Saturday Step X Step - Embossed Flowers

Marjie Kemper here, with a Step X Step using the Tattered Florals die, layers of ink, stencils, and embossing powder.  In the picture below, I'ved used Texture Fades to dry emboss all three flowers:

They look interesting, but check out how much better they are after I heat emboss them, too.

Just press the entire piece into a Versamark pad.

Then cover the flowers with clear embossing powder and heat with a heat tool.

Once they were all done, I realized they were too similar and I needed some contrast.  So I cut a plain black flower and dry embossed it, and then cut another shape entirely and just heat embossed it (so it's totally smooth, almost glassy, with no added texture):

I used small chipboard pieces to pop up the top two layers

I ended up going with 3 of the 5 flowers, and saved the others for another project. Here's my finished card, which I shared on my blog the other day.

Thanks for visiting!  Please join in our current challenge if you haven't already.  It's open through Tuesday, December 25th. We wish you all the happiest of holidays.

Friday Focus - Sizzix Word Play and Cargo Numbers Dies

Marjie Kemper here, happy to be hosting the Friday Focus.  I've used the Sizzix Word Play die on this art journal page:

This die can cut through card stock, chipboard, fabric, foam, leather, metal foil, and more. My letters were cut from heavy pre-embossed grungeboard:

I  really like  the alphabet - it has a mixture of different fonts and the letter sizes vary from about 1-2".  Here are some other pieces I've made using this (and the companion, Cargo Number) die:

 Calendar page (details)

 Standard tag on an Oversized tag (details)

8 X 8 Canvas (details)

 Oversized tag (details)

12 X 12 Scrapbook layout (details)

Oversized tag (details)

Thanks for visiting us today.  Remember there's still time to play along with our Chipboard and Metal challenge.  It's open through Tuesday, November 27, and all are welcome to join!

Sizzix Alterations Tim Holtz Word Play Die	Sizzix Alterations Tim Holtz Cargo Numbers Die	Sizzix Alterations Decorative Strip Tim Holtz Washer Border	Tim Holtz idea-ology Tissue Wrap - Melange	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Black Soot
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Aged Mahogany	Ranger Archival Ink - Jet Black	Claudine Hellmuth Multi Medium Matte	Ranger Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber - Pitch Black

Saturday Step X Step - Faux Embossed Metal

Marjie Kemper here, happy to be hosting this week's Step X Step.  This technique comes straight from Tim Holtz's book, The Compendium of Curiosities Vol 2.  If you don't have that book, you really do need it... I promise.  It has tons of great tips and techniques, and I refer to it often.

I used the Faux Embossed Metal technique on this project, which is the November page for my 2012 Kathryn Wheel calendar:

I intended to use this technique just for the accent piece that shows the month, but it is quite bold and didn't look good against any of my attempts. So I decided to do the entire page with this technique.

I started by cutting a piece of black card stock from the Sizzix Ornamental die, then embossed it with the Collage Texture Fade. I used a shim when cutting, like I demonstrated on this project last month.

I love the rich texture the Texture Fade provides:

I pulled some of my favorite Perfect Pearls Mists and spritzed liberally before heat setting them:

The shine is really rich in person.  I cut two pieces of black card stock in half lengthwise and used the same technique on them with the Retro Circles Texture Fade (you must move the folder once and emboss it a second time to accommodate the length of the length of the paper).

 I attached all the cardstock to the calendar page with Tim's Tiny Attacher, and added some grunge letters painted with Ranger's Silver paint dabber.

I needed something to pop that accent piece off the page. I cut the Harlequin border out of a rich silvery paper and then traced around my Ornamental die to mat it on more of the same.   Cut out my tickets with the Sizzix ticket strip die and stamped Tim's blank 'admit one' image on top.

There you have it.  Remember our new challenge started on Wednesday.  We hope you'll join in!

                             

Ranger Perfect Pearls Mists - Pewter	Ranger Perfect Pearls Mists - Blue Patina	Sizzix Alterations Decorative Strip Tim Holtz Harlequin Border Die	Sizzix Alterations Decorative Strip Tim Holtz Ticket Die	Sizzix Alternations Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers Ornamental Die
Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Odds & Ends	Tim Holtz Sizzix Texture Fades - Rays and Retro Circles Set	Tim Holtz Sizzix Texture Fades - Collage & Notebook Set	Ranger Archival Ink - Jet Black	Ranger Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber - Pitch Black
Tim Holtz Idea-ology Tiny Attacher	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Tiny Attacher Refills

Friday Focus - Seasonal Alterations

Welcome! Marjie Kemper here, happy to be hosting this week's Friday Focus. The featured products  this week are the "seasonal" Alterations, which are all on special sale this week at 15% off.  These include all the Sizzix dies and texture fades for your seasonal crafting... Halloween, Autumn, Winter, and Christmas.

I used one of the Sizzix Halloween Texture Fades (Backgrounds & Borders set) to customize this rather plain looking patterned paper into something more special for my layout.  Initially I went with green paper, being in the mood for a monotone layout. I ran some matching paper through my Vagabond (you can use any die-cutting machine) and then remembered I should've used a shim. Sometimes when the paper is very thin, the cut is too strong and some of the white paper core shows through:

     

cut without shim

 

cut with shim (much better!)

I decided I preferred contrast for the layout, so switched to orange instead. After adding some text paper and a black mat, I distressed the edges and cut a window to fit my photo, turning the Fade into a frame:

I wanted to point out that you can use just parts of the Fades, as well as the whole.  The one I am using comes with twelve words and the number '31'... lots of possibilities.  I cut the 'trick or treat' line and made the letters 'pop' by running my black soot distress ink pad directly across the raised surfaces.

I colored the label from the file tab with orange distress ink and added some black ink to the paper through Tim's spiderweb mask.

My last step was to make a custom journaling spot for the year.  I used the Mini Ticket die and Typeset alphabet die, as well as the metal File Tab and a ribbon and charm from my stash.  The barbed wire chipboard is by Dusty Attic.  I painted it black and attached with Tim's Tiny Attacher.

Be sure to check out the shop for all the new items, as well as the featured items on special this week.  Thanks for visiting today!

Tim Holtz Sizzix Texture Fades - Halloween Background and Borders Set	Stampers Anonymous Tim Holtz Rubber Stamps - Halloween Silhouettes	Sizzix Alterations Decorative Strip Tim Holtz Alphabet Die - Typeset	Tim Holtz Idea-ology File Tabs	Mini Tickets Sizzix Alterations Movers & Shapers by Tim Holtz
Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Spiced Marmalade	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Dusty Concord	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Mustard Seed	Ranger Tim Holtz Distress Ink Pad - Black Soot	Ranger Adirondack Acrylic Paint Dabber - Pitch Black
Claudine Hellmuth Multi Medium Matte	Sizzix Alterations Tim Holtz Movers and Shapers Base Tray	Ranger Inkssentials Ink Blending Tool-With 2 Blending Foams	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Tiny Attacher	Tim Holtz Idea-ology Tiny Attacher Refills

 wth