Tutorial: Embossed Foil

As promised here is a short tutorial on how to make the foil background on this card.

What you'll need:

• Cardstock
• Adhesive
• Aluminum Foil--heavy duty works best
• Stampin Up! Textured Impression Embossing Folder
• Big Shot machine and required plates

I started by deciding how big I wanted the foil layer to be.  It's much easier than trying to cut it down later--the foil tends to tear and you'll just be frustrated!

Once you've decided on the size, cut out a piece of cardstock in whatever color you have laying around. I used a color that I don't like because you can't see it anyway on the finished project.  You'll need a way to cover the entire piece of cardstock with adhesive.  Stampin Up's sticky pages work great for this.  However, I was out of that so I just ran it thru my Xyron.

On your aluminum foil there is a shiny side and a dull side.  Since you want the shiny side to show on your card, place the sticky side of the cardstock onto the dull side of the foil.  Trim the excess foil with scissors (did you know that this will also sharpen your scissors at the same time!?!) or fold the excess to the back of the cardstock and tack down with adhesive.

On the Textured Impression Embossing Folders there is a positive "mountain" side and a negative "valley" side.  You want to place the foil piece into the folder so that the foiled side is facing the positive "mountain" side and run it thru the Big Shot machine.  Carefully remove the embossed piece from the folder. It can stick and you don't want to tear the foil.

I found through trial and error that it helps to run a brayer over the finished piece to smooth out the foil.  If you decide to do this step, do it lightly so you don't press out the embossing.

Here is a close up of the embossed foil.

Now just complete your project.  This would make great backgrounds for masculine cards.  Give it a try!

My Digital Studio Tutorial: "Cutting Ribbon"

OK, I'll admit it...I'm addicted to the new My Digital Studio program! However, I'm not a straight ribbon girl. I like the ribbon on my IRL (in real life) papercrafting to have a sparrow tail end on it. But there's not really a way to do this with MDS, so I came up with my own way.

Disclaimer:  I haven't printed this out yet, so I don't know what it will look like on "paper".  It could look like what it is--an orange arrow on brown ribbon.  So don't send me a bill if you do this and end up with 10 cards with arrows and ribbons!! :)  But it looks good on the screen so it's worth a shot....

Here is the finished product:

Read on to see how to do this in MDS.

Reinker Spread Technique

I'm trying to catch up on all of the projects we've done in class. I don't remember when we did this one. September maybe? It's called Reinker Spread and I learned it from Patty Bennett. You can go to her blog to see exactly how to do it. She even has a video for you to watch.

The rose is set up on dimensionals. We used the rose leaf stamp from Autumn Splendor out of the Holiday Mini. The cardbase is two scallop squares cut out using the big shot machine.

Mad Bloggin' Skillz!!

I've got 'em! How do you like my new blog layout?!? I made it all by myself using our new My Digital Studio (which you can get for $40 if you host a qualifying workshop before November 30th.) I resisted getting this. Won't my paper and rubber feel lonely? I spend enough time on the 'puter already....do I really need another reason to stare at the screen all day?

Who needs digital papercrafting programs?

YOU DO!!!

Making the new blog background and banner took me about 10 minutes. (Figuring out how to load it onto Blogger took 3 days...but now that I've got all the kinks worked out I can show you how to do it in a snap...I think!!) If you can drag and drop, you can use MDS. It comes preloaded with about 30 our our stamp sets, all of the colors (even the retired In Colors!!), and a bunch of embellishments. Plus there will be additional downloads available.

See that Wish List icon to the right? I made that using MDS too. The best thing about MDS is that you can use it to design scrapbook layouts or cards before you ever put stamp to paper. How many times have you started making a project, hated it and pitched the whole thing in the trash? If you designed it in MDS first that wouldn't happen.

You can go HERE to my Stampin Up! business website to view a short video on MDS. If you think this might interest you let me know and we can set up a short demo session. I'm going to try to have this set up at our next few classes if anyone wants to take a look.

Now I'm a virtual crack dealer too!! :)~

October Technique Class

For those of you who missed last month's class, here are the projects we worked on.


This one features the Embossed Foil Technique. Be sure to check back in a day or so for the full technique tutorial.


This card featured the Marker Spritz technique. I love how the colors of the pheasant appear to be watercolored.

For this tent card, we brayered over the new Bride foil paper with Night of Navy ink. The large scallop circle is dotted with the Frost White shimmer paint from the Holiday Mini.

Holiday Extravaganza!!

THERE ARE ONLY 60 SHOPPING DAYS UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!! (more or less)

Are you panicking yet? :) I have not bought one single present so far--have you? Lucky for you I've got some of your problems solved. No, I don't have the latest Tickle Me Elmo or Halo 3 ODST stashed away for you. But if you need presents of the rubber and paper variety, I'm your gal.

From now until January 4th, Stampin Up is helping you celebrate Christmas in style with our Holiday Extravaganza.

For every $50 in merchandise purchased from the Holiday Gift-Giving Guide, you'll receive a FREE Definitely Decorative (formerly Decor Elements) valued up to $16.95.

In addition, I also offer Wish list service and Gift Certificates. If you'd rather not get another sweater this year, tell your gift-givers you'd like Stampin' Up in your stocking. You can either fill out a Wish list with all the things you'd like and give it to your honey or your honey can simply purchase a Gift Certificate for you to use later.

Making Rik Rak with your Scallop Punch

The other technique we learned at the last technique class was how to make rik rak (I never know how to spell that!) using the scallop edged punch from Stampin' Up. It's actually pretty easy once you get the hang of it. I'm sure there are several ways of doing this, but this is how I came up with mine.

Look at your scallop punch. There's the actually punch mechanism and then on either side there's a guide with silver scallops on it. The top of the scallops are called "peaks" and the place where two scallops come together is called the "valley". See the picture below.

• Start with a one inch wide strip of cardstock at least 2 inches longer than you'll need for your project ( so if it's going on a 5 1/2 inch wide card you'll need a strip at least 7 1/2 inches long.)
• Slide it into the punch so that the bottom edge lines up with the valley of the two scallops that is just outside the punch mechanism and punch along the strip ALMOST to the end of the cardstock. You don’t want to go all the way to the end. You'll need the strip to remain one whole piece until your completely finished.
• Now flip the strip over so that the unpunched side is in the punch and slide it down so the edge of the strip is at the peak of the scallop that is just outside the punch mechanism and punch along the strip almost to the end.
• Trim to desired length, and voila, cardstock ric rak!!

Here is a close up picture of the ric rak on a card.

And the finished card. I used a sentiment from the Chitchat rub-ons.

Enjoy!

Stamps: Polka Dot Punches (SAB set)
Colors: Certainly Celery and So Saffron
SAB designer series paper.