Monday, February 18, 2013

Challenge: Metal-ology

 
From foil to tin buttons, silver paint to gold leafing pens, metal brads to gold copper glitter or anything in between - this week the challenge is to incorporate some metal into your project. I (May) have rounded up my top 10 metallic products on my blog this week to inspire - and I'm sharing some past favorite projects and tutorials featuring metal goodness as well.
We're mixing it up even more this week though - as we also have a guest designer!

Janeen at SuburbNgypsy joins us today - and she has a fabulous tutorial that will be posting here on the challenge blog on Wednesday. Let's check out her creation, and what she has to say about it:
 I love topsy-turviness, so for the Metal Challenge I decided to play a little trick and make the metal look like paper, and the paper looks like metal. First I created the metal panels by embossing them in a Texture Fade embossing folder, then layering them with paint and Distress Inks. The result looks like Victorian patterned wallpaper – metal now looks like paper! I love the look of copper patina, and you can create a great effect by using a copper Acrylic Dabber and a little spritzy of Tattered Angels Turquoise Blue on any old chipboard letters. I love love love this effect and it’s so easy to do. Rounding out the piece are papers from Authentique and a good dose of trinkets from Tim Holtz.
 
 
Candy loves metal projects! Here she has combined her love of metal with her love of steampunk in this vintage style hot air balloon.
When I think of metal, I think of steampunk. When I think of steampunk, I always see hot air balloons. So, it seemed natural for me to create this vintage style metallic hot air balloon out of a styrofoam ball covered in Ranger's Metal Foil Strips that were distressed and made to look "soldered" using my Ten Seconds Studio's Cool Tools Micro Wheel. I love the added steampunk feeling Tim Holtz' Mini Gears give to the tethers of the balloon and to Wendy Vecchi's Gent's hat. So, fly high and ENJOY YOUR ARTISTIC JOURNEY!
 
 
Suzz was thinking about the golden touch and how she tends to add gold to many of her projects.
This project started with me playing with the Ranger Melt Pot. In the process of playing I turned into Midas and everything I touched was receiving a coat of Aged Gold Embossing Enamel.  My David even has a touch of gold in his eye.  The glint was provided by the Signo Uni-Ball Gold Pen and the Signo Uni-Ball White Gel Pen.  I had a fun afternoon playing with the mix of Bees Wax, gold and the melt pot. 

Anna-Karin had lots of fun making a tag with many different types of metals and techniques.
I love using metal on my projects, both real metal and techniques that produce faux-metal effects. Different grungeboard die cuts, foil tape, alcohol inks and paint were used to make the background of this tag. The wings were die cut from Clearly for Art Modeling Film, embossed in the coordinating folder, colored with Silver Alcohol Ink, shaped a bit and layered. The heart and arrow were covered with layers of UTEE and platinum embossing powder. I just had to use some metallic Idea-ology embellishments, and even my ribbon has a metallic shine, since it was dyed with Black Soot and Brushed Pewter Distress Stain.

 

Trace was inspired to make a "manly" card full of metal elements.
My hubby has been on my mind lately because his birthday is coming up. I decided to run with the metal theme and make a "manly" gushy card! I love the look of Rangers Metal Foil Tape Sheets over these chipboard letters, it was impossible to apply it perfectly; so it really works for a more manly card. I snuck down to hubby's work room, and found some washers to add to my Tim Holtz Mini Gears Sprockets. The perfect glue to adhere all these metal elements is my "go to" Glossy Accents- I put this stuff on and under everything!
 
Anita loves everything metal and tends to add a bit of it to most of her projects, but in this project she added quite a bit.
When I read what this challenge was to be I let out a squeal of delight! I use metal often, so I really wanted to challenge myself here by doing something I'd never done. I found inspiration from an antique trunk that belonged to my husband's grandfather, and from there I just developed 'metal madness' over a paper mache trunk.
The metal panels of the trunk as well as the roses may look difficult to make, but they are actually quite simple. I used Ranger's Metal Foil Tape Sheets and colored them with Alcohol Inks, along with accents of Pitch Black Paint Dabber. Wendy Vecchi's Clearly For Art helped me out with the roses. I just love the contrast of the thought of tender roses with tough metal!


Ashli  can't get enough of the gorgeous grays layered with pops of pink and teal in Glitz's Cashmere Dame Collection. And what goes perfect with gray? Silver metal, of course!
Glitz's Cashmere Dame has to be one of my recent faves! It really is the perfect collection to scrap this sweet photo of my daughter and combine it with touches of metal. To get my page started, I created my own embellishment using a Flower Bottle Cap, some of the aforementioned patterned paper, Glossy Accents, and Wooden Hearts. A final touch of some Ranger Metal Sheets tucked in the layers help to pull in my metal embellishment and add just the right touch of bling.

Tracy has set herself a personal challenge to use up all the
alterable items lying around her craft room and this bracket book cover
was crying out for a transformation.
Metal foil
is the first thing that comes to mind when I think of metal, I love the
texture, the flexibility and the Riveted Patchwork Technique from Tim's
Compendium Of Curiosities Volume ll
works fabulously in combination with the metal. I used hearts cut from
thick card using Wendy Vecchi's
Large Heart Stencil and Distress Stains mowed lawn and salty ocean, two favourites of mine at the moment. I used hearts from Simon Says Die and stamp set Plenty Of Hearts and Simon Says Mini Heart Set Craft Die. Now I think I have given this neglected piece some love, don't you?
 
Dan added some new life to a cheap, wooden frame.
So, there I was, in this great Swedish cafe I go to sometimes for meatballs, gravy and chips, and while I was there I picked up a bunch of these cheap, plain wooden frames. At the top of my staircase I have a little display of things I've made using Tim Holtz's David head stamp and it needed a little something extra to balance out the composition of elements so this metal covered frame came to the rescue. Decorating a frame is always a tricky proposition - you want it to look nice but at the same time you don't want it to draw attention away from the artwork it's framing. Hopefully I've pitched this one just about right. In addition to Tim's stamp, I used a range of Texture Fades and Embossing folders on the metal in conjunction with my Cuttlebug machine.

 
Sarah took rusty inspiration from an old tin lid to create her metal filled hanging.
I love working with metal and what better way to start than with an old tin lid which is the base for an ode to all things rusty! I knew I wanted to use Tim's Pocket Watch and a lavish spread of flowers and when I found this old tin lid, I knew it would be the perfect setting. I always seem to fall for these rusty tones of Alcohol Inks combined with Vintage Photo Distress powder as I love the aged effect it produces. The young lassie of the  Girls Rules stamp seemed destined to be the face of innocence among the faded butterflies and antique lace. Let your imagination take you on a journey into the wonder of metal.



Sandra Mouwen needed a place for storing her stencils and rub ons, so she made one with a bit of a metallic look.
I had all my rub ons and stencils together in a box, but it wasn't working for me. So I wanted to create the perfect storage for them. Since I had some foam board I decided to make it out of that. I painted all the pieces black with Studio Charcoal Black Paint, and to give it a bit of a metal feel I smeared some Pearl Paint Dabber on the edges. I knew I wanted to use Chipboard as dividers, and needed to find a way to make that work. A light bulb moment later I cut some Wonderful White Corrugated Cardstock to the sizes of the side pieces and painted it black also. I found out that Tacky Glue is an amazing substitution for hot glue to adhere foam board together.

 
Now it is your turn! For more inspiration be sure to click on our design team's blog links so you can see more photos (and full supply lists) for their projects. Then go grab some supplies and join us in this challenge!
 
As always, Simon Says Stamp is giving away a $50 gift voucher that will go to a random entry chosen by Random Generator. To qualify all you need to do is create a new project that ties in (in any way!) with our theme and post it, along with a link back to this challenge, and add a link here. This challenge will end at 11:59pm on Sunday February 24th EST.

For the full rules, read the "challenge rules" posted in the side-bar here on our blog.
 




24 comments:

  1. Great theme this week, and how wonderfully the team have embraced it - so different but I love them all!!

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  2. this is by fare the best DT contribution I have seen! Just amazing (maybe because I do love Steampunk so much???) *LOL SanDee1899

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  3. The design team has created the most amazing projects this week, each one is a work of art! Stunning....

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  4. WOW! Absolutely stunning inspiration from the DT! I promise: I'll be back (for more of this awesome stuff ;)

    die amelie x

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  5. This is a brilliant challenge idea and all the DT creations are..omg....sooo stunning!! (:o)

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  6. WOUW this is just soo cool, and I lovehow you´re using all the metalparts here. Really awesome work here from all the designers that´s for sure.

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  7. What a great theme. Bet this will be popular.....

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  8. I love all the wonderful examples.

    Thank you for the challenge

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  9. Outstanding mixed media pieces by the design team members this week. The hot air balloon by Candy is my favorite. Thank you for the challenge!

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  10. What a GREAT theme and oodles of inspiration as always from the DT. x

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  11. Wow, wow and wow! The team have really outdone themselves this time...
    Alison x

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  12. WOW, all of the DT projects are AH-MAZING!
    You guys totally rocked this challenge, thanks for all the wonderful inspirations :D

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  13. Hm, thought, I had already left a comment yesterday...well, again: thanks for the truly awesome inspiration from the DT! Brilliant pieces throughout! LOVE this special challenge and what you created for it!

    Hugs,

    die amelie x

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  14. What a fantastic challenge - popping out to the 'shed' to have a play.
    Love the DT work.
    Rosie x

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  15. A lot of really, really uncredible and worderful projects today here WOW !!! Thank you for sharing and for this nice challenge. Happy to participate this time. Coco x

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  16. All the projects are really, really wonderful WOW !!!! Thank you for sharing and for this nice challenge ! I'm happy to participate :) Coco x

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  17. Thanks for sharing with us these amazing pieces! Very inspiring!

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  18. Absolutely fabulous projects from the DT fabulous thanksss for sharing hugs terry xxxx

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  19. Great challenge and absolutely, positively fabulous inspiration by your dt!

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  20. The level and detail of designs from the team this week is totally and absolutely superb. A feast for my eyes and imagination. I also love that you take the time and care with your post to give details and pay homage to the extraordinary efforts of your talented artists.

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  21. Love what you all have created, especially the Steampunk!

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  22. Thank you for a wonderful challenge and fabulous DT inspiration!!
    Hugs Hazel xx

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