Showing posts with label heating copper. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heating copper. Show all posts

Sunday, November 23, 2014

Metal Embossing: Fired Copper Plaque

Embossed Metal Plaque

Sharing a a gift / décor idea using one of my favorite techniques that looks a lot harder than it is:heat fired  embossed copper.

For this project you will need:
  • Embossable copper (you can find at art supply stores, Michaels, JoAnn etc.)
  • Die or image to trace
  • Heat source ( pencil torch, micro torch, something w/ a flame)
  • Wood plaques
  • Paper scraps
  • Mod Podge
  • Washi Tape
  • Stamps, colored pencils, ink
  • Embellishments
Painters Masking Paper

First step is to prepare the plaques. I have a roll of this masking paper in my stash that I use in a number of projects. It’s thin, accepts Mod Podge and/or paints easily and most of all is cheap. Look for it in the paint aisle of your HW store. Measure to fit your plaque, cut to size and then crinkle to give it texture before applying.

Paper Covered Plaque

You now have a canvas you can play with. I used some paper scraps, inks and washi tape to make my background.

Diecut Copper Sheets

I used a Memory Box die to cut the oak leaves. Run through a die cutter ( I used a Cuttlebug). TIP: If you don’t have a die cutter, print out an image that you want, lay it on top of the metal sheet ( put a magazine or rubber mat under the metal) trace on top of the image with a stylus and then cut with scissors.

Embossed Copper

Once you have your shape you can use a stylus to draw lines, details etc into it. I just did this freehand.

Heated Copper Leaves

Using your pencil torch ( you can find these at the hardware store) apply flame to your copper pieces. USE LONG TWEEZERS NOT YOUR FINGERS TO HOLD METAL! Here’s a video that shows the basic process.

If you have a gas stove you can also hold the metal over a lit burner.  The thinner the sheets, the faster the process so watch closely until you get the effect you want. If you don't want to play with fire, you can skip this part and/or use a different metal.

Since I like to age things, I dry brushed my finished metal pieces with black craft paint and then wiped off just to dull them a little. Once done, glue to your prepared plaque with a strong adhesive ( I used Liquid Fusion) and embellish.  I used scrap velvet ribbon tied in a simple bow and some pinecones I found on a walk.

Oak Leaf Acorn Plaque and Tag

Now that you’ve made a lovely gift, the presentation should match don’t you think? I used a stamp with acorns and oak leaves on the envelope for the card and the gift tag and stippled inks on the envelope.  I also used some of the masking paper and scap paper from the plaque for the tag.

Here are some other metal embossing projects you might like:

Embossed Metal Snowflake Tile

Embossed Metal Christmas Ornaments

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Sunday, October 31, 2010

Thanksgiving On Halloween



Very quiet Halloween here so I worked on some Thanksgiving treats. More altered candles ( did I mention that I found out you can order things from Dollar Tree's website and they'll have them delivered to your nearest store for a slight charge?)
The process is the same as the "Paris Collection" and "Lumiere".
  • Plain Novena Candle
  • Mod Podge
  • Assorted Papers and Embellishments
  • Go wild

Downloaded Oak Leaf Image From The Graphics Fairy, Changed Color and Added Text
 I had some copper tags in my stash so I got out my metal stamps and stamped "Give Thanks" on them, then fired them up with my pencil torch:

Added copper eyelets and mounted to cream cardstock.
I had some "Lion Brand" ribbon yarn left over from a previous project which I tied around the rim over the beaded thread. Embellished with buttons and adhesive rhinestones.

Hope everyone is enjoying their favorite chocolate goodie today!

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 All Thingz Related

Friday, October 22, 2010

More Embossed Metal

So I was making another fired copper piece and this will be an example of what happens when you make your copper "well done". You definitely want a medium rare on this stuff in order to bring out the best variation of colors. When you "cook" it too long, you go from vibrant to dull and brilliant to muted. Which can be fine,but it wasn't what I wanted. So at first I thought this is a fail, but I remembered that I told Suzy at Suzy's Artsy Craftsy Sitcom that I usually take my fails and do something else with them. So I did!
This actually looks shinier in the pic than it really was
So what to do with it? It was kind of like an old tin tile except it wasn't old. So I aged it:
And then I painted it some more until I was happy with it using copper and gold paint ( I know...using copper paint on a copper piece of metal why didn't you just leave it alone....well.....) and I wanted to make another plaque so I got one of these out:
4x4 wood plaque from bag o plaques picked up from Michaels for $4.99 before coupon
Covered it w/ scrapbook paper using Mod Podge and went around the edges with copper foil tape. Then I mounted my painted copper piece but it needed something because I have an embellishment problem. Enter these:
Jolee's Boutique 3D stickers that look like miniature moulding. I used 2 pieces from this and two charms from my other metal project and:
Before the paint was completely dry on the copper tile, I wiped some of it off to age it a bit. Fail to fave!

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Photobucket

 

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The Girl Who Played With Fire

No, not that one, although I did read the books. I don't have a dragon tattoo either. But I do play with fire. The kind from a pencil torch. You're either interested now or you think I've completely lost it. Or both.  Easier to show you maybe?

Butane Pencil and Micro Torches
 Sure I could make creme brulee but I'd rather fire up copper. Why? Because it's cool and changes colors! See:
Embossed and fire heated copper acorn plaque
This may be old news to many of you but one thing I'm learning in blog land is that something's always new to someone.
Several years ago I was at a stamp show and a woman named Elaine Woodhouse was there and she had a micro torch! My inner pyromaniac came out and I stood there transfixed as she not only did incredible metal embossing...on aluminum and brass which is cool enough on its own, but the copper is what got me. When you heat it it is just magical. You don't have to have a torch...you can use a candle or if you have a gas stove etc. but a torch helps. When I went to the same show a couple of years later, she'd graduated to the larger pencil torch so of course I had to as well! If you want to see some how-tos on metal embossing click on her name. She's amazing. You may also have seen Ten Seconds Studio metal embossing projects. I saw them at another show ( notice a pattern here?) and went gaga for their tools. So I've done aluminum, brass, and copper and right now I'll show you a copper project.

Start with your image which can be a stamp (use Staz-On ink) or a clipart image, or a stencil, or if you have actual talent....freehand. I used clipart for this:

This is a sheet of copper I had in my stash. JoAnn's sells some by Walnut Hollow that's about the same weight. Or AMACO makes embossing metal too. Lay your image over your metal which you should place on a stack of newspapers or a special rubber mat that's sold w/ embossing metal supplies. You want your impression to "sink".
Trace your image, and then flip your piece over and go along your outlines to make it pop. You can puff out from the underside. I'm sure there's a You Tube video that makes more sense. I used this pattern wheel thingy to make random designs for no particular reason other than it gives it depth.

I only have two hands so I didn't take pictures while I was torching the copper but do that next. You don't want to hold it too long in one spot and the pencil torch goes REALLY FAST. You also don't want to have just put on a lot of perfume or hairspray. Or have a nervous husband screaming "please don't burn the house down" which is why I do this when he's not home. You will get different results every time you do this which for me is part of the fun!
Once again, one image doesn't want to flip the way I want it to
Sometimes I leave the metal alone at this point. Sometimes not. This time not. I wanted a less shiny finish so I went over it with black acrylic paint and wiped it off. You can use these as embellishments for other projecs or whatever you want. I made a plaque by covering a wood piece w/ scrapbook paper and Mod Podge, attaching some decorative copper thingies and rhinestones, finished the edges w/ copper tape and adhered my metal piece to the plaque using super strong double sided carpet tape. This time of year is when I get my torch out because the copper turns all the colors of  Fall.

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A Little Knick Knack