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I want to make some embellishments for my cards and gifts out of thin metal. I want to be able to use my Big Shot machine to cut out the shapes after using alcohol reinkers on the metal. But the problem is, I can't find any thin sheets of metal. I tried heavy duty aluminum foil (three layers) but it is not thick enough. Does anyone have any idea where I could find these thin metal sheets?
Check Michael's (not sure if Joanns carries it) in or near the art department. It comes in tubes 9-1/4"x 12" sheets, may come in packages of smaller sizes. What I have is ArtEmboss Aluminum and comes in different colors.
I have not bought them myself, but another teacher at my LSS has bought the cheap cookie sheets at Walmart to cut into pieces and emboss with the Cuttlebug. They inked the pieces with alcohol inks and adhered them to plain wooden frames.
I never think to look for them when I'm at Walmart, even though I'm curious to see what they look like. All I keep thinking is, "How can you use them to bake cookies on, if they're so thin you can cut and emboss them?!" Cookie dough is NOT lightweight so I just envision the cookie sheet bending under the weight of my cookies. LOL!
I have not bought them myself, but another teacher at my LSS has bought the cheap cookie sheets at Walmart to cut into pieces and emboss with the Cuttlebug. They inked the pieces with alcohol inks and adhered them to plain wooden frames.
I never think to look for them when I'm at Walmart, even though I'm curious to see what they look like. All I keep thinking is, "How can you use them to bake cookies on, if they're so thin you can cut and emboss them?!" Cookie dough is NOT lightweight so I just envision the cookie sheet bending under the weight of my cookies. LOL!
I think you are talking about what I would call "disposable" aluminum pans. I have used them to take food to people's homes, so they won't have to return my pan. You can find them at Walmart, or very cheaply at any Dollar store.
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I think you are talking about what I would call "disposable" aluminum pans. I have used them to take food to people's homes, so they won't have to return my pan. You can find them at Walmart, or very cheaply at any Dollar store.
I use HVAC Metal Tape for Duct Work - it's sticky on one side and comes in different widths on rolls. DH had it on his work truck one day so I borrowed some to create a few projects. Worked wonderfully!
You can get rolls of metal (in silver, copper, or gold colors) at Hobby Lobby. Those are a great thickness for sending through your BS. You can also get sheets of metal (in many colors) from Ten Seconds Studios, or anyone that carries their line. Their metal is fantastic and is designed to work with their embossing plates. Some of their new embossing plates also will run through the BS, which can save you a lot of work! They also have tons of tutorials on their website on how to use their products. And, both of brands these work with alcohol inks. I think it's fun to emboss the Ten Seconds metals, sand them (to remove part of the color) and then use paint or alcohol inks to further change the colors.
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Another votefor ten second studios and you can get metal at Dick Blick. I love the weight of 10 second studio metal - easy to work with, doesn't tear, embosses really well.
If you have never worked with metal, remember to keep your fingers off the metal as much as possible as your fingerprints will show after time. Also be careful as once you cut your shapes the edges can be sharp.
If you have large areas that are puffed up you can fill the back side with embossing paste so they won't flatten out. This is good especially if you have a metal piece on a journal or album cover.
If you have large areas that are puffed up you can fill the back side with embossing paste so they won't flatten out. This is good especially if you have a metal piece on a journal or album cover.
You can also use putty from the hardware store (the kind you use to fill a hole in the wall). It's cheap and easy to use too.
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Soda cans! You need to put in a bit of work to make the can a sheet but it's free and you're recyling, too Michael Strong has a video where he cuts the can up and does a neat trick with a folded towel and an iron to flatten out the curve of the can - you can see it here.
My other favourite freebie source is tomato paste tubes. I know you guys usually get it in cans over there but if you can find the tubes (Italian grocery stores often carry it, apparently) it's more economical (just put the cap back on and save what's left for next time rather than ditching half the can) and the metal is great for craft stuff. Here's a card in my gallery with some tomato paste tube metal on it and some more info about the stuff.
That gives me an idea! How about the aluminum dishes that are available at all the grocery stores. The have the loaf, pie, cassorole, etc styles that we just throw away after use. Thicker then heavy duty aluminum and probably easier on our machines then the thicker stuff. Just cut out the bottoms.
Another vote for the Ten Seconds Studio metals. They come in a dozen colors -- in 9x12 sheets, 4 sheets to a package. We have all 12 colors!
I ran them through my Big Shot to make these drawer fronts:
These are awesome. I want to know what color these were when you started and how you colored them.
What inks or paints work on aluminum?
Also, as the other poster asked, where did you get these awesome embossing folders?
Last edited by eyestitch; 11-24-2010 at 05:35 AM..
These are awesome. I want to know what color these were when you started and how you colored them. Also, as the other poster asked, where did you get these awesome embossing folders?
Ten Second Studio metals are colored when you buy them - you sand to reveal the silver "core" - so there was most likely no coloring process involved here. Looks to me like those drawer fronts were embossed with the TSS molds rather than with embossing folders which may be why they don't look so familiar to you.
HTH! (this thread is more than a year old so the poster of those drawers may not see it resurfacing)
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I want to make some embellishments for my cards and gifts out of thin metal. I want to be able to use my Big Shot machine to cut out the shapes after using alcohol reinkers on the metal. But the problem is, I can't find any thin sheets of metal. I tried heavy duty aluminum foil (three layers) but it is not thick enough. Does anyone have any idea where I could find these thin metal sheets?
Blessings,
Deb :confused:
I have gotten metal sheets from Monica. She has them in many colors.
Soda cans! You need to put in a bit of work to make the can a sheet but it's free and you're recyling, too Michael Strong has a video where he cuts the can up and does a neat trick with a folded towel and an iron to flatten out the curve of the can - you can see it here.
HTH!
Another vote for the cans! An added bonus if you use it with your punches - it sharpens them!
One of the coolest things I've seen in a long time was this video. I realize it's for a pretty small area (and you probably don't want/need a dapping block) but it could be done on larger sheets as well.
I tried it, the results are fabulous!
__________________ All inked up... and somewhere to go. My gallery, small but mighty... or maybe just mighty small! Come see my almost new blog... M'ija Stamps!
Thanks to somebody in this thread, I went to Lowe's and bought some aluminum flashing... I think it was like 10 inches by 11 feet for around $11.00. I just had to cut it (it comes in a roll).
It wouldn't cut with my rotary trimmer, but the guillotine trimmer works fine.
I get my metal from Ten Seconds Studio (TENseconds Studio). Their videos are a blast to watch. They have great ideas to use the metal. You can use the metal in the embossing folders, die cuts from Sizzix. I would imagine you could use them with the Spellbinders, but haven't tried them yet. They have beautiful colors and have their own embossed plates to use with the metal. And this is so much easier then cutting up a soda can or having a huge roll of alumnium.
I got some Metal sheets the other day at Hobby Lobby from Making Memories Slice.
I didn't know you could buy metal sheets in colors.
I never thought about saving the foil from the coffee can. The smell would be heavenly too if you like the smell of coffee that is.
I use pop cans too. I have a pair of Tin Snips that makes cutting through pop cans a breeze but you still have to be careful because the cans are super sharp.
What was the wood block thing that Michael Strong used in the video in post #15 above to hammer the metal into a curved shape? Can I make large brad looking things with that? How would you attach it though without a flat surface under it?
What was the wood block thing that Michael Strong used in the video in post #15 above to hammer the metal into a curved shape? Can I make large brad looking things with that? How would you attach it though without a flat surface under it?
I watched the video but I didn't see him hammer any metal. He used the curved bottom of the cans.
If you're talking about the woman in the video by Bello Modo, she used a dapping block. I've recently seen them in Michael's near the jewelry stuff. If you fill the back with glossy accents/epoxy/embossing paste/etc you can attach it with a drop more of glue when you're ready.
__________________ All inked up... and somewhere to go. My gallery, small but mighty... or maybe just mighty small! Come see my almost new blog... M'ija Stamps!
Eyestitch--I've used the metal tape and Diet Coke cans and have colored both with alcohol inks. To flatten out the curl of the cans a little I ran them through my Cuttlebug with just the plates--no embossing folder. Even the thin dies like Sizzlits and Spellbinders work with the cans. I've only used punches with the tape. I was afraid the adhesive would gunk up the punches, but it didn't seem to.
My other favourite freebie source is tomato paste tubes. I know you guys usually get it in cans over there but if you can find the tubes (Italian grocery stores often carry it, apparently) it's more economical (just put the cap back on and save what's left for next time rather than ditching half the can) and the metal is great for craft stuff. Here's a card in my gallery with some tomato paste tube metal on it and some more info about the stuff.
HTH!Angelnorth, such a beautiful card! will have to run some aluminum through my CB.
I have also used aluminum foil glued to cardstock or thin chipboard (think cereal box or other cardboard from your kitchen pantry). You can emboss it in your cuttlebug, color with alcohol inks, punch it, die cut, etc. The heavy weight aluminum foil is a bit easier to work with, but any will work.
Metal Sheets?
