Metal Art - Part 2 - The Finshed Project

Hello again,

Following on from yesterday's post when I waffled on about my new addiction with metal art, I have got the rest of the photo's etc to show you now.

Now, where was I? Ah, yes, the embossing bit. I used my Cuttlebug and embossing folders to achieve the embossed effect on each of the metal squares. I used a small sanding block and a brass brush to remove the alcohol ink from the raised parts of the embossed pieces, this created a really nice contrast. On the plain aluminium pieces, I used the brass brush to make a swirly pattern.




Once I had finished playing with the metal squares, I backed them with Killertape and then popped them onto the 2" square pieces of Foamboard I had previously cut out.




I then moved on to making the bits and bobs for the niche in the middle of the piece. I had previously painted this niche with silver Adirondack Dabber but I was not happy with the colour of it - it just looked too bland when the metal pieces were assembled on to the rest of the board. I decided to use a Pearl Dabber and painted roughly over the top of the silver to try and get a contrast. Still no good - it looked too boring and there wasn't really any definition. The little boxes I had made were just lost in the middle there. Mmmm, what could I do to make them stand out a little more? Well, I took a risk, bearing in mind that I had spent hours faffing about and you know how it goes, you spend ages with something and at the last minute you make a boo-boo and end up ruining it all? Well, I took the risk and out came the black Dabber. I used my finger to apply the paint onto the inside of the little boxes but ... argh...it was too much!! Eeeeek, I panicked and immediately tried to wipe off the black paint with a babywipe. But hang on...what is this? It is actually sticking to the bits of the box where I had applied texture Gel....ohhhh, this is looking more like it I thought to myself. What I had actually done, I have now found out, is "antiqued" the silver boxes! Hey, I am well chuffed that my risk paid off!




So, with new found confidence, I added some black paint to the metal pieces but I think that I could have left more of it on the pieces but I played it safe, well, it was my first time!!

For the niche, the little boxes I have mentioned are actually miniature box lids which I cut down to be level with the depth of the niche. I had gesso'd them and added texture gel to them just to make them stand out a little more. I filled up the larger of the two with a couple of those heavenly ickle vials that The Artistic Stamper sells. I put loads of pearly seed beads into one of the vials and the other was filled up with some mini beading, which, when I put it in the vial, twisted on itself so it has made a coil. The other box is filled with a little piece of an army uniform that I picked up on a car boot - it was all yukky and dirty so I covered it with silver Krylon and then stuck it to the inside of the box, I added a little pearl in there too which was from an old dressing up box earring.




The stamping in the niche is done using Tim Holtz stamps and a couple of wordy stamps I have but don't know who they are by. I stamped, using black StaZon, onto dressmaking pattern paper, then I watered down some PVA glue and pasted the paper into the niche. I didn't want the stamping to be too over powering so I stuck to simple and bold words and I think it really worked.




Finally, I assembled all the little squares into place, added the thin strips over a couple of edges and that was it. Project completed!




I am really pleased with the outcome of this project. Sometimes, when I sketch a design, when it is finished it looks nowt like what I intended, but with this one, it is exactly how I wanted it to be. I keep looking at it and seeing little bits that could have been done better and differently but hey, it is a first attempt!

And, this makes me more chuffed than anything, when Grim came home from work that night, he saw the piece and said he really liked it and wants it for his study! How happy was I???




Anyway folks, if you are still awake and still with me, thank you for reading my posts about this - I know I have waffled on but I am really excited to have a new addiction and that I managed to make something all on my own without anyone telling me how to do it. Now I have the DVD, I will be able to make other things too....so I am off to get cracking on my next project, which is all sketched and ready to be made!

So here it is:




Thanks for looking, again, I would love comments about this piece being as I am new, and if you have any tips etc, I would love to read them.

Hugs Hels x