Pocket Watch Keepsake Triptych Memory Frame by Candice Windham

Makin’s Clay® Pocket Watch Keepsake Triptych

Designed by Candice Windham

We all have small keepsakes around the house: mother’s ring, dad’s cufflinks, a  baby’s first rattle.

The Makin’s Clay Memory Frame Kits make displaying these small items easy and help keep them safe and dust-free. You can include several things in each section or focus on one item, as I did with my father-in-law’s pocket watch. It had been stored in a drawer for most of our 45-year marriage, only coming out when a relative was visiting and wanted to see it.

We wanted to include it in our keepsakes on display, both as a reminder of him and because it is so beautiful. The fact that I had this sweet photo of him with my hubby as a baby only made it better.

Here’s how I did it:

Supplies:

Makin’s Clay® Memory Frame Kit, Triple Frame

Makin’s Clay® Roller

Makin’s Clay® texture Plates: Cobblestone (Set A, # 38001) and Woodgrain (Set D, #38004

Makin’s Clay® Mixing Ruler

Patterned card stock, cut to fit the center square

Patterned card stock to print the title block and phrase

Solid card stock scrap for phrase backing

Burnt Sienna Acrylic Paint (Golden)

Dye Ink, Vintage Photo (Tim Holtz Distress Ink for Ranger, Inc.)

Craft Knife

Pencil

Plastic or vinyl gloves

Instructions:

Put on the gloves to protect your hands from the paint and mix about 2 teaspoons of burnt sienna paint into the package of white clay included in the kit. Blend until the paint is well absorbed. Add additional paint if you want a darker color. You can leave the color mottled for a wood grain look or blend it completely smooth.

Divide the clay from the in half. Roll out one piece of the clay and press the wood grain texture plate onto the surface, Roll with the Makin’s Clay Roller to impress the entire sheet, then cut out a square ½” smaller all around than the center opening. Set aside.

Roll the remaining clay and impress with the cobblestone texture plate.

Flip the clay over and use the frame from the kit to trace the mat shape.

Using the Clay Mixing Ruler, trim the frame edges and opening with

a craft knife. Repeat for the second frame and allow both, along with the background square, to dry overnight.

Tip: To speed up drying, I place the pieces in front of a fan and turn them over every couple of hours so they dry evenly.

If you want the clay pieces darker or the texture to show more, apply brown dye ink with a sponge.

 

Assembly

Print the photo and trim to fit inside the top box. Print the phrases on patterned card stock . Trim the title to fit the lower opening.  Trim and mount the photo caption to solid card stock square.

Apply heavy-duty double stick tape to the back of all the clay

pieces. Attach the frames to the photo and title block and the background piece to the card stock. Mount the background piece into the center opening with heavy-duty double stick tape.

Screw two small cup hooks into the top of the center square. Hang the watch chain on the hooks and allow the excess chain to pile on the base of the square.

Slip the framed pieces into the top and bottom openings, then add the cover to protect it all.