Dry Embossing with the Simply Scored Board.

Dry Embossing with Simply Scored

I remember the first time a dry-embossing kit at a mega mart store. The photo on the box showed a beautifully manicured hand using a stylus to meticulously outline tiny giraffe spot impressions from a plastic plate through a piece of card stock. Beautiful... and lots of time consuming tediousness that looked like too much work to be fun.

Flash forward about a decade. Yes, that's my hand and it could probably use a manacure. Even still, dry embossing is super popular in card making and scrap booking and is super easy. There are lots of tools for dry embossing to use with the Big Shot, but this article is about some simple and fast techniques you can do with the new Simply Scored scoring tool. The new Occasions Mini-Catalog has several cards using the Simply Scored for decorative elements on the card fronts. It adds texture and a dimensional element to the card without adding extra paper.

The Simply Scored tool has alleys evenly spaced at every 1/8” and a ruler going down the left side as well as across the top, so you can position your card stock on the board once and score at your desired intervals without having to shift the paper. Either side can be used, the valleys or the raised side. For a bead board look, I scored 2 alleys, skipped 3, score 2 and so forth. To make the lines on a perfect diagonal, I lined up the corners of the cut card stock along the side and top rulers so that they were equal distance from the corner. A simple plaid design consists of score lines at 1/2” intervals squarely across one side, then flip the card stock over and turn it 90 degrees to score the other side. Lots of options exist for all sizes of paper and card stock and it's fast and easy to do. Made a mistake? Flip it over to the raised side and “erase” it with your bone folder. Easy!

Enjoy this simple technique to enhance your next card or scrap book page!

All the best,

K

Big Stamps with the Big Shot

The Sizzix Big Shot is a great tool to have on the shelf... but mine never stays there. There's no paper crafting project that a few die cuts can't improve. I've found yet another way to use the Big Shot. The initial idea came from the great altered art sorcerer, Tim Holtz. The Great Tim had used his Big Shot to cut out 6mm Craft Foam with Bigz and Originals dies, and glued them to backings he cut from the stiff plastic packaging from some of his supplies. Voila! Stamps! Very clever! I decided to take it one step further and incorporate Stampin' Up's Clear Mount Cling Foam. Using the Cling Foam enables you to mount your newly cut foam stamps on your acrylic blocks and be able to reposition them and couple them together for whatever back ground composition you wish, and you can store them in the thin plastic cases made for our regular stamps!

Supplies:

Thin craft foam, any color. I prefer white, while it shows stains after a few uses it is still easy to see where the ink is on the stamp. While I experimented with both 6mm and thin craft foam, I found that when combining the thickness of the craft foam with the Cling Mount Foam, the thin stuff was easiest to run through the Big Shot and plenty thick enough to stand up off of your block. Tim used black craft foam on his blog, must be a guy thing.

Stampin' Up! Clear Mount Cling Foam. You get (2) 8 ½ x 11 sheets – enough to fill 4 or more Clear Mount Stamp Cases if you're thrifty.

Big Shot and Bigz or Originals Dies

Clear Mount Stamp Cases

Ink, Paper, etc...

Directions:

1. Measure the size of foam 1/8 th inch larger all around the die cut area to be sure to cover it completely. There is one clingy side and one sticky side of the cling mount foam, when making your “sandwich” for the Big Shot, the “cling” side will be down on the die if you want the stamp to look exactly like the finished die cut, or up toward the cutting pad if you want the stamps to print in the reverse image. “Up” or “down” might make a difference in your measurement, begin with the goal in mind.

1. Adhere craft foam to Cling Mount Foam. Make it nice and exact as possible, you want both pieces to cover your die cut.

2. Make your Big Shot “sandwich” - cutting pad, die, foam pieces, cutting pad. If you are wanting an exact image and your craft foam side is up, be sure that your cutting pad is new and smooth. The texture of a cutting pad will mar the foam if the cutting pad is heavily worn. What I do with my cutting pads is use one exclusively as a cutting surface and keep the other smooth. Then when the both sides of my cutting surface are excessively worn down, I swap it out with my smoother one and use one new cutting pad as a smooth backer. That way I don't have to use both my new ones in a set at once, and I always have a smooth sheet of acrylic to use to cut foam, ink up to load my brayer, or it can be used with Cling Stamps to create a large composition for decorating a greater area, etc...

1. Run your “sandwich” through the Big Shot. It will be a little thick and you might need an extra hand, but it will come through just fine.

1. Pop out your die cut stamp, peel the backing off the “cling” side of the foam and adhere to your acrylic block, ink, stamp, and clean just as you would a conventional rubber stamp. Works great with Classic Ink, Craft Ink, Versamark, watercolor techniques, “Kissing” techniques - where you stamp on the foam and then stamp the foam onto your paper, not what you do with your honey on Saturday night, what are you thinking?

The Stampin' Up “Lattice” Die was my personal favorite. Not only did it create an intriguing background, but you also get all the groovy inner pieces to make patterns with. Flowers, borders, relief patterns... so much to do with those pieces! I've photographed a few ideas but there's so much more you can do with this, give it a go!

The “Top Note” Die was a great one for watercoloring and kissing – really a unique look.

Sharing your creativity does make a difference to everyone around you. Have fun!

Rosettes - Easy as Pi!

 

Supplies:

Strips of Designer Series Paper and coordinating card stock (I used Paisley Petals DSP from the 2011 Idea Book and Catalog along with Bravo Burgundy, Marina Mist, River Rock, Always Artichoke and Tangerine Tango card stock)

Sticky Strip Adhesive Tape

Big Shot Multipurpose Adhesive Sheets or Sticky Sheets

Scallop Edge Punch, Antique Brads, Scallop Circle Punches, Circle Punches, Blossom Petals Builder...

Cardboard from Designer Series Paper packaging (for wreath backing)

Dinner plates or large circle templates, pencil or marker, scissors

 

Rosettes, or lollies as they're sometimes called, are a fun way to add some dimension to a card or a scrapbook page. Grouped together and they make delightful holiday décor. Look at the inside of the Holiday Mini Catalog for 2011 and you'll see a wreath made of paper and card stock rosettes on page 6.

They're very easy to make. Remember making paper fans as a child? A rosette is a rectangular strip of paper fan-folded with the ends joined into a ring and pressed down onto an adhesive circle. While there are some great videos on the internet of how to assemble these little cuties, I wanted to share a little of the math that makes customizing the size of these very easy.

Remember Beginning Geometry?

  C=π2R or C = π D

C is the length of your paper strip (which becomes the circumference “C” of the circle),

“2R” or “D” is the diameter of your rosette (R is the width of the paper strip) and

π = 3.14.

 

The trick with rosettes, since there's the up-down of the edge that eats up some of your circumference, is to make the paper strip about 15% longer than the mathematical circumference should be.

For example: To make a rosette approximately 3” in diameter (D):

C = (3.14) x (3)

C = 9.42 (mathematical circumference)

increase by 15%: (9.42 x 15%) + 9.42

(1.41) + 9.42 = 10.83→ this is the adjusted circumference.

So the length of your paper should be greater than 10.83 inches. It's a minimum. Go ahead and round up to 11”.

 

2R = D

2R = 3

R = 1.5

...and 1.5” is the width of your paper strip.

 

 

By playing around with this concept, I've found that a 4” rosette works well with a strip of paper that's 2"  x 14 ½;  4.5” rosette needs 16 ¼ “ x 2 1/4” , etc...

The diameter of the rosette will be slightly larger depending on how much space left in the center.

 

Now that you have the dimensions of your paper strip, now for construction!

1. Score! Place your paper strip squarely on your Simply Scored board so the long end runs along the top ruler, and starting at the ¼” mark, score every ½ inch. You'll be scoring on all the 1/4” and 3/4” inch lines. Next, flip it over and score all the ½ inch and full inch lines. Now your paper has the “mountains” and “valleys” for fan-folding at quarter inch intervals.

2.  Fan-fold! Go! Back and forth down the whole strip. 

3. Secure the ends together using Sticky Strip Adhesive. 

4.  Prepare your backing: Punch out a circle of card stock, any size smaller than your rosette, and a matching circle of Big Shot Multipurpose Adhesive Sheet or Sticky Sheet. Adhere the adhesive to the circle and place it sticky side up on your work surface.

5.  Here's the tricky part: getting the crimped paper ring flattened onto your backing. I like to stand it up on it's side and scrunch in the top while sweeping out the bottom and gently pressing down. Takes a little practice, but once you get the trick, it becomes easy.

6.  Stick the backing circle to the back side of your rosette. Flip it over and squeeze a little glue into the center – it will find it's way into the cracks. (I like to use a little Crystal Effects – it dries clear and very hard.) Sit a punch or another weighty object on top to press the rosette to the backing and set aside. Once it's dry, you can decorate the center with punched flowers, flower petals, brads, smaller rosettes, buttons, stamped images, punch art... go crazy. Have fun. A glue-gun helps with securing all these things onto the rosette.

7.  To make the wreath: I used a dinner plate and a salad plate to trace concentric circles on a piece of cardboard from my Designer Series Paper pack.   

I cut out the ring shape and used that as my backing piece. I arranged about 12 of my 3 to 4 inch diameter decorated rosettes until I was satisfied with the look. Then I used hot glue to secure my rosettes to the backing and/or to each other as necessary. I added a little ribbon and voila! Fun and charming holiday décor.

 

To have a scallop edge on your rosette, first punch one long edge of your paper strip with the Scallop Border Punch. Then line up the inner point of the scallops with a scoring line on the Simply Scored board, scoring every other point and then flip the paper over and score every other point on the other side, thus creating the “mountains” and “valleys” in line with the scallops. Then fan-fold and proceed with the rest of the directions, making sure that your scallop edge is swept to the outside when sticking the rosette to it's backing. I also tried this with the Scallop Trim Border Punch, I found that it needed to be scored in the middle of the small scallops on one side, and in the middle of the large scallops on the other. It made tinier than ¼ inch fan folds which can get tedious on a large rosette.

 

That's how I replicated the charming wreath on page 3 of the 2011 Holiday Mini Catalog. It was lots of fun and I encourage you to try one for yourself!

Back to School Notepad Folder

Hello!

I was recently inspired by a notepad folder a demonstrator friend of mine was carrying, and decided to go home and make one myself. These are so cute, easy, and make great gifts! Beautiful and useful all at once.

What you need:

-1 sheet Designer Series Paper, plus coordinating card stock for embellishing

-1 sheet 12 x 12 cardstock or a plain 2 pocket folder

-1 5 x 7 notepad, available from office supply stores

-"Sticky Strip" adhesive

-"SNAIL" adhesive for embellishments

-Stamps and Ink as desired for embellishing

Tools:

-Paper Cutter

-"Simply Scored" Scoring Tool

-"Paper Snips" Scissors

-Paper Punches for embellishing- I used the "Stampin' Up!" "Scallop Trim Border Punch" to embellish my notepad, as well as many others from "Stampin' Up!" for my accents.

Directions:

1a. Place your 12 x 12 piece of cardstock on the Simply Scored board and score at 6 inches. This is the centerline of your folder.

2a. Flip the cardstock and rotate it 90 degrees on the Simply Scored Board. Score at 3 3/4 " from the left side. This will become the pocket of the folder.

3a. Fold along the score lines so that the "bump" side of the score is to the inside of the fold. Fold the 3 3/4" score up first, then fold in half along the centerline.

1b. If you are using a store bought pocket folder, use your Paper Cutter to trim each side 6” from the center line, and trim the top to be 8 ¼” high. My friend's folder was made from a store bought folder, however the color on the “pre-fab”
folders has a tendency to wear off of the score lines leaving the edges a little shabby. Using solid color card stock keeps that from happening and will be an exact match for your Designer Series Paper.

Either way, we now have an open ended
folder with a folded up pocket flap at the bottom.

4. Seal up the sides. Cut the pocket flap ½” in from the edge of both sides and trim off the strip at the bottom. I prefer to use my paper cutter to
get the edge straight and then use scissors to clip off the scrap.

5. Now place your folder back on the "Simply Scored" board and score the cover of the folder ½ inch in from each side. Fold to the pocket side and crease with a Bone Folder. Notice on the left hand picture I trimmed the the top and bottom of the folded strip at a slight angle to keep them from peeking over the cover. It is also helpful to taper the pocket flap starting at 1/8 of an inch in from the edge angling down to the corner of the bottom fold.

6. Wrap the side strip over the pocket and secure using Sticky Strip adhesive. Securing while the folder is partially closed keeps the pocket from bunching up in the center.

7. Using scissors, nip the wrap around strip right along the pocket flap about ½ to ¾ of the way to the edge to give a little room for the notepad to scoot to the edge. Now, your pocket folder is complete!

Here's how to add a bit of flair to the notepad and cover it's humdrum label.

1. Cut a 3” x 5” piece of Designer Series Paper to coordinate with your cover embellishment.

2. Trim one long edge with the "Scallop Trim Border Punch".

3. Score the paper 7/8 of an inch from the solid side of the scallop, score again at 1 1/8 inches in from the solid side of the scallop.

4. Attach to the notepad so that the solid side of the punched edge lines up with the binding of the notepad. Secure with "Sticky Strip".

5. Fold the paper over the top of the notepad matching the score lines to the corners of the binding and attach the Designer Series Paper with "Sticky Strip" to the back of the notepad. Voila! Beautifully customized.

I've embellished my pocket folders with some of our new Designer Series Papers from the "Paisley Petals", "Well Worn", and "Pocket Full of Posies" collections. I've also used several punches and stamp sets from our current Idea Book and Catalog.

The “Well Worn” folder I simply cut one piece of 5 ¼ x 8 inch paper and folded over the top and tore and inked the edges with "Early Espresso" ink for a distressed look. "Sticky Strip" on the bottom and sides of the paper form a pocket on the front.

It is so easy to make these little folders you'll certainly get hooked on making them!

Playing with Blocks

Hello again!

It's been a couple of years since I blogged on "Unmounting Wood Block Stamps" and there have been many innovations at Stampin' Up and in the craft industry that are fantastic for cling-mount stamps.

In January of 2010, Stampin' Up introduced a line of cling-mount rubber stamps and beautiful acrylic blocks in a variety of sizes. These stamps are made from the same high-quality red rubber you would expect from Stampin' Up, with a special cling-mount foam on the back. Optional image stickers are included for the stamp backing, and while the stickers do make the stamp a little less "clingy" than bare foam, a quick buff against a piece of cotton fabric restores the necessary static (the sleeves of whatever t-shirt I'm wearing are my personal favorite static builders.)

Stampin' Up also has a fabulous case to keep your acrylic blocks contained. I've tricked mine out with some of our Décor Elements sheets cut with my Big Shot and our exclusive Sizzix dies.


Aren't these gorgeous? As far as blocks go, these are a dream come true.

They're thick enough to keep your fingers out of the ink pad while inking your stamps. They also have a finger grip all the way around so that whatever direction you're stamping, there's always a secure and comfy way to hold the block.

Stampin' Up makes 9 different sizes of blocks, and they're available to buy individually or as a bundle of all 9 sizes. The Block Bundle is discounted about 10%, versus buying blocks individually--you've gotta love that! If you're taking the conversion a step at a time, I advise purchasing Block "B" (approx 1.5" x 2"), Block "C" (2" x 2.25"), Block "D" (approx. 3" x 3"), and Block "E" (approx. 3.5" x 4.5"). These are the blocks that do the most work in my set, but all of them get used. Stampin' Up's cling-mount sets are priced about 30% lower than their wood-mounted twins, so over time you recoup your money and ultimately stretch your stamping budget in the long run. Blocks are available at www.creativeflare.stampinup.net. Just click on the "Shop Now" link at the bottom of the page, then hit the "Clear-Mount Stamps" option on the side menu, then "Clear-Mount Blocks".

You may notice that I have not marred any of these with "Tack and Peel" as recommended in my previous blog. There's no need! A fellow Stampin' Up demonstrator showed me a great product that works better, without damaging your blocks.

That bottle with the green and white label is "Tombow Multipurpose Liquid Glue" - a dual purpose permanent or re-positionable glue that stays tacky even after it has "dried". "Tombow" is available through my Stampin' Up website.

Using my fingertips, I brushed a thin coating over the back of my "unmounted" wood-block stamps and allowed it to "dry" to a tacky finish. Now they can easily stick to, and be removed from, acrylic blocks. Pictured here is Stampin' Up's "Fifth Avenue Floral", currently available only in the wood-mount style. I backed my stamps with their image stickers, then dabbed a thin coat of "Tombow" onto the stickers. --Works like a charm, and now I have room for more stamps... ;)