Embossed, Painted Metal

For the Mixed Media: Metal tracker I hosted through AtlasQuest during September, I decided to work with thin sheets of aluminum to create a magical autumn background. 

 The metal (aluminum sheets) came in a variety of colors to work with. The labeling is long gone so hopefully if I ever want more of this, I'll find it. 

After selecting the background embossing folder for the autumn card, I set up the BigShot plates to emboss the sheets of metal. 

Important: We will be working with the debossed side of the metal. The side in which the design is pressed into, so arrange the folder and metal appropriately. 

Another Important tip: embossing too deep on the metal will split or cut the metal sheets so adjust the embossing pressure carefully. 

The embossed cards are already eye-catching.  
















Next, using an inexpensive acrylic paint

...and a stencil paintbrush,  I generously brushed paint into the debossed areas of the metal sheets. 

Do NOT let the paint dry. 

A couple trials proved that using a stiff, flat surface to wipe away the paint from the metal plates would work best. I wrapped a sanding block with cheap wet wipes. Paper towels, rags would probably work too as long as they are not pulling paint from the debossed areas. The dampness of the wipe helped remove any drying paint from the surface of the metal. 

I gently wiped away the surface acrylic, leaving the paint in the crevices created by the debossing. I placed used cardstock under the metal sheets so I could wipe the paint off the surface and away from the metal sheet. 

Once enough paint has been removed and maybe a spot or two touched up with additional paint and rewiped, the metal sheets were put in a safe spot (away from the cat) to dry. They dried quickly, so I was able to keep working forward on other parts of this project. A craft heat gun might also help the drying process.

Wha-la! Without the acrylic and with! 

  

For this LTC set, I carved a flying witch with her black cat.  The moon was created with Tim Holtz Distress Ink and cut with a punch. The witch was embossed on the moon and a black matte used to set off the debossed autumn areas.