Metal and Dreamweaver!

A few weeks ago, Lynell posted a picture of a card Magdelena Muldoon did.  Magdalena owns MercArt.  MercArt provides metal embossing tools and metals.  I have a lot of MercArt's tools in my house, they are very fine quality and work great.  I started my metal embossing 5 years ago with Ten Seconds Studio and discovered MercArt about 3 years ago.  I am certified to teach Ten Seconds Studio metal but I like both companies.  Heck, I've even told people to use an empty ball point pen and a mousepad to emboss their metal!  With what ever tools you use to start metal embossing, you need to try this technique!  There's ONE tool above all else that you absolutely need to purchase when working with embossable metals....

This is a Paper Stump or a Paper Thumb.  Some people call it other names too.  They come in a variety of sizes.  My favorite is size #8.  It's easy to hold and works well for most tight spots.  But I do own a bunch of the other sizes too.  If you own a paper stump (they are also used by charcoal artists for blending), a mousepad and an empty ball point pen... you can metal emboss!  Of course, it's nice to have all the tools and the work is much easier with all the tools but if you aren't sure if you are going to like it, this is an easy, fast and inexpensive way to get started!  Oh and you'll need some metal.  :-)

So, I decided to try my hand at the exact same design that Magdelena did:

Then I went on to do another card....



And this one is on clear acetate and has a nifty technique on the back!  Fill the embossed area with spackle, let dry and then use alcohol inks right over the whole thing!  You'll color your metal AND the spackle, leaving you with this...

Pretty neat, huh?  The spackle is more of a burgandy in person so the effect is stunning.  And a surprise when you open the card!  

I hope you enjoy!