Mad About Metal

Book excerpt: Craft metal has endless decorative possibilities. It is pliable and can be wrapped around or adhered to any surface you can imagine. This book is all about using colored craft metal—decorating it by means of embossing, cutting out designs, adding further color, taking away color and filling in 3D designs, and much more—to customize found objects for your home. You will learn more about the metal and supporting mediums, as well as how to use the tools and familiarize yourself with several techniques—all of which can be applied in making more than fifty decorative and functional items provided in this book. The original projects were designed and created specifically to showcase a variety of techniques and applications, including: Transferring and tracing designs Creating texture by means of inexpensive handheld tools or manual processes Using an embossing machine such as the cuttlebug™ for textures, patterns and die-cuts Finishing techniques such as sanding, ageing and painting Upcycling and repurposing Tips and tricks to simplify processes The projects range from beginner to advanced levels and from quick ideas to masterpieces that will take longer to complete. Magnificent photographs of the finished objects will inspire you while step-by-step instructions and photographs will help you to get started right away.