2010-08-31 Sizzix “leaves” embossing folder

This past weekend I visited a LSS (local stamp store) and decided I HAD to buy SOMETHING. My reasoning was this: I had a punch card that was just shy of a $15 purchase; the expiration date for getting the card punched with my purchases was 8-31-10. My reward? A $5 in store credit. Hmmmm. I have become more choosy about what I buy. I tend to veer away from stamps be they polymer or rubber as I’ve collected so many that haven’t even met ink. I instead am enamored by all of the “tools” that make my stamps (whether they be old or new); look like the styles that are prevalent now. What did I buy? A set of two Sizzix embossing folders and a Inkssentials blending tool.

Here is the first embossing that I did on an olive colored piece of card stock. Please ignore that it doesn’t look olive. When I went in for a close up so you could see the deep impression, I lost the color. I actually took this piece to work with me yesterday and glanced at it during the day wondering what would make this “pop.” I decided to rub it with acrylic paint. I had intended to use a walnut color but lazy me didn’t want to dig too far. I did find a bottle of inexpensive acrylic burgundy. I dampened a paper towel and then dipped it into a puddle of paint and then just brushed across the surface of the embossing. The paint went in more places than I anticipated because it was the first swipe with a loaded paper towel. No matter, there are no mistakes when you are playing, right? I pulled out some gold & puter rub-n-buff and dappled at the raised images randomly. At least when I took the photo this time, you can see the base color, olive green.

I used a Martha Stewart Punch Around the Page set. The medallion is punched out of butter cream. The original size that I started punching was a 2 3/4″ square. I had to fudge some of the punching to make the boarder punch work to get this size. I added the pearls, a gold sticker, crystal gem and the stamp.

I’m so glad I went with the sticker instead of a stamped leaf. The verse brings your attention to the leaves that are the background.

To make the bow I took two colors of ribbon and held the folded pieces in my hand. I grabbed an old fashioned office brad with long prongs and brought them around the ribbon. I centered the brad, then put it through the boarder piece, grabbing the piece of ribbon I had layered there. Grabbing the ribbon on the boarder and scrunching it makes it look more like a tied ribbon. Once that was accomplished I added a clear drying glue over the surface of the brad; while wet, I sprinkled with more of the seed pearls. The hardest part of the whole card, was not moving it while the glue dried.

Today was just for fun, no specific design, just playing. I do have one more piece of homework to work on, the red bulletin board boarder. Still contemplating….

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Edited to add:
I’ve had a few emails asking about the supplies I used in making the above card; so here you go….

The Martha Stewart punch around the page set is called Layered Arches. Hope that helps you find it at you’re local craft store.

Rub n buff is a waX based product that can be rubbed on to your project to add a metallic glimmer. It comes in a colors so you can choose your look. Here is a link to Joann’s that shows what the package looks like in the store: Rub n Buff