How to create a Mixed Media Acrylic Clock

Hello Everyone, Debs here with one of my How To projects, and this week it’s working on Clear Acrylic, which can be tricky, but so effective! I apologise in advance that the photos are not our usual quality due to the Clear Acrylic which reflects the lights and blurs the focus.

So first, using the backboard I gave it a heavy coat of crackle paint and let it dry, then added Antiqueing Cream in Patina all over to fill in the cracks.

To apply the cream,  rub in all over the surface you want filled and let it dry. Then with a damp but not wet cloth wipe it off. The idea is to leave the medium that has sunk into the cracks but wipe it off the surface. It can have a really aging effect, but is not permanent so I used a gel medium to seal it once dry. This also gave a great surface to stamp onto. Remember this is your very last surface and so acts as your background. I stamped the leaves all round the clock at the edges and then heat set it.

Now this clock comes with 3 Acrylic surfaces which is fabulous for building up your layers but for this clock I only used two. But first I completed the background layer. I used Alcohol pens to colour the leaves changing the values to give a 3D effect. I also added a white pen to add a highlight.

Easy right? Now the next step(s) are more tricky. I placed the next Acrylic layer on top so I could see the leaves, and then using a Black Ink I stamped the flowers. I used Stazon as it can be dried to be permanent. Now you will see from the photo that it didn’t go right. For some reason the ink started to spread out. I’ve not seen this before on acrylic, but it reminded me of how ink performs on silk unless you use a barrier to stop it escaping. However with  Clear Acrylic it’s simple just remove the ink clean the acrylic and start again. (I forgot to take another photo of the completed composition)

Okay, so once you are happy with your design, use a heat gun to dry the the ink. Don’t worry that the Clear Acrylic seems to bend, it will go back to shape as it cools. Now for my project I continued with Alcohol pens, which created a nice translucent look. However, for a solid look use acrylic paint but work in reverse. So if adding shading and highlights add them first, dry, and then add the main colour. You work this way because once it’s all dry you flip it over and have a wonderfully painted stamp which is under the the Clear Acrylic and won’t rub off. You don’t have to worry about staying within the detail lines either as when you flip it the black ink is the first element and the colour second. 

I coloured all the flowers, working light to dark so that when I flipped it they were in reverse. Once you have added your designs and built your layers you are ready to assemble your clock. Which is very simple and self explanatory. In the clock kit you also receive some MDF numbers which you can stick on, or use the frame from which the numbers were cut as a stencil. 

Let’s have a last look

Crazy Flowers #2

Blossoming Rose

Other Materials I used

That’s Crafty - Clock Stack Round

DecoArt - Crackle Paint, Antiquing Cream

Chameleon Color tone Pens

Thank you for joining us and I hope you enjoyed this How To project 

Hugsxx