Pop Can Charm + Vintaj Inks

Several people have been asking for more information about the Vintaj inks so I thought I'd answer two of the most asked today. 

Q - Do I have to use the inks with the Vintaj charms.

The answer to that question is no, you don't have to but of course you can if you would like.  They are very pretty charms but some are on the pricey side.

Q - What other metals can I use to cut my own charms?

Well now, I can help there!  I have been doing a bit of experimenting...  I rummaged around through dh's stash of metal sheets and found one that works perfectly.

The size I find that works the best is .005 (that's how thick it is)  When I say the best I mean that it is stiff enough that the charm doesn't distort when cut with a die-cutting machine and it holds up well in an embossing folder yet it takes the embossed images perfectly. 

Now you can get a 4x10" sheet of this size at Hobby Lobby for $3.27 which is pretty cheap when you figure how many charms you can actually cut from a sheet that large.

Now, dh thought of another type of metal that would also fit the bill.... an aluminum pop can!  Here's how I went about it.

!!!CAUTION!!!!  Any metal when cut will have very sharp edges.  Please take care and wear gloves and safety goggles when cutting it.

1. Cut the top and bottom from the can.

2. Trim a few pieces to fit your die that you will be using to cut your charm.  (Or if you're hand cutting - trim smaller pieces of metal so it's easier to work with.)

3. Now place your cut charms into desired embossing folder.

4. Run your charms through the machine.  (If you don't have an embossing machine you can always sandwich your charm in an embossing folder and run a rolling pin over the folder several times applying quite a bit of pressure)

5. Ink up your charms.... I inked a couple on the embossed side and a couple on the debossed side.  What's the difference?  If you ink on the embossed side the ink will stay in the background while the design will be metallic after sanded.  Adding ink to the debossed side will allow the design to be filled with ink and the blank areas will be metallic after sanding.

And here they are....