Materials
~Rolls of ArtEmboss Pewter craft metal (kit includes a
double-ended wood tool (*AMACO)
~22 and 24 gauge FunWire-any color (*AMACO)
~FIMO Liquid Decorator Gel-liquid polymer clay (*AMACO)
~FIMO Gloss Lacquer-10ml bottle w/ built-in brush (*AMACO)
~WireForm Soft aluminum 1/8" diameter roil armature wire (*AMACO)
~Pinata inks: Sunbright Yellow, Tangerine, Baha Blue, Sapphire,
Lime Green, Rainforest Green, Havana Brown & Senorita
Magenta (www.jacquardproducts.com)
~Several plastic 1/2 oz. bottles and .9mm stainless steel
tips-one per color(www.jacquardproducts.com
~9" x 12" double-sided adhesive sheet (lt. blue or red release paper)
~Side cutters (type of wire cutters)
~Pointed heavy scissors
~Thin metal knitting needle or bambo skewers
~Clear Scotch tape
~3/4" diameter marker or dowel to wrap wire plant stick around
Optional: Craft blade knife such as X-Acto, self-healing mat
or old magazines for craft blade cutting, rubber brayer
to roll over wire design
PATTERNS are included
below,
although these two are strictly
for personal use under copyright law. Simple patterns are also
easily found and printed from online sources. Simply search
on "google.com" for say, "seahorse coloring page", then
click on the "Images" tab link to search. Then click on "Search
Images". Several images should show up. Simple designs are
best that's why I search for kids coloring pages usually.
Credit for the 'wire under metal embossing technique' and color
'tinting with FIMO Liquid' goes to my friend Linda Petersen,
who graciously shared the steps with others during a demo at
the Craft & Hobby Association trade show this past February.
Tropical Lightswitch Cover
(return to scrapbook)
Additional materials used:
~Double or single hard plastic lightswitch cover
1. Leaving the release papers in place, set the switchplate
on a double-sided adhesive sheet. Cut sheet slightly larger all
around. Cut this same size from the ArtEmboss metal. Peel the
white release paper from the sheet and secure sticky side
to the metal. Place provided wood tool flat on surface
and burnish smooth.
2. When using wood tool tip, do not press too hard or you may
pierce the metal. Place lightswitch plate, face down, on
metal side and "deboss" (trace) around outer shape, rectangle
openings and inside holes with point end of wood tool. Deboss
an "X", corner to corner, inside rectangles. Cut "X" with
a craft blade knife working over a self-healing mat or old
magazine. Cut around outer shape with scissors, leaving an
extra 1/16" on all four side edges.
3. Line up pattern over blue liner paper, tape in place and trace
to emboss lines with point end of wood tool. Remove liner
paper so adhesive is exposed.
(return to plant sticks)
4. Working from the roll of wire, begin bending the wire shapes,
press them in place onto adhesive side and clip tail with
side-cutter tool or scissors.
TIP: If wire is not laying flat, try rolling over it with a brayer
or rolling pin. If you make a mistake bending the wire,
simply pull striaght in nylon jaw pliers.
(return to surfboard clock)
5. When wire design is complete, carefully line up switchplate in
center of metal and press front of switchplate onto wire design.
Fold back the "X" flaps to backside of switchplate and press firmly.
6. Burnish to smooth metal inside rectangle openings with
point of tool.
7. Using the flat side of large end of tool, burnish all of the
background areas of design. This flattens the metal so
the raised wire lines are dimensional. Use the point of tool
to reach tiny areas although keep the tool at an angle so the
tip does not pierce the metal.
(return to surfboard clock)
(return to scrapbook)
8. Pierce the two plate holes by pressing the tool into them as
far as it will go. Deboss detail and texture lines using tip of tool.
9. Clip the tip of the FIMO Liquid Decorating Gel and squeeze 1/2"
into plastic bottles. Add 4 drops of Pinata ink color into the
bottle and stir well with knitting needle. You can mix colors
in a plastic or metal palette or right on your project
with knitting needle.
10. Place plate on baking tile. Remove lid from plastic bottle,
screw on a fine metal tip onto the bottle nozzle. Fill the
indented shapes with ink-tinted FIMO liquid by squeezing it
from the fine tip on the bottles.
COLORS: I used Sunbright Yellow and Tangerine on the sun, Lime
Green and Rainforest Green on the palm leaves, Sapphire Blue,
Baha Blue/Lime mix and straight Baja Blue on the water,
and Sunbright Yellow and Havana Brown on the tree bark. I
then squeezed some Havana Brown tinted FIMO Liquid onto my palette
and thinned it to fill in the sand area. I squeezed some Sapphire
Blue onto my palette and really thinned
it and filled in the sky.
(return to surfboard clock)
11. Bake plate in a Clay Oven or conventional oven in a well
ventilated area, for 20 minutes, at 265o. When lightswitch plate
is completely cool, apply a coat of FIMO Gloss Lacquer with
the built in brush and allow to dry.
(return to plant sticks)
Pewter Plant Sticks
Additional materials used:
~1/8" diameter WireForm soft armeture wire (*AMACO)
1. Cut two pieces of Pewter metal slightly larger then pattern design.
Cut one adhesive sheet the same shape and size.
2. Follow steps
3, 4 and 7
of "Tropical Lightswitch Cover", using
24 gauge FunWire.
3. Cut out around plant stick shape with scissors, just
outside the outline wire.
4. Follow steps 9 and 10 of lightswitch cover to add color tinted FIMO Liquid.
COLORS: I used Sunbright Yellow shaded with Tangerine and Havana
Brown tinted FIMO Liquid for the seahorse. The dragonfly
has Lime Green with Raingorest Green shading on the body
and Baja Blue and Sapphire Blue on the wings. The sea turtle
has Baha Blue/Lime mix and straight Lime on the turtle's body,
and Rainforest/Sapphire Blue mix on the head, legs and arms.
5. Follow step
11
of Tropical Lightswitch Cover" to bake and seal.
6. Cut a 14" to 16" long piece of armeture wire and bend the
top into a corkscrew shape, although leave 2" straight
to attach design.
7. Cut a 1/2" x 2 1/2" strip of metal and adhesive sheet for
all plant sticks. Secure adhesive to metal, then trim
to fit design as needed. Secure straight area of armeture
stick to sticky side of metal strip.
8. Press strip, with wire side down, onto back, bottom area of
design and burnish WELL with flat end of wood tool.
Surfboard Clock
Additional materials used:
~White mat board
~Clockworks with 1/8" to 1/4" shaft
~Clock battery
1. Create surfboard pattern (easily found online) with a clock
face and hole. Trace shape onto matboard twice. Cut each shape
with craft blade knife working over a self-healing mat.
Secure the two shapes together for double thickness with
double-sided adhesive sheet. Cut hole in board with craft blade
knife. Place on ArtEmboss metal and cut leaving a 3/4" border
all around. Place metal on double-sided adhesive and trace shape.
Cut out and secure adhesive to one side of metal.
2. Follow steps
3 and 4
above of "Tropical Lightswitch Cover"
using 24 gauge FunWire.
3. Fold a 22 guage piece of FunWire in half and clip 1/2" lengths
to create double wide number markers for the clock. When all
wire is in place, press metal to the mat board and burnish
background with wood tool. (Refer to
step 7
of
"Tropical Lightswitch Cover" above.
4. Make 5-7 clips in each of the bottom corners so that metal
will fold easily. ALso, make a clip every 1 1/2" on the
longer sides, and 3-5 clips at the top point of metal border.
Fold all edges to the back and burnish to secure. Burnish the
side edges of the clock shape using the flat end of tool.
5. Follow step
8, 9 and 10
of "Tropical Lightswitch Cover" above
using a pen for the clock hole. Do NOT make the hole too big.
Make it just large enough so the shaft will fit snugly.
Add details/texture to the sea turtle only. Place clock on
a baking tile to color.
COLORS: I used a teal mix (2p Baha Blue + 1p Lime) and straight Lime
on the turtle's body, a dark green mix (1p Rainforest + 1p
Sapphire Blue) on the head, legs and arms, highlighted with
Lime in the center of shapes. Then I used FIMO liquid thinned Baja
Blue on one half of the board, and thinned Sapphire on
the other half.
6. Bake clock on tile at 265o for 20 minutes in Clay Oven and
allow to cool completely. You may add metal shapes to the
hands with adhesive sheet. I also colored the gold second hand,
nut and washer with a Kyrlon Silver Leafing pen. Note, since clocks
do not get touched frequently, lacquer is not neccessary.
7. Assemble clockworks in hole
as shown on package and enjoy!
Embellished Scrapbook
Additional materials needed:
~1/8" thick WireForm Armature wire (*AMACO)
~Small spiral scrapbook (or similar album)
~Flat or chain nose pliers
~Hammer and anvil
1. Cut two 3" squares from Pewter metal sheet. Cut two 3" squares
from double-sided adhesive sheet. Secure adhesive sheets
on both sides of ONE metal square. Burnish with side of wood
tool (see first
photo
for "Tropical Lightswith Cover" above).
2. Using pliers, bend armeture wire in a rippled shape.
Spiral the wire to form a rose.
3. Place wire on anvil and pound flat with hammer.
4. Peel liner sheet from one side of metal square and press rose
onto metal to secure.
5. Press non-adhesive metal square onto rose and burnish
background areas till flat (see
step 7
of lightswitch cover).
Texture all background areas with tip of wood tool.
6. Place metal on baking tile. Fill in rose indentations
using Sunbright Yellow and Senorita Magenta tinted FIMO Liquid
as in steps 9 and 10 of lightswitch cover. Fill background
area with thinned teal (Baja Blue mixed with Lime) FIMO liquid.
7. Bake for 20 minutes at 265o and allow to cool. Seal with FIMO
Lacquer and allow to dry. Peel release paper from back of metal
and press onto scrapbook. If book cover is slick, you
may glue with E6000 silicone adhesive or metal glue.
Right click on the pattern image, then choose "Save Picture As",
then click save. Open "stp" (or your name for file) in your
photo/printer program and print. (If you print using another method,
image may become larger-which you may want!)
(return to first project)
One Last Idea
For this flat surfaced Sea Turtle design wood frame (.99 at a
thrift store!), I cut the metal 3/4" larger all around then
frame, and cut an opening 1/2" smaller then the picture opening.
I clipped the opening corners at an angle and folded them to the
back of the frame. I used 22 gauge FunWire for the
letters and turtle.
