Simple Metal Heart Embellishment

Hello, beautiful Bombshells!  This is my first post to the Bombshell Stamps Blog and I thought I would share a simple method for creating a cool heart embellishment.  This post is picture heavy and I have a tendency to be a bit verbose, so you might want to pack a snack and grab a cool libation before we get started ;D

Step one:  You'll need a few things for this project...a Staz On Jet Black stamp pad, a fat paper stump, a small stylus and/or a teflon refiner, a ball/cup tool (not pictured), and a small piece of 36 gauge aluminum (not to be confused with the foil stuff you wrap up leftovers in...lol!)  You'll also need something spongey to work on.  A mouse pad or a thin piece of foam works great.  And finally, you'll need an image for your metal piece.  I used a heart from the All My Heart Bombshell Stamps set. 

Step two:  Stamp the heart on the aluminum using a Staz On Jet Black ink pad.

Step three:  Closely trim out the heart using a good, sturdy pair of scissors.  Don't use your detail scissors on this.  I trimmed off the arrow portion of the image.   

Step four:  On a hard surface (table top works great) outline the main details of the heart using a teflon tool or a small stylus.

Here's what it looks like from the back.  We'll be spending an equal amount of time on the back and front of our embellishment embossing and debossing the image.  Embossing is the act of raising the image above the paper and debossing is the act pushing the image below the paper.  A combination of both, results in lovely details on your metal.

Step five:  Working on a soft surface (mousepad) and the back of the metal, press the ball end of the ball/cup tool into each of the scalloped sections around the heart.  The ball/cup tool is the coolest of all the metal tools.  I lucked into an inexpensive basic set from 10 Second Studio when a craft store closed in town.  

Step six:  Working on a hard surface (table top) and the front of the metal, use the cup end of the ball/cup tool to define the impressions you made in Step five.  You can achieve a similar look by using a medium stylus to create the impression and a small stylus to define around the impression.

Step seven:  Working on a soft surface (mousepad) and on the back of the metal, use a small stylus to emboss the area around the ball/cup impression you just created.  It will looked slightly raised from the front.  Go back and forth until you are satisfied with the results.

Step eight:  Working on a soft surface (mousepad) and the back of the metal, use the fat paper stump to puff out the center of the heart.  Work it until it is nice and smooth and raised.  This picture is from the front.  Finally, using a sponge or soft cloth, rub a little bit of the Staz On Jet Black ink onto the heart to emphasize all the nooks and crannies you created.  Gives it a lovely aged look.  Careful not to bend it, as it's quite delicate.  Fill the back with dimensional lacquer and let it dry overnight to give it a bit more body. 

Here's how it looks on my project, but you'll have to come back tomorrow and hop with us in order to see the entire card.  See you then ;D