Using Embossing Folders | LFL October 2018 & SSS June 2018 Card Kits

If you watched my unboxing of the Love From Lizi October card kit you’ll be aware that I’m changing up how I approach card kits. I did some market research recently (yes, really!) and came to the conclusion that I ought to do things differently. From now on I won’t be doing 10 cards 1 kit videos (unless a team or guest design post specifically requires it) – instead I will do at least two technique videos per kit, with a few cards for each video.

This first go at the new style of kit videos is actually combining two kits! I’m very behind on my Simon Says Stamp card kits so I’m playing catch-up with them. I realized that both the June card kit and the Love From Lizi October card kit have embossing folders – Love From Lizi‘s one has a great stitched design, and the Simon Says Stamp kit contains the gorgeous 3D Botanical folder –  so I decided to help myself out by doing one technique video that could work with both kits. As a result I made a video showing six different looks with embossing folders.

As the patterns are so different it is difficult to do a direct comparison, but I think they help to show the versatility of folders in any case. The embossing folder in the Love From Lizi kit is a large folder at 5″x 7″, with a regular depth pattern which embosses a knit design. I’m not very familiar with knitting but after some quick research I think it’s possibly either basketweave or entrelac knit design. I could be wrong though. If you know better than me, please let me know in the comments! The folder in the Simon Says Stamp kit is a smaller (5 3/4″ x 4 1/2″) but deeper one – it has a floral design and embosses “3D”, with more depth than a regular embossing folder.

I used three embossing folder techniques, each technique with each folder, for a total of six backgrounds. I used a Sizzix BigShot but other machines can be used. Be aware that every machine is different and you may have to adjust your embossing sandwich to get the best results.

For my first pair of backgrounds I used gold mirror card as both kits came with some. The colour and shine on them was slightly different, with the Love From Lizi gold mirror card having more shine than the Tonic Gold Pearl Satin Mirror card that came in the Simon Says Stamp kit. I cut panels to 4 1/4″ by 5 1/2″, which is the size of a standard A2 card front. The mirror card is slightly thicker than standard card so I found that rather than using tab one of my multipurpose platform for the regular embossing folder I instead had to open my platform completely before being able to run through my sandwich of cutting plate, folder containing paper, and second cutting plate.

The 3D embossing folder runs through slightly differently than the regular one, in that it leaves the lower cutting plate out of the sandwich. The sandwich then consists of the folder directly on tab 1 of the platform with the card inside and a single cutting plate on top. Before running through, the paper should be misted with water to soften the fibres and make it less likely to crack.

The second pair of backgrounds were made by running the folders through with patterned paper. I cut each panel slightly smaller than A2 size at 4 by 5 1/4. The paper in the Love From Lizi kit is from Simple Stories’ Forever Fall, and the Simon Says Stamp is ModaScrap Fly and Scrap. The paper being thinner than the mirror card meant that I was able to use tab 1 plus the appropriate sandwich for each folder. I accidentally placed my patterned paper backwards for the 3D folder which gave a debossed look instead of embossed. It may not have been intentional, but it did show another way to use folders!

The third pair of backgrounds uses the letter press technique. This involves inking up the embossing folder before running it through the machine with the card stock. This time I used white card cut to 3 1/4″ by 4 1/2″. I inked the folder from the Love From Lizi kit using Wild Honey Distress Oxide, then used Milled Lavender Distress ink for the folder from the Simon Says Stamp kit.

That completed my backgrounds, and you can see how they all look in the picture above. I then decided to make a finish card using one background from each pair, being sure I represented each folder at least once.

Card 1 – Royally Warm Wishes

I decided to start with one of the gold backgrounds and chose the Love From Lizi one. I wrapped some of the crushed silk ribbon from the kit around the panel, adhering behind it with double-sided tape. Using one of the leaf dies from the kit I cut three leaves. Two were cut from the antique gold pearlised card and the third from chocolate brown. Before cutting the brown I used Golden Crown embossing powder to heat emboss a sentiment from the Hello Autumn stamp set onto it. I adhered the leaves together with Tombow Mono Multi Liquid Glue and added them to the card before finally adhering the panel flush to a grey card base.

Challenges:

Allsorts Challenge – Trees and/or Leaves

Digi Choosday – Anything Goes

Muse – Inspiration Card (I was inspired by the textured background, leaves, Autumn theme)

Anita’s inspiration card

The Paper Players – Trees and Leaves

Card 2 – Pumpkin Spice

My second card also used the background from the Love From Lizi embossing folder. I really love the look that this folder gave on the patterned paper. I adhered it to a brown card base, edging the panel with Copper Mirror Peel-offs. I added more peel-offs to embellish the patterned paper panel.

I then stamped three pumpkins onto another piece of patterned paper. The two small pumpkins are from the Hello Autumn stamp set, but I bought in Simon Says Stamp’s Give Thanks for the third as I wanted a bigger one. It looks almost as if they were meant to go together! After stamping the pumpkins onto the patterned paper with MFT Black Licorice Hybrid ink I fussy cut them out and added a touch of shading with some coloured pencils. I then adhered them into position in my card base, topping with an ephemera sentiment and finishing off the card with a few of the Hello Autumn sequins.

Challenges:

Crafty Gals Corner – Anything Fall

Craftyhazelnut’s Patterned Paper Challenge – Use Patterned Paper

Creatalicious Challenges – Anything Goes and Optional: Texture

Inkspirational – Comfort (the knitted sweater/jumper background makes me think “comfort”!)

Joy Clair Stamps – Mood Board

Kat Scrappiness Challenge – Fall

Lil Patch of Crafty Friends – Anything Goes

Love From Lizi Challenge – Pumpkin Spice and All Things Nice

Moving Along With The Times – Autumn

Card 3 – Soft Love

I went to the Simon Says Stamp kit for my third card. I liked the softness of the Milled Lavender panel so decided to continue with a soft look. I chose a grey card base and stamped the large floral image from the Beautiful Flowers stamp set around the edges of the card with Barely Beige ink to give just a subtle pattern. I then created a sentiment strip with a sentiment from the stamp set that I heat embossed with Silver Dollar embossing powder on a piece of vellum and wrapped around my embossed panel.

I wasn’t happy with how the embossed panel looked directly on the card base. I decided I wanted to mat it on silver but I didn’t have any silver card. I ended up searching my stash for a snippet of patterned paper that I didn’t like and I heat embossed a panel of that with the Silver Dollar powder, then adhered all my card elements together.

Challenges:

Addicted to Stamps and More – Make Your Mark

HLS CAS Challenge – Vellum

Kat Scrappiness World Card Making Day Challenge – Friendship

Polkadoodles Craft Challenge – Anything Goes

Simon Says Stamp World Card Making Day Challenge – Anything Goes

……….

Love,

Lady Joyful

PS, check out this post here to take advantage of the fantastic crafty sales this weekend! You could save 10% on the Love From Lizi card kit or pick up a free stamp set from Simon Says Stamp.

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