Ideas for using embossing folders with two-tone cardstock

 Hi Crafty Friends

Have you tried this? 

You need some two-tone cardstock to achieve the two shades.  Not come across two-tone cardstock let me explain.   It is lighter weight card that is white in the middle then printed in two shades of one colour, one on each side. You can get it in lots of the standard Stampin' Up! colours or in mixed colour packs.  Above I used Old Olive and you can clearly see the two tones.  The mixed colour packs can be found in our scrapbooking section because this card comes in 12" x 12" sheets.  These particular packs coordinate with Designer Series Paper and Sticker packs which can be used for scrapbooking, but are perfect for the card maker in you also. 

Now because it is white in the middle when you tear it the white will show through from the middle.  Also if you emboss it and then gently sand it with fine sandpaper or a nail file you can see the white come through.  You can leave this white to show off the embossed design like I have above or you can also used markers or colouring pencils to add more colour depending upon your embossing folder or if you wish to add more colour.  

This two-tone card is also great for matting layers to add thinner, but different colour matts and it also looks great when die cut with dies like the Textured Notes dies because again although the white isn't strong it does add to the detailing through the die cuts. 

I used three of the dies to get different edges to my rectangles and the one for the sentiment is perfect for sentiments.  Adding a few gold pearls and a touch of twisted gold thread just add that bit of luxury and sophistication.  Regular readers will know I love a bit of bling too!

The embossing folder used was a standard slim folder from the twinset Glass and Gardens embossing folders, but you can use the 3D folders also and you might find that depending upon the folder used the white may break through as you emboss to give more texture also.  You can play about and experiment.  Remember to always put the folder through your die cutting machine fold first to avoid cracking it with too much pressure.  

Have fun experimenting.  

Hugs Zoe x

Supply List & Shopping Links

Celebrate Together two-tone cardstock

Turtle-y Sweet two-tone cardstock

Textured Notes Dies

Glass and Gardens Embossing Folders

How to do block stamping with acrylic stamping blocks

Happy Friday all, even though it is almost over for many.  You probably wouldn't think of using the blocks you pop your stamps onto as stamps themselves, but you'll learn below that they too can be used to create fun, inked colour to your card making and possibly scrapbook pages.  

You can learn different ways to use your acrylic blocks by touring our blog hop where several international demonstrators are sharing their take on this quick and easy technique.  

You will love the individuality of each custom made piece using this technique and by varying colours, spritzing and just stamping style you can make lots of original backgrounds and projects.  

I find this a very quick technique, apart from possibly a little drying time and whether you use a little, a lot or no water.  You will also want to revisit my previous post about creating water colour washes using markers and blocks and perhaps you'll combine these two techniques.  It is certainly a bunch of products that allow you to experiment and adapt to suit your own needs without needing to be a rocket scientist!

Have fun with it and enjoy my short video to show you how. 

The best thing about this is you can use any colours you want to and can create male, female, kids cards using all sorts of stamp images to suit the occasion.  What will you choose? 

My supply list is at the bottom of the post if you need anything to get you going and you can visit the rest of the ideas by clicking on the icons below to visit all my lovely friends and their ideas on this tutorial theme.  

Thanks for checking in and do subscribe to my youtube channel for more cardmaking tutorials. 

Keep stamping

Zoe x

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Supply List

acrylic blocks

Happy Hibiscus Hybrid Embossing Folder

Stylish Shapes dies

Eyelet 3D embossing folder

Ink pads

Summer Splash

Greetings for All - Mix and Match Ephemera sentiment pack

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Collage Stamping

 

Hi friends join our Totally Techniques blog hop for lots of ideas about collage stamping.  We have a fabulous selection of different ways to incorporate this technique into your paper crafting.  

Today though I don't have a video as I managed to somehow delete it after filming my make so I'll explain a few ideas for you.  

Start by creating a watercolour wash background and let it dry thoroughly.  You can then stamp onto it using your chosen stamps.  Mine are from the Cheers and Sips set along with the  splatter stamps from Elements of Text.  Both sets are online exclusives with the Cheers and Sips launching on 6 May.  You can create different effects by stamping with full ink or stamping some off first on scratch paper and then using second generation ink.  Once stamped I created my own stencil using the lemon and olive dies from the Cheers and Sips dies to create it using a piece of acetate that comes in with your stamp set. It's thinner than window sheet and so not a problem for dies to cut.  Using the stencil you can add embossing paste to enhance your project with texture.  

I also used blending brushes to add colour to white card to create the glass, umbrella and strawberry.  Be sure if you then emboss your image that you allow the ink to dry before stamping and use an embossing buddy to avoid excess powder on your image that is difficult to remove.  

You can also use glue dots once all your elements are completely dry to add gold leafing dots.  Stamp a simple sentiment in Secret Sea ink onto white card for an effective but easy option and a matt layer dry embossed using your favourite embossing folder.  Mine is Forever Plaid .  

Thanks for stopping by.  See you again soon and check out my youtube channel to learn more techniques.  I will do another video for this technique soon.  

Keep stamping

Zoe x

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 Supplies Used

Elements of Text

embossing - texture paste

mini glue dots

blending brushes

Let's make a Split Front Trifold card

 

Hey crafty friends I'm excited to share this month's card for the Totally Techniques blog hop.  It was fun to make although as you'll see in the video it doesn't always go to plan, but a butterfly can save the day.

This month the team are sharing split front trifold card ideas. This idea was chosen by Sandra Black our German team mate and I've enjoyed the challenge dispite my hiccups.

Here is my video to show you how to cut the base card and place the pieces of DSP etc. You'll note from the picture above I added a little more stamping than the video shows and some brushed gold butterfly embellishments to 'enhance' or should I say disguise my inky fingers mishaps. 

Here you can see one of the closing flaps of the card for ideas of how to decorate your fancy fold card.  Simple stamping with a limited colour palette is quick and easy to do. 

The top layer of your fancy fold could look like this or you could adjust the size of the pieces of card you use.  

When you open both flaps you can decorate the centre space and leave room for hand written messages or stamp a sentiment and more flowers for your recipient. For mine I used a new stamp set called Layered Thoughts that will be available to Stampin' Up! fans from 6 May 2025.  

As you can see from the alternative example below you can adjust the measurements of your decoration to change the look of your card. 

Thanks for popping by today.  Do give this funfold card a try. 

Happy stamping 

Zoe x

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Supplies Used

Labeled with love stamp set

paper trimmer

paper snips

ink pads

How to create stamping kissing technique for card making

Hey crafty friends

You ever had a go at the 'kissing technique' for papercrafting.  It basically means you ink a solid stamp and then kiss it with a clean image stamp to remove ink from the solid shape stamp and then when you stamp on card it reveals the shape with an image inside it.  You can spot the fish and snorkling crab in my blue circles.  It's fun and you can experiment with different colours to see which works best for you.  Also if you have a very inky ink pad you might like to try stamping off first before kissing your image onto the inked stamp to reduce the intensity of colour applied.  

Have fun on our monthly Totally Techniques Blog hop via the links below.  

Thanks for popping by

Hugs Zoe x

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Click here to enter

Supply List

Kiss of Texture stamp Set

 

Submarine Life stamp set

Submarine Life Builder Punch