Write. Click. Scrapbook.

Let's Try Something New Day 4

 

 

Hey, Ewa here 
Today is my turn to encourage you to try something new. Each of us has time such a day that does 
not have an idea for a new LO, any papers do not fit,add-ons as well. You sit an hour on an empty 
desk.
And here's my idea for days like these! Why wouldn't you try to create your own add-ons ?

For this Lo i made my own add-ons (the square next to the image). 
 
I stamped some colorless emmbosing ink on watercolor paper and covered it with 
transparent embossing powder. 
Then I used a hit gun and let powder dry off. Later I painted it with watercolor using myfavorite color and then cut squares out of it. Now, just few more pieces of patterned 
paper, labes and wood chips and it's ready!!

 

 

Still Bored? Let's make your own background!

 

In this LO I used my favourite mask and glossy gel medium. One part is clear glossy medium and the other is mixed with some green waterbased ink. When a glossy medium is completely dry finish your background as You wish ( use sprays, watercolor paint , panpastels  or gelatos )

I hope you liked my ideas for trying somethig new.

Hugs Ewa

 

 

Learn a New Technique! Day Four: Embossing Paste and Stencils

Hello everyone and welcome to Day 4 of our week devoted to learning new techniques!

Sue here today, with a new technique I’ve been enjoying using on my scrapbook pages. Embossing paste adds an interesting dimension and texture to your cards and layouts. It is spread through a stencil to create a raised surface. I like the way embossing paste adds dimension without a lot of bulk. It’s a fun technique to learn.

 

Supplies

You will need these materials to use embossing paste on your projects:

- embossing paste (comes in a variety of colors, I have white and silver)

- stencils (another stash item to start collecting, beware!)

- removable masking tape (I use washi tape because I have a ton of the stuff)

- pallet knife(s)

 

The Technique

1. Decide where you want  your embossed image to go. Tape the stencil into place so it is flat to the page and will not move. Mask off any areas you do not want to emboss if necessary.

 

2. Use your pallet knife to apply a layer of embossing paste over the surface of the stencil. Use gentle sweeping movements, like icing a cake, to push the paste through all the holes of your stencil. You can apply as thin or thick a layer as you want. (if you end up with some paste where you don’t want it, you can use a clean pallet knife or craft knife to scrape the unwanted paste from the surface of the page)

 

3. Carefully wipe off any surplus paste and return it to your jar of embossing paste. Remove the masking tape and carefully lift the stencil from the page. Clean your stencil and pallet knife right away to avoid the paste hardening on them! 

4. Leave your page somewhere flat to dry. This could take anywhere from 20-40 minutes, depending on how thickly you have applied the embossing paste.

 

The Result

This technique looks especially nice on dark paper, don’t you think? Another of my favorite looks is white-on-white. As a clean and simple scrapper, I love being able to add a few splatters while having complete control over where and how much goes on the page.  

If you decide to try this technique, there are plenty of examples on Pinterest. Allow yourself time to play with your embossing paste on scrap paper, or try it out on a card first. Give yourself permission to experiment. Who knows? Embossing paste and stencils may become a new staple in your scrapping repertoire!

Please come back tomorrow as we wrap up the week with a final new technique from Jenny Larson!

 

Fun with embossing folders

 

Hi there, it's Cristina here with some embossing inspiration for you. Since I got into scrapbooking through digital scrapbooking, I missed out on a lot of traditional tools. I am gradually catching up, though, ever since I got into paper scrapbooking when I started Project Life. A couple months ago, I took the plunge and bought a manual die cutting machine. After considering other options (mostly the Cuttlebug, which is smaller and less sturdy, but cheaper), I decided to get the Big Shot. My main motivation to buy it was to use it as a cutting machine with wafer thin dies, but I also bought an embossing folder, just to try it out... and since then I have fallen in love big time with embossing!

I really love the results! Here are a few cards I made for my Project Life album. The process is so quick and easy, and works with pretty much any kind of paper. I love to add watercolors or stamping to the embossed cards, and I even tried the faux letterpress look.

Embossing and watercoloring

I love to use watercolors to accent my embossed cards. This first example uses a thick grid card from Studio Calico. Since I wanted to use watercolors heavily on this card, I needed thick paper that could hold that much water and paint.

Embossing folder: Amy Tangerine

This card was done using a cheap index card from Staples. My watercoloring is done in a few spots and using little water, so the paper held up well.

Embossing folder: Tim Holtz

This next card was done on thicker paper. Adding a sticker and my photo, this card is ready to put in my Project Life album.

Embossing folder: We R Memory Keepers

 

Embossing and stamping

As a big fan of stamping, I also love to combine embossed cards with stamped accents. Here's two examples. 

Embossing folders: Cuttlebug (left)          Tim Holtz (right)

 

Faux letterpress

Finally, since letterpress is all the rage and I love the look, but don't own any letterpress plates nor paper, I have been playing with creating a faux letterpress look with my embossing folders. I just used some Hero Arts shadow inks to make this card (index cards from Staples). I inked the embossing folder with the ink pad, and ran it through the machine. Next, I cleaned the folder, inked it up with another color and embossed again.

This one is probably my favorite plate set! By We R Memory Keepers

Seriously.. embossing, where have you been all my life?? ;) Are you a fan too?