reindeer: prepare to die(cut)!

possibly the coolest thing that's ever happened to me whilst shopping was the day last december when i popped into my (semi)-local scrapbook store, creative inkling, and the lovely edie explained how i could use my cuttlebug on flattened-out soda pop cans*!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! needless to say, i RUSHED home and tried it and she was sooooooooooo right: it's super easy to do, it looks AMAZING, and it's basically FREE!!! (if you'd like to see additional examples, there are some here!)

now, when i say, "i tried it" what i actually mean is: i drank the soda, i washed the can, i got a very sharp knife, and i prepared to plunge it into the side of the can... at which time, lovely husband jeff, his head filled with flashback images of my well-known klutzery & previous trips to the emergency room for stitches, stepped in and shouted, "NONONONO! I will do that!!!" and then later, when i decided i needed elebenty million more for mass-production of xmas cards, he did it again, and i photo-ed the steps! :)

#1: puncture the can with a razor knife

#2: use stout kitchen shears or tin snips to cut the ends off

#3: BEWARE!!! you've just created a weapon!!!

#4: beware the tiny razor-sharp splinters of metal that are everywhere you've been working!!!

(please refer to overly dramatic photoshopped illustration below!!!)

#5: use a paper towel or cloth to smooth and flatten the can

#6: adhere the flattened cans to a sheet of cardstock you've run through an adhesive machine(this is an optional step, though we discovered that it makes for much safer & sturdier metal diecuts!)
#7 (not shown!) do the actual diecutting!!!(this is done exactly the same way you diecut anything else, which is why i didn't take a photo; in the cuttlebug, with a tim holtz/sizzix steel-rule die, you use only the two "B" plates (without an "A" plate) for your cutting sandwich; the only other tip i have is to place the metal side down on the die, the edges will curl under slightly which looks better and makes for a smoother/safer diecut reindeer edge.)

#8: enjoy a lovely snack! reindeer chips, anyone??!?! :)

and there you have it, the complete (& overly illustrated) directions for lovely (& economical) recycled reindeer! as you can see in the illustrations below, i used soda cans plain:

i used soda cans with some clear stickers (when the cans had dents or scratches that showed):

i used some shinier crafting sheet metal:

and i even tried using copper alcohol ink (with a sponge dabber) as a tint, which was a bit fiddly...but looked WONDERFUL!

in addition to using this technique with the sizzix steel-rule dies, i also tried it out with a nestie (quite carefully, fearing it might blunt the more fragile dies) and it worked perfectly! be sure to read the directions for YOUR diecutting machine, and make sure you're using the correct sandwich for thick materials like chipboard, but otherwise it's pretty straightforward!
i hope you'll try out this technique and leave me a link so i can come and see YOUR essperiments! :)


*if you are virtuously soda-free like some people, you can also use thin sheets or rolls of craft metal, like this kind from ten seconds studio; or perhaps a neighbor or friend will save cans for you?