Heavy Metal

Hello all!  Thank you so much for your lovely feedback on my little miniatures excursion Around the Fireplace at PaperArtsy.  We're back to regular crafting today with a new challenge starting at A Vintage Journey.

Our host, the amazing Amanda, would like us to do some metalwork for her theme Precious Metal.  You can go with the real thing with metallic embellishments, or create metal effects with paints, inks, mediums or anything else you can come up with.

As always, there's lots of inspiration from my fellow Creative Guides, which you should definitely check out, but before you go, here's my offering.

I've created a pair of heavy metal ATCs using Oxides, Fluid Acrylics, and Treasure Gold.  Not bad for some scraps of paper, eh?!











I'd been planning to try to stick to the "precious" part of the metal theme title, and go with some gleaming metals, but I found myself back in the world of rust again before I knew it.












I was pressed for time, so I decided to go small (not that small is always quick, as we know from the dollshouse work!).  Who hasn't got time for a couple of ATCs, especially when you've got some ready-to-go MDF ones from Calico Craft Parts waiting for you?

There was a leftover piece of embossed card, done with Tim's Foundry 3D Texture Fade, hanging around the craft table (you can see it's been scribbled and stamped on in the meantime), so I glued it down onto the ATCs and trimmed the edges.












Time to start with the mixed media layers... first of all a coat of DecoArt Dazzling Metallics in Dark Patina (hmm... photo missing, stoopid camera), and over that a good spritzing of Brushed Pewter Distress Spray.














I then dribbled some Distress Oxide Sprays onto the surface, just flicking them on from the bottom end of the tube of the unscrewed nozzle.













Next up, the DecoArt Fluid Acrylics, mainly Paynes Grey and Quinacridone Gold in different intensities and mixes.













After that, I did some drybrushing with the Dark Patina and added some Treasure Gold in Pewter with my fingertips to highlight the raised areas.

I kept going back and forth adding rust, colour or shimmer until I was happy.  They've also had some splatters of leftover Quin Gold from the craft mat, of course.












I really like the finished effect.  This is a look I may well want to re-create, so these reminder details are for me as much as they are for you!













The words are just some kraft ChitChat stickers which have had an extra burnishing with some more leftover Quin Gold paint.













There's also some shading with diluted Paynes Grey, and I used a fine-tipped black pen to outline them.
















I added some simple twists of rusty wire...  Who can resist rusty wire?!
















The positioning of the wire and some of the rustiest bits of "metal" was pure serendipity.













I didn't plan it in advance, but it's clear that the rusty wire has "caused" those particular bits of deep rusty texture!














I suppose maybe my subconscious was controlling my hands as I was wrapping the wire!















I have got a little bit of "precious" shimmer to my metal.















Treasure Gold always comes into its own when there's any texture to be found.















And I'm pretty happy with the blues and greens of my rusty patina...















... though of course some of those lovely inky edges and splotches got a bit smoothed out with the later applications of other media.














Because they're on the Calico ATCs, these have a really substantial feel to them...















... maybe not quite as heavy as actual heavy metal, but pleasingly chunky nonetheless.








Do check out the other Precious Metal projects over at A Vintage Journey - they're well worth stopping off for - and we hope you'll be inspired to come and join us somewhere down the road this month with your own metallic marvels.  Happy crafting all!

I were better to be eaten to death with a rust than to be scoured to nothing with perpetual motion.
Falstaff in Henry IV Part 2 by William Shakespeare

At the Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge this week they would like you to Make Your Own Background - done!
At the Mix It Up Challenge they are playing Anything Goes with an Optional Twist of Foiling - I didn't get quite as far as foil, but since it's optional, I'll offer up my metallic pair there too