Mixed Media Monday - Cold Connections and Vintage Tin Charms - + Video

I just returned home from a mini-pickin’ trip where I happened to find some gorgeous vintage tins.  I fell in love with the pattern and the color and knew the metal in these would make great charms, pendants and beads.  This is a great project to begin with if you’re just starting to work with metal.  There’s nothing hard about it –just jump in and Explore Beyond™.  

I also learned a really cool technique on how to cut your nail/brad to just the right length using a credit card from a class I took from Kate Richbourg - awesome class!

Cant see the video? - Watch it here

Watch a playlist of my favorite  jewelry making videos - click here

Spellbinders Supplies:

MMM-001 Spellbinders® Artisan X-plorer™ machine

MD2-009 Spellbinders® Media Mixáge™ Hearts Three die templates

MB6-012 Susan Lenart Kazmer™ for Spellbinders® Media Mixáge™ Frames Two brass blanks

Miscellaneous flat spacer beads

Jump rings

Chain of choice

Clasp of choice

Bench block (or hard surface to hammer against)

Texture hammer

Metal shears (or heavy duty scissors to cut metal)

Metal jewelry files

.125 metal hole punch

1.0 x 12.7mm wire nails (found at a hardware store)

Wire cutters

Ball peen hammer

Low-tack tape

(optional:  instead of a texture hammer, you can use a riveting hammer.  Age the brass metal if desired by lightly brushing the surface with Jax® solution for brass)

• Position the metal over the heart from the Hearts Three die template set and pass through the Artisan X-plorer™.  (you can repeat this step a couple of times for a nice indentation)
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• Cut along “cut line” to cut out the heart shape
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• File edges smooth and refine the heart shape with a metal jewelry file.
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• Punch a hole in the center of the heart with the .125 metal hole punch.
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• Insert the wire nail through the back of the heart and thread on a spacer bead. 
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• Punch a hole in an old credit card and insert over the spacer bead.  Snip excess wire using the thickness of the card as your guide.  Remove card.
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• Gently tap on the nail head with a ball peen hammer using a circular motion.  This will blossom the nail head and secure the spacer bead embellishment to the heart.  Continue to do this until the nail head is flat against the bead.  (hint – you can glue a tiny rhinestone over the nail head to hide it) Punch an additional hole in the heart where you want to attach it to the chain.
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• Set the brass blanks onto the bench block and use the texture hammer to apply a cross hatch pattern. 
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• I’ve offset the frame blank and the backing blank, marked where I wanted my hole to be in the top and punched it out with the metal punch.  Insert a rivet as you did with the heart charm to attach.
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• Cut a piece of metal or use a photo to fit inside the frame. 
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• Attach chain, charms and beads with jump rings.  Attach toggle clasp.

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