Hello Fellow Stampers ~
It's been a little bit of a crazy week, with lots of stuff going on, right into the weekend ahead!! I met with the designer last evening for the remodel we're planning of Mike's basement in his home. I am starting to get excited for her to help me put my vision "on paper" and see what she comes up with. There is a brand new DDS Studio in the future -- and I can hardly wait to see how it all turns out!! LOL I'll be sharing with all of you as that comes to fruition!!
Today, we continue our focus on Sale-A-Bration this week, with a "spotlight" on what is one of the more popular items from SAB Second Release -- the Country Floral Dynamic Textured Impressions Embossing Folder!!! A-MAZ-ING!! Every once in awhile a product comes along that literally can stand on it's own, and this is one of those products. You can create your entire card design just using this embossing folder and a simple sentiment and it's a done deal!! I'm going to showcase a couple of different techniques today with this embossing folder, and I hope you enjoy and feel inspired!!
This gorgeous embossing folder makes a "deep" 3D impression and is so shabby chic. There are a number of techniques you can use with this folder that will make any project "pop." What you see lined up here is work with several different types of brayers, sponging, and then I have just a plain embossed piece (but that will change here in a few minutes - LOL). Today we're going to talk about putting color right on your embossing folder before running it through the Big Shot; we're going to talk about sponging the raised images; and we're going to showcase using Stampin' Blends to color the raised areas. There are a lot of different things you could do, but we'll focus on these three.
First up today, let's talk a little bit about how to add color to your embossing folders and then running them through the Big Shot. Did you know that there is a "front" and a "back" to your embossing folder. When holding and looking at your embossing folders, hold it so the words "Sissix" and "Stampin Up!" are facing you. This the "front" of your folder and really the correct way to always look at and run your folder through your Big Shot. This is the "debossed" side of your folder - the impression then getting pushed into your paper is coming from "behind" or the back side of your folder up towards you. When you open your folder and take your paper out, you always see the raised impression. When we put color onto our folder, we want to put it on this "front" panel of your folder (so the debossed impressions don't get the ink). By brayering you can lay a clean layer of ink across the folder and lay the ink just where you want it.
Now I tried brayering with the good old-fashioned hard rubber brayer that I've had for a long time, and this gives a darker, more consistent ink across the surface of the folder. It also keeps the ink out of the debossed (impressed) images that we want to just pop out of the paper, and have the ink in the background (that's the "darker" sample to the right in the image above).
Then I tried brayering with our new Stampin' Up! sponge brayers. And the effect is totally different - and I actually really love this. The sponge is obviously more malleable and so it doesn't lay as heavy an ink layer AND it gets ink down into those debossed areas of your folder. The result was absolutely gorgeous. Which is why I chose that piece to make this card:
I used Mint Macaron ink in both examples above, but you can see the stunning difference just on the type of brayer I used, and this card has that soft shabby chic look that is so elegant and absolutely perfect for this wedding card. Kept simple, I matted the finished piece with Gray Granite cardstock, wrapped the layers with gorgeous Very Vanilla 5/8" Polka Dot Tulle Ribbon, and then adhered it to a Soft Sea Foam card base. The simple sentiment is from the To Have & To Hold stamp set, cut out with a Rectangle Stitched Framelit, and matted with Soft Sea Foam cardstock - popped with dimensionals. A few strategically placed pearls, and this card is ready for the new "Mr. & Mrs." Isn't this gorgeous!?! See what I mean about an embossing folder basically making the entire project and holding it's own!!
My next card design uses a sponge dauber and Powder Pink, Lemon Lime Twist, and Pineapple Punch inks to just light sponge here and there on the raised images after going through the Big Shot. I purposely left this soft, light, and only a few images colored here and there. This gorgeous card again is totally about the embossed images, and everything else in the design simply accents that and showcases it. I adore this card!!! A little bit of Gingham Gala DSP, a simple edge punched with the Decorative Ribbon Border Punch, and a simple wrap with the SAB Organdy Ribbon (again, I hope you were lucky enough to snag some of this for yourself). I finished this piece off with the Wonderful Romance stamp set and framelits. Yes, everything you see comes from the Wonderful Floral Framelits, including that gorgeous frame (which I wove the ribbon through), and the sweet little flowers and leaves. I "rounded" my little flowers with the end of my stylus from the Simply Scored on one of our Stampin' Pierce Mats, which gives you the nice cushion to be able to do this. Colored a few pearls and popped them in the middle of each flower; and scattered some across the embossed areas. Again -- such a shabby chic and elegant card!!
I'm finishing up today's "spotlight" with the Stampin' Blends. I colored the raised embossing with a variety Stampin' Blends -- and now you have a totally different look again!! Flip the card over and see what it looks like on the back side after you're done coloring - and you'll be amazed again!! This piece is matted with Calypso Coral and popped on a Petal Pink card base after being wrapped with the gorgeous Organdy Ribbon from Sale-A-Bration. My little stash will be gone soon I'm sure :-( In the meantime, enjoy this luscious ribbon if you have it!! This card was dressed up for Mother's Day, and with the simple addition of a sentiment, is set to go!! So Springy!! Although this card was embossed on Shimmery White cardstock, adding a little Clear Wink of Stella will take the glimmer to a whole new level!
Technique Suggestions: Here are some other ideas you could try with this fabulous embossing folder - try inking from "embossed" side - the raised back flap - and see how you like that look (totally different and kind of cool); try coloring and then fussy cutting out the raised flower images, and arranging them on a card design using glue dots and dimensionals. Emboss a piece of foil with this embossing folder, and then do a distress technique for a wonderful vintage look. There are so many wonderful things you could with this folder!! It is a "Keeper."!!
You can get this fantastic folder FREE with any $50 product purchase between now and Sunday, March 31st!! Did you miss it?? Don't wait!! Snap it up Today!
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Hugs -- Until Next Time . . .
