Creating an Embossed Background

It's the first Wednesday of the month again.

Time for another crafty tutorial from me,

Kristie from Kristie Kreates

I can't believe how fast the last few months have gone

and it's getting to be time to start thinking about

making Christmas cards.

Every year I think I'll get them done early

and it never quite happens, some of them

get done early, but I always seem to

have some to finish up

at the last minute.

Today I'm going to show you

 how to make an embossed background.

I'll be using

"Snow Background" (#27301) from

Eureka! Stamps

White card stock
VersaMark Ink

White embossing powder and

Broken China Distress Ink

 

 The first step is to ink up your stamp with VersaMark ink


Then stamp the image onto white card stock.
When I'm using one of my larger stamps,

I like to lay the stamp right side up on the table,

lay the paper over the stamp and

 then rub over the surface of the card stock.

This way I feel that I am getting a better impression.

Next you will cover the stamped image with

white embossing powder.
You can use any color, but since I am doing a

snow background, I wanted it to be white.

You can see I have the area under my project covered

with a piece of paper, this way any powder that 'spills'

off the card can easily be put back into the jar.

Once the entire image is covered,

pour the excess powder back into the jar.

Using your heat tool, heat the embossing powder until

you can see it turn shiny.

I usually heat the back of the piece also,

this helps to reduce the amount of warping

of the paper that you get from the heat.

 

You can see the embossed design on the card stock now.

Nice and shiny.

Next using a blending tool or sponge

cover the entire design with Distress Ink.

Always start off the paper and work your way

into the center.

 You can add a little or a lot of ink.

You can mix colors or use just one.

I only used one color on mine, but there is

still variation in the blue.

Some places have a little more, some a little less.
Just what I wanted.

The last step is to use a soft cloth,

I'm using a dry baby wipe,

to buff the surface.

The embossing will resist the ink.

You can see how nice and white my

snow is.

 

Once you have the background done,

you can use it in so many ways.

Add a bannered sentiment.

Cut out a stamped image and add it.

Just add some ribbon and adhere

it to a card base.

 Use your imagination and have fun!

 

I hope you have learned something new today

 and have been inspired to try making your own

embossed backgrounds.

 

I'd love to have you stop by my blog

Kristie Kreates 

and see what I've been doing lately.

I may just post something

with an embossed background soon.

 

Thanks for stopping by today.

Leave a comment if you will and

if you have any questions, feel free to ask.

 

Until next month, have fun creating!

 

How to make a quilted background

It's the first Wednesday of the month,

so that means it's time for a craft tutorial.

  It's Kristie from Kristie Kreates here.

Today I'm going to show you how to make a card with a "quilted" background.

Here are the supplies you will need.

Card stock.  I'm using white, but you could use a different color.

An ink pad.  I'm using Worn Lipstick Distress Ink

An ink blending tool with a foam pad.

And a piece of acetate. I'm just using a piece of packaging that I saved.

You will start in one corner and lay the acetate on a diagonal near the corner of the card stock.  Using you ink blending tool, apply ink, rubbing the tool right up to and over the edge of the acetate.

Move the acetate away from the inked edge and repeat the inking.

Continue moving and inking. See how the ink is darker right along where the edge of the acetate was.  This is the look you want.

Apply the ink in circular motions, applying it close to the acetate first and working your way out, to leave more ink near the edge of the acetate.

Continue inking until you have the entire piece covered.

I know it doesn't look great right now, but it will.

Now turn the acetate the opposite way and use the same process going the other way on the card stock.

You should end up with a piece that looks something like this.

If you want to make areas darker, you can lay that acetate down again and add more ink, or you can ink over the entire surface to get less light areas.

It's all up to you and your taste.

Now I put that aside to work on my focal image.

I decided to use

Lg Filagree Heart (#24601) from

Eureka! Stamps

I stamped it with VersaMark ink and embossed it with clear embossing powder.  Once it was cooled I used a blending tool to apply the same color ink as the background.

I fussy cut around the image and adhered it to some white card stock.

 

Then I fussy cut around it leaveing a white border.

Now to assemble the card.

 

I cut the "quilted" piece down to 4" x 5 1/4"

Using the blending tool again, I added ink to the edges of the background piece.

I adhered the quilted piece to a 4 1/4" x 5 1/2" white card base,

then used foam tape to layer the heart onto the card.

 

Here is the finish card.

I hope you have enjoyed this tutorial and will give this technique a try.

It's fun and gives a little different look to a card.

If you have any questions leave them in the comments and I will answer them as soon as possible.

I'd love for you to pop over to my blog

Kristie Kreates

and see what else I've been up to.

 

Until next month, have fun creating!

Double embossing

Happy New Year!

Kristie here today from

Kristie Kreates

I have a tutorial for you today, showing what I call

'double embossing'

Dry embossing and heat embossing on the same project.

To start you will need a piece of plain colored card stock.

I used black which gives a good color contrast.

The first step is to use an anti-static of some kind.

I used an X-Static, there are several different brands

of these anti-static pads and tools. 

You could also use a dryer sheet. 

Using this will cut down the embossing powder that sticks

where you don't want it.

Next apply VersaMark ink to the inside of an embossing folder.

I applied it to the side that would press down into the card stock.

When applying don't press hard, you only want to apply to the raised areas.

Place your card stock into the folder, be sure to place the side that you used the anti-static on facing the side with the VersaMark.

Run this through your Cuttlebug or another

die cutting/embossing machine.

After dry embossing the card stock,
immediately apply embossing powder
to the side that has the VersaMark.

The embossing powder will stick to the VersaMark.

You can use a paint brush
to brush away any embossing powder
that is stuck where you do not want it. 

Even though I used the anti-static pad,
I still did have a bit of powder that stuck in unwanted areas. 
I think the fact that the folder is plastic
 may have something to do with this,
 as plastic tends to have a bit of static cling.
 BUT it's easy enough to brush off.



Using a heat tool, heat embossing powder

until you can see it become shiny.

You must use a heat tool, a hair dryer will not work.

There are many different heat tools on the market.



Helpful hint:

If you heat the back of the card stock as well

as the front it will help to keep it from warping.

I usually heat the back first while the gun is heating up.

See how shiny the silver is?

I didn't take the time to brush off all the stray embossing powder,

so there are stry bits of silver, but that doesn't bother me.

This technique tends to have that "not perfect" look.

If this bothers you, you can just brush off more before

heating it.

I mounted my double embossed piece

on a plain white card stock base.

I embossed my sentiment with the same

silver embossing powder, trimmed it down,

layered it onto white card stock

and adhered it to the card with foam tape.

And my card is done!

 

Thanks for stopping by today for my tutorial.

I hope you will try it out. 

It's a lot of fun and depending on the embossing folder

and the color of the embossing powder

it can have so many different looks.

If you have any questions,

leave them in a comment and I will answer them

as soon as possible.

 

I'd love to have you stop by my blog

Kristie Kreates

and check out what else I've been up to.

 

Until next month, have fun creating!