Some new stock arrived this week, actually a LOT of stock arrived this week.
That's where I have been, behind said screen and keyboard entering stock into my online store ...
Amongst the many gorgeous products I kept picking up and looking at the new Project Life range Embossing Folders. One in each collection for Amy Tangerines Plus One (cameras) , Maggie Holmes Styleboard (doilies) and Dear Lizzy Daydreamer (banners).
I do love a good embossing folder.
Cardstock/paper/vellum + Big Shot + Embossing Folder = awesome.
And whilst that often gives a lift to plain cardstock/paper/vellum, I was pondering the possibilities of how pastel inks plus embossing folders could help me out with a particular Unfinished Project I am keen to make some real progress with... and soon.
For this project I need pastel shades of cardstock, namely lemon, blue and green. I have lemon, powder blue and mint cardstock but they are all too solid to keep appearing in this project.
I considered purchasing paler shades of cardstock but I would prefer to utilise my stash.
I have a lot of American Crafts White textured cardstock......
I have these shades of ink.......
Let the experimenting begin!
Colorbox was my first choice of inkpad. White. White on dark cardstock should look good.
Wrong.
Wrong ink.
I tried Distress Inks, they worked but it wasn't quite the look I was going for. The inks dried blotchy (for want of a better word).
I then pulled out Memento Luxe, Brilliance and Avery Elle.
Bingo!
Pigment inks for the win!
My inkpad of choice on this occasion (if I could only choose one) would be Avery Elle. I am sure other inkpads would give a similar result but these are what I have in my stash to choose from.
Each side of the embossing folder has either a raised image or a recessed image (positive or negative/embossed or debossed). When cardstock is placed inside and sandwiched into a Big Shot (or similar) the cardstock or paper is pushed up or down to create the images.
Swiping ink on one of those sides .....
Then placing cardstock/paper/vellum over, closing the folder and running through the Big Shot....
made for some very interesting images and effects. The recessed (debossed) areas get inked leaving the raised (embossed) images plain cardstock. The possibilities are endless given the combinations of different coloured inks with different coloured cardstocks.
Top right orange/paprika coloured card is actually core'dinations cardstock. I have lightly sanded the raised (embossed) image to reveal the 'core' coloured cardstock. Top middle is vellum (coloured cardstock underneath to show) and bottom right (blue) are plain embossed.
The rest have been ink embossed.
The following was created by dry embossing first, then swiping the ink pad over the raised (embossed) images.
I am all for stretching my supplies, and there is more yet that can be done with embossing folders and cardstock. I shall share some other ideas in a later post.
Clearly the experimenting took on a life of its own. Different coloured cardstocks, different coloured inks ..... all cardstock featured in the above images were pulled from 'kits' I have designed for various Project Life albums I have in progress.
Most of them are in my Unfinished Projects posts shared previously. All inspiration to tackle these comes from Ali Edwards, Ali is tackling her own unfinished projects in 2014.
Perhaps they will be recognised when I share images in the future.