ThePowerOfACard: Embossed or Debossed

Tuesday, August 19, 2025

Embossed or Debossed - That is the Question!

Embossing folders are great tools to have in your craft room! A large embossed panel and a simple sentiment is perfect for a quick and easy card. But they can be used for so much more! And what makes them even more versatile is the fact that you can use either the embossed or debossed side! I am excited to be able to show you some fun ways to use embossing folders!

Gather your supplies:

Cardstock: Secret Sea 8-1/2" x 5-1/2"; Basic White 2-3/4" x 6", (2) 1/2" x 5-1/2", 4" x 5-1/4"
Stamp: Tags of Thanks
Embossing Folder: Glass & Gardens
Inks: Cloud Cover, Secret Sea
Embellishments: 2025-2027 In Color Flat Dots, Iridescent Pearl Basic Jewels
Adhesive and Tools, including a brayer

The Glass & Gardens embossing folders (there are two different ones in the package) are one of my favorites. For the card I'm making in the video, I will be embossing a panel of white and adding color with a brayer. Cloud Cover, which is one of our newest In Colors, had some quality issues with the ink pad in the full size. It is available in the Last Chance section of my store and while it may not be perfect, I think mine works pretty well.

Start by embossing the 2-3/4" wide rectangle with the flower pattern. I have often used this with the embossed side up, but today, I am using the debossed side. Both are gorgeous, but I want to show you how to use a brayer to add color. Load the brayer with ink like I show in the video and apply to the debossed side until you get the coverage you want. Trim this panel to be 5-1/2" long and stamp the sentiment in Secret Sea. Adhere the strips of Basic White to the long sides so that only a little bit of white shows.

Fold the card base and use a bone folder to press the crease. Add the embossed piece to the center of the card base with Dimensionals. Embellish the flower centers with dots and pearls. Stamp the inside sentiment on the Basic White panel and adhere to the inside of the card. Finish by stamping the Thank You sentiment on the envelope corner.

My next card is the same layout, but one has the Sunflowers embossed and the other has it debossed. I used the brayer to add Lemon Lolly ink to both of them and you can see just how different the look is. I layered the panel with Night of Navy and used the Night of Navy & Gold Glittered ribbon to tie around the bottom. Just a Note from Simply Said fit perfectly on a circle to complete this beauty. As a nice touch, I embossed or debossed the envelope flap to match the card - it looks quite stunning!

This one also uses the Sunflower 3D folder, but I cut three panels of White measuring 1-1/2" x 3-3/4". I placed them in my folder with a little space between them and after embossing, adhered them to a panel of Crushed Curry. I popped up this layer on my Crushed Curry card base, then added a sentiment strip and Opal Rounds. For the inside of this card, I embossed a 1" strip with the sunflowers and added that to the bottom of my interior panel - it sure does pop!

For my next card, I used the Beautiful Butterflies bundle and embossed three 1-1/2" squares of Basic White. I placed them over smaller butterflies to fit with the scale of the squares. Then I used my brayer to add Daffodil Delight, Pumpkin Pie and Poppy Parade on the debossed side. Note that you want to see all three colors of ink, so start with the lightest color and add darker colors sparingly. I really like how striking they look on the Crumb Cake Base next to a simple knotted ribbon.

Besides using a brayer (or ink pad!) to add color to your embossed/debossed panels, you can also use a sanding block on the embossed side. However, in order to see a color change when you sand, you must use paper that has a white core, such as our DSP or Two Tone Cardstock. I used Petunia Pop Two Tone and the Happy Hibiscus Bundle for this lovely card (and some of that Iridescent Ribbon I used in my last video).

For my last card, I decided to use the Dotted Circles embossing folder, but instead of choosing which side to use, I cut the panel in half and used both! I adhered it to a piece of Florals in Bloom DSP and tied the Strawberry Slush Faux Linen ribbon around the seam. The Terrific Toadstools bundle seemed just right to go with the dots.

When using your embossing folders, look at them a bit closer and maybe, you'll decide to flip them from the usual way to add some variety to your style! I encourage you to try adding color with a brayer or swiping with an ink pad - it is fun and changes up the look dramatically!

Karen

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