Creative Heat Embossed Backgrounds

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

I'm excited to announce the beginning of a new blog!

Group of Seven Cardmakers

It's an Advice Blog about favorite techniques and products for cardmakers from

seven wonderful friend.  For the past couple of years, each month our group has had

a Zoom call to try out new techniques (or revisit older techniques), as well as discuss art products.  

It's been a lot of fun!  We continue to meet and want to share some of our 

creations and findings with you.  We'll be posting our shares on the 28th of each month.

This month we did Creative Heat Embossed backgrounds.

My first share is a CASE of our friend Jenny's card that inspired this technique.

You can find detailed instructions on the Group of Seven Cardmakers blog.

I used wadded up plastic wrap dipped in VersaMark ink and pounced on a piece of

black cardstock.  Both of my embossing powders have lots of sparkle and the snowflake

is cut from glitter paper.

I found the inking a bit too heavy for what I wanted so I tried something different.

This time I used white cardstock and tried splattering water then embossing.

Who would think that you could heat emboss with water?

It totally works!

The big splotch was where I splattered with a Tim Holt splatter brush.

It was a little heavy so I tried just flicking water off an acrylic block and sprinkling

with embossing powder to heat set.  That got the look I wanted.

I die cut this beautiful flower from watercolor paper and used the matching

3D Embossing Folder to add detail before I watercolored it and added it to the 

embossed background.  The gold highlights were added to the flower with a gold

Gelli Pen.

I hope you'll check out Group of Seven Cardmakers and check out this

technique and the others on the sidebar. 

I'm sure you'll be inspired.

Challenges:

NBUS #46 - Never Before Used Schtuff (flower die)

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  

Ink:   VersaMark

Paper:  Black, Neenah Solar White, Dazzling Diamond Glimmer

Other:  Plastic Wrap, Something Borrowed EP (WOW), Gold Tinsel EP (Ranger), Stunning Snowflake Die (TH), Holiday Sentiments 2 Glimmer Plate (Spl)

Card Recipe (card 2)

Stamps:  Perfect Pairs Essentials (PTI)

Ink:   Encore Gold, Lumberjack Plaid, Barn Door, Peeled Paint, Rustic Wilderness (DI)

Paper:   Watercolor (Arches Cold Press), Neenah Solar White

Other: Alstroemeria Bunch (EF & Die), Water, Gold EP, Perfect Pairs Essentials Die (PTI), Gold Gelli Pen, Caran d'ache Supracolor Pencil (Dk Carmine)

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!

Flowers from Wplus9

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

I'm still playing with new to me sets from Wplus9.

I have really enjoyed using them.

First up using the colors from Color Hues.

I stamped and embossed with gold onto mixed media paper and used

Distress Markers and my waterbrush to color.

The shine is amazing when the light hits it.

So hard to photograph!

Then I inked and embossed it with white embossing powder.

It's so hard to see where to color, but I enjoy the results.

Last but not least...

I inked and embossed the smaller flower stamp with the gold.

Love that little bee!

I'll be back with the bird from this set and the bird from another set too.

Challenges:

Color Hues #56 - Pink & Red

NBUS #46 - Never Before Used Schtuff

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  Vintage Ephemera (W9), Easy Expressions Original (Ton)

Ink:  Encore Gold, Picked Raspberry, Candied Apple

Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore), Real Red, Neenah Solar White

Other:  Gold EP, Thin Frames Rectangles Die (SSS)

Card Recipe (card 2)

Stamps:  Vintage Ephemera (W9), Snippets (PB)

Ink:   Whisper White, Early Espresso, Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Tea Dye, Squeezed Lemonade, Scattered Straw, Mustard Seed (DM)

Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore), Early Espresso

Other:  White EP, Elongated Dotted Hexagon Die (Studio Katia)

Card Recipe (card 3)

Stamps: Vintage Ephemera (W9), Snippets (PB) 

Ink:  Encore Gold, Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick, Mustard Seed (DM)

Paper:  Mixed Media (Strathmore), Black, Neenah Solar White

Other:  Gold EP, Subtle EF (ret SU), X Stitch Frame (Gina Marie Designs), Ranger Fine Letterer

Enjoy!

If you would like to subscribe by email,

please fill out the contact form in the upper right sidebar.

It is also important to add stampingwithklass1@gmail.com to your contact list

so Google recognizes the address and delivers the updates.

To unsubscribe please use the same form on the sidebar adding

unsubscribe to the message.

Thanks to all who have subscribed to my blog by email.

Your sweet and thoughtful comments warm my heart!

Embossed Dragonflies

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

There's still time to join in at CAS Mix Up.

Our challenge this month is

This time I smooshed some embossing paste through this sweet dragonfly stencil.

For some odd reason, I was thinking the paste needed to dry before I put the embossing powder

on it.  By the time I realized the mistake, it was dry.  So I broke out my Wow Embossing Pen

and covered the raised design with that, sprinkled on the powder and heat set.

I did two dragonflies at a time to ensure they would be wet enough.

I love the sparkle in this powder!

After it had cooled off, I lightly brushed some Speckled Egg Distress Ink

around the dragonflies.

I've scored lines around the design.  You can see the lines better here

My mixed media are Stencil Heat Embossing, Stamping, Ink Blending, and scoring.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Special Sentiments (PB)

Ink:   Versafine Onyx Black, Speckled Egg (DI)

Paper:   Neenah, Pool Party

Other:  Dragonfly Stencil (Magenta), Embossing Paste (Wendy Vecchi), Long Island Teal EP (Wow), Embossing Pen (Wow), Simply Scored (SU)

Doing Splits

Hi there.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

I'm doing splits today.

Not that kind of splits.  That would hurt!  These were relatively painless and
so much fun doing them at the retreat.

Nancy shared this technique that she's seen Jennifer McGuire do.  

She'd asked us to bring some completed card fronts

so I pulled some from my UFO box.

This was a technique that I tried last fall when stamping with a friend.

Hers turned out much better than mine.  I didn't like it but wouldn't toss it.

When I saw that we were going to be cutting the piece, I decided

this was my least favorite of all I'd brought so I figured I didn't 

have anything to lose.

I held my breath and cut.

Okay.

Now I had to cut again to leave a space for the stamping.

That's scary!

Everything went back together beautifully and I actually think I

like this card now.

Then.....

Susan got us to play with bleach.

I had this really dark piece of Brusho gone wild and thought

it a likely candidate for the bleach technique.

The technique worked beautifully but the card was too dark for my liking.

I chickened out and didn't get fancy with the cutting this time.

But I have to say, I like the card much better with it split.

Maybe I'll get brave and do some fancier cuts one day.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  Insightful Meadows (Unity)

Ink:   VersaMark, Memento Tuxedo Black

Paper:   Neenah

Other:  White Embossing Powder, Chalk Pastels (SU)

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Dogwood (Technique Junkies)

Ink:  Archival Jet Black 

Paper:   Watercolor (Arches 140 lb. cold press), Neenah, Black

Other:  Brusho Powders, Bleach

Embossed and Sanded

Hello and welcome.

I hope you are having a nice day.

I used a piece of dry embossed Coredinations cardstock that has been sanded to
give a peek at the core of the cardstock.  A friend gave me this piece so I don't
know the name of the embossing folder.

The sentiment is stamped and heat embossed with gold and a thin gold foil
mat borders the piece.

I'm entering in
The Male Room Challenge
where my friend Mac is the Guest Designer.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Thoughtful Messages (SSS)

Ink:   Encore Gold

Paper:   Coredinations, Naturals Ivory (Ret. SU)

Other:  Embossing Folder (?), Gold EP

Silver Snowflakes for CAS Christmas

Hello friends.

There’s still time to join in at CAS Christmas.

 This month’s challenge is hosted by our lovely Colleen.

To make this card, I picked out several snowflakes from various stamp sets and arranged

them in my MISTI to stamp with silver ink on mixed media paper.

While the ink was still wet, I heat embossed them in silver.

Then I wet the background with clear water and dropped in color from

smooshing ink pads on my palette.

I love watching the color move with the water!

The sentiment was stamped and heat embossed on a strip of vellum

and tucked around the design image.

Then I popped the whole thing up with some fun foam.

The Design Team, including our fabulous Guest Designer, Linda have

some more wonderful inspiration pieces for you.

Hope you'll  join in the fun at CAS Christmas. 

Challenge ends on the 24th.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Snowflakes (various), Christmas Wishes (Kaisercraft)

Ink:   Encore Silver, DI (tumbled glass, wilted violet, faded jeans) 

Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore 400 series), Neenah (110 lb. Solar White), Vellum

Other:  Silver EP (SU)

Red and Pink for CAS Watercolour

Hello friends.  I'm so glad you stopped by!

It's time for a new challenge at
CAS Watercolour.


This month Marcia chose our challenge

Our Design Team has some fabulous inspiration pieces for you and
our friend Darnell, our Guest Designer, has a delightful card to inspire you too.

To do my card, I stamped and heat embossed this vase and flower in white
for an embossed resist design.  A sweet friend gave me this stamp set
and it's been in my NBUS box far too long!

My color for the vase was a tiny bit of Lindy's Magicals in the palette
mixed with a little bit of water.  It makes for a really rich color.

I colored the flower with a bit of Blushing Bride re-inker and added
some depth by picking up Regal Rose from the ink pad.

I masked the flower and vase with sticky notes and inked the
stem and leaves with Old Olive, then used my waterbrush to move the color
and added some more color with ink picked up from the inkpad.

I did a wet on wet technique for the background.

I couldn't decide on a sentiment so I left it blank for now.

I gave the design a narrow mat to bring out the red and put it all
on a card base made from watercolor paper.  I love the texture it adds.

I hope you'll join us at CAS Watercolour.


Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Flower Vase Set (Darcie's Heart and Home)

Ink:   WOW Emboss Pad, Old Olive, Regal Rose (SU)

Paper:   Mixed Media (Strathmore 400 Series), Riding Hood Red, Watercolor (Strathmore 140 lb. cold press)

Other:  Lindy's Magicals (Autumn Maple Crimson), Blushing Bride re-inker (SU), White EP (SU),

Rainstones (PTI)

Multicolor Embossed Flutters

Hello friends.  I hope you are having a great weekend.

We've been busy with grandkids and daughters.

Fun times!

I had a fun play a while back using multi-layered heat embossing.

They ended up not really fitting with the challenge I was shooting for

so they were set aside.

It still seems to be summertime here in NC so the dragonflies are still flying!

For this first card, I covered the wings with Versamarker and sprinkled 

with Heat and Stick powder,  I heated it up and added Dazzling Diamonds.  

Then I used Versamarker on the body and black EP.

For the second card I used Black Marker to color body then heat embossed with black powder.

For the wings I used the Versamarker and Heat and Stick powder heated 

then coated with Dazzling Diamonds and heated again on wings.

Oops, I put too much heat on one wing and scorched it.

Some Versamarker and WOW Bright White  over scorched part of wings fixed that.

For the last card I inked the dragonfly body with Versamarker and embossed with 

Primary Blue EP.  The wings were coated with Versamarker and Heat and Stick Powder, 

heated then covered with Dazzling Diamonds.

Where the blue showed through on the edge of the wings, used Versamarker and 

Bright White EP.  The rhinestone covers the rest.

The background was made with the Cling Wrap Technique using 

Lindy's Magicals on Coated Paper. 

If you're still with me,

thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe (card 1)

Stamps:  Happy Snippets (PB)

Ink:   Onyx Black (Versafine)

Paper:   Neena, Mixed Media

Other: Flutters Die (PB), Versamarker, Black Embossing Powder, Heat and Stick Powder, Dazzling Details (SU) Stitched Squares Die (SSS)

Card Recipe (card 2)

Stamps: Thinking of You (ALT)

Ink:  Onyx Black (Versafine), Basic Black Marker

Paper: Neena, Yupo

Other: Flutter Die (PB), Black EP, Heat and Stick Powder, Dazzling Diamonds (SU), Bright White EP (WOW), Alcohol Inks, X-Stitch Frames Die (GM), 

Card Recipe (card 3)

Stamps: Thinking of You (ALT)

Ink: Smokey Gray (Versafine)

Paper: Neena, Coated Paper

Other: Flutters Die, Versamarker, Heat and Stick Powder, Dazzling Diamonds (SU), Primary Blue Topaz EP, Bright White EP (WOW), Lucienne Tile Die (MB), Lindy's Magicals (Sassy Sapphire)

Snow Dust for CAS Christmas

Hello friends and welcome.

It's time for a new challenge at CAS Christmas.

Hideko is our host this month and here is what she chose for us...

Our Guest Designer, Barb, and the Design team have a beautiful array

of Christmas trees to inspire you.

We have two new designers joining our team.

I'm so excited to have Colleen and Linda on board.

I hope you'll give them a warm welcome join us in our challenge.

For my card I used a stamp that I have long admired and finally added to my collection.

I stamped it with a WOW Embossing Pad and heat embossed the image.

Using sponges, I added blue inks around and over the trees.

When I was happy with the background, I sprinkled some

Chunky White Frantage over the top and heated from underneath the card

so it wouldn't blow away.

I've torn some snippets of white card for snowdrifts and added some

flat stickers and a die cut sentiment.

As seems to be my favorite layout lately, I've framed the design

with a stitched die cut.

Challenges:

CAS Christmas: Tree

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Snow Dust (PB)

Ink:  Embossing Pad (WOW)

Paper:   Neenah, Whisper White, Silver Foil (SU)

Other:  WOW Bright White EP, Chunky White Frantage (Stampendous), Exultations Die (PB)

Fluttering with CAS Mix Up

Hello friends.  I'm glad you stopped by!

I've had a difficult time getting a good photo of this card.

Using embossing powders, stamping, heat embossing and die cuts

Our CAS Mix Up Challenge

I used the same technique as on this card.

Here's a close up.  All that blue is glitter embossing powder.

It really sparkles!

Check out the challenge site for video tutorials of techniques

using layered embossing powders.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Enjoy (PB)

Ink:   WOW Emb. pad

Paper:   Neenah

Other:  Cardboard, Clear Gloss EP (WOW), Liquid Platinum EP (Ranger), Shabby Blue EP (Stampendous), Flower Background die (AE) 

Woodland Tree for CAS Christmas Reminder

Hello friends.  Whoosh! This month is halfway over!

I have another masculine Christmas card to share.

Theres still about a week to join in at CAS Christmas where Christine is hosting.

The Design Team and our Guest Designer Bobby,
have some more awesome inspirational pieces to show you.

You can find a link to instructions and video for layered embossing on this post.

This time I used the "skin" that was left over on the parchment paper
from other die cuts.

I melted clear embossing powder on this Tim Holtz die cut tree
then laid the pieces of "skin" on top and let the pieces melt together.

It turned out really shiny and has interesting patterns.

The stars behind the tree are heat embossed too.
The shine isn't showing in the photo.

This also fits with the CAS Mix Up Challenge

My mixed media are Layered Embossing Powders, Stamping, Heat Embossing and Die Cuts

Both challenges end on the 24th.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  In the Meadow (PTI), Star of Light (SU)

Ink:   Encore Gold

Paper:   Fresh Forest (FSJ), Linen

Other:  Woodlands Die (TH), Gold EP (SU), Mixed EP Skin

Enamel Stars for CAS Mix Up

Hello friends.  I'm glad you could stop by.

We're halfway through the month and I have another CAS Mix Up card to share.

Using embossing powders, stamping, heat embossing, and die cutting

Loll is our hostess at CAS Mix Up this month

I've used the same technique that I used on this card.

I've used mainly white and gold embossing powder on this one.

I love how the heated powders move and swirl!

I've added one medium and two small stars to some sparkle paper

that I've had for ages.  I fear I'm coming to the end of it.  Hope I can find more.

The sentiment is stamped and heat embossed on a snippet of gold

and I tucked some gold thread behind it.

Thanks for the visit and special thanks for your comments.

Enjoy!

Card Recipe

Stamps:  Christmas Sentiments (Kaisercraft)

Ink:   Whisper White (SU)

Paper:   Neenah, Sparkle, Gold Metallic

Other:  Cardboard, EP (clear, white, gold), Gold Thread