Foiling using a bit of heat.

The techniques described by this section requires the use of a heat laminator such as the one pictured. These are normally available at any office supply store such as Staples. We’ve had good success with this laminator for our needs. Another option is the Minc Foil Transfer machine from Heidi Swapp.

These techniques will also only work with Transfer Foils, such as Deco Foil from iCraft or Foil Transfer Sheets from TCW (The Crafter’s Workshop).

The way foil laminating works is to create an image using materials that will become tacky or melt to attach foil. There are two basic types that work: Toner Based or Heat Embossing/Paste based.

Toner Based Foiling

Using either pre-printed toner sheets or printing your own designs on a laser printer you can transfer foil using the laminator:

1. Warm up the laminator.
2. In the carrier folder (or use parchment paper) place the printed paper/cardstock face up
3. Place the transfer foil on the paper (shiny side up) on the paper and close the folder
4. Run the carrier folder through the laminator
5. Carefully lift the foil off the paper, where now foil should be affixed to the toner areas.

Advantages: The foiled images are as sharp as the images printed on the toner sheets.

Disadvantages: You’re restricted to what’s available on preprinted toner sheets. Printing your own may not print well on cardstock, depending on your printer. (Reminder, making your own requires a laser printer, not inkjet). If you are looking to acquire a laser printer, I recommend that it has a rear feed for thicker card stock.

Heat Embossing Foiling

Create foiled images using stamped images. Uses embossing powder with the laminator to press foil onto the image. I know of two current embossing powders available, Wow! Bonding Powder and Bruno Monroe Foil Reactive Embossing Powder.

1. Warm up the laminator
2. Stamp your image on cardstock using an ink for embossing (Versamark, Pigment, or Embossing Ink) (You may want to use an anti-static bag before hand).
3. Spread the embossing powder over the stamped image, and tap off the excess powder
4. (Optional) use a heat gun to partially melt the powder to the cardstock.
5. In the carrier folder, place the stamped/embossed image (face up), then the transfer foil (shiny side up).
6. Fold down the carrier folder and run it through the laminator
7. Carefully remove the foil. The stamped embossed image should now be foiled

Advantages: Minimal investment, usable for most stamps that are not too detailed

Disadvantage: Detailed stamp images may lose their clarity.

Foiling Using Paste

There are pastes available to use with stencils and such for foiling with a laminator: TCW’s Hot Foil Gel and Deco’s Foil Transfer Gel Duo. With these gels/pastes you can foil images based upon stencils.

Works about the same with embossing powder, however you need to ensure that the gel is completely dry before running it through the laminator. Otherwise your image will not come out as clear.

Back to Foils…

For this method, using tape, shaped adhesive, foam tape, or dries tacky paste to create your pattern you wish to foil. Then carefully place the foil (shiny side up) on the tacky area and gently press the foil on the adhesive/tacky areas, then lift the foil. The foil will remain in the tacky areas.

The nice thing about adhesive tape, there is a wide variety of thicknesses available to create different forms, or you can die cut a sheet of adhesive tape to create your shape.

For foam tape shapes, 3L’s Scrapbook Adhesives has the widest selection. The image from 3L shows the beginning of a card using foiled circles.

TCW (The Crafter’s Workshop) has a gel medium, Tacky When Dry, that works well with stencils and foils. The gel is white during spreading to your project, and is clear when dry.

The method:
1) Place your stencil on your cardstock and tape down with craft tape.
2) Use a palette knife and spread the gel across the stencil ensuring the gel is transferred to the cardstock.
3) Carefully lift the stencil, leaving the gelled image behind.
4) clean the stencil with water.
5) Let the stenciled image dry for several hours so it’s completely dry.
6) Place your foil (shiny side up) on the gel and gently rub the foil to gel.

Another paste available for foil is Deco Foil Transfer Gel Duo from iCraft, which can work with or without heat. Dries clear, and then you can either a laminator or die cutting machine to press the foil to the gel.

iCraft also has a Foil Adhesive glue pen, which allows you to draw a pattern on your piece, and transfer the foil on top of your ‘drawing’.

REMINDER: The techniques described in this section requires Transfer Foil, available from many vendors, TCW, iCraft, Gina K, etc. Do not use Heat Foil, such as the foil used by the Glimmer Machine.

Back to Foils…

There are several ways to add foil or foil like finish to a card. The most used:

• Use heat embossing techniques with extra fine powder, such as Wow’s Polished Gold or Silver Ultra Fine
• Use cold foil techniques using tacky materials such as tape, embossing powder that is tacky when heated, glue, or paste that dries tacky
• Use a heated laminator with embossing powder or toner techniques
• Use hot foil techniques with a Hot Foil machine such as Spellbinders’ Glimmer

Click on the links to get more detail on each method.

Back to the Intro Page…

A fairly new form of creating, enhancing or embellishing cards is the use of stencils.

To be clear, stencils are not new they’ve been around for a while, especially brash stencils used with paste.

But in the past few years stencils created with plastic have gained popularity especially since the advent of multi-layered stencils.

Uses For Stencils

• Backgrounds – creating backgrounds using inks with one or more stencils, then stamping an image on top works well. Kind of a faux multi-media effect. Another background type would be to use a stencil with paste or ‘stencil butter’ to create a background, then layer your sentiment or image on top.
• Foregrounds – with multi-layered stencils such as those from Lisa Horton or Spellbinders, you can create a foreground piece. With matching embossing folders and/or dies the effect can become even more pronounced. Thus you can create an image with no stamping and no coloring with little effort.

Tools for Stenciling

You won’t need all of the following, but if you get deeply into stencils, some of these may/will be handy.,

Stencils — typically cut from mylar and available from just about any stamping or papercrafting company now.

Craft Tape — repositionable tape to hold down paper or stencils.

Inks — any ink except solvent based (will stain the stencil). Best options would be any watercolor dye or hybrid, i.e. Distress Ink or Distress Oxide.

Blending Brushes — originally designed for make-up applicators, these brushes have become very popular for creating blended backgrounds and for stencils. You may also want to look at some smaller brushes for detail work.

Pastes or Stencil Butters — For the veterans, you may remember using brass stencils with Dreamweaver embossing paste, unfortunately they’re no longer around. Today we have a wider array of pastes available from most vendors including Stencil Butter from The Crafter’s Workshop, Luna Paste from Cosmic Shimmer, or Lunar Paste from Ranger.

Palette Knife — Using pastes you’ll want one or more palette knives available for spreading/mixing paste.

Mats — (optional) a silicone mat will help to keep your worktop clean and keep your paper still while working. Waffle Flower may have the best selection. Another option would be sticky paper or ‘gel’ mats that would do the same thing.

Stencil Platform — this can be from a wide variety of options. Robin tends to use his stamping platform, placing the stencils in the upper left of the platform where the ridges can hold the stencils still, especially when using crafting tape. There are now two stencil specific platforms available: Lisa Horton’s Ulti-mate Tool or Sizzix’s Stencil and Stamping Platform.

Back to the Intro Page…

Small Cutting Machine

The image to the left shows the Sidekick by Sizzix. It has the ability to cut with dies up to 2.5 x 4.5 inches. A very easy to use machine that occupies little space. It’s perfect for small tasks (we really like ours). The cost for this little guy goes from $60-$90, depending where you can find them.

The advantage to this size is the initial investment is not as intimidating as the larger cutting devices. The disadvantage is the size of available dies to cut.

Other little machines such as these are available from Altenew, Studio Light and some off brand ones. )We don’t have any experience with these, plus we haven’t found available replacement plates.)

Regular Sized Machine

The most well known current machine is the Big Shot from Sizzix. We’ve had our for over 6 years (yes one of the black with pink ones as shown to the right.

The current machine (now white and grey) is a very solid machine for die cutting and embossing folders, for paper up to 6 inches wide. Standard plates are 10 inches, and longer cutting plates and platforms are availalbe. These machines are generally available and most crafting stores and online. Cost will be around $190 cdn and above.

The advantage to this class of machine is it can handle 90-95% of the available dies and embossing folders available today. Very few cardmaking dies will be too large for the Big Shot. Disadvantage: initial investment for machine, dies and embossing folders may be large. Also these machines are hand cranked and will require a bit of energy and force at times

Other machines in this class: Spellbinders Platinum (Robin has used one of these, works well), Couture Creations ‘GoCut and Emboss‘, and few other smaller brands. Accessories for the Spellbinder’s Platinum should be easy to find, online. If you research smaller brands, be sure to see if you can get replacement cutting plates.

Full Page Machines

For when you need to use a full size die or embossing folder, up to 8 1/2 x 11 inches. The two current machines that are the most widely known are the Sizzix Big Shot Plus or the Spellbinders Platinum Plus. Cost of the machines run from $250 to $300 cdn. Getting replacement cutting plates is generally not an issue but may cost 2 to 3 times the price of the regular sized plates.

Electric Die Cutting Machines

Electric Die Cutting Machines work the same as the manually cranked ones, but use sensors and a motor to produce the results. The main advantage and reason to use one is to avoid the effort required to crank the manual machines. The primary disadvantage is cost.

Available machines include (as of time of writing):

• Sizzix Switch – uses the same plates and platforms as the Sizzix Big Shot Plus. Over $600 cdn.
• Gemini II by Crafters Companion – has a 9 inch wide window. Over $450.
• GoPower and Emboss from Couture Creations (Australia). Again a 9 inch window. Normally $360, but currently $200. Marianne has had much success with hers.

Back to Die Cut and Embossing…

Die Cutting Machines

A die cutting machine is a tool that presses a die into cardstock to cut out an image. The sample to the right shows a sample die and the result of using a die with blue cardstock.

Die cutting machines come an a large array of sizes. You can also get machines that are powered. Click here for a quick list of available machines.

Dies

Dies are metal-shaped objects with a raised, sharp area for cutting. They are similar in appearance and effect to cookie cutters – the shape of the die is the shape that will get cut out on your paper.

Dies come in a wide array of sizes and styles. There are basic shapes, words, sentiments, intricate florals, delicate lace, animals, food shapes, and almost anything you can think of. There are dies that will score or emboss a design within the cut. There are also some dies that have the capability to stamp an image while cutting. There’s a die for every purpose and occasion.

Embossing Folders

Embossing is a method that creates a raised pattern for your image and/or text.

Heat embossing uses a combination of ink, embossing powder, and heat to melt the powder create a raised image.

Dry embossing, using a folder, will give you a raised image by placing a piece of cardstock in a folder of two plastic sheets and using the die cutting machine to press the two plastic sheets against the cardstock to form a raised 3d image.

While it’s possible to use an embossing folder without a machine, it would be more than difficult to achieve the sharpness and consistency across the image that you get with the machine.

You will also see new folders that have a 3d designation. These are thicker plastic sheets that can create a higher raised image. The first time you use these you’ll want to test what plates and shims you use in your machine to accommodate the additional thickness.

Additional tools/supplies

Clippers/knippers – most die sets are sold with individual pieces already separated. Some die sets try to be a bit more budget friendly and sell several individual dies in one piece that may need to be cut apart. These clippers are generally fine wire cutters with a bit of ‘attitude’ so that you can cut the metal apart. Note: Be very careful! Small bits of metal can and will go ‘flying’ into unwanted places. A good suggestion is to cut the dies inside a large plastic bag so as to contain the bits.

Magnet Sheets and/or Bowls – for storage of dies or to keep them in one place on your work area. Extremely helpful for small dies.

Repositionable Tape – such as iCraft’s Pink Tape or Spellbinders’ yellow ‘Best Ever Craft Tape’. Useful for holding down dies exactly where you want on the paper you’re cutting.

Pickup/Poke Tool – a sticky side for picking up small cut pieces, a small point on the other to poke out small pieces of paper from dies.

Back to the Intro Page…

Helpful Supplies for 3d Layered Cards

Watercolor Markers – Grey and/or Brown — once you have your cut out pieces, we recommend edging them to hide the white core, and some cutting sins. We use Tombows greys, typically N79 or N55. Depending on what we’re cutting we’ll use a light brown (ie 992). We try to avoid a dark brown or grey and especially black, so that the edges of the cut pieces won’t become pronounced or comic book looking.

Foam/Dimensional Tape — dual sided adhesive foam used to raise the upper layer away from the lower layer. Available in several shapes and sizes.

— Foam Squares – we generally go with 3L’s Scrapbook Adhesive when we use squares. They have several sizes and shapes available. This is the easiest route to take.

— Foam Tape ‘Wheels’ – Our most used foam tape, we go through 3 or 4 rolls a year from 3L Scrapbook Adhesives. We’ve used iCraft in the past, but have had better success from 3L. We generally use the thinner 108 foot rolls. Pros: most cost effective and you can cut the pieces exactly to the size you need (Robin has used 1/8 x 1/16 in extreme cases). Cons: will mess with your scissors. We use a very old pair of scissors for cutting foam, cleaning them with rubbing alcohol periodically.

— Silicone Glue – the go to for paper tole artists. Marianne’s favorite method for 3d layering. She puts a bit of the silicone glue from the tube into a syringe and is able to control the size of dot for layering, allowing her to shape the upper layers of her piece.

Tweezers — the problem with foam tape is it is very sticky, often you get one shot to place your image on top of the lower layer. When placing a large piece, Robin’s fat fingers often get in the way. A good pair of tweezers make it easier to hold the piece above the card to make sure it’s properly placed before sticking it down. Reverse tweezers are becoming easier on the fingers, you squeeze to release the paper instead of trying to maintain a grip throughout the process.

3D Die Cut Decoupage Sheets

The easiest method for creating 3d cards is to purchase card kits or sheets with the images die cut, so all you have to do is punch (carefully) the pieces out and then layer them onto the card base. Individual sheets or kits of cards are available from Katy Sue, Hunky Dory, among others.

The advantage with these kits is the ease of putting them together. The disadvantage is you may be restricted in the ability to alter the look of the card.

Depending on the sheet or kit, the only additional items may be a card base, dimensional tape, and an envelope.

3D Layered Cards using Stamped Images

The card on the right was created by stamping Santa’s clothing twice (it’s an old stamp, I can’t remember who made it). Both sets of clothes were colored in (this time using alcohol markers).

The first layer was then trimmed to match the image, the second image was cut, edged with a tombow marker, then attached with foam tape to raise the images. A little twine was added for effect, then the image was matted and mounted on the card base.

The idea here is you can create 3D images using stamps that have images that are easy to cut out.

3D Layered Cards using Decoupage Sheets or other Digital Images

A large percentage of the cards we make use digital decoupage sheets or kits we’ve acquired across the internet.

For these cards we download the images to our computer, then using a graphics program the images are sent to the printer, using photo paper with a matte finish.

After printing, the images are cut out, and embellished to fit the card design.

The card on the left is a sample of a designed by Robin for CraftsUPrint.com. The image is based upon a vintage postcard from about 1920. The postcard was printed 3 times, and pieces cut out to create the layers. The edges of the cut pieces were colored using a light brown (Tombow 992) marker to hide the white paper edge.

The background papers (included with the kit) were torn, trimmed to fit, and distressed using Vintage Photo Distress Ink. After matting, the 3 layered post card is affixed to the card.

In Summary

These are only a few ideas on how to create a 3D dimensional card. It is very possible to mix and match images and sentiments to create your perfect card.

The one thing to consider: keep in mind how the card will be mailed. If the card is too thick, postage rates will be increased. For that reason we tend not to make a card more than 3 layers tall.

Back to the Intro Page…

Heat embossing is a technique of stamping that has a wide variety of uses and methods. The most basic use of heat embossing with stamping is to create a raised sentiment or image on your card.

With the wide variety of colors and ‘grades’ or thickness of embossing powder, and the different types of inks and papers available, the possibilities of heat embossing techniques are endless.

Required Materials

Embossing Powder — a container of very fine grounded plastic bits. Start with a couple of basics: clear, white, black, gold colored. There are bunches and bunches of different colors available, our favorite manufacturer is Wow! from the UK.

Note on grades of embossing powder: Most embossing powders are regular or medium grade, useful for most stamps.
If you have a stamp that has finer details, you can get superfine or high detail powder, which is a finer ground powder.
For a higher puff, there is Ultra High grind, a very rough larger chunks of ‘powder’. However, the larger chunks of powder may not stick well to a stamped image and may require other methods to ‘attach’ the powder to the paper before heating.

Stamp(s) — for the image and/or words you plan to put on your card. Note that you do not want an image that is too finely detailed.

Slow Drying Ink — Resisting Ink (Versamark), Embossing Ink (Wow! or Ranger), or most Pigment inks. The most widely used ink for heat embossing is Versamark from Tsukineko. However, using a colored ink (ie VersaColor) combined with clear embossing ink is useful with watercoloring.

Heat Gun — used to melt the embossing powder to its future glory. Widely available from many companies, choose one that will get the powder to 200-300 degrees F. It is best to pick one specifically designed for heat embossing. Be careful not to pick a heat tool that will get too hot as there is chance that it will burn the paper. A hair dryer will probably not work due to excess heat and/or blowing fan.

Paper — chose a cardstock that can withstand the heat, and is smooth enough for the stamp to successfully transfer the entire inked image. Vellum may be usable, but be careful not to ‘shrink’ the plastic coating. Glossy card stock works well, but may burn. Watercolor cardstock will work well, but if it is too rough, the image may not turn out ‘smooth’. Robin prefers using 110 smooth cardstock for the best embossed image.

Anti-Static powder — used to prevent the embossing powder to stick or attach to the card stock in places that are not intended due to finger prints or static.

Other useful items:
Craft mat and scratch copy paper to catch excess powders. (Embossing powder has the same traits as glitter at times).
Dual sided tape or glue to use in place of stamped images to create a border, or random drops on a card.
Tweezers – saves fingers from heat gun.

TO DO LIST:

Future Edit: a pictorial demo of embossing

Back to the Stamping Page…

There are two major types of markers: Watercolor and Alcohol.

Watercolor Based Markers

For coloring stamped images using watercolor, we generally use Dual Brushed Markers from Tombow. These markers have two ends, one is a small nib for fine lines, the other is a brush. They have 108 available colors.

For best results, Robin stamps with either StazOn or Versafine Claire in black on fairly smooth watercolor paper such as Strathmore’s Bristol. These inks will not bleed with the marker’s ink. The paper will allow you to use watercolor methods easily, such as blending with water. A plain white cardstock will probably not allow the watercolor inks to blend as easily. Another method is to use heat embossing with clear embossing powder on black pigment ink or black embossing powder on Versamark ink.

There are a ton of tutorials online. One of my searches: https://www.google.com/search?q=stamp+coloring+with+tombow

There are other markers available, just ensure that they indicate they are water based or water color.

Alcohol Based Markers.

The majority of the coloring that Robin does is using alcohol ink markers, in most cases using the Spectrum Noir Classic series.

The most widely known alcohol markers are made by Copic. These are very good markers, but they are very pricey. However, they do appear to be the markers used by most professional graphic artists.

For an inexpensive option to alcohol based markers, Robin has had success with Ohuhu markers. They are available on Amazon.

For best results, Robin stamps using black (Nocturne) Versafine Claire on smooth card stock (i.e. Spectrum Noir marker sheets). It helps if the ink can bleed through the marker paper to enhance blending. While coloring it’s best to have an extra sheet behind the image for the ink to bleed through. Search the internet for tutorials from Copic or Spectrum Noir, especially on You Tube.

Other Coloring Mediums

Marianne’s favorite method for coloring is using water color pencil crayons, especially the Distress Watercolor Pencils. Robin has used pencil crayons on stamp images that are too detailed for markers.

Robin’s favorite mediums for creating backgrounds is using chalks from Pebble (unfortunately, these are no longer in production).

There are many tutorials on YouTube for creating backgrounds by using blending brushes with inks.

Back to the Stamping Page…

Wood Block Stamps

What we all grew up with. Generally a single image using a rubber stamp backed with a foam layer and mounted onto a wooden block.

Unfortunately as time went on, it became much more efficient to move away from the wood blocks due to costs and storage.

Today very few new stamps are available on wooden blocks. There are still a lot of wooden block stamps available in used markets.

Cling Rubber Stamps

The first change was to remove the wood block from the foam cushion, then print the image on the foam and provide a plastic cling sheet (usually acetate). A crafter using the stamp would cling the stamp to an acrylic block (available in many shapes and sizes), then apply the ink and stamp the image.

The first main advantage was the reduction in storage place, and a reduction in costs for stamps. You can store 4 or 5 stamps in the same space a wooden mounted stamp. The second advantage is increased control of where an image is stamped on paper. A clear acrylic block offers a bit more clarity of where the stamp image will be located. With cling mounted stamps, a trend started where manufacturers started releasing a set of stamps instead of just a single stamp.

Clear Polymer Stamps

The biggest change to the stamp crafting industry was the release of stamps formed using a soft polymer acrylic. Generally released as a set of related images in a set, It became easy to have the crafter remove a stamp image from the acrylic sheet storing the stamp set, apply it to a acrylic block and stamp away.

Since the polymer is soft, there’s no need for a foam backing sheet. The stamp is clear, so any crafter can instantly see exactly where, on a piece of paper, a stamp will transfer its image to.

The great majority of stamps created and sold today are using polymer.

Pros and Cons

• Most stamps are released as a set. Buying a stamp for a single image in most cases becomes expensive since you usually cannot buy a single stamp.
• In general, a cling rubber stamp may produce a sharper image than you can find using polymer. (There are a few exceptions to this, ie Lavinia Stamps).
• In general, a rubber stamp will last longer, especially if you are using a solvent based ink (Stazon) as the solvent in the ink can degrade the polymer.
• Buying multiple images is generally less expensive on polymer stamps.
• You can see and design a stamped image more easily with polymer stamps.

Tools for stamping

Acrylic Blocks – available in many sizes and shapes. Some with lines (recommended for easier lining up), some clear. Some shapes available for easier grip. Most are 3/8″ to 1/2″ thick, ranging in cost from $5 to $20 depending on size and shape. It’s also possible to find sets of acrylic blocks offering multiple sizes.

When starting out, determine the largest size stamp you have and choose the acrylic block of matching size. It is also very handy to have a couple of smaller size blocks on hand for stamping sentiments and smaller images.

Stamping Platforms – Very useful tool for doing repetitive stamping, ensuring placement of images, and to ensure you stamp an entire image. Only available for about 9-10 years this tool has almost reinvented stamping.

However, this can be an expensive tool for beginners, $40 to $120 (cdn) depending on manufacturer and size.

The original hinged platform is the Misti from My Sweet Petunia. It may be the only one officially available in the US. In Canada there are a few more options available. They all work about the same…

Place your cardstock to stamp on the platform (magnet optional), place your stamp face down on the paper, close the door to pick up the stamp. Ink the stamp then close the door to transfer the ink to the paper. If the image isn’t complete, reink the stamp (ensuring that the cardstock remains in the same place) and reclose the door to stamp again.

A fairly new innovation for stamping platforms is the release of a variety of sticky papers or mats to hold paper in a stamp platform with the need for a magnet. ‘Simon Says Stamps’ has a stencil mat, My Sweet Petunia sells sticky grid sheets and Waffle Flower sells sticky mats that fit in a stamp platform. Our caution is to be sure to read the instructions that come with these products.

Back to the Stamping Page…