Metal Man Assembled Book

Materials

red and copper embossable metal
paper for pages*
heavy cardboard
faux postage sheets and templates
Nick Bantock yellow, black ink pads
buttons
Mulberry paper
craft knife
white glue
stylus
fibers
beads
1/4" steel stamping set
hammer
pop dots
rubber stamps
scissors
letter tiles
antique rules
1/8" hole punch
wire
Roll-a-Bind book binding system
human torso die cut (optional)
heart template, drawn or die cut

*Plain paper stamped with images, or cut-up old maps, old ledger sheets, old books etc.

1. Cut out one copper metal shape, two heavy cardboard shapes, and 10 to 20 pages using the human torso shape die cut, or hand draw a torso shape onto heavy cardboard, cut out and use for a template (figure A).

2. Make an arch-shaped template approximately 2" x 3". Lay the arch template on the chest section of the copper torso and outline with a stylus (figure B).

3. Using a craft knife, carefully cut out the arch section (figure C).

4. Lay the copper torso over one piece of the heavy cardboard torso shape and trace the arch onto the cardboard. Using a craft knife, cut the arch section out and discard (figure D). Repeat the process on as many of the pages as you wish to use.

5. Glue the copper torso to the cardboard torso, making sure the arch sections line up (if they are not perfectly aligned, just trim with a craft knife) (figure E).

6. Cut approximately 1-1/2 inch off the bottom of all the torso pieces.

7. Using the steel stamping set and a hammer (figure F), emboss letters onto the copper torso to spell out, "Love is where you find it" or other appropriate sentiments.

8. Using a 1/8-inch inch hole punch, punch a hole in each of the arms.

9. Cut two 4-inch sections of the antique rulers and punch a hole in one end of each section. These will be the arms for the Metal Man.

10. Using wire or fibers, attach the ruler sections to the arm section of the torso (figure G).

11. Cut a primitive heart shape out of red metal and one out of heavy cardboard. Glue together.

12. Cut out letter tiles to spell the word ART and glue to the heart.

13. Cut 6 inches of wire and wrap around the heart. Glue the decorated heart in the open arch area (figure H).

14. Tear small pieces of Mulberry paper and glue to the head and base sections of the torso pieces.

15. To make faux postage: Lay template over pre-perforated postage paper. Sponge with Chrome Yellow ink. Stamp with small stamp images (figure I). Tear at perforation.

16. Affix faux postage to the head section of the torso, on top of the Mulberry paper (figure J).

17. Add other embellishments to the torso, like buttons, beads, faux gems, etc.

18. Assemble the book using the second torso piece cut out of heavy cardboard as the back cover; lay paper pages next, followed by the decorated cover piece.

19. If using a Roll-a-Bind system, punch holes in the base section of the book (through covers and pages) (figure K) and slide Roll-a-Bind discs into the punched slots (figure L).

20. To use other materials to bind the book, punch several holes in the base section of the torso using a 1/4-inch hole punch. Thread your choice of material (ribbon, fibers, wire, etc.) through the holes to finish the book.