Pandeimonium Accessories

Hey crafters!
As requested here is a small tutorial on stamping metal tags.


 Picking the tag/item you're going to stamp on is always fun.
Here you can see that I've traced my brass tags onto Aluminium sheeting to make more tags.
Aluminium is much softer than brass and would be great for a beginner to start with. You can even carefully cut open old soda cans to practise on before using good materials!




You're also going to need stamping materials. Mine came nicely in a little kit ( purchased here: http://www.polymerclay.com.au/ ), but you can use anything you are able to get.
This includes 'A-Z', '&' and '0-8' stamps, metal block, metal shears and a small ball peen hammer.
I also have my tag, a permanent marker, a ruler and nail polish remover (to remove marker) but anything that will remove it will work.

  

 For this tutorial I'm going to use the phrase "Not all who wander are lost". I've mapped it out so that it fits on 2 lines and it even on both sides.
You don't have to do this, but it makes it easy to get everything to fit.









Mark your 2 lines and center line on your tag. This will help you stamp the letters centered and straight as you laid it out on paper.







Line your punch up on the tag, making sure the letter is flat on the surface.
When you're ready give it a punch a tap, making sure you apply a decent amount of force
 I generally give it a few taps before moving the punch, as there is always a chance the first hit was not hard enough. If you're careful you can line it up and try again.
*Note: tilting the punch to one side can help if the depth of the stamping is uneven i.e. The bottom of your 'E' isn't as deep as the top.




I like to start with the letters next to the center line.
So in this case I'll start with the 'L' on the top line, as it sits directly on the center line. After stamping the 'L' move onto the second 'L' or move right to the 'A'.
Continue the rest of the line until finished.






Repeat the above steps on the bottom line.
Don't worry if the letters aren't completely straight.
I love my stampings being slightly wonky or messy, it gives them that complete hand-made feel.



*Note: You can skip this step if you choose

Fill in the grooves with permanent marker.
Don't worry if it's not overly neat as we'll fix that up soon.
I love the look achieved with the marker.
You can use any colour marker you like, you don't have to be stuck with just black!






Now dab some nail polish remover on a cotton pad/tissue/etc and swipe it across the tag.
Be careful not to wipe all of the marker off.
If you wipe off too much, add more and wipe the excess off again.

Now you can add your tag to a cuff, add chain/cord to make a bracelet or turn it into anything you like!





Thank you for reading my little tutorial.
As always, please note I am no professional. All advice is given by experience and you should always do your own research as well.

Have fun crafters! xoxo

So! Thanks to my big brother and my lovely partner - I received some more new goodies this week!
I bought some new pliers as mine were in desperate need of an upgrade, a thicker gauge wire to play with, brass tags for my metal stamping and of course, the stamping kit itself.


It contains:

• A-Z Uppercase stamps
• 0-8 numerical stamps (6 and 9 are the same stamp)
• A small ball peen Hammer (perfect for my tony hands)
• The stamping block (small but very heavy!)
• and of course, metal shears!

Thanks for reading as always, ladies and gents.
I hope everyone has a lovely crafty weekend!
Love Hannah xoxo