Thursday, February 6, 2014

February Flutters

Are you ready for the new Dreamweaver challenge for the month of February? It will be a short month of posts for the Dream Team, but we're pretty excited to share with you our versions of "February Flutters", meaning anything that flutters. Heart flutters, wings that flutter, breezes, sails, etc. So, come along for the ride and link your own "flutterings" to the Dream It Up! blog for a chance to win the stencil of your choice. Meanwhile, here's my "fluttering" for the week:
Here is how it was done:

MATERIALS:
A Piece of Suede to Work On
May Arts Ribbon
Sanding Block or Sand Paper
Cotton Swab
Card Sock
Adhesive
Manual Die Cut Machine with Cutting Mats

DIRECTIONS:
1)  Run the gold coated aluminum through your manual die cut machine with the background stencil and the rubber embossing mat.  The "sandwich" for the Cuttlebug is A Plate, stencil (face UP), metal (face UP), rubber embossing mat, and two B Plates.  This is technically debossed, because the metal is being pressed into the stencil.  Leave the metal on the stencil.
2)  With the metal still over the stencil, sand lightly to uncover the silver color where the stencil remains.
3)  Remove the stencil.
4)  Run the metal through the manual die cut machine again.  This time, use the butterfly stencil and place the "sandwich" this way:  A Plate, stencil  (face DOWN),  metal (gold side DOWN), rubber embossing mat and to B Plates.  This way, the metal is pushed down into the back of the stencil, as if the color is being pushed out and through.  This is embossing.
5)  Place the metal face down on the suede and use the ball tool to press the metal out and give the butterfly dimension.
6)  When the butterfly is nice and "poufy", place right side up on a hard, smooth surface.  Go around the edges of the design with the Teflon Tool and refine them.  Also make sure to use the "deerfoot" side of the tool to flatten out where the metal bent around the edges of the butterfly stencil.

7)  When you have the effect you want on the butterfly, flip it gold side down and full the cavities with the MercartUSA Filling Paste.  You just squeeze it into the holes and let it dry a couple of hours.
8)  When the butterfly is dry and hard, flip it back to the front and use a cotton swab to gently apply color to the raised area.  I used Blue Velvet and Sugar Plum on the wings and Black Beauty on the body and antennae.
9)  Run the Blue Coated Aluminum through the machine with the words.  You will be debossing, so put the stencil and the metal both face UP before you run it through.  Leave the metal on the stencil.
10)  With the metal still on the stencil, use the Teflon Tool to push the metal into the letters a little further. 
11)  Add a little Sugar Plum Color Solutions in the letters if desired.
12)  With the metal still on the stencil, vigorously sand the blue and purple off of the areas over the stencil.
13)  Remove the stencil.
14)  Assemble the card.


Be sure to leave me some encouragement before flitting over to the "A" team blogs: 

7 comments:

  1. This is a stunning flutter creation Laura. The alcohol inks are so colorful on the metal! This one is going to the UK with me to inspire metal work with the stencils.

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  2. Absolutely lovely Laura! Wonderful creation!

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  3. wow is stunning creations, I love your work!

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  4. Stunning creation...that purple butterfly really pops...thanks for the nice instructions!

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  5. Wonderful metalwork tutorial, Laura! Love that purple butterfly!

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