Partial Embossing with the Framed Tulips Folder (tutorial)

First, you have to do this with a card that opens along it's shorter side; so you start with a sheet of card stock (CS) cut to 4 1/4" x 11" for a standard A2 card or 4" x 12" to make a 4" x 6" card (these fit easily into business-size envelopes).   Score the CS in the middle to create the card blank.  You'll place the long edge of the embossing folder across the front of the card.

Next, and most importantly, emboss the top row of tulips first.  When you place the CS into the folder, be sure the edge of the CS is lined up precisely with the points of the tulips on BOTH edges of the folder.  This is the trick to getting the embossing straight.   

I'm usually pretty good (I think) at getting things square, but until I realized this I was making some really crooked embossing.

In order to emboss only the front of the card, not the back, turn the handle so that the first edge of the folder goes all the way through the rollers, then stop and turn the handle in the opposite direction and the platform and everything will back out of the machine.   Embossing twice like this won't make any difference to the appearance of the pattern.

Finally, take the CS out of the folder, turn it around, and emboss the bottom row of tulips.   This time, you just have to eyeball the straightness of the folder, but you now have the first row of tulips to use as a guide.   Making sure the edge of the folder looks parallel to the first row of embossing is much easier than trying to guess at a 90° angle between the CS and the folder.   Wilma suggests adhering the DSP at this stage, before embossing the second line of tulips which will make getting the second line straight very easy.   I was more concerned with getting the second line the same distance from the bottom of the card as the top line was from the top of the card, then I cut my DSP to fit.   Either way works  :)

  

 Click here to view samples made with this technique.

Click here for a Christmas card idea using this technique.

Hope this helps.   This is my first attempt at an online tutorial like this, questions and constructive criticism are appreciated!

A Berry Happy Valentine's Day!

Decorating these little mailboxes is hardly a new idea, but these are the first ones I've made!  I think the hearts make them appropriate gifts for Valentines Day, but at the same time, the Berry Blossom pattern isn't so "Valentiney" that the recipients will feel they can't display them for a while if they want to.   Read on for full details of products used and some helpful hints I learned the hard way!

Apply the Sticky Strip to the PAPER first, not the mailbox.   That way you can reposition if you need to!    Use the 1/2" circle punch to make an opening for the flag, then cut a slit from the little hole you made to the edge of the paper.   Remove the backing from the sticky strip AFTER you successfully get the paper around the base of the flag so you don't tear the paper by pulling on it... sigh. 

If you add a sentiment to the end of the box, by all means pop it up with Dimensionals... flat is BORING...see...

 Tombo Multipurpose Liquid Adhesive is the way to go when gluing cardstock to the plastic mailbox flag.   Sticky Sheet or Strip would also work; I used the Strip to adhere the ribbon.   Isn't it great how the Certainly Celery ribbon coordinates with the Lucky Limeade cardstock and DSP!   I used a glue dot underneath the 1/2" brad.

Once you finish adhering the leaves to the back of the flag, cover the mess with a scrap of matching cardstock... what the hey, put a little something pretty back there, as well!

Materials:
Berry Blossom DSP, CS in Lucky Limeade, Wisteria Wonder & Calypso Coral
Basic Jewels Rhinestones, Build-a-Brad (WHY were these retired?   I love being able to make coordinating brads!)
Certainly Celery Twill Ribbon (this style of ribbon is retired)
Sticky Strip, Liquid Tombo, Dimensionals, Glue dot


Tools:
Little Leaves Sizzlet die, Boho Blossoms punch, Circle Punches (1/2", 1", 1 1/4"), Scalloped Circle Punch, Heart to Heart Punch


Stamps & Ink:
Petite Pairs in Wisteria Wonder

Elementary Enchantment

Today's project is a suite of similar cards I created for a swap with some of my dear llama friends.   Huh?   She's friends with llamas... and they can make cards?    I am and they do, gorgeous ones, in fact, that I'll share with you another day (here and here).


For now, I'll show you some cards I made for them using my FREE Sale-a-bration goodies - Designer Series Paper and stamps.  


I used the Everyday Enchantment papers with Soft Suede card stock.   I used the Framed Tulips embossing folder to create a border around the Designer Series Paper.  Click here to see a tutorial on how this was done.   "Hello" and the awesome teeny birdie are from the Elementary Elegance stamp set.   They're done in Bashful Blue and Lucky Limeade to coordinate to the paper.   Punched out with Curly Label, sponged a little with Soft Suede ink, and adorned with a few Stampin' Up! self-adhesive pearls.

Please pretend you don't see the ugly cardboard boxes on either side!

This one used the Scallop Trim Corner punch instead of Curly Label.

  

 In retrospect, I think this last one would have looked nicer with the sentiment in Poppy Parade, what do you think?

Triple Pretty

The inspiration for this card was my sister-in-law's winter outerwear, beleive it or not.   She has great taste in clothes and when I saw her black coat and pale pink scarf, both in that super-soft faux fur, I knew I had to make a card with that same gorgeous color combination!


It's super-simple, as you can see:   Pretty in Pink cardstock stamped with a sentiment from Sincere Salutations and the Triple Treat flower punched first with the 5-Petal Flower punch and then the Fancy Flower, then popped up with some dimensionals.  Punched the corners of the pink card fronts with the Scalloped Trim Corner punch, and mounted onto Basic Black.   Inside, I decorated the interior panel using Pretty in Pink scraps punched with the Scalloped Trim edge.

Fresh Enchantment Layout

I just LOVE this page I made in My Digital Studio!   Well, of course I do, that's my little sweetheart learning to walk.   But the pretty Stampin' Up! artwork is a lovely accompaniment.   Not only can you try My Digital studio for FREE this month (Click here for more info!), but one of the Sale-a-bration choices (free product with a $50 order) is to get everything in the SAB brochure on CD-ROM for use with My Digital Studio.   That's a LOT of content for free, a dozen DSPs, brads, ribbons, and multiple stamp sets.  I used three of those free products on this project.

Used here: 

 Everyday Enchantment Digital DSP

Everyday Enchantment Digital Brads

Vanilla Digital Hodgepodge Hardware

Fresh Vintage Digital Stamp in Soft Suede 

 Digital card stock colors:  Soft Suede, Early Expresso

Try My Digital Studio for FREE!

Yes, it's the pared-down version, in that it does not have anywhere near the number of papers, stamp sets, etc, as the full version of the software that costs $79.95.   However, Stampin' Up! has been offering this version for $39.95, so the opportunity to use it for free is pretty cool!

Click here to get your free download!