ThePowerOfACard

Tuesday, June 27, 2023

Aluminum Foil Meets Embossing Folders!

This is a fun technique that I've done many times over the years, mainly when embossing folders remind me of metal plates like you find on a truck or tool chest. I will show you how to emboss aluminum foil to make a gorgeous decorative element for your cards. In my video, I use regular weight foil and adhere it to a piece of cardstock first, but you can use heavy weight foil all on its own.

The first card I show in the intro was made by cutting a deckled rectangle after adhering the foil but before embossing (and using a deckled rectangle for the sentiment), but I will demonstrate my preferred method. This is to adhere, emboss and then fold the excess foil to the back side of the piece. This help prevent foil from lifting up on the edges if there isn't glue in a portion of it. So grab your Reynolds Wrap and let's make some cards!

Gather your supplies:

Cardstock: Smoky Slate 8-1/2" x 5-1/2" and 3/4" x 5-1/2"; Basic White 3-3/4" x 5"and 1-3/4" x 3"
Stamp Set: Phrases for All
Ink: Azure Afternoon
Embossing Folder: Quatrefoil Tiles
Other: Sheer Ribbon Combo Pack
Aluminum Foil
Adhesive and Tools

Start by cutting a piece of foil just a little larger than the large white rectangle. Add small lines of glue all over the cardstock, trying to get good coverage, but only small amounts of glue. Place this piece on the back side of the foil and press all over the cardstock to get excellent adhesion. Place this piece in the embossing folder and emboss with the Stampin' Cut & Emboss machine.

I really like to fold the extra foil to the back side of my piece as I demonstrate. This will prevent any foil from lifting up at the edge if there isn't total glue coverage. The easiest way I found to do this is to hold the piece almost vertical and just fold down. Make sure the corners are tucked in so they don't stick out after folding. Adhere this piece to the front of your card base.

Stamp the sentiment with Azure Afternoon ink on the small white rectangle and add this to the card with Stampin' Dimensionals. I placed it off center because of the bow. Tie a bow with the Azure Afternoon ribbon and adhere to the upper left corner with a Mini Glue Dot.

To finish up the card, emboss the strip of Smoky Slate with the same embossing folder and place on the inside bottom. It looks really nice to emboss the envelope flap with the same folder - it also adds continuity.

When I was first making cards for this video, I started with the obvious embossing folder - Metal Plate. I used the Zany Zoo stamp set and the Radiating Stitches Dies for this adorable birthday card. I like how the Pebbled Path and Sweet Sorbet cardstock look with the embossed foil.

Next I used the Basics 3D folder (in my favorite cross hatch design) and the Hello Ladybug stamp set for a cheerful Hello card. Not only is this a cute layout, it's a great way to use up scraps of paper. You don't have to use Basic white because the foil covers it entirely, so why not use up all of your old paper?

My next card features the Merry Melody 3D embossing folder and the Zoo Crew DSP. I matted the three musicians in black and added a stitched circle with musical notes to complete my lyrical birthday card. I love the Lemon Lime Twist card base as it really makes the frog pop!

For the next sample, I adhered my foil to a square of cardstock, then cut a circle using the Stylish Shapes dies. Then, I embossed the circle with the Basics 3D folder. When handling this piece, just be careful not to catch the edge where the foil might try to lift up since we aren't folding it over. I used Bubble Bath as my base and then coordinated with Moody Mauve for this birthday celebration.

Lastly, I added some extra touches by using my Stazon ink pads. For the first one, I embossed the panel with the Timeworn Type 3D folder. Then I lightly ran the ink pad over the raised portions, which left touches of black. A few strips of white set the embossed piece off nicely and the crocodile (or is it an alligator?) looks fabulous on the black card base. On the second card, I liberally applied ink over the embossed piece (Exposed Brick 3D) with the saddle brown ink pad. This took hours to fully dry, so you need lots of patience. However, the result is a beautiful antique gold look that paired very well with Wild Wheat cardstock and the Earthen Textures bundle.

I hope you've enjoyed using an everyday household item to spice up your cards. We have so many great embossing folders in the catalog and on-line - give them a try!

Karen

ThePowerOfACard@gmail.com

Etsy Shop: The Power of a Card

https://karensliwinski.stampinup.net

https://ThePowerOfACard.blogspot.com

Images Copyright Stampin’ Up!®

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

My current host code for June is: BREWW3K9
Please use this for orders less than $150 and you’ll get a special treat from me.
For orders over $150, you qualify for host rewards from Stampin’ Up! (plus a treat from me!).

Product List

Smoky Slate 8-1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[131202]

$10.00

Basic White 8 1/2" X 11" Cardstock

[159276]

$10.50

Phrases For All Photopolymer Stamp Set (English)

[161403]

$21.00

Azure Afternoon Classic Stampin' Pad

[161663]

$9.00

Quatrefoil Tile Embossing Folder

[158655]

$9.50

3/8" (1 Cm) Sheer Ribbon Combo Pack

[161635]

$12.50

Multipurpose Liquid Glue

[110755]

$5.50

Mini Glue Dots

[103683]

$5.75

Paper Snips

[103579]

$11.00

Paper Trimmer

[152392]

$26.00

Bone Folder

[102300]

$7.00

Stampin' Cut & Emboss Machine

[149653]

$128.00

Tuesday, June 13, 2023

Doodles for Card Makers

Doodles are fun and simple additions to your cards and they allow you to add a personal touch that is all your own! In my video, I show a variety of cards where I added doodles - everything from simple lines to a rainbow of dashes to a leaf covered background. All you need are some basic tools to do the markings - things you probably already own - Stampin' Write Markers, Stampin' Blends and Watercolor Pencils.

I used to do a lot of doodling years ago when I started scrapbooking in the early 90's. Back then, I used to do some elaborate doodles to spruce up my pages. The same concept can apply to your cards - just on a smaller scale. Today, Zentangles are quite popular and if you search for images of these, you will find a wonderful source of inspiration.

Today's video will be a little different in that I am not making a card, but am showing you a bunch of cards where I doodled to enhance my design or layout. After I show the card, I explain how I did the doodle and for many of them, I demonstrate it on a scrap of paper. All of my cards are basic layouts so I wanted to focus my time on the doodles and show you more of that aspect.

Gather your supplies:

Writing tools such as Stampin' Write Markers, Watercolor Pencils and Stampin' Blends
Pencil and eraser (helpful but not required)
Beveled edge ruler or drafting ruler
All the normal card making supplies you normally use

The first card uses a doodle as a frame for a simple die cut element. Here, I drew wavy lines from one corner to the next, about 1/4" in from the edge. Then I drew another line, curving in the opposite direction and criss crossing. Do this on all four sides to complete the framing effect.. For this card, I used the Bright & Beautiful DSP, Basic Black and Basic White cardstock, the Wonderful Thoughts Bundle and the Sheer Ribbon Combo Pack.

This lovely thank you card features the Irresistible Blooms Bundle, the Bright & Beautiful DSP, Berry Burst and Basic White cardstock, vellum, Meadow Dies and Iridescent Pearls. After assembling my flowers and leaves and stamping my sentiment in Berry Burst ink, I used my Lemon Lime Twist Stampin' Write marker to add a border - leaving a gap between my line and the elements that crossed where I was drawing. Sometimes I got too close to my leaves, but that's ok too. I added some pearls to the corners - this is optional. They looked OK without them, but not perfect. I really like how the border and the sentiment intersect.

The Brights DSP pack, along with cardstock in Basic Black, Basic White and Pumpkin Pie pair so well in this simple birthday card. The sentiment is from Pansy Patch and the doodle is similar to the first one, except that I didn't go all the way around the Stylish Shapes square die and I did loops rather than intersecting wavy lines. I would recommend practicing your loops - don't think too hard and let your hand flow freely with loopy lines. If you think too much, your doodle might become stiff and lose it's fluidity (speaking from experience here!).

I just love the Wanted to Say dies, which I used here in Moody Mauve. A simple rectangle with the word Celebrate is dressed up by doing a series of dots and dashes using my ruler. A single flower (Season of Chic Bundle and the 23-25 In Color Dots) looks fabulous on the background piece that was embossed with the Basics 3D embossing folders. I really like how this doodle looked on the bottom of the inside card layer too.

This next doodle is one of my favorites I learned from my markings lesson in the watercolor stamp camp I took earlier this year. The design is slightly wavy lines with dots added to alternating sides of the lines. Some of them cross each other, while others do not. I used Basic White, Basic Black and Real Red cardstock, along with the Dots & Spots, Tailor Made Tags and Wanted to Say dies. The ribbon is from the Real Red & Burlap Combo Pack and the inside sentiment is from Good Feelings.

I love the sentiment "Sending sunshine & rainbows" from Kindest Expressions and felt that this needed some rainbow doodles! I drew some pencil lines as a guide for my colors, then used my Stampin' Write Markers to make vertical lines in each of six colors along the arc. After erasing the pencil lines, I matted it in Basic Black, added the Gingham ribbon and put it on a Daffodil Delight base. The resulting look is delicate, but could be made bolder by using Stampin' Blends instead of Stampin' Write Markers. The inside sentiment is from In the Moment. Which one do you like better?

Branching out a little more, this next card uses Stampin' Blends to essentially make DSP! I used Lemon Lolly, Bubble Bath and Fresh Freesia to draw circles of color on a Basic White rectangle. Then I used my Basic Black Stampin' Blend to turn those circles into flowers. For Fresh Freesia, I added big loopy petals that extended well behind the circle. The Lemon Lolly flowers have a circle center and petals that stay within the color boundary and the Bubble Bath "roses" are made with a bunch of C shapes expanding out from the center. I used sentiments from Irresistible Blooms and Biggest Wish and the tag is from Something Fancy dies.

My last card uses more paper from the Bright & Beautiful DSP pack (which I love as you might guess and is part of our June DSP paper sale). I drew sprigs of leaves using Watercolor Pencils. While these may look hard to do, they really aren't! A simple sentiment stamped in Lemon Lime Twist from Season of Chic on a Stylish Shapes banner look great on the leafy background. I matted it in Granny Apple Green and added it to a Crumb Cake base. Instead of a sentiment for the inside, I drew some more leaves on a Basic White strip and added that at the bottom.

So what do you think? Ready to try doing some doodles yourself? You've got what it takes - just give it a go!

Karen

ThePowerOfACard@gmail.com

Etsy Shop: The Power of a Card

https://karensliwinski.stampinup.net

https://ThePowerOfACard.blogspot.com

Images Copyright Stampin’ Up!®

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

My current host code for June is: BREWW3K9

Please use this for orders less than $150 and you’ll get a special treat from me.

For orders over $150, you qualify for host rewards from Stampin’ Up! (plus a treat from me!).

Product List

100082

$3.00

2023–2025 In Color Stampin' Write Markers

161695

$17.50

154843

$10.00

153112

$10.00

161700

$16.00

Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Tearing it up!

Today's card features a new stand-alone set of dies called Wanted to Say and a technique that is as old as the hills - paper tearing. You might have overlooked these new dies from the new annual catalog because they don't pair with a stamp set. You can find them on page 167, as well as in some card samples on page 35. I love that they have the sayings (Happy Birthday, Feel Better Soon, Celebrate and you're too kind) and the outline piece to fit behind them. There are some extra dies (flower, stars, hearts, present and bow) too which makes this a very useful set of dies to own!

I really like the technique of tearing - there are just so many ways you can do this and it doesn't require any special tools. Some notes about the Stampin' Up! papers - our cardstock is colored throughout, which means the core of the cardstock will be the same color as the surface. Not all cardstocks are this way. This is not the case for Designer Series Paper (DSP) which has the pattern inked onto the surface. This means that when you tear DSP, you will see the white core. This is a different look from cardstock and makes the tear more obvious because you will have both a texture and color change.

When you tear your paper, pull it toward you in small segments, as I demonstrate in my video. You can tear in as straight a line as you want, or add as many bumps and valleys as you want. As you experiment with tearing, you will see just how much interest it will add to your cards.

Gather your supplies:

Cardstock: Thick Basic White 5-1/2" x 8-1/2"; Glorious Gingham 6" x 6" DSP 4" x 5-1/4", 4" x 3/4", 5/8" x 6"; White 4" x 3", 2" x 3-1/2"; Berry Burst 2" x 3-1/2"
Ink: Berry Burst
Dies: Wanted to Say
Stamp Set: Share a Milkshake
Glossy Dots Assortment
Tools and Adhesive

Prepare your card by folding the base in half and creasing with a bone folder. Add the large piece of Gingham DSP on the top with adhesive. Technically, you could've used a smaller piece of DSP here since the top and bottom portions are covered with our torn white layer, but I find it better to have the full layer there as it makes placing other pieces on top easier.

With the 4" x 3" piece of Basic White, tear it in half, tearing toward yourself. In the video, I tore it in the middle so that both pieces were about the same size. For my sample (in Blueberry Bushel), I made the top segment smaller - the choice is up to you. Add these two pieces to the top and bottom of the card front with Dimensionals (make sure you place them on the "wrong" side and avoid the mistake I made in my video which hid the beautiful torn edge!).

From the small pieces of White and Berry Burst, die cut the words Happy Birthday and the shadow on the Stampin' Cut & Emboss machine. Adhere the words to the shadow (I love that the dot of the i is attached!!). Add this to the center of the DSP section with Mini Dimensionals and decorate with a few gems using your Take Your Pick tool. For the Blueberry Bushel card, the embellishments are Tinsel Gems.

I finished my card by adding the 3/4" strip of DSP to the bottom and adding a sentiment from the Share a Milkshake stamp set. My tip for getting my inside sentiments centered is by using an H rectangular block and positioning the sentiment in the middle. Because it's just about the width of the card, this makes centering the saying quite easy. The final touch is to add a 5/8" strip of DSP to the side of the envelope - just make sure it's adhered well so it doesn't get caught in the postal machines.

My next example features the Earthen Textures Bundle and Earthen Elegance DSP. My base is Pecan Pie (what a great addition to our lineup!). I tore the DSP on both sides and like I explained above, here you do see the white core of the paper. I think it really shows off the technique, don't you?

For this lovely card, I used the Taylor Made Tags, Petal Park stamp set, Sentimental Park Bundle and the Bright & Beautiful 6" x 6" DSP. The DSP was torn to make a diagonal strip and then cut with the same tag die. The dots allow you to line it up perfectly on the tag. I added an embossed piece of black (using my favorite cross hatch from the 3D Textures Embossing Folders) and some Lemon Lime ribbon from the Ribbon Duo Combo pack. I really liked how the combination of Bubble Bath and Berry Burst look for the flowers!

Father's Day is coming up soon, so I used the He's the Man bundle to make this card. I embossed the piece of Misty Moonlight (welcome back!) with the Timeworn Type embossing folder, then tore the bottom edge at a diagonal. After mounting it to the piece of Crumb Cake, I wrapped some linen thread around the panel before adding it to my card base. I popped up the sentiment and finished with a spritz of Misty Moonlight. I'm all set for next month!

Lastly, I layered three 2" x 6" pieces of Hello, Irresistible 6" x 6" DSP. Trim the top piece, which is not torn, to 5-1/4". Tear the bottom two pieces before cutting them to 5-1/4" and save the scraps to use on the inside of the card as I show in the video. Adhere the lightest piece to the Lost Lagoon card base at the top, then add the middle and bottom torn layers. The sentiment and leaves are from Botanical Layers and were stamped with Lost Lagoon and Pretty Peacock and cut with the Something Fancy dies.