I eventually went to metal stamps, which deceptively a lot harder than it looked...I could never get a complete design, and when I would try a second hit, I got a lot of shadow images!
Next was etching...I like the result, but it is messy.
Next, after falling in love with Keirsten Giles' gorgeous stamped designs, came hammering brass texture plates directly onto the metal. Her generous posts on using vintage coins actually opened my eyes to more possibilities...also, she stressed the fact that you needed to anneal the metal and tape it down to your steel block so it doesn't move! Why didn't I think of that! I still love this technique and use it frequently!
Next, I became drawn to gorgeous designs by various artists created by using ordinary textures found in nature...leaves, lace, screen mesh, etc. This, I found out, entails using a rolling mill. Want! But, yikes, the least expensive ones are expensive! Like so many of us, I was/am broke!
Fast forward to seeing a blog posts by Erin Prais-Hintz about her Vintaj Big Kick. I was intrigued and interested, but not so much in using the thin brass Vintaj blanks that were recommended. I wanted to use metal sheet, and I wanted it to be more durable. Then, this past fall I came across a blog post at Cinnamon Jewellery on her experiments with the Sizzix Big Shot. I immediately decided I wanted to give this a go. Right before Christmas, I found it on sale at Amazon and told Hubby that he could get it for me to put under the tree or I would get it for myself. Nice, obedient (snort) guy that he is, he got it, but wouldn't let me play with it until after Christmas!
Here it is...
I have tried up to 22 gauge metal with great success. The trick is to anneal the metal very well. I usually pickle afterward so as not to stain the embossing folders with firescale and grunge! The cool thing about these folders is that they are a bit transparent so you can see the design on top of the metal and line up the metal exactly where you want the embossing to happen. The folder has a positive and negative design, so the finished piece is 2-sided, unlike etching and stamping.
Here are a few pieces I have created since using mine...
That's all for today...I want to do some more experimenting using texture plates and maybe some found object textures, but that will have to wait...I have an 11 yo with the dreaded flu, and 3 new baby guinea pigs to figure out! Please share any experiences you have had with using the Big Shot or Big Kick with metal...especially non-Vintaj brass!
Happy Saturday!
Melissa Meman
Melismatic Art Jewelry
Art. Life. Love.
Oh wow...I love this post!! How generous you are with your process! I have thought about getting one of these...now I think I will...I really like the metal inks you used to bring out the texture...great work, Melissa!!
ReplyDeleteGreat post! Can't imagine anything better with an expensive rolling mill! Baby guinea pigs are awesome!
ReplyDeleteOH now there's something else you've got me hankering after Melissa! It looks far too pretty to be able to handle metal but your results are stunning...oh dear!
ReplyDeleteGreat post.
I have been wanting to get an embossing/rolling machine for a while. Your review was really helpful-good to know the Big Shot can handle thicker metal gauges. Your creations are gorgeous-well done!
ReplyDeleteLove the post.. I just bought a Big Kick and I have been using 23g.. It is working fine. I have not tried rolling anything except the folders yet. Let us know when you do. Interesting to see if it works.
ReplyDeleteWhat a neat idea... One more cool tool to add to the wish list!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the mention!
ReplyDeleteAnother use for the Bigshot "poor man's rolling mill" is to use brass texture plates to add texture to your mental the same way you do with a rolling mill. You need to anneal your metal as with the embossing folders but it does work! I've managed to get pretty good textures on copper up to 20g. I'm now planning to etch my own brass texture plates to use this way :D
Thank you for your comment on this. I've been looking for this type of info. Would you mind sharing how you do the "sandwich" when you use the brass textue sheet? I'm nervous about wrecking the cutting pads with the edges of the brass. I tried to do this on 26 ga copper but all I got was a very faint imprint. Did you use any of the extra pads you have to buy separately? I did, however, get very good results with the copper and a cuddlebug border template. Thanks!
DeleteGreat article! I wish you would consider doing a blog on how to put color on these with resources for the colors. It doesn't hurt to ask. I have the machine and have embossed the metal blanks, but I am not good with putting color on it.
ReplyDeleteThose results are inspirational. I wonder whether I know anyone who will let me use their Big Shot like that ...
ReplyDeleteMelissa, you are always so generous with your knowledge. I love the results you are getting with this and am most impressed that you can roll up to 22 gauge sheet metal.
ReplyDeleteI just used 26g copper sheet in my Vagabond, which is the Tim Holtz version of the Big Shot. I used an embossing folder and it worked really well. I'm going to try some heavier gauge metal today. I hadn't thought about annealing it, so thanks for that tip!
ReplyDeleteThanks for a great post! I have the Vintaj variation of this. I've done ok with it using the Deco Etch folders; less success with the Deco Emboss ones. I also tried it with one of my brass texture plates. It came out good but left marks on the Sizzix plastic plates you use to put the metal the the texture material between. When you tried other materials (like the brass plates) for texture, did you use any other sort of protection for the thick plastic plates to keep from marring them? If so, what did you use? Thanks again - makes me want to experiment some more!
ReplyDeleteI've had my Big Shot for years. I mainly use the dies on paper and fabric and the acrylic plates are cut and marred and scratched and cracked curled beyond proportion but they still work! I wouldn't worry about it at all.
Deletethanks for the tip. I have a Big shot so will have to try this. Have you tried cutting metal with the dies?
ReplyDeleteOh Melissa!!!!!! I love seeing all this beauty you create! I see so much beauty in metal.
ReplyDeleteMelissa, I think I commented a few other places on this article. It was a life-saver for me, it didn't occur to me to anneal the metal sheet before going through the Sizzix, and that made all the difference in the world :)
ReplyDeleteRe: stamping - have you tried to watch the Beaducation videos on youtube? They have very good explanations on how to use the stamps.
I can't believe I ran across your post! I just ordered a Big Kick Vintaj on Ebay yesterday and had done research enough to know it would emboss my.24 guage metal (with the proper attachments). What I m glad I saw on your post was that I would probably need to anneal it. I will send you a picture of my creation when I make something. It's suppose to come Tuesday the.11th so it feels like Christmas. Brenda
ReplyDeleteThank you SO much for this blog post! I've been thinking about getting one of these to try out but wasn't sure if I wanted to spend the $. And on top of that to try to find Vintaj templates which aren't that cheap either. Like you, I also was after using this with sheet metal, not just the blanks. After I read this blog and saw that it does work, I decided I was gonna go for it. ;) I got the Big Kick on sale yesterday at Joann's for $49. I just tried it out with some thin aluminum and 26 ga copper and it works great! Now I need to go on the hunt for more texture envelopes to use!!!! I have some brass texture plates I was hoping would work, but I'm not having much luck with that. I posted a comment above on Cinnamon Jewellery's comment as she mentioned doing this. Thanks again, Karen.
ReplyDeleteI think its so great great idea!actually i think about of this,its an amazing.Thanks!
ReplyDeleteSorry, I'm Spanish and I don't quite understand what "annealing" means... I have tried to emboss washers from the hardware store (directly, without a previous treatment!!!) and I have had poor results, besides the fact that my embossing Vintaj folder was nearly damaged... Do you think it is possible to emboss common washers??? THANK YOU!!!
ReplyDeletewhat's the thickes gauge of metal this works on 24g?
ReplyDeleteDoes the bigkick cut metal or just emboss? Thank u in advance :)
ReplyDeleteI am pretty sure the Big Kick and the Big shot are actually the same machine. With that said, I have been cutting metal for the past two hours with the Big Shot Plus. The only difference between the two is the larger platform. I am currently cutting aluminum foil that I folded several times into a rectangle shape, and cut aluminum pop cans (which is 37G). That was all I had on hand. I know the Big Shot will cut at least up to 26G metals with the steel rule dies.
ReplyDeleteTried it all it looks fab on sterling silver, still got to have a go with a heap of copper I managed to get cheap. Thanks for the great idea. I already had a big shot in my extensive paper crafting stash. Now my jewellery stash has out grown it and its great that the tools work across the mediums.
ReplyDelete