Hammored Strip and Flower Embellishment

THE Hammered Background Strip and the Flower Embellishment. Here are the supplies you will need: a rinsed out soda can scissors acrylic paint alcohol ink spray bottle with acrylic paint/water mix small hammer foam mat sandpaper versamark ink pad pearl-ex or other pigment powder clear sealer (optional) First, I'll show you how I made the background metal strip. Step 1: Start by cutting open the side of your soda can. Remove the top and bottom so you have one sheet of aluminum. Set the bottom aside; we will use it later. "sharp" Step 2: Place your aluminum over the foam mat and start hammering it with the flat side of your hammer. Hammer constantly, repeat. Flip your sheet over. Now, start all over and hammer this side as well. Keep going until you've done the whole side. Then flip over and re-hammer the whole thing (both sides) using the ball-tip of the hammer. This will give it alot of dimension. When in doubt, keep hammering until you think it looks right. Step 3: Paint your metal sheet with an acrylic paint color of your choice A heat gun can be used to dry the paint. (the metal will be HOT!" Step 4: Drip some alcohol ink over your paint, color of your choice. Use a paint brush to spread it around, but don't worry if it's not perfect. Step 5: Take that watered down acrylic paint and spray your sheet with it. I like to use metallic paint for this step, but any would work great. Here's a pic of it wet, and then dried with the heat gun. Step 6: Now, use your sandpaper and sand off the raised bumps on your aluminum sheet. This will remove the paint on the raised areas, but leave it in the recesses. Sand off as much as you want until you feel it looks good. Here is the final product. Don't worry about the rough edges, just use your paper trimmer later to trim to size. Or, use your favorite punch for a shape. If you want, now would be a good time to add a clear sealer over the top if metal will be outside in the elements. metal flower embellishment. Use the bottom of the can. Step 1: Trim around the bottom with scissors to make the edge even. Step 2: Using your scissors , add make slits from the outside edge toward the middle. Leave some space in the middle (don't cut all the way to the middle). Step 3: Hammer your flower flat. Then use your scissors to shape the edge of your petals. I just removed the corners to make them a bit rounder. Step 4: Using the same techniques as before, hammer both sides of your flower. When you are satisfied with the look, use the ball end of your hammer and hammer the middle-back of your flower petal to cause it to curl around the hammer. (see the pic). This will cause it to have a 3-d effect. Repeat for each petal. Flip your flower over. Then place the ball end of your hammer in the middle and hammer. This will cause the center of the flower to depress and the petals to come upward. Repeat from the beginning of step 4 as needed until your flower is as dimensional as you want it. Step 5: Add your paint, alcohol ink, and watered down acrylic spray as before, drying in between layers. Step 6: Sand you flower as before. Step 7: Roll the edges only of your flower petals across your versamark ink pad. Then brush on some pearl-ex of your choice using circular strokes. A tip for pearl-ex: put on more than you think you will need, then brush off the excess back into the jar with a soft brush. Use E600 if you want to add a bead of another embellishment.