Hello everyone! I did a series of cards last Christmas season using a printmaking technique with acrylic paints and stamps and loved the subtle textures and colour blends. I decided to try it out with embossing folders. This technique is very fast, easy and fun! In no time at all, I had 17 cards and had to stop myself!!!! I even threw in a few Christmas cards! Hope you enjoy the post!
I like to use Tim Holtz’ Distress paints. They are a bit more fluid than other brands of acrylic paints that I have used and perfect for this technique. Thin layers of paint are rolled on to the flat side of the embossing folder with a brayer and the card stock is laid down sandwiched in the embossing folder.
I used Neenah Classic Crest 80lb. The folder was rolled through the embosser. The panel dries in no time at all! Simon’s embossing folders are thick and the resulting images are 3 dimensional … gorgeous! The sandwich I used on a Big Shot was Platform 1 and just one of the cutting plates that was laid on top of the folder.
The Distress Paint colours used were:
Filigree Snowflake- Hickory Smoke & Mermaid Lagoon
Forest Border - 1. Rustic Wilderness & Mermaid Lagoon 2. Dusty Concord & Mermaid Lagoon
Wildflower Field - Salty Ocean & Cracked Pistachio
Peony Bundle - Dusty Concord
Vine Canopy - Rustic Wilderness and Speckled Egg
Fall Foliage - Dusty Concord & Milled Lavender
Lumen - Salty Ocean
Splendid Leaves - 1. Squeezed Lemonade 2. Mowed Lawn
TIPS
Spending some time figuring out the ‘sandwich’ for your machine that produces the best result avoids frustration. You want to feel a slight resistance but nothing more. Forcing the folder through the embosser could result in damage to both the machine and folder.
Laying out your materials, A2 sized card stock and embossing folders with the paint colours for each folder, is time efficient. This process is a great way to mass produce cards!
Initially rolling the brayer in the paint and then rolling it off on a surface better prepares the brayer to evenly distribute the paint on the folder.
Apply thin layers of paint with the brayer. If paint pools in the recesses, a baby wipe will lift it up easily. The folders clean up easily with soap and water.
All of the panels were mounted on either white or black sheet foam … I just like the additional dimension and substance this provides. The panels were adhered to various card stock colours sized 5 3/8” by 4 1/8” and attached to an A2 sized, top folding card base of Neenah Classic Crest 110 lb. card stock.
Filigree Snowflake - Versamark ink was swiped over the panel and it was embossed with Silver Sparkle Embossing powder. The sentiments from Simon’s Joyful Season were embossed on vellum in silver. Silver confetti topped with Nuvo Crystal Drops Morning Dew finish the cards.
Forest Border- Versamark ink was swiped over the panel and it was embossed with Ranger’s Holographic Embossing powder. The sentiments from Simon’s Joyful Season were stamped with black Versafine ink and clear embossed.
Wildflower Field - Embellishments of Nuvo Dream Drops Cloud Nine were applied and the card completed with a foam stacked sentiment strip from Simon’s Inside Friendship Messages.
Peony Bundle - Wilted Violet Distress Oxide ink was applied with a blending tool to the high points of the peonies. The card was embellished with lilac sequins topped with Morning Dew. The buds on the branches were accented with Nuvo Dream Drops Supernova.
Vine Canopy- Mowed Lawn and Twisted Citron Distress Oxide inks were applied with a blending tool to the high points. The sentiments from Simon’s Inside Friendship Messages were embossed on vellum. Gold confetti topped with Morning Dew highlight the sentiment.
Fall Foliage - Die cut sentiments from Simon’s Warm Hugs and The World Needs were cut from lavender card stock an mounted on vellum that was cut with the accompanying shadow dies. The cards were embellished with Studio Katie’s June Lavender crystals.
Lumen - The centre points of the 'criss crosses' we’re embellished with Nuvo Crystal Drops Duck Egg Blue. Simon’s Paper Hugs sentiment was die cut from blue card stock, stacked and lightly coated with Gina K’s Glitz Glitter Gel. The secondary sentiment from Simon’s Inside Friendship Messages was stamped with Versafine and clear embossed on white card stock and stacked on foam.
Splendid Leaves Circle Frame - Iced Spruce Distress Oxide ink was applied with a blending tool to the high points on the Squeezed Lemonade background. The circle die cut from Simon, Birthday Wishes, fits perfectly around the circle embossed detail.
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