heat embossing

Thinking Of You Today

Hello again. I have a card to share whilst trying to keep my mind busy after saying goodbye to one of my cats yesterday.

My starting point was the list at Festive Friday and searched my CML app for ‘envelope’. This Spellbinders hot foil plate came up, and with it were layering stencils, so out came my foil machine, and off I went.

I used a brass foil and Hammermill card stock. Now – I am not a fan of this card stock. I have not had great results when foiling or ink blending, but thought I would give it another go……..in future, I will stick with my Neenah for ink blending.

It did foil perfectly. I just don’t like how the card ‘grabs’ the brush, the ink doesn’t flow smoothly enough for me. I will use it for foiling or for stamping – but not for ink blending….

Anyhoo – onwards……I ink blended Pinkfresh Studio inks in the colours you see using all the layering stencils. I added a slightly darker blend to the areas of the envelopes I felt would be a little,in shadow under another envelope.

The panel was then cut down slightly to leave a white border showing on the card base.

The sentiment is from Pinkfresh and one of their recent virtual events, heat embossed in brass, then die cut with the matching die.

I created a die cut vellum label to go behind the sentiment, also from Pinkfresh Studio.

I can see that I shall be crafting over the next few days – in between cuddles with my other cats – that’s if they let me. They aren’t particularly a cuddly bunch. The weather in the UK seems to be a little brighter this next few days so I much venture out on my push bike…….

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Festive Friday – 3 items from the list – envelopes/vellum/thinking of you sentiment

Addicted to Stamps & More – die cuts and/or stencils – I used both

Stencil Fun – stencils, option of rainbow colours

When it rains – look for rainbows

Hello there. Cardz 4 Galz has started a new challenge. Sue J is hosting, and she has chosen the theme of:

April Showers

Here is my card:

I decided to go slimline with this card to get more umbrellas on there, so I created the background panel using a Clearly Besotted stencil, Versamark ink, and silver embossing powder. I had to move the 6 x 6 inch stencil to cover all the background panel – but it worked out well.

The rainbow umbrellas were created using a Spellbinders die set, ink blending a slightly darker colour for the under-side of each umbrella, and adding the lacy layer – ink blended to be slightly darker – for a little more interest and dimension.

The sentiment is from an older Avery Elle stamp set – stamped then cut into a rectangle.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations following our theme. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Addicted to Stamps & More – die cuts and/or stencils (both used)

Ellibelle’s Corner I Spy – Spring flowers or Spring showers

A Splash of Green

Hello everyone. A new challenge has started at Cardz 4 Galz, with the theme of ‘a splash of green‘ hosted by Pamela:

The centre image is from Pinkfresh Studio ‘Garden Tapestry’ and consists of a stamp, die, stencil, and hot foil plate. I didn’t use the hot foil plate this time round, and chose the stamp and gold heat emboss the main image.

Once heat embossed, I used the layering stencils to colour the image, choosing softer colours, then use the matching die to cut it out.

The background panel was created using some light green card stock and running it through with a Spellbinders embossing folder ‘branching out’, cutting it down slightly and attached to a white card base.

The die cut image was added with 3D foam, then the foiled sentiment attached.

I hope you can come and join us with your creations following our theme. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

CYHTP – embossing folder – option of sewing/sewing related not taken

Stencil Fun – use stencils – option of vine/vinery

Craft Rocket – no designer paper

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Blue & White Christmas

Hello there. I have a card to share for the new challenge at 52 Christmas Card Throwdown. I was lucky and fortunate enough to win their February colour challenge, and as such was invited to be Guest Design Team Member for this challenge.

The theme is: Blue & White Christmas

Here is my card:

I first started by stamping the image from Kristina Werner/Concord & 9th in black, then heat embossing with a clear powder. I prefer to do this if I am going to ink blend straight away, to stop any smudging.

The matching layering stencils were used to colour the image in, using blue inks from Pinkfresh Studio, adding a light shade to the whole flower petals, then a darker shade towards the centre.

The foliage was ink blended using a light grey ink, and a lighter blue for the holly leaves and berries.

Once the image was coloured, it was die cut using the matching die, and a second piece die cut out of white card stock to add some stability and thickness.

Onto the square white card base, I added a shimmery blue piece of card, then glued the coloured image straight onto that.

The sentiment is also from the same stamp/die/stencil set, die cut and attached as you see.

For added interest and a little sparkle, I glued blue gems from Pinkfresh Studio onto the centre of the poinsettia, and three smaller gems surrounding the sentiment.

I hope you can join the team with this colour challenge. I look forward to seeing you in their gallery. xx

ABC Challenge – Elves, Foliage, Gems

Hello everyone. The ABC Christmas Challenge has reached the letters E, F, & G. We want to see your Christmas creations following the following three themes for this challenge:

E is for Elves, F is for Foliage, G is for Gems

Here are my cards:

I first decided on the background for this card, using a piece of light blue card stock and running it through with a Spellbinders embossing folder.

Before attaching that piece to the card base, I decided where I wanted the hat to be, then used the Waffle Flower ‘Elf Hat‘ die set, die cutting the hat out of Spellbinders glitter foam.

The face part of the elf was die cut with white and ink blended some light peach, attaching the the corner of the blue panel, then the hat pieces glued to fit. I trimmed the edges to make them square with the base piece.

This was then glued to the card base, and the sentiment added after stamping and trimming to fit.

For my second card, I stamped and silver heat embossed the image twice – a Pinkfresh Studio set called ‘Magical Holiday’.

I then used the matching layering stencils to colour the two images in, and then the matching die to cut them out.

The white background panel was created by using an old Stampin’ Up embossing folder, and attaching to the card base.

The silver frame was created by using two nesting rectangle dies, then two ink blended images attached to the back, then glued down onto the dry embossed panel.

The sentiment was also silver heat embossed and die cut, adding to the centre, then the silver gems glued as you see.

I hope you can come and join us with your Christmas creations following one, two or all three of our themes. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Elf card:

CYHTP – embossing folder, option of sympathy not taken

Addicted To Stamps & More – Christmas

A Cut Above – anything goes with a die cut

Mix It Up – anything goes, option of die cuts taken

Foliage & gems card:

Inkspirational – use stencils, option of plaid not taken

Lil Patch Of Crafty Friends – anything goes

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Love To Craft – anything goes

Heat Emboss Resist Christmas

Hello. I thought I had posted this card a day or two ago – but obviously forgot to even write it – never mind post it.

This card was created as I was intrigued by the current challenge at 52 CCT – their Christmas technique theme this time is for using heat emboss resist. I thought of a Gina K Designs stencil I had of a large snowflake, so decided to give it a go:

The first step was to tape the 6×6 inch stencil onto a piece of white card which measured slightly bigger, and pounce some embossing ink through it. I think I remember doing this on a previous virtual event, so I had a blending brush already set aside for using this embossing ink.

I first brushed some anti-static powder onto the card stock, then taped the stencil down round the edges. It took a little doing, a lot of pouncing instead of brushing, but I managed to get the whole image done, then used white embossing powder and heat set the design.

I then took three colours of Pinkfresh Studio inks and blended them all around, wiping it down between each colour to not cross-contaminate.

The blending was taken to the edge of the larger piece of card, so I could choose which part to use, and die cutting with a Gina K Designs Master Layout die set to get a stitched rectangle.

This rectangle was then matted with brushed gold card stock from Spellbinders, then a deep purple card, and attached to a white card base.

The foiled sentiment was then added.

I shall be entering the following challenges:

52 CCT – heat emboss resist

Inkspirational – use stencils – option of plaid not taken

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Sending Sunshine

Hello everyone. It;s been a fairly busy week, but I have time to create another CAS card:

For this card I used a stamp set from an SCT ‘Let’s Stamp Together‘ kit, I believe is from Taylored Expressions.

I first took a white panel and stamped the sun image, then stamped again onto some masking paper, cut it out, stuck it down on top of the stamped image, then stamped the rainbow image on top.

Once the sun mask was removed, the sun covers the cloud on the other end of the rainbow and looks like one image.

Once both images were stamped in dark brown amalgam, I heat embossed with clear, as I wanted to colour straight away, and didn’t want to wait until the ink dried. Even when I dry the ink with my heat gun, I find alcohol markers sometimes still smudge and smear the outline.

I chose to colour with Copics, adding a little shading, then stamped the sentiment, cut down the white panel slightly and adhered to a white card base.

Even though it is CAS, I don’t like that Copics will show through a card base if coloured directly onto it.

I hope I will have more time to craft these next few days, and so you may see more of my cards coming up. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Addicted To Stamps & More – make your mark

Addicted to CAS – CAS – theme of weather

Christmas Poinsettia and Bells

Hello there. It’s been a busy few days but I am here with two cards for the new challenge at ABC Christmas. I am hosting for this month, and as we are using the letters ‘C’ and ‘D’, the Christmas themes are:

C is for Crimson & D is for Ding-Dong(bells)

I have provided a prize for the randomly drawn winner of the challenge, open worldwide, a stamp and matching die set from WPlus9:

Here are my cards:

For the poinsettia card, I created the poinsettia using a die set from The Greetery, then used there capsule basics die set to create the fancy oval. I die cut an inner oval piece with another lighter green card, then used an embossing folder to add detail to that, as well as the same embossing folder on a white panel.

This white panel was adhered to a card base, the oval layers stuck together and attached using thin 3D foam, the poinsettia added with more foam pieces, and the foiled sentiment from Pinkfresh Studio added.

The final touch was to add some Pinkfresh Studio ombre glitter gems.

My second card was started by creating the bells. These are from Tim Holtz, and simply die cut with the same brushed gold card stock from Spellbinders – no different coloured layers – and glued together. I created 5 of these bells as I didn’t know where I was going other than to use these bells….

Finally deciding on where I wanted to go with this, I then took a white panel and stamped the word ‘jingle’ down the side using a Simon Says Stamp set and embossing ink. (Thank goodness for the Misti – it certainly made the lining up of these four words easier) These words were then heat embossed using gold embossing powder.

I thought the background was a little plain when I laid everything out, so I then ran this white panel with the words heat embossed through my machine with a Spellbinders embossing folder.

This white panel was layered with a shiny red card stock piece, the same card as I die cut the bow from, the bows added down the side with some gold DMC thread and the bow attached to the top.

The small sub-sentiment was also heat embossed and a red shiny mat added so it stood out more.

I hope you are able to join us with your creations following one of both of our themes. xx

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Poinsettia card:

Love To Craft – anything goes

Addicted to Stamps & More – dies cuts and/or stencils

Make My Monday – use two dies

Craft Rocket – flowers

Bells card:

Merry Little Christmas Challenge – anything goes Christmas

Peace On Earth – anything goes Christmas

A Cut Above – anything goes with a die cut

12 Months of Christmas Link-Up – anything goes Christmas, option of cozy cocoa Christmas not taken

A Season of Merry Moments

Hi there. I have another card to share inspired by the current challenge at Sparkles Christmas:

This stamp, die, and stencil set is from Pinkfresh Studio – another virtual event from last year and not used yet.

I began by gold heat embossing all the images, then used the matching layering stencils to colour them in. This was then die cut – one stamped image and one die to cut out all the elements – which were set aside whilst I considered the background.

I found some Hero Arts snowflakes transfers and rubbed part of the sheet down onto a light blue piece of card stock.

The bottom piece of a white card with a little light blue ink blending – the same as I used for the snowy areas on the main image.

The blue and white panel were glued down to a white card base, and the tree adhered with 3D foam, as were the critters – but the ladder was glued flat, but was layered a couple of times for stability.

The sentiment was also gold heat embossed, die cut with the matching die – layered a couple of times – then glued to the bottom.

These snowflakes are lovely, and so easy to rub them onto a piece of card – I can see I will be using all of them at some point in the near future…

I shall be entering the following challenges:

Sparkles Forum Christmas Challenge – Christmas with an animal and a tree

Critter Crazy Challenge – anything goes with a critter

Crafty Animals – anything goes with an animal

Santa Claus is Coming to Town

I was able to create with products received over a year ago when attending the ‘Let’s Stamp Together’ from Scrap book & Cards today and Concord & 9th products: