Last week I talked about embossing copper mesh and then coloring it with Alcohol Inks.  There is another way to color the mesh.  It is an oldie-but-goodie technique that uses a heat gun.  The inchies above were made using this technique.

The directions are really simple: lay the mesh on a heat-proof surface, blast it with a heat gun (the same one used for heating embossing powders),watch the colors change, and wait for it to cool before picking it up.  That’s it!

The amount of time the mesh is blasted with the heat determines the colors that can be obtained. The first color that appears is a dark orange, then purple, magenta, a light blue, then back to a light copper. The color change is very rapid once the metal heats up, so there is a certain randomness inherant in the process.  That is part of the fun!

Below is a sample of mesh.  The left-hand side is the original color and the right-hand side shows the range of colors possible.

This week  I decided to make an ATC, a mini-ATC, a moo card, and an inchie.  I wanted them all to have embossed and heat-colored mesh on them.  I had never made a mini-ATC or a moo card before, so I enjoyed those.  Here is the set.

I highlighted the embossed areas of the ATC with a black Sharpie.  Next time I would probably use another color like magenta.  I used magenta to add color to the mesh on the inchie and also on the diamonds on the mini-ATC.  I left the mesh on the moo card as it was- I loved the colors on it.

I found out that it is possible to cut the mesh with a Sizzix die, which I used for the latch on the ATC.  While it is possible to cut the mesh with a CB die the results can be a bit ragged.

So there you have it- multiple techniques for coloring and embossing copper mesh (yes, you can do the same things to copper foil as well).  Get up, grab your embossing folders, AI’s,  heat gun, and some copper mesh and start making art!