Beercan Embossing and Embellishments!

Hello all! As promised I'm showing you how to turn beercans into art. SAFETY NOTE: Because of sharp edges and scissors, this project is NOT suitable for children. Adults should wear protective gloves, and undertake the project at their own risk.

Right! What you will need:
empty beercan
scissors
cutting mat or knackered old table
biro, old knitting needle or posh embossing tool
any stencil (or some ideas for drawing)

Step 1. Wearing protective gloves and using kitchen scissors, cut the top and bottom off the beercan. Cut up the seam if there is one. Trim the edges and round the corners, for safety. Wash and dry it! You now have a sheet of aluminium to work with. The can is vegan cider, in case you're wondering ;)

Step 2. Pressing hard, use a biro, knitting needle or embossing tool to go

over a stencil design, or draw your own, on the printed side of the can. It will give a raised effect on the other side. Cut out this design. I've done a couple dancing for an anniversary card. A biro actually works better than the posh embossing tool in the photo!

Step 3. You can also just cut out shapes from the aluminium to make little metal embellishments - this is a 'silver' heart that is going on some blue satin for a wedding anniversary card. The simple silver heart looks stunning on the dark blue satin background.

Step 4. (not shown) To 'age' the metal and make it look like old silver, put some black paint (preferably acrylic but any will do) on a bit of tissue and rub over the embossed design. It should stick to the raised bits, giving a tarnished silver appearance. If you're lucky enough to have a brass/gold-coloured can then you can use brown or even green paint for a verdigris effect. Experiment! Mistakes don't matter because this is really cheap!



PLEASE NOTE: Do bear safety in mind - don't give children cards with small parts, and make sure no edges are sharp.
I often stick these metal bits and pieces onto fabric for a textured effect. They go well with the dark blue satin shown in the heart picture - this is an old shirt that had a big tear and a huge stain on it (I know, you can't take me anywhere), and you can expect to see a lot of it as it's done me a fair few cards!
Right m'dears, that's it for the day. My next post will be about one of my crafting inspirations, a bit of a star in the world of textile crafting, who has given me loads of help, advice, and bits and pieces. She also designed a cunning card that uses up tiny bits of leftover card, fabric, ribbon and wire, and I'm going to do a version here! See you soon!
Much love,
Jehanine
P.S. Oops, nearly forgot - these metal medallions, if embedded in some candlewax, make great 'seals' for envelopes.