ThePowerOfACard

Tuesday, July 21, 2026

Joseph's Coat Technique

Joseph's Coat is a fun heat embossing technique. I suppose it got it's name from the Bible story of Joseph and his coat of many colors. When you emboss a stamped pattern with clear embossing powder over a colorful background, those colors get trapped beneath the embossing. Then when you add a dark color over the rest of the paper, the patterns really pop off the paper! Most of the time, you see black ink used for this technique, but most of my samples show other colors just to illustrate how versatile and varied this technique is.

I am not assembling any cards today, and instead, am focusing on the teaching the technique. My first sample uses a background that is ink blended with three shades of green. As an alternative to creating your own background, you can use Designer Series Paper (DSP). This is certainly faster, but is a little more challenging to see where you've stamped with Verasamark ink (as you can see in the video!). My samples have a variety of styles, colors and patterns and one of them features our new Stampin' Hot Foil System! It's my favorite card. Which is your favorite?

Gather your supplies:

Cardstock: Basic White 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" (quarter sheet)
Stamp: Fern & Flora
Inks: Lemon Lime Twist, Granny Apple Green, Garden Green, Pretty Peacock, Versamark
Embossing Powder: Basics Wow! Embossing Powder
Tools: Blending Brush, Embossing Additions Tool Kit, Heat Tool

I like to start out with a larger piece of paper for my ink blending so that afterwards, I can cut it down to size and still have a little strip to use on the inside of the card. When adding the greens, start with the lightest color and work to the darker shades. Your blending doesn't need to be great since most of the paper gets colored with a darker color of ink - so quick and easy blending for this!

Get out your embossing buddy and really give the paper a good coating. I added a lot of ink to this paper and the extra coating will prevent powder from sticking where we don't want, particularly with the clear powder which is super fine. Next, start stamping the fern with Versamark ink. This ink stays wet a long time and is sticky to hold the powder. It's a bit difficult to see where you've stamped - move the paper around to catch the light so you can know where to stamp more ferns. You may want to pause partially through the stamping to add and melt your powder (which is what I did). Continue stamping, adding powder and melting until you have the coverage you want.

The next step is where the magic happens. Take your dark ink pad (I used Pretty Peacock) and do "direct to paper" to add color all over the background paper. You might get some edge lines, but just keep adding color to even it out until you get the depth of coverage you want. Then take a paper towel or microfiber cloth to run over the surface of the panel. This will remove the excess ink that is sitting on top of the clear embossed parts and make the design really stand out.

For my finished card, I cut the panel down to 3-3/4" x 5", which left me a strip to use on the inside. Before matting it with Lemon Lime Twist, I stamped the frame, sentiment and moths, then die cut them out (a great way to be conservative with your paper!).

The next way to do this technique is by using DSP instead of ink blending your own paper. There are so many papers with either a small pattern or swatches of color to use! The process is the same - stamp with Versamark ink and emboss with clear. It is a little more difficult to see where you've stamped since the color is printed rather than inked. Just heat more frequently so you can see the shiny images. The paper I chose in the video is from Beautiful Ordinary Life, so after stamping my stars and inking with Pretty Peacock, I ended up with a festive background with lots of colored stars. My original sample was made using the Garden Party DSP, which has less variation in coloring and inked with Blackberry Bliss. For both, I used the Balloon Festoon bundle to finish them. Which is your favorite between them?

https://ThePowerOfACard.blogspot.com Karen Sliwinski Stampin’ Up!®

This card started with a background inked in a triad of primary colors - Melon Mambo, Daffodil Delight and Azure Afternoon. The benefit of using those three colors is the beautiful blending between them to make orange, green and purple! I chose the words from You're the Best for my clear embossing, and while I liked that, it did leave some large open spaces. Since there are no do dads in this stamp set, I grabbed a small flower from Springtime Scenes set as a filler. Once these were added, I did the traditional inking of the rest in black ink. I think this turned out so happy and know it will be a perfect graduation card!

I cannot lie. This next one is my absolute favorite. Stampin' Up!® recently introduced their Stampin' Hot Foil System - I got it and some of the new stamps/dies. The large leaf design is one of the stamps and it has a coordinating leaf that can be foiled over it. I wasn't sure the leaf design was ideal for this technique but decided to give it a try. After inking on my background (the same colors as my first sample), I embossed and colored the rest with Secret Sea. I love the choice of the dark blue - it's close to black, but just a bit warmer and richer. After adding the gold foiled leaves, I was blown away! I added just a little sentiment (also foiled) from the Sweetly Sentimental set and a Get Well from Classic Greetings on the inside. I have a dear friend who's having bypass surgery at the end of the month and this special card is headed his way.

Lastly, I created a fall card using the Simply Leaves stamp set. My inked background was done in Crushed Curry, Pumpkin Pie and Cherry Cobbler and then stamped with the two smallest leaves. After embossing, I inked the background in Pecan pie. Then to change up the look, I used two of the dies from the Flourish & Frames bundle to cut the label. My initial intent was to use the middle part (the space between the two frames) on the inside, but decided it was too big. So I just attached them to a piece of Two Tone Pecan Pie (the light side) cardstock before matting in Basic White and putting on a Pecan Pie card base. The fall colors look so inviting on that cozy brown base!

What are you going to try? Generally, stamps with bolder patterns work best, but sometimes, line stamps (like the fern) work great if there is a lot of line work. The possibilities are endless because you can create the underlying colors as you desire! Experiment and have fun.

Karen

ThePowerOfACard@gmail.com

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Product List

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00

Lemon Lime Twist Classic Stampin' Pad

[147145]

$9.00

Granny Apple Green Stampin' Pad

[147095]

$9.00

Garden Green Classic Stampin' Pad

[147089]

$9.00

Blending Brushes

[153611]

$17.00

Fern & Flora Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[167739]

$25.00

Versamark Pad

[102283]

$9.50

Embossing Additions Tool Kit

[159971]

$27.00

Basics Wow! Embossing Powder

[165679]

$21.00

Heat Tool (Us And Canada)

[129053]

$32.00

Pretty Peacock Classic Stampin’ Pad

[150083]

$11.00

Balloon Festoon Bundle (English)

[167606]

$50.25

Beautiful Ordinary Life Designer Series Paper & Sticker Sheet (English)

[167560]

$17.50

Tuesday, July 7, 2026

Embossing Folders - Tips & Tricks!

I adore using embossing folders in my card making projects! They are very versatile, inexpensive, and can be used in so many ways. I am going to show you a variety of tips and tricks when using these folders, including some you may not have tried! The two sets of folders I am using are called Swirls of Magic and Seasonal Cheer Mini and both of them are from the July release of Online Exclusive products. Many of my samples feature other newly release products - enjoy!

Gather your supplies:

Cardstock: Azure Afternoon 4-1/4" x 11", scrap; Basic White 4" x 5-1/4", 3-3/4" x 5", 3/4" x 1-1/4"; Azure Afternoon Two Tone 4" x 5-1/4"
Stamp Bundle: Balloon Festoon
Ink: Azure Afternoon
Embossing Folder: Swirls of Magic
Adhesive and Tools including a blending brushes and cardboard

The first technique is partial embossing and there are two variations of this method. I want to give a shout out to Demonstrator Michelle Pepper, who reminded me of this variation I did years ago, but forgot about. In order to do this technique, you will need some cardboard, like the pieces you get in a specialty pack of Designer Series Paper (DSP). My card features a large balloon which is partially embossed, so I cut out four layers of the third largest balloon from the cardboard, cutting off the bottom "knot". When these are glued together, they equal the thickness of plate #3 and will replace one of them when we emboss.

Take the 3-3/4" x 5" piece of white and place it in the embossing folder. Place this folder on plate #1, then place the cardboard balloon where you want it, on top of the folder. Add the final plate #3 and run this through the Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine (SCEM). You will notice that the embossing extends out a little bit from the edge of the cardboard balloon, but that the remaining part of the white panel remains un-embossed. Now take the inside panel of white and turn it sideways so that just a little bit fits in the end of the embossing folder - I like to use the black line as a guide. Run this through the SCEM with the normal sandwich (plate #1, plate #3, embossing folder with paper, plate #3). Only the side of the panel has the embossed pattern.

Now it's time to color the balloon with a blending brush. If you want a softer look, just use a small brush to add color over the embossed shape. If you want a more defined edge, you'll need to make a stencil. On a scrap piece of cardstock, cut out the same size balloon as the cardboard. Draw a pencil line around the outside edge, about 3/16" from the edge and cut along this line. Since I didn't want the bottom part of the balloon, I placed tape over that section before cutting so it prevented me from adding color where I didn't want it. Place the stencil over your balloon and add color until you get the shade you want.

Before assembling, cut out a balloon string on the scrap of Azure Afternoon and adhere this to the balloon with a bit of glue. Add this white layer to the lighter side of the two tone cardstock, then add this to the card front. (As a reminder, whenever I have a card base in this "hotdog" orientation, I score it at 5-1/2" as this will give a nice smooth fold. If you don't, the grains of the paper will give you a bumpy crease!) Trim the string to the bottom of the card base.

Stamp the sentiment on the small strip of white and flag the ends as I show in the video. Pop this up on the right side of the balloon so that the points of the strip touch the right side of the card. Stamp the inside sentiment on the remaining white panel, then add two balloons (both stamped off) and their strings. Add this to the inside of the card. Stamp two more balloons (one full strength and one stamped off) on the envelope to finish the card.

My next two cards are also partially embossed with the Swirls of Magic. For the first one done in Barely Blush, I placed a panel of 2026-2028 In Color Pearlized Specialty paper about half way into the embossing folder and partially embossed like we did for the inside of the first card. The sentiment is from Sending Salutations (stamped in Basic Gray) on a label from the Forever Florals dies. I used the stars from Balloon Festoon to decorate the label before popping it up on the card front. Lastly, I tied some Barely Blush Bordered Ribbon around the shimmery panel before popping this up on the my Barely Blush card base. I used the sentiments from Reason to Celebrate to complete this gorgeous wedding card. The second card was partially embossed top and bottom, leaving an open space in the upper middle for my sentiment, which is from You're the Best stamp set. I heat embossed this sentiment in white (Basics Embossing Powder set) and added two Natural Matte Dots. My interior sentiments are from the Reason to Celebrate (this is a very useful sentiment set to have!).

This lovely leaf card uses the first of the three folders from the Seasonal Cheer Mini embossing folders and shows what I would call the traditional usage of an embossing folder. Because I wanted the embossed portion on the left side of my card, I had to emboss a panel in the same color as my card base and adhere it to the card front. Adding a subtle tone on tone texture really elevates your card. I used the Simply Leaves bundle for my leaves, which were stamped in Crushed Curry, Cajun Craze and Pecan Pie. The label is punched with the Rounded Rectangle punch and the embellishments are Adhesive-Backed Metallic Gems. I love the envelope for this one - you'll have to watch the video to see the edge stamped with cute little leaves!

For the second card using the leaf embossing folder, I started with a panel of Basic white and added Granny Apple Green, Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie, Poppy Parade and Real Red with blending brushes. Then I spritzed this panel with water and let it dry completely before cutting it up into the shapes I needed. I embossed the upper and lower segments, but flipped them around so that the pattern of the colors was interrupted. My sentiment was stamped in black using You're the Best stamp set. After gluing the panels to the white piece, I spritzed it with Wink of Stella (I forgot to mention that in the video - darn!). For my inside, I did partial embossing of the leaves on the bottom and used sponge daubers to ink the sentiment in multiple colors. My envelope flap was also embossed with the leaves to finish the coordination.

The next tip is to use the brayer to color the raised portion of an embossed piece. I selected the bats folder and embossed a panel of white. For this technique, I recommend using a much larger piece of paper than you need. Ink up the brayer with black ink and roll it over the bats. You will notice that on the edges, the brayer often leaves extra ink - this is because there is nothing to support the brayer past the edge and hence, having a larger piece allows you to punch out a circle (aka moon) from the center and avoid the unwanted inked area. I used the Web of Fun bundle (which is not one I would normally get but my grandson wanted me to get the spider and his web!) to add my die cut sentiments and spider on the inside. The web is stamped on both the inside and envelope.

How do you get a full card front panel from a mini embossing folder? This next sample shows you how I did that! Partially emboss the bottom half of the panel of black, then turn the panel around and emboss the remaining half. Because I used the bats folder, you could hardly tell where the two embossings met. However, this seam would be more noticeable with other folders. To cover the seam, add ribbon or a strip of paper. My spider web for this card is cut from the Shimmering Stripes Specialty DSP, which has tiny little lines of glitter - so pretty! More spiders/webs and words complete the card, way ahead of time for Halloween!

The last technique was done on a panel of Real Red Two Tone cardstock using the candy cane folder. Because this paper has a white core, when you emboss, then sand off the top layer of color, you can get the stripes of white to show! My sentiments are from the Festive Cheer stamp set and the label is from Nested Essentials. The best part (in my humble opinion) is the Real Red & White Adhesive-Backed Peppermints! They really pop on the Smoky Slate card base!

Were any of these tips and tricks new to you? Think of the possibilities of using other shapes for partial embossing - so much fun! If you want to see more of the newly released line-up, check out my website. I appreciate your business and would love to see you at a class.

Karen

ThePowerOfACard@gmail.com

Shop my Store!

If you don’t have an on-line account with me as your demonstrator, please go to my store and get one.

https://ThePowerOfACard.blogspot.com

Images Copyright Stampin’ Up!®

Find me on Facebook - The Power of a Card or

Join my Facebook Group (The Power of a Cardmaker): https://www.facebook.com/groups/1042676296088278/?ref=share

Product List

Balloon Festoon Bundle (English)

[167606]

$50.25

Azure Afternoon 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[161719]

$14.00

Azure Afternoon 12" X 12" (30.5 X 30.5 Cm) Two Tone Cardstock

[166656]

$10.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[166780]

$14.00

Swirls Of Magic Embossing Folder

[168179]

$10.50

Azure Afternoon Classic Stampin' Pad

[161663]

$11.00

Blending Brushes

[153611]

$17.00

Detail Scissors

[170902]

$10.00

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

[110755]

$6.00

Stampin' Dimensionals

[104430]

$4.25

Basic White Medium Envelopes

[159236]

$15.00

Paper Trimmer

[152392]

$28.00

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

[149653]

$140.00

Thursday, June 18, 2026

Wax Paper "Textured" Backgrounds

This technique is another old one that I haven't done in a while! I saw a video from Gina K Designs and it reminded me about it. When you do this, you won't actually be adding texture to your paper like you would with an embossing folder. You get the textured look when you do ink blending after doing the technique. I show you how to do this in the video (it's simple!), but you will need a few non-card making supplies. I also show a card that uses a variation of the technique using an embossing folder.

Special note - if you read this blog before I release my video on June 24th, you won't get to see it yet - please come back and watch!

Let's start with just the process. In addition to the cardstock for your project, you will need wax paper, a dry iron, an ironing board (or other surface that can take the heat) and a couple sheets of copy paper. It is important to note that parchment paper will not work - you need the wax coating to make the textured appearance. I like to start with pieces that are larger than I need for my card. Let's go with two 4-1/4" x 5-1/2" (quarter size sheets) of Basic White and the same size piece of wax paper.

Crumple the wax paper into a ball, then flatten it back out and sandwich it between the two pieces of white cardstock. Place this sandwich between layers of copy paper and press with the iron which is set on the highest setting. Do not use steam! In fact, I recommend emptying the iron before using it. After a few minutes, remove the copy paper and open the sandwich. It is important to remember which side of the cardstock touched the wax paper. I like to flip the sandwich open so the sides facing up are the ones that touched and need ink blending. Keep the wax paper - I show you how you can use it for another purpose!

Don't forget to check out my card samples - I think after seeing them, you will have plenty of ideas of how to use this technique in your craft room. I even have one where I embossed the wax paper instead of crumpling it up and the result is quite beautiful!

Gather your supplies:

Cardstock: Azure Afternoon 8-1/2" x 5-1/2"; Basic White (2) 4/1/4" x 5-1/2", 4" x 5-1/4", 2-1/4" x 3-3/4", 1/2" x 1-1/2"
Stamp: Wild Bunch (June 2026 Product of the Month)
Die: Stylish Shapes
Inks: Balmy Blue, Azure Afternoon, Blueberry Bushel, Memento Black
Blends: Basic Black, Golden Glow
Adhesive and Tools including blending brushes, wax paper and an iron

For our card, we will need some scrap cardstock with circles in a variety of sizes cut out of them - I have 2", 1-3-4", 1-1/2" and 1" punches that I used to cut out the circles. Start with Balmy Blue and the largest circle and ink blend color onto the surface of the cardstock (remembering to use the side that touched the wax paper). Add several circles scattered around the piece. Switch to the next smallest circle and Azure Afternoon. Add more circles with light pressure - some of these will overlap the previous circles. Switch to the next smaller circle and apply the same color, but more intense. Finally, add Blueberry Bushel with the smallest circle to complete the bokeh look. If you need to go back and add more of any of the circle sizes or colors, that's fine. Trim this piece to be 4" x 5-1/4".

Since the blending brushes are out and inky, it's a good idea to add a few circles to the inside panel of white and the envelope at this time. These circles won't have the textured look, but they will carry over the bokeh theme.

On the small rectangle of white, stamp the bird in black ink on the right side. Color with blends and fussy cut him out. From the other side of this rectangle, cut out the third largest circle from the Stylish Shapes dies. Before adding the penguin to the circle, take one of the circle templates and cut a wavy edge. Use the blending brushes to add some color to the bottom third of the circle - sort of like an iceberg. Add the penguin with Dimensionals.

Stamp the sentiment on the strip of white with Azure Afternoon ink and flag the ends. Stamp the sentiment on the inside panel. Assemble the card by placing the trimmed bokeh piece on the card base, which was folded in half and creased with a bone folder. Add the sentiment and circle with Dimensionals and glue the inside panel. Isn't this simply adorable??

My next card features the Wooly Friends bundle. The textured background was inked with Gray Granite. Two of the sheep were stamped on white and then filled in with stamped off Gray Granite. The last sheep was stamped on Gray Granite cardstock (which was also used to make a paper ribbon behind the sentiment circle). Pairing this with Daffodil Delight makes this a perfect gender neutral baby card!

Fragrant Layers has been a favorite of mine since it was released. I paired Crisp Cantaloupe (a new In Color) with Lemon Lime Twist for a fresh look. I blended my panel with Lemon Lime Twist before cutting it into strips. These were then placed diagonally over a panel of white, trimmed and matted with Lemon Lime Twist cardstock. The flowers were stamped in black and filled in with the Crisp Cantaloupe, Lemon Lime Twist and Daffodil Delight. Unfortunately, you do have to fussy cut this cluster of flowers, but I think it's worth it! Pop this up with Dimensionals and add a few 2026-2028 In Color Butterflies.

Earlier this month, I asked my Facebook followers which they preferred - cats or dogs - after showing them two strips of critters from the Cutest Crew bundle. Dogs were the winners and I make a card featuring them. Here is the runner up with the cats and I don't think the cat people will feel slighted at all! I colored the cats in a variety of blends and popped them up on a panel colored with Golden Glow (another new In Color). Before I added it to my card base, I tied a bow with the Golden Glow Bordered Ribbon. Lastly, I added my sentiment and some 2026-2028 In Color Dots.

This next card features Piglet and Eeyore and a label that was masked to have a white border. I used the Sweet Words & Labels bundle and selected the label size I wanted. Then I cut the next smaller label out of scrap cardstock and used that as a mask to ink blend Hydrangea Hue (another new In Color) on the piece of textured background. Then I cut it out with the larger die, which made this beautiful layered look label. I stamped and colored the two friends (Sweet Old Friends bundle) with Blends and cut them out with dies before popping them up with Dimensionals. The background panel is embossed with the Hundred Acre Woods folder. After adding the label, the bow was tied from the Hydrangea Hue Bordered ribbon and the panel was added to the card base.

This card shows another way you can use the wax paper to get a different textured look. Instead of crumpling it, run it through an embossing folder. I used the Fern & Flora folder to get this beautiful panel. Depending on the design on your folder, one side may look better than the other. For example, I showed the second piece in the video and while it looked OK after inking, the pattern wasn't quite as distinct as this one, which I colored with Secret Sea and Peaceful Pine (yet another new In Color). I used the Fern & Flora bundle to make the cluster of greenery. The stamped leaves were colored with the Peaceful Pine Shimmer Brush and have that little sparkle that adds a special touch. The ribbon is the Secret Sea Bordered Open Weave ribbon and the embellishments are the Natural Matte Dots.

My last card utilizes the spent wax paper. After you iron the piece, the wax paper doesn't have to be thrown away and you can use it anywhere you would use vellum. I cut out the wax paper with the Sweet Words & Labels dies (the same one I used on the Piglet/Eeyore card) and used it behind my cluster of flowers and leaves. These were made by using sponge daubers and the Paradise Garden bundle. For the flowers, I chose Daffodil Delight and Pumpkin Pie and for the leaves, I used Lemon Lime Twist and Granny Apple Green. The background paper is from the Brights Painted Patterns DSP and the label was heat embossed and embellished with Shimmering Dots.