Embossing with a Stencil

I took the beautiful Tim Holtz Bouquet stencil and dry embossed it with the Big Shot. You need heavy cardstock that is sprayed with water and a rubbery embossing mat, follow your machines instructions. It raises areas like an embossing foler does. I then took a blending sponge and Distress Ink in Speckled Egg and blended the color over the image. The raised areas get more ink so it looks darker. I also used an embossing pen and applied the Embossing Glaze in the centers of the flowers and heat set it.

"Ceramic" Box made with Tim Holtz Sizzix Botanical 3D Embossing Folder

I made a card with basically the same process the other day, the instructions are on my blog. I can never leave well enough alone and thought, this would make a pretty ceramic box!

 I did make a few changes to the process to make it easier since I was using so many pieces of paper to cover the box. I made the box out of plain 2 pieces of 12x12 85 lb.cream cardstock, I cut down, and 1 piece of 8.5 x 11 65 lb cardstock cut down. After covered, the box is sturdy.

I can't take credit for the plain box, it's from a site called Mixedupcraft.com "A Good Strong Gift Box" or you could just cover a pre-made box. 

This finished box is approx. 5 1/4" x 3 1/2" x 3 1/2" 

Each mat is cut about an 1/8" smaller than the section I covered. I went through the whole process and then cut the pieces using a guillotine cutter to the size I wanted, this I found worked better as the box is never exact when you make it depending on how it's scored and glued together.

For the  plain box you need 2 pieces of 11 5/8" x 7 1/2" cream cardstock and 1 piece of 7 5/8" x 7 5/8" cream cardstock and good glue. Again, follow Mixed Up Craft instructions.

For the decorated sides I used: cream cardstock about the size areas I wanted to cover. For the lid top, 3 3/4" x 3 3/4", lid sides (4 pieces) 3 3/4" x 1". For the box body, (4 pieces) 4 1/4" x 3 1/2" All of which I trimmed down later to properly fit.

 All products are Tim Holtz except the clear embossing powder, I just pour it in a container so I'm not sure which brand. To color the leaves: Distress Ink in Broken China, Distress Embossing Glaze in Weathered Wood all covered with clear embossing powder and heated. Dark Espresso Distress Ink which I mixed with water and painted on the background, Vintage Photo Distress Crayon. Hemp Cord #20 from Michaels, Idea-Ology Compass Coins and Silverware.

These are for the sides of the lid, I placed them in the middle of the embossing folder and ran them through together.

I colored the leaves and ran a embossing pad over the raised areas, sprinkled the Embossing Glaze over it, used a brush to brush off the glaze in the areas I didn't want it, then heated. I then used the Distress Ink like watercolor paint and painted a bit of the background to age it. I then pressed embossing ink into the recessed areas so I could adhere clear embossing powder. I let it stick to the raised areas as well, just makes extra shine after heating! I took a Distress Crayon in Vintage Photo over a few areas of the leaves and flowers, rubbed it in with my finger I dampened.

Same process for the top and sides.

I trimmed all these pieces down about 1/8" inch for a tiny border and used Distress Collage Medium to adhere all of these to the plain box, using acrylic blocks to hold it down so it sticks, especially around the edges. This just takes a few seconds. I used a bottle of glue to dab a little glue onto any corners or edges that didn't stick. I tied on 2 pieces of Hemp Cord and attached the Compass Coin and Silverware. That's it. 

I will say this box takes a while to make especially if you are making the plain box. This takes what I call crafty patience, you have to enjoy this process because it's detailed but it's so unique in the end and really is something you can display on a shelf.

A Tim Holtz FB Live Demo Tag

I watched so many of the Tim Holtz FB Live demos I can’t remember which one had this technique. It was near the end of one, I think, He showed how to take Distress Inks to stamp with and using a blending tool he’d blend the wet ink immediately after stamping each image.

I used the Stampers Anonymous set called “The Journey” I used the sentiments in the set quite a bit but not the images. I have a hard time stamping partial images but I followed along and liked it. The Distress ink colors I used were: Blueprint Sketch, Twisted Citron, Picked Raspberry, Fired Brick, Ground Espresso. I stamped the sentiment in Memento Tuxedo Black ink. I blended a bit of Distress Seedless Preserveson top of the car and some Ground Espresso over the sentiment and the edges. I used a blending tool to lightly coat the entire tag with Distress Glaze and used a towel to remove excess.

I took the small gear and put a bit of Finnabair Patina Effect Paste on it to make it look aged.

Next I made the background.

Another technique from the Demo is to spray Distress Spray Stain here in Antique Linen on  glass, use a brayer to apply it onto a misted piece of watercolor paper. The effect is uneven and so pretty!

I lightly ran the brayer over the paper a few times and then dried it a bit. I took the numbers stamp from the Stampers Anonymous “Reflections” set inked it with black Memento ink on some of the flat areas, carefully put the cardstock into  the Sizzix “Mechanic” embossing folder and ran it through the Big Shot.



I took an embossing pad and ran it over some of the raised areas (I really need the Embossing Dabber.) I heat set Distress Embossing Glaze in both Tattered Rose and Weathered Wood one at a time. I used some Ground Espresso Distress ink in a few spots to add contrast. The bad thing I tried was using Black which was too dare and looked bad. So now I knew where to place my tag!
Challenge the world is a sticker from TH Idea-ology Clipping Stickers  I stuck it to a scrap paper and glued it in place. after that I just used Distress Collage Medium to securely adhere the tag to the background, matted it and then adhered it to a cream card edged with a little Vintage Photo ink

That’s it  I still haven’t watched all the FB Live demos so I’m sure I’ll be trying more Tim Holtz techniques. Take some time and watch them, you’ll understand how to use your tools and product so much better!

Making a Card Look Like Ceramic Tile

I watched the extremely informative Tim Holtz Facebook Live videos over the last few weeks (and binge watched the first few I missed). He showed how to use his Sizzix Impresslits to look like pieces of ceramic using a Distress Embossing Dauber with the Distress Embossing Glaze and giving it an aged look with Distress Crayons. I didn't have any Impresslits but a lightbulb went off in my head, couldn't I use the 3D embossing folder? Here is what I did (with what I had):

I inked the Stamper's Anonymous TH Reflections cursive stamp in black and pressed onto a few flat areas (the side where the flowers are recessed) of the Sizzix TH 3D Botanical Embossing folder. Using a lightly misted piece of 110 lb cardstock, I ran it through my Big Shot. Wonder why the Reflections (LOL) stamps are backward? It's so you can stamp on these folders and when you run it through it'll be the correct way! I wiped off the folder and lightly ran Distress Ink in Ground Espresso over the flat areas, put the cardstock carefully back into the folder and ran it through the Big Shot again.

I worked on small areas at a time. Using an embossing pen, I went over the recessed areas of the flowers so the distress embossing glaze would stick to all the nooks. I then lightly ran Tumbled Glass (or Speckled Egg which wasn't out at the time) Distress ink over the raised images to add color and help the Embossing Glaze stick.

I poured the Distress Embossing Glaze (in Weathered Wood), tapped off excess, used a small brush to brush off the powder that stuck to the background  and heated. After I was completely done, I took a Distress Crayon in Vintage Photo and went over the blue embossed areas to give it more dimension,  I rubbed it in with my finger, wiped the excess off with a towel so it would shine.

I wanted it to look like a ceramic tile, so the next step isn't necessary if you don't want the recessed area to shine or just use the Distress Embossing Dauber and rub it all over. I took the embossing folder again (!) and ran the embossing ink pad over the flat areas, ran it through the Big Shot and then heat embossed it with clear embossing powder. Note:Clean the folder with a little soapy water.

At this point I was done, I took some hemp cord and tied it around the front, found the hope key and the Idea-Ology Compass coin and attached them.  I like the TH Clippings Stickers and when I saw the one that said "she was herself again" it was perfect. I attached it to a small piece of cardstock, swiped a little Distress Glaze over it and attached it with Distress Collage Medium. 

   

Thank you to Tim Holtz for the informative Facebook Live demos and for encouraging me to blog these instructions. 

Most of these products can be found at Scrapbook.com

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