Alyssa Ettinger at DIY Life discovered teacher and artist Liz Dickey, whose shop features curious clocks crafted from parts of old bicycle gears and reclaimed textiles. They’re so innovative we just had to learn more.
She made her first clock quite by accident: her boyfriend had lots of bike gears hanging around and she was fascinated by their shapes. She, herself, had a plethora of fabric on hand and happened to need a new clock. She found a way to put them together and created her first timepiece. She began selling her crafty clocks and magnets on Etsy almost immediately.
To find materials for her timepieces, Liz gets to do one of her favorite things: rummaging through thrift stores, estate sales, and junkyards. Many of her bike pieces come from friends and local bike shops.
Liz finds inspiration, she says, wherever she looks. “I see potential clock designs in fashion, upholstered furniture, architecture, and nature.”
While listening to everything from Ella Fitzgerald to Jerry Garcia, she makes crafts about 30 clocks per month. The clocks range in price from about $32 to $48 apiece — a reasonable deal, considering the amount of work involved.
Photo by DIY Life.