE BLOG TUTORIAL (FINALLY - YAY!) - CUCKOO CLOCK..

I have been suffering this week from some sort of horrible stomach thing - yuk! - so have been slow to put this little tutorial together.  I am still not fully back to normal but I'm going to give putting some instructions on here a go tonight, as promised recently.  Hopefully it will all make sense but if you have any questions please ask!  This is the clock in question and it is a joy and quite simple to decorate: -

And here is how I went about decorating it:

I used a Tando Clock with mechanism, which you will find on our website HERE, plus background papers from our SHADES OF SUMMER 6" x 6" book.  I used CI rubber stamps - CI-206, CI-231, CI-248, CI-329, CI-350 and the clock face stamp CI-352.  I added paint and stencilled images to the top chipboard section plus pearls, micro beads, and a little bit of coloured muslin to the inner sections to embellish.  I used Copic pens to colour the stamped images, and added chain as shown. I also made myself a template for the extra background surround layer and little 'cuckoo' door.  If you would like a copy of this template when you buy a clock blank please let us know and we will enclose one for you.  Some further brief instructions will follow (with pics):

1.  Cut out pieces of background paper to fit behind each of the four top sections.  Adhere these four pieces of paper to the base chipboard clock piece.  Use the 'roof' section of chipboard as a template to draw around and then cut out some plain coloured paper to fit.  Adhere this paper to the roof section.  I then stamped this with the lace stamp CI-350 in black.

2.  Paint the top layer of chipboard with your chosen colour of paint (I used a Farrow and Ball matchpot for colouring, but any acrylic paint or similar will do).  Stencil and/or stamp pattern onto the painted surface.  Then paint all the edges of the chip, and glue (strong glue) and assemble all the chipboard parts.  It helps if you use bulldog clips to hold the pieces together while the glue sets.

3.  Gather together your chosen stamped images to decorate your clock (I stamped on background papers), and colour with Copics or similar.  I also layered up the main stamped images onto coloured card and cut around again, just to make them stand out.

4.  Use the micro beads, coloured muslin, pearls and stamping to decorate your clock front, to suit yourself.  I added chain to 'suspend' one of the birdcages.  Stamp, cut out, and add the clock face to the centre.

5.  If using my template - cut out your plain coloured card backing piece and the little door.  Add some 'hinges' with a black pen to the door, and a pearl for the 'handle', and glue the door to the clock.  Cut out an extra circle of coloured plain card to represent the 'pendulum' and glue this to the base of the clock on top of the template piece of coloured card, as shown in the main photograph.  I also stamped the backing coloured card around the edges with the lace stamp CI-350.

I also glued a little stamped nest behind the door and added another coloured background paper strip to the edges of the roof.  Decorate further with stamped flowers.

6.  Decorate the chipboard 'weights'.  Cut two lengths of chain, make slits and insert through the front of the backing card and glue to the reverse of the bottom edge of the clock with strong glue, and then glue the ends of the chain to the back of the 'weights', so that they dangle down.

7.  Finally pierce a large enough hole through the centre of the clock face, through to the back, in order to insert and assemble the clock mechanism.  Pop on the hands starting with the hour hand, then the minute hand, then the second hand.  Press each one down firmly as you go.

8.  Pop in a battery, place on the wall and listen to the soothing tick!

Would love to hear if you have enjoyed this post!

Bye for now,

Jean x