Yep..... that's me..... and my new baby!!! The new whimsical painted grandfather clock!
Thats seriously how excited I was that day.... like I'd just brought home a new baby!
I have dreamed about this very project for years!!! I've just never taken the steps to make it happen. It's not like it was difficult to find a clock in my local Craigslist. There were so many to choose from....and this baby cost me only $100! I was totally happy with that until some of the gals in my Whimsical Wonderland Furniture Painting Course shared they found similar clocks for $40.... $20...... and hold your pants..... FREE!?!?!?!?!?
Oh well...years of waiting made the $100 well worth it!
Then I pulled shades from my Dixie Belle Paint.... and got to work!
This clock needed some serious prep work before painting. It had years of oil and polish on it..... that was not coming off with my vinegar/water solution. So I broke out my White Lightning Cleaner that would lift tar right off the road... LOL.... and stripped this old man down! I was shocked at the grunge that came off on my paper towels...... that stuff works! Make sure you wear gloves when using it.... it doesn't mess around!
I then coated it in a solid coat of BOSS primer in white to block any remaining bleed through creepers..... and just to simply block the dark wood. I then chose Fluff (my favorite DB white) as my overall base coat before I began my hours and hours of design work!
I began with the obvious.... the stripes and checks..... just to get the over all feel of whimsy.... and get my brain crankin' for the rest of the design.
And then I started to lay down color.... my favorite part!
As I stepped back from the clock.... I had instant vision for the final touches!
I almost worked "around the clock" (see what I did there) for two days straight! Once I get an idea in my head, I just lose myself in the project!
But THIS...... was worth it!
This project...... is nothing short of realizing..... a childhood dream ya'll! It is so close to my heart that it's almost embarrassing! If I never painted another piece.... I'd be happy to have closed with this one!
Ok.... let's look at it on another wall..... from another angle....
Have you noticed yet.... the fairytale writing on the inside??? I love this touch!!! It totally takes it to another WHIMSICAL level! This is not paper.... and it is NOT paint.... it is a furniture transfer! Yep.....a "rub on" kinda thing! It was sooooo easy anyone could do it! And what a difference it made! These transfers come in so many beautiful designs.
The company Dixie Belle Paint allowed me to offer kits to the ladies in my course. Each kit was filled with paints by Dixie Belle in Caviar, Fluff and The Gulf...... and furniture transfers!! Take note of how I used the molds! I made them myself! The top portion of my clock had no carvings or enhancements.... so I added my own by using Wood U Bend molds! I made them....I painted them gold..... and glued them in place! Gorgeous addition to the top of the clock!
I actually color blended almost every small space that does not have checks or stripes. (Blog about color blended furniture HERE.) It gives the clock a lot of depth that it did not have with just solid color paints. You can see the color blending fairly well on the post in the photo below. Notice the dark pink blends into a coral... and then more of a yellow in the center of each column.
Thanks for hanging with me.... I know this blog was super long.... but there was a lot to talk about!!
I hope I've inspired you to hunt down an unwanted grandfather clock and have some fun with it!!! They have so much personality and make a great feature piece in a home! Check out my easy to follow course to make your own whimsical grandfather clock.
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Please don't hesitate to ask questions! And as always....enjoy the process!
XOXO,
Tracey
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