Embossing Paste with the Reverse Masking Technique

Hello all! I’m excited to share with you card #3 of my 4 day series on embossing paste. I think it is my favorite so far. Interestingly, it is the first embossing paste card I made, but for various reasons I decided to change the posting order.

This card uses another stencil from the Happy Patterns Decorative Masks pack.  Just like in my last post, I used white embossing paste and sprinkled Dazzling Diamonds on top before it dried.

I love how the sponged/embossed circle really draws your eye to the fun “happy” cutout. I honestly love these word thinlits. I just had to add the sequins for a little more sparkle. 🙂

Other supplies used on this card: Melon Mambo cardstock, Basic Black cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Melon Mambo ink, Crushed Curry ink, Memento Black ink, & Crazy About You stamp set.

In case you are new to the reverse masking technique, I’ve included a few pictures to give you an idea of how to go about this technique. ***Note: I didn’t think to do this until after I had assembled the card. Don’t be misled by the sponging/embossing paste already on my mask. 🙂

*First you will need to punch out an area from a larger piece of cardstock. It does not have to be a circle. This larger cardstock needs to be bigger than the piece you will put under it so as not to get anything (like sponging or embossing paste) in areas you want blank.

*Second you will need to secure the mask over the cardstock you want to decorate. It is very helpful to secure the mask in place with washi tape (or another easily removable adhesive) so that it doesn’t slip around. You don’t want to get anything under the mask. One of my favorite parts of masking is taking off the mask and revealing the nice, crisp edge. 🙂

Masking vs. Reverse Masking: When I started writing this post I had these two terms confused. I started wondering if I was describing the right technique, so I did some research and was very surprised by what I found. First, it is necessary to define the term “mask.” A mask is a cover or shield used to protect the surface beneath it from the mediums being applied.

With the masking technique you place the mask down, then spray or brush or paint  around the mask, & finally remove it to reveal an untouched area surrounded by color and/or texture. See below example I found on Pinterest.

Logically, reverse masking (the technique I used for this post’s embossing paste card) is using the larger piece of cardstock and applying color inside of the mask. Below is another card I made a long time ago that is an example of reverse masking.

I had a lot of fun with this post and learned a lot. I’m so glad I now know the difference between these two closely related techniques! I hope this post was informative for you too.

Please leave me a comment below and let me which technique you like better: masking or reverse masking. I invite you to give one or both techniques a try. 🙂

Joyful stamping!

~Stephanie

Embossing Paste with a Twist

Hello all! In my last post, I used gold embossing paste with one of the stencils from the Happy Patterns Decorative Masks pack. Today, I have another embossing paste card to share with you using a different stencil from the same stencil pack.

On this card I used White Embossing Paste and sprinkled Dazzling Diamonds glitter on the paste before it dried. I love how the sparkliness looks against the sponging underneath.

Other Supplies used on this card: Tangerine Tango Ink, Bermuda Bay Ink, Whisper White Cardstock, Bermuda Bay Cardstock, Banner Triple Punch, Expressions Natural Elements, Stampin’ Sponges, Stampin’ Dimensionals (for adhering banner to cardstock), Snail Adhesive (for adhering cardstock to cardstock), & Multipurpose Liquid Glue (for adhering wooden element).

Be sure to stop back tomorrow and the day after for two more cards in my Embossing Paste series! I invite you to subscribe to my blog by email so you don’t miss a post.

Please leave me a comment and let me know if you prefer the Gold Embossing Paste on the Bohemian card from yesterday’s post, or if you like the White Embossing Paste with Dazzling Diamonds from today’s post. I love them both!

Joyful stamping!

~Stephanie

Bohemian Style Embossing Paste Card

Embossing paste is a very cool crafting medium that adds a lot of interest to your cards & projects. The texture is kind of like a smooth frosting. It needs to harden up after application. The only drawback to embossing paste is that Stampin’ Up! does not currently carry it. However, to use embossing paste you need stencils, which Stampin’ Up! does carry. 🙂 When I was researching which embossing paste to purchase, I decided upon the Dreamweaver brand, which is the same thing as the Wendi Vecchi brand. Here is a link for the gold paste that I used on this card.

The newest stencils from Stampin’ Up! are the four shown below. They come in a four pack called Happy Patterns Decorative Masks.  I have made a card using each one of these stencils/masks. I plan to share one project a day over the next few days. They work super well with embossing paste because of the tight patterns. I invite you to subscribe to my blog via email so you don’t miss a project (see sidebar on right).

It is totally acceptable to apply the embossing paste directly to your cardstock, but I was inspired by a project I saw online to first sponge on my cardstock, and then emboss over top of it.

Don’t worry too much about your sponging.  The embossing paste will catch the viewer’s attention and will cover up imperfections in the sponging.

When you are done sponging and are ready to use your embossing paste, I recommend securing your stencil to your work surface so it doesn’t slip around. I use washi tape because it is sticky, but not too sticky that it will be difficult to lift up when you are done applying the paste.  The easiest way to apply the embossing paste is with the back of a pallette knife.

Try to apply the embossing paste in an even layer over the stencil, unless you are going for a rough, edgy look. I was a little lighter with the paste in the lower right hand corner, but I eventually covered that with my sentiment. Try to brush the paste on lightly, in one direction, so you don’t get any underneath the stencil.

Try to apply the paste quickly because you will need to wash off your stencil very soon after applying the paste. If you don’t, the paste will start to harden on your stencil and will be very difficult to wash off. I use dish soap when cleaning off my stencils and that seems to help.

Above is what the embossing paste looks like immediately after removing the stencil. Below is what it looks like after drying over night. I have read that you can continue assembling your card after letting the paste dry for 20-40 minutes. I like to be extra careful. 🙂

Here is my final card. I was inspired to go Bohemian with this card because of the stencil I chose. Take a look at Stampin’ Up!’s Bohemian Designer Series Paper (DSP) and you will see what I mean.  In my card I replaced the Hello Honey color with the gold embossing paste. I didn’t want those two colors to clash, being so close in tone to one another.

The other supplies used on this card are: Island Indigo Cardstock, Blackberry Bliss Cardstock, Whisper White Cardstock. Bermuda Bay Ink (sentiment & background), Rich Razzleberry Ink (sentiment & background), Island Indigo Ink (sentiment only), Stampin’ Sponges, Bohemian Borders Stamp Set, 2 1/2″ Circle Punch, 2″ Circle Punch, Whisper White 3/8″ Stitched Satin Ribbon, Stampin’ Dimensionals (to pop up white circle), Snail Adhesive (to adhere card layers), & Multipurpose Liquid Glue (to adhere the Blackberry Bliss sentiment layer).

After I assembled the card I wished that I had also used Stampin’ Dimensionals to adhere the Blackberry Bliss sentiment layer. I used the Multipurpose Liquid Glue because I didn’t want TOO much dimension. As I look at the card now, I think the Stampin’ Dimensionals would have kept the top and bottom of the layer from sinking down. You could stick them in between the embossing paste diamonds to avoid adding too much more dimension.

I invite you to check back the next few days for 3 more projects showcasing embossing paste. Please leave me a comment below and let me know what you think about embossing paste and if you have ever tried it before.

Joyful stamping!

~Stephanie

Cotton Paper Flower

This project is possibly the most ambitious project I’ve done since beginning to papercraft 4 years ago. I really had a lot of fun creating it. It could make a great gift, or decoration for your own home. I’m going to put this one in my craft room. 🙂

Here is the link to the Cherry on Top Cotton Paper Assortment I used for the flower. What color combination would you have chosen if you had made this flower? Leave me a comment below and let me know!

When I first read about the cotton paper that Stampin’ Up! was offering in the 2015-2016 Annual Catalog, I knew it was something I wanted to play with. They said it was the best paper to use for making flowers because it was flexible, yet it would hold its shape. I have definitely found those things to be true.

Supplies used on this card: Cherry on Top Cotton Paper Assortment, Stampin’ Trimmer,Gorgeous Grunge stamp set, Watermelon Wonder ink, Bermuda Bay ink, Fringe Scissors, Rhinestone Basic Jewels, Stampin’ Dimensionals (for adhering the framelit image), Multipurpose Liquid Glue (for adhering the cones/petals), Mini Glue Dots (for forming the cones/petals), 2″ Circle Punch & scrap cardstock for base to adhere petals to), & Stampin’ Sponges (for sponging around the framelit image).  I did use two retired products on this card (one was an accident – really need to separate my retired framelits from the current ones – lol) The retired products are Labels Collection Framelits and Geometrical stamp set (for the greeting). You could easily substitute these items for current products.

Before giving tips on how to make this flower, I need to give credit to Leena Girsa, a Canadian Stampin’ Up! demonstrator who is my source of inspiration for this project. I really enjoy her blog. She has a wonderful video tutorial on how to put together the cotton paper flower.  Here is the link to the blog post about this flower where she shows many different color variations.

Here are some tips I have after re-creating this flower:

1. Do not roll the cones too tightly. The flower is much prettier when it has a fuller look which is achieved by having looser cones. I started out rolling the cones too tightly and my bottom layer was a little sparse. I recommend practicing a little first until you can get nice, full looking cones without too much re-rolling.
2. Do not press the cones very hard when adhering them to the flower. I did press too hard and my flower looks a little squished compared to Leena’s. The glue will hold very well even if you just set the cones on each other gently. Once squished they don’t fluff up that well.
3. Leena recommends cutting 36 1″ squares, but both she and I did not use that many. I would say that 30 1″ squares is plenty (you might still have some extra). Save yourself some paper. 🙂
4. Be prepared to spend a little bit of time cutting all the squares needed for the cones/petals. It’s a little bit of work- but worth it!

Joyful stamping!

~Stephanie

A Color Challenge: PPA263

I had a lot of fun with this color challenge. I don’t think I would have picked Tempting Turquoise as the third color on my own, but I really like how the three colors came together on my card. That’s why I love color challenges, they make you try new things that inevitably turn out well. 🙂

I had a lot of fun with this color challenge. I don’t think I would have picked Tempting Turquoise as the third color on my own, but I really like how the three colors came together on my card. That’s why I love color challenges, they make you try new things that inevitably turn out well. 🙂

You might notice that the Pear Pizzazz layer is thinner than normal. I have been experimenting with this look and I like it. Sometimes you want just a hint of the color to peek out. The dimensions for this card are: Card base= 11″ x 4 1/4″ (scored at 5 1/2″), Pear Pizzazz layer= 5 1/4″ x 4″, Whisper White layer=5 1/8″ x 3 7/8″.

Supplies used on this card: Whisper White cardstock, Pear Pizzazz cardstock, Tempting Turquoise ink, Rich Razzleberry ink. Pear Pizzazz ink, Gorgeous Grunge stamp set, Tin of Cards stamp set, 2 3/8″ Scallop Circle Punch, 2″ Circle Punch, Rhinestones Basic Jewels, Paper Snips, Snail Adhesive, Stampin’ Dimensionals.

I hope you enjoyed my card for this color challenge. Check out the Pals Paper Arts website for more inspiration with this color combination.

***Coming Soon: I have an ambitious project that I am hoping to complete in the next few days. If you haven’t already done so, I invite you to subscribe by email to my blog so you don’t miss any posts, especially this next one. 😉

Joyful stamping!

~Stephanie

Ink Smooshing

Ink smooshing. It sounds silly, but it’s an actual papercrafting technique. 🙂 It’s interesting to note that not too long ago, this technique didn’t exist. It’s not possible to do with the wood blocks; It only works with the clear blocks needed for clear mount and photopolymer stamps.  It is fun to try this technique with larger blocks for a faux-watercolor background look.

Here is the card I made using this technique. I was inspired to make this card for a team get together swap that we had today. One of the ladies on our team had the idea that we would each come up with a card and teach it to each other (after we had some snacks 🙂 ). It is awesome to see what we come up with when we have a challenge!

***Side note: The So Saffron splatters are authentic. They happened accidentally when I lifted the clear block from the cardstock. The Calypso Coral and Pool Party splatters, however, are not authentic. I didn’t get any splatters when I smooshed the other two blocks, so I used one of the stamps from the Gorgeous Grunge stamp set to achieve the same look.

Supplies used on this card: Crumb Cake cardstock, So Saffron cardstock, Whisper White cardstock, Clear Block B, So Saffron ink, Calypso Coral ink, Pool Party ink, Memento Black ink, Butterfly Basics stamp set, Gorgeous Grunge stamp set, Rhinestones Basic Jewels, Paper Snips, Snail Adhesive.

(***Notes: 1). I use the Paper Snips to help me apply the Rhinestone Basic Jewels. 2).If you want a more controlled water stream when you are doing this technique you can use Stampin’ Spritzers instead of a spray bottle.)

 Ink Smooshing Tutorial

Supplies: Spray bottle/spritzer, clear block, ink pad, cardstock

1. Firmly press the clear block into the ink pad.

2. Hold the clear block with the ink about a foot away from the spray bottle/spritzer and apply the water. (*Note: Spraying/spritzing closer or farther away from the block will give you different results when you smoosh it on the cardstock.*)

3. Apply the clear block with the ink that has been sprayed/spritzed with water directly to the cardstock.

4. Remove the block and admire your results! 🙂

Joyful stamping!

~Stephanie

A Color Challenge: PPA262

This week’s challenge for the Pals Paper Arts was a color challenge using the above three colors. Here’s what I came up with:

Lining up the cardstock at an angle was just a little tricky. The Mint Macaron and Pool Party cardstock are not just strips, they cover the other half of the Very Vanilla cardstock. For the layers, I took a piece of colored cardstock that was large enough to cover the rest of the Very Vanilla cardstock and used Snail Adhesive to glue the colored cardstock down. Then I trimmed off the excess cardstock from the two sides with my Paper Snips.

I realized when I got done assembling my card that I used the same “Thanks” thinlit die that I used on the card from my last post “Joseph’s Coat Technique.”  I guess you can never have too many thank you cards. 🙂

Another thing I realized is that I didn’t use any ink or stamps on this card. I don’t know if that happens to me very often. Just goes to show you how much variety there can be in papercrafting. 🙂 Here are the links to the cardstock I used: Mint Macaron, Pool Party, Tip Top Taupe, Very Vanilla.

My favorite parts of this card are the Metal Rimmed Pearls. I think they added just what was needed to make the card feel complete. I really liked how they tied in with the Tip Top Taupe cardstock.

Joyful stamping!

~Stephanie

Joseph’s Coat Technique

Hello all! I apologize for not posting for over a week. I do intend to post every two or three days. I will get myself back on track. 🙂

Yesterday I had my Stampin’ Up! team meeting. Every other month our team does a card swap. This month’s swap theme is Fall/Halloween.  We wanted to get a jump start on ideas for the upcoming season. I went with the Fall option for my swap card.

In reading through some posts of blogs that I subscribe to, I was reminded of the Joseph’s Coat technique. I had never tried it so I decided to give it a go. I love the effect. I think it is perfect for getting the right look for fall foliage. 🙂

This technique involves a bit of sponging. I thought I would first give a tip on how I use Stampin’ Up!’s Stamping Sponges and then let you jump into the tutorial on the technique.

             

When you purchase the Stamping Sponges they come whole like the above picture on the left. I cut my sponges into fourths and label them, attaching the label to the sponge with the Handheld Stapler, as you can see in the above picture on the right.

Here is the picture/written tutorial on the Joseph’s Coat technique:

1. Sponge your favorite combination of fall colors onto a piece of Whisper White Cardstock.

(1. I started with Daffodil Delight)

(1. I followed the Daffodil Delight with Tangerine Tango.)

(1. I finished my sponging with Real Red.)

2. After sponging is completed, rub the Embossing Buddy over the entire cardstock. This will remove the static so that the embossing powder does not stick to areas you don’t want it to.

3. Stamp your image in Versamark Ink (I used an image from the stamp set “Lovely as a Tree“) and sprinkle with Clear Stampin’ Emboss Powder. (I didn’t show a picture of the stamping because the Versamark ink is clear and it would have been very hard to see.)

(3. After you tap off the excess powder it should look like this. Even thought the powder is white now, it will turn clear when you heat set it.)

4. Use the Heat Tool to heat the powder so that it melts and becomes clear. The transformation is a little magical. 🙂 Be sure to heat all of the powder. Tilt the cardstock around in the light to make sure you can see that all the powder is shiny.

5. Use a Brayer to apply Early Espresso ink to the entire piece of cardstock. The embossing resists the ink.

6. The last step is to rub a Kleenex over the cardstock to pick up any ink that is sitting on top of the embossing.

7. After the technique piece is done you just have to assemble your card.  Below is my completed card. I added a Tangerine Tango layer between the technique piece and the Early Espresso card base. I used the Hello You thinlits dies for my sentiment. You’ll need the Big Shot to use the thinlits dies. I chose Real Red cardstock for the sentiment to try to bring out the Real Red sponging.

I hope you enjoyed this technique and will give it a try. 🙂

Joyful stamping!

~Stephanie