EMBOSSED COPPER NAPKIN RINGS

I've made several sets of napkin rings over the years, and this week sold my last pair through Etsy. Usually I have saved notes for various projects, but had none for these. What gauge copper to use? Do I anneal the metal first? Fortunately, I have a file drawer full of scrap copper gathered through the years from our local supplier, Industrial Metals. Bins of small sheets of various gauges that you can buy by the pound.

I have this very old Vintaj Big Kick machine to use for this project.

The metal piece is placed into an embossing folder and fed through the rollers on the platforms provided with the machine. It's a craftsy-type rolling mill that is usually used for paper and scrapbooking projects. But works well with thinner gauges of metal.

Here's the embossed metal piece. Looks great!!

After rolling out four pieces, I trimmed the corners, sanded the edges, and shaped them around a mandrel using a rawhide hammer. This work hardened the metal.

I'll make a few more sets with different patterns and then decide whether to patina them with liver of sulfur or leave them this beautiful copper finish. I'll then treat them with a gloss or satin spray to protect the surface.

NEW TEXTURED PIECES USING THE SIZZIX

It got a little cooler tonight in the "studio" (the hot messy garage!), so I cut some 30 gauge copper strips and got out my newly purchased "on sale" embossing folders. Actually one was given to me by my good friend Ellinor who found it at Hobby Lobby (the fan shaped design). I had tried to duplicate the pattern using the Cameo Silhouette. It would have taken several layers glued together, weeding out all the little pieces, to get the same effect. Thanks, Ellinor!!!

I love these textures and can't wait to rivet them to heavier copper to make a few more new cuffs. Here's a cuff I made earlier that I'm sure I shared.