President's Day VCMP Feb. 2013

Texture Omit/Selective Embossing Challenge
I want to challenge you to try a new technique that will let you stretch your embossing folders. This technique creates an area where the embossing folder doesn't make an impression and you have an area you can stamp in or even add a different texture from another folder.
Here is my card.

These are the products I used.
Embossing folder Spellbinders M-Bossabilities Kicking Rubber
Black homemade embossing diffusers (bottom left, with oval cut out and rectangle)

black homemade diffusers and Spellbinder's Kicking Rubber

1. I put the black diffuser on my paper and checked where to stamp my image. The motorcycle was so long I stamped it first, then embossed it, but if your image is smaller you can emboss first.

2. I placed my stamped image in the folder, then placed the black diffuser on top, checking to be sure it was lined up with the image. I could see the image thru the folder.

3. Then I sandwiched everything to go thru the Cuttlebug.  The black diffuser takes the place of one of the B plates so my sandwich from the bottom to the top was: A plate, folder, diffuser, C plate.  It was a tight fit because the Spellbinder folder is thicker than most embossing folders.  The area under the black diffuser gets embossed and it leaves an unembossed area where the oval shape is.

This is my paper after it was embossed.

4. I added the Distress Stain Tea Dye to make the bumps and tracks show up better.

Finished with a sentiment from Paper Smooches Sentiment Sampler stamps and mat of dark brown designer paper from Sticker Studio.

The black diffusers in the picture were made by my friend out of gasket material that you can find at a hardware or auto parts store.  We use the rectangle piece to emboss 1/2 of a card front.

embossed front using the rectangular diffuser

I made this diffuser with cardboard and a Sizzix die

You can make your own diffuser by cutting a circle or oval (any shape you want) in 4 to 6 layers of cardstock or cardboard (like cereal boxes) and taping them together.  If you make your own, you can save the inside piece and use it as a diffuser also.  You want to be sure it is thick enough to get a good impression but not too thick to go thru your machine.  
Your challenge is to create a card that has the texture omit or selective embossing.  Use any shape you want and have fun!!


Here is a link to a card and video by Kristine Werner with a diffuser that she made out of cardstock.  http://www.kwernerdesign.com/blog/?p=9258 
Tim Holtz Sizzix EMBOSSING DIFFUSERS are plastic diffusers that you can purchase.

2012 Top 10 Cards

My first blog skip.  This card was inspired by the Clean and Simple Card class at Online Card Classes.com.

One of my cards for the Armed Forces Day Blog Skip. I love the eagle.

My card for the Memorial Day Blog Hop.  I used a Bonus sketch and colored the image with Copics.

Sketch #34 for the Be A Rebel VCMP.  I love the bear and the Out of the Box die cut.

Cards I made with a Simon Says Stamp Monthly Card kit.  The top one I CASE'd from a card in one of the Online Card Classes and the chevron card I used the scraps from my card kit papers.

These cards I made during the Labor Day VCMP.  I love the Triple Time stamping on the last one and want to do more of that in the future.  I love elegant look of the top card with the 3 ribbons.

Sketch #147.  I had the honor of making the samples for this sketch and this was my favorite of the 3 cards.

More Valentine and Love Cards

I made 12 cards with the paper my Secret Santa, Savannah, sent me.  The images are by Dustin Pike.

The rest of my cards were using up the spirelli I had made. I used the hugs sentiment from Paper Smooches and the other sentiments are from Hero Arts.  I used a variety of ribbon and paper that I took from my stash.

Valentine and Love Cards

Some of my Valentine cards.  I stamped a bunch of circles with the Hugs from Paper Smooches in different Hero Arts shadow inks then matched them with spirelli and the paper.  I used some black May Arts wrinkle ribbon and some heart ribbon.

Some of my Love cards.  I was trying to use up all the spirelli that I had made last winter. The colored inks are Hero Arts shadow inks and the black is Memento. 
The last 2 cards were papers from a challenge we had last year for the Scrap to Treasure group. We swapped card kits then we had to use everything in the kit on a card.

Dec ODBD Card

Hero Arts stamp and die
Hero Arts Shadow Ink
Bazzill cardstock for blue heart and maroon cardstock, DP paper, and a white card base.
I made the spirelli using a tutorial from OWH.  I cut out a bunch of scallops and wrapped different threads on them.  I wasn't sure what to do with them but they worked really well for my Love/Valentine cards that I am sending in this month. I like the ones with the thicker embroidery floss the best.  This one was wrapped with metallic sewing thread.

Nov ODBD Challenge

This month for the ODBD challenge we have to use a technique we haven't used for awhile.  I used the faux stitching on my card and I used a scallop with thread twisted around the scallops.  I made a bunch of them last year and have been trying to figure out how to use them.

The button is Cosmo Cricket, the DP some paper I've had for awhile, the hearts have glossy accents on them, and I used the Love die by Tim Holtz.  I messed it up the first time and had to cover up my first try with the circle behind the scallop.  I didn't realize the paper had to be right side down or the Love was backwards. :(

Sketch Challenge #147

It was a privilege to be able to make the sample cards for the Sketch Challenge.  Here is the Sketch and my samples.

Here is the Sketch #147.

Here are my samples.

I found that it was easier to get the small pieces lined up if I put them on a piece of scrap paper that was the cut to fit all 5 pieces and then attach that bigger piece to the card. The Birthday card had one long strip with the 2 smaller pieces attached to make it look like 5 rectangles.