ATC - Copper Stamping

Hi my arty friends!

I am loving 2013. SO much to do and see and experience. Eh?

I wanted to share a fun ATC (Artist Trading Card) I made this week.

Angel of Joy

ATC Close up

Pretty eh?

Here are the fun and easy steps to creating this little masterpiece.

1. Gather your supplies -
a. ATC base which measure 2 1/2 inches by 3 1/2 inches (I used a chipboard base from CRESCENT.
b. piece of copper sheeting COPPER LINK
c. black paint, any brand will do
d. flame of some source, I used a lighter,other sources could include your burner on your stove, a long lighter you use on your BBQ, a match.
e. Your favorite rubber stamp. I selected a Dawn Houser Stamp. (I am unable to find the link, as its an old stamp and i Believe retired.
f.  Your favorite embellishments, for this card I selected a pretty sparkily brad and a feather.
g.  BLACK SHARPIE
h.. BLACK STAZON STAMP PAD.
2. The ATC base I had at home was white so i wanted it black, I just painted it black and while it was drying I went onto the Copper Heating.
3. I cut my Copper Sheet slightly smaller than my ATC base.
Copper Heating is fun to play with. WARNING: It's a conductor of heat, so be very careful when heating it up, always use tongs to hold the sheet. Hold the copper sheet with a pair of tongs, hold the sheet approx 1 1/2 - 2 inches, away from the flame. I used my stove flame. As the copper heats up, the copper miraculously changes colours. You will see lovely colours of gold, oranges , reds and pinks. It truly is gorgeous to see! This will happen rather quickly. 20 seconds at the most. Once you see the color start to change, stop. You will be tempted to continue, however look at the pic below, see the right side, WELL thats heated a bit too long. It still looks pretty cool, and I love the Serendipity of the changing colors. Let it cool.

GORGEOUS rainbow colours.

4. I then applied the Black StazOn to my rubber stamp and then stamped it onto the Copper. Side note: StazOn is a permanent ink, so its really good for non porous surfaces, its a perfect choice for stamping on Copper. Make sure your ink pad is nice and juicy, once you make contact with your inkpad and stamp, if the area is not black within a few pouncing motions, then it is time to re ink your pad. Don't over ink. Nice, Easy pressure when stamping. Don't push hard, smooshing the stamp , it will distort the image.
the5. Its time to make this ATC - Artist Trading Card, POP! I embossed the copper with my CUTTLEBUG.
I selected a folder that had viines and scrolls and birds, it flowed with the Goddess Stamp and her wings.
The impression were quite deep and pretty.
6. Then I took a black Sharpie and painted along the edges and corners, immediately smearing the ink. I wanted an aged look. I had to do this several times to build up the layers to achieve the look you want.
7. Along the left hand side I stamped the word "JOY" Use the font set you like!
8. Copper cuts easily, just be careful, I used my big Fiskar scissors. I cut a small rectangle, embossed that with the same pattern as the ATC.
9. I then arranged the small rectangle and a small feather and attached to the stamped Copper using a glitter brad.
10. Last but not least I needed to attach the Copper to my ATC base. I really wanted something that I could trust and knew it would stick.
MIRACLE TAPE! I can't say enough about this tape. It creates a permanent bond for layered art work.
COPPER stamping is just beautiful as each time you heat copper up you never know what patterns will occur.
This is a fun and relaxing technique. Leave me a comment if you decide to try it. I would love to see your artistic creations.

Art on!
ANg