glittered embossing

Every once in a while I like to add some glitz to my cards. I tend not to use glitter all that often because it can be so messy. That's why I tend to use Stickles or hot fix crystals instead. But glitter can add such a splash of color!

I used Ritz microfine glitter on the following card....

I'd applied three 1/4" strips of double-sided tape and then embossed it using a Cuttlebug border folder. I then exposed one strip and glittered it. I removed the next liner and added glitter of a different color. You can guess what I did next--yes, I stripped off the last bit and added the final color of glitter, burnishing after each addition. I then stamped my images and sentiment which are all by Hero Arts and were stamped using Memento dye inks. The score lines were made using the Scor-it.

This is a close up of the card. Here you can appreciate the embossed diamonds of the glittered border. Glitter and embossing can be a striking combo. :-)

accenting with the Scor-It

If you've arrived via the Scor-it newsletter where I'm featured "In the Spotlight" this month, welcome! The following post is essentially what was linked in the newsletter. I decided to post it here as well since the photos here can be clicked on and enlarged and the effects of the scoring can be better appreciated, I think.

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Originally I purchased the Scor-it because of the great scores it would make for my card folds. I use it for a lot more than that these days. I like to use scores as accents on my cards, and I really enjoy using the Scor-it in combination with some of my other crafting tools.

One of my more recent crafting acquisitions has been the Slice by Making Memories. This small electronic die cutter is fun for card making and pairs up nicely with the Scor-it and the sorts of things that I like to do with it.

Pictured above is a tag that I cut with my Slice and scored with my Scor-it.

This is simply a piece of card stock that I scored with the idea of using it later as an accent on a card. The Scor-it ruler made it really easy to score this quickly.

Here is the card that I made with the tag. I'd applied glue to the raised score lines with my Essential Glue Pad and then dusted them with Pearl Ex. The sentiment and die cuts were also made using the Slice. The additional scoring on the green layer was made using the Scor-it.

On this card I used the scored card stock to add some visual interest behind the flowers and the sentiment. Again the die cuts and sentiment were made using the Slice. The stamped image is by Studio G. The embellishments are butterfly shaped Robin's Nest Dew Drops.

Here I combined an accordion fold that I made using the Scor-it with a sentiment that I'd made by cutting out the individual letters with the Slice. I thought it was a fun 3-D look. The flower embellishments are by Prima.

Now for a quickie tutorial. Sometimes I like to make pretty edging even more interesting to look at and to feel.

The above border was made using the Garden Trellis deep edge punch by Martha Stewart. It's gorgeous, but I wanted more! :-)

I decided to try adding a little texture to it by running my scoring tool along the junctions of the trellis.

Here's how it turned out. I liked the effect! Gave it a little more pop.

Here's how it looked when I turned the whole thing into a card. The sentiment is by Hero Arts. The decorative paper is by Autumn Leaves. The background floral stamps and the sentiment were stamped using Memento inks. The flower embellishments are Primas with copper half-pearl centers added.

This is a closer look at that decorative edge. I thought the scoring was a fun addition. :-)

I hope that this post serves as a reminder that there are lots of great crafting tools out there--they can look even better when used to complement each other. Score lines made using the Scor-it can look particularly good when used to embellish die cuts made using manual and electric die cutters. I hope I've shown that scores can add some pop to punched edges, too. It's fun to think about the possibilities. :-)

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Thanks to Tim Hammonds for asking me to be featured in his newsletter. I was happy to oblige because I do love to use the Scor-it board and ruler in my crafting. And no, I'm not being compensated for saying that--I'm just a happy customer/crafter. :-) If you aren't a Scor-it newsletter subscriber, it's easy to become one. Just click over to the Scor-it, or rather, the Scor-it-All site, as it's now named. The sign up form is on their homepage. There are lots of great ideas in the newsletters and on the site. And just an FYI, I just published another post that I'd held until the newsletter came out. It features another card made using the Scor-it in combination with a border punch, if you're interested in seeing another example. :-) I also recently added a page to this blog that contains links to the cards/tutorials/info about the Scor-it and Scor-it ruler here on IndigoInklings. The link can be found at the top of my blog page, just underneath the header image.

score lines and border dies, a fun pair

One thing that I really like about crafting tools is the way that they can be used together to effect some fun looks. *ahem* Not to mention that this also helps justify buying more tools. :-)

I've been having fun recently by finding different ways to incorporate scoring into my card-making. My latest forays have involved my Scor-it and border punches.

Here's an example of what I mean....

For this card, which is the second half of the pair that I mentioned the other day, I used the Martha Stewart Iron Gate border punch on the red card stock layer. I then made the score lines using my Scor-it to add some visual interest. The stamped images are all by Hero Arts and stamped on decorative card stock using Memento inks. I added some glitz to the fleur-de-lis and the peacock with my clear Copic Atyou glitter pen and then added the tiny hot fix bling crystals to finish it off.

thinking of you, part one

Ahhh, the urge to make some cards came on earlier. I pulled out the Making Memories Slice machine since I recently got my hands on the Studio Expressions design card and I wanted to play with it a bit. I also used some of my old stand-by techniques.

For this card I took a scrap of designer card stock and ran it through my Big Shot inside the Stampin' Up!/Sizzix Finial Press textured impressions folder. I accented the embossing with some Tuxedo Black Memento dye ink applied direct to paper and then adhered the layer to my card front. I added the score lines to my card using my Scor-it. I cut the labels using my Slice and a selection from the Studio Essentials design card, layered them and then attached them with foam tape to pop them out a bit. The stamped image is by Studio G and stamped and colored using Memento inks.

Interestingly, I'd made a second card with a similar sentiment, only in French. Sheer coincidence! I didn't even realize it until later. But I'm going to hold off on posting that one for just a bit. It ties in with something else that I'd worked on this week. Don't want to say more about that for the moment though. :-)

Now it's about time to see how Team USA will fare in hockey. I should be able to catch the 1st period before heading out on the afternoon drive to school.

oh, those ProvoCraft Asian folders

For a while I was holding out, several months actually, not purchasing any more embossing folders from ProvoCraft. That ended up changing after I was given some of the Asian designs over the holidays.

Here are some of the cards that I've made with them....

This card was made using first the Kimiko folder on some Core'dinations card stock. I turned the folder over and debossed the image then sanded it to remove some of the black and bring out the color underneath, leaving the image nicely outlined. I then ran that through again, this time inside the Bamboo folder. I sanded that again to remove the black. The sentiment was cut out using my Slice.

For this card I again pulled out the Bamboo embossing folder. I then added a few of the lanterns from the Lanterns folder at the top. The stamped image is by Inkadinkado and accented using Spica glitter pens. The sentiment is by Verve.

For this last card I did some double 'bossing. I debossed my white card stock layer using the Plum Blossoms embossing folder and applied the Angel Pink Memento ink DTP. I then embossed that piece using the Kimiko folder and accented the embossing using Memento London Fog ink. I like the way that the kimono took on some of the blossoms. The sentiment is again by Verve. I embellished using Brides flowers that I also embossed using the Plum Blossoms folder.

scoring late in the game ;-)

I wanted to share a few cards that I made over the holidays that I didn't post here. They were originally made for sharing in the Scor-It newsletter, but it looks like they've started up their own design team now so I'll go ahead and share these here.

I made these using the full-size Scor-It board and Scor-It ruler. I like finding unusual ways of using scoring on my cards and these are a couple of great tools for doing just that.

Starting simply, a grid pattern can be easily made using the new ruler and it can add visual interest to a card front as above. This is a card that came in a box of premade, prefolded, blank seasonal cards. I added the stamped sentiment, the punched bird, and the grid scoring, and just like that it became a more interesting and more unique card. Some touches with a glitter pen would add some fun sparkle, too. I may have to do that.

I also like stamping bolder images on designer cardstocks and papers for making a quick card.

Here I added the flourished bird design to the preprinted card stock.

For a special touch, I added some diagonal scores in a pattern that resembles a beam of light. Again, very easy to accomplish using the Scor-It board and ruler. I scored right over the top of the design, after making sure that the ink had dried, of course. :-) I've used this scoring pattern before, using stamped images at the upper and lower corners where the cardstock is unscored. I like the look of scoring over the images themselves, too.

And finally I have a card that took a little more time to make, but I thought that the effect was worth it. This was inspired by a card that I saw on Splitcoast Stampers but done a different way.

I started out with a piece of A2 size white cardstock and stamped a flourish image multiple times in a couple of colors to make a subtle background.

I then turned this face down onto my Scor-It board and proceeded to score a brick-like pattern. I started with horizontal scores 1/2" apart then added short vertical scores to make 1" wide bricks. I staggered the scores to make it look more realistic.

So now I've got that nice background pattern and the scored design.

Another thing that's fun about the Scor-It is that it makes such crisp, deep scores. I took advantage of that in this step where I stamped a flourished bird onto the front using black ink. The bird image helped bring out that brick pattern of scoring even more, and I really liked that effect. It's even more stunning with a more solid stamp design, as you might imagine.

This is my finished card. I trimmed some of the bricks away to give that central image more interest.

Here's a closer view....

It can be a lot of fun to using scoring in decorative ways. The Scor-It board and ruler can add more than just a professional hinge score to your cards, though that's definitely a great start. :-) Creating 3D projects and using scoring in creative ways on card fronts, layers, and die cuts with these tools opens up a world of creative possibilities.

BTW, it also looks like the Scor-It folks are coming up with more ideas for accessories. The latest newsletter shows pics of their new Position-It. It looks like a fancier version of a stamp positioner. I'll be interested to see what advantages it has to offer over my tried and true Stamp-a-ma-jig. They also have new pink Scor-It boards being released soon. As I recall, it'll be neat because the rulers will have both inches/metric measurements, plus there'll be another size board added to the arsenal, smaller than the original but larger than the mini--made to accommodate A4 size European cards. Oh, and the tool will be stainless steel rather than wood.

Oops, almost forgot to include credits--all of the above card images were by Inkadinkado and stamped using Memento inks. The cardinal in the first card was made using a Martha Stewart punch. The snowflake embossing in the last card was made using a Sizzix textured impressions embossing folder.

Martha stamp/punch pack: how-to

I'd been browsing stamping forums and had seen the question of how to use the new Martha Stewart Stamp & Punch come up a few times. From what I'd gathered, they did come with instructions, apparently vague instructions. Hm, sounds like those corner/border punch combos. I also wondered if they were perhaps like the EK Success Punch & Stamps sets. I like these. They're fun in that they stamp and punch at the same time. I've described how they work here on this blog before. I thought that maybe these new punches worked the same way. I hadn't seen one to check it out.

Well, after dropping the younger daughter at a friend's house the other night, I popped into Michael's to see if they had any of these punches in stock. I had a coupon for the week that I hadn't used yet. They had some! They were also on sale and my coupon would have gotten me a better deal, but I did what any good stamper would do and bought a set then found something else that I "needed" to use my coupon on. The bottom line? These do not work the same way as the EK Success punches. These should be called Stamp Then Punch packs. When you buy a set, you get the shaped punch and three small clear stamps that you use to decorate your punched shape; you do ink and stamp before punching it out though.

Here's how it works:

Above you can see the bird Stamp & Punch pack as it's meant to be stored once it's out of the packaging.

It has a removable cover over the storage space for the clear stamps that coordinate with the punch shape. I found two stamps separate, in a compartment with the cover in the original packaging. The other stamp was inside this storage space. So, you should find three clear stamps. If you don't, check that storage area, and also take a good look at the clear stamps that were separate--they may be stuck back to back.

These are the three stamps that came with my bird set. They're round, clear stamps with a smooth flat side and a tab that sticks out at one edge.

The cover of the storage compartment doubles as the stamp mount. If you look at the flip side, there's a smooth area at the center and a raised rim around the edge. This is where the stamp is seated. My curved red double headed arrow is showing a gap in the rim--this is where the tab should go. This orients the stamp image properly when you go to stamp it--it'll match up with the image on the flip side.

This photo shows the three images that I stamped using the three stamps. I used Memento ink because I like it and because I have all of the colors in that nice small dewdrop shape that makes it easy to ink up small stamps in tight spaces. Notice that I stamped along the top edge of my card stock. Regardless of what shape punch you buy, if you're using a large piece of paper or card stock you'll want to take care to punch along the top edge so that once you stamp the image you'll be able to insert it into the punch in the right direction.

See? This is what I mean. If I'd punched along the side or bottom edge, I'd have had to cut my card stock so that it could be oriented properly. Of course if you're using a small piece of paper or card stock it might not matter that much. Just leave yourself enough extra room to maneuver it into the right position. You can see that I lined up my first image with the punch opening. Yes, you're now looking at the bottom of the punch. You flip it over to use it.

This is how it looks once it's punched out.

Here are the other images once I punched them out.

And here's one last closer view so that you can see how the different stamps give different looks--same punch, same ink, same card stock, just used the different stamped images.

For those of you who've been having trouble using these, I hope these instructions and images help a bit. I agree that the instructions that came with this Martha punch set could have been more descriptive and more useful, but that seems to be the way of things with a number of her items. This isn't a difficult set to use, and it's fun to have a punch that exactly matches the stamped images. I think I still would have preferred something similar to the EK Success set up of stamping and punching simultaneously though--more efficient and more foolproof.

Feels like fall

And since it feels like fall, I made a couple of cards that have to do with fall.

Here they are....

This first card was very simple. I used an Inkadinkado image that I stamped on decorative card stock. I added the sentiment from TPC Studio. I layered it onto green card stock, but thought that it still needed a little something more to add interest, so I added some decorative scoring with my Scor-It before mounting it on the kraft card front.

This is another card that was fairly quick to make. I found another Martha Stewart punch around the page set of punches that I hadn't seen before. Since I'd gone into Michael's specifically looking for something that I could use my 40% off coupon on, I had to buy it. :-) So the punching above was made using the Deco Fan set. The sentiment is by Inkadinkado and stamped using Memento dye inks.

punching around the page

I have a quick post with a couple of cards that I made using two of Martha Stewart's Punch Around the Page corner and edge punches. They were called continuous edge punches before. Different name now, but the same idea, and this time there were even instructions included! LOL! Progress!


This first card was made using the Scallop 3-Dot punches. Same deal as before. You still need to cut your card stock to specific sizes for the corner design to match up with the edge. The two white squares that I started with were 5 x 5 inches and 3.25 x 3.25 inches. The edges need to be cut in increments of 1.75" to work, so 6.75 inches and 8.5 inches, and so on, would work as well. That background stamp was by Hero Arts and the sunflower is by Inkadinkado and colored using Copic Spica glitter markers.


For this card I used the Fall Leaves punches on a 3.25 x 5 inch piece of orange card stock. The stamped images and sentiment are by Inkadinkado and stamped using Memento inks. The embossed flourish was made using a Cuttlebug border embossing folder from the Organic Flourishes set.

That's it for now. We've been playing the guess if this is a cold vs the flu for the past week and a half. Been a bit of a challenge, but I think everyone is on the right track again and back in school so I had a bit of time to craft while also trying to catch up on errands. Fun stuff! :-)

one pass, two cards embellished

These are a couple of cards that were fairly quick and easy to make. I used the Cuttlebug Damask Frame A2 die to cut some patterned Die Cuts With a View card stock. I think this was from the Taj Mahal collection.


I adhered some of the die cuts to the front of this card, backing the opening of the damask design with white card stock that I'd embossed using the A2 embossing folder that made up the other half of the Damask Frame combo. The sentiment is by Hero Arts.


Here you can see that I embossed the entire card front using the A2 embossing folder, or at least as much of the card front that I could fit into the folder. I scored some lines near the top fold using my Scor-It. I didn't like the blank space that had been left up there. This time I used the 'negative' of that die cut over some white card stock. The images are by Technique Tuesday and stamped using Memento dye inks.

I wasn't sure if I'd use the die part of this combo very often, but now that I've given it a try, I'm starting to see more possibilities, not to mention that I was able to get a fair amount of mileage from a single pass through the die cut machine.

just dropping you... a post and a card

This is a card that I made with one of the new 12" QuicKutz border embossing folders. It's called circles. I think it's a fun design. I added the scored lines along each edge with my Scor-It. The stamped sentiment and image are by Inkadinkado and stamped with Memento London Fog dye ink. I colored the fish with a couple of Copic markers and added the texture with the colorless blender.

amazing friend

I seem to recall saying that some of these new folders would probably be great in combination with some of the previously released ones. Here's one of my first attempts at combining designs--this would be essentially what I've described here before as double 'bossing....


This is the Stars design debossed then inked with Lulu Lavender Memento dye ink. I then embossed with the Bird Call embossing folder and inked the design with Memento Grape Jelly ink. Both folders are by ProvoCraft (Cuttlebug). The die cut label was made using one of the Spellbinders labels dies. The sentiment is by Hero Arts and also stamped using Sweet Plum Memento ink. I like the way this card turned out.

It's a special day!

You may have guessed, eh? It's IndigoInklings' 3 year blog-aversary! Yes, it was three years ago that I made my first post here on Blogger. I did it on a whim, never expecting that I'd still be at it years later. I'd started this blog as a way to keep track of cards that I made and how I'd made them. I'd never expected to gain any kind of readership, and things did start out slowly. For quite a while I posted, mainly for myself. After a while I became curious and added a counter, just to see if anyone ever stopped by. I was getting the occasional visitor and the occasional comment. Things really picked up though when I started posting cards that I'd made using Cuttlebug embossing folders in ways other than the traditional put-the-card-stock-in-the-folder-and-roll-it-through method. There was an interest in that and in reviews of tools and punches. People seemed to like the photos and step-by-step instructions for various techniques using dies, texture plates, embossing folders, brass stencils etc in the Big Shot, the Cuttlebug, the original Sizzix.

And so, here I am, three years later, still playing with die cutting machines and their accessories and making cards. I owe part of my motivation to the fact that I know that there are folks who like to come by and visit, so thank you! :-) I still do this mostly for me though. It's a way to relax and is just plain fun!

From time to time I do a recap. It feels like it's time to do that again. I'm going to approach it from the standpoint of crafting. Some of this will be obvious if you've stopped by here before. Some will be first time revelations. Hey, I had to have something new, eh? Here goes....

Die cutting machine: Big Shot, Cuttlebug, original Sizzix--I own all three. I like the Big Shot better by far. I won't get into the pros and cons since I've discussed that elsewhere. I doubt I'll be test-driving the Big Shot Express--I do too much experimenting and would probably break it. I'm passing on the QuicKutz Epic 6, too. Can't see that it offers anything that makes me want to replace my Big Shot.

Card stock: I use Georgia Pacific quite often. I like Neenah or Paper Trey when I want to use good stuff.

Inks: Memento dye inks are the first that I reach for these days. So versatile and I love the colors! I prefer Versafine when I'm really looking for fine details. Nothing beats alcohol inks for polished stone though. Stewart Superior's India Ink is my favorite black ink.

Coloring: I have a few Copics and Prismacolor markers and use them rarely. I like the look of the magic colored pencil technique, but don't use that often either. I've found that I actually don't color much if I can avoid it. LOL!

Dies: I find that when I want to make a die cut these days, I'll put out a folder of Spellbinders dies. They have so many shapes and sizes. They're versatile in that you can emboss with them or stencil with them. Can't beat the Bigz and original Sizzix dies though for cutting through stuff that's thicker than card stock. And the XL Bigz dies can make some really fun stuff. I don't use Cuttlebug dies very often.

Embossing: I like dry embossing. I think that's because I tend to be impatient. I think that's also the reason why I like embossing folders so much. Cuttlebug folders are great due to the sheer number of designs that they offer. Sizzix has the plus of covering a greater area, not to mention that they're packaged in coordinated sets. QuicKutz are similar to the C'bug folders, but I've found that there can be issues with the front and back of the folder aligning properly. Love their big border folders though! Texture plates and Fiskars are fun, so long as you know what to expect--texture, not deep crisp embossing. For the price, these folders all pack a lot of punch. They can be used in a lot of different ways. Just check out my sidebar to see! :-)

Punches: Most of the punches that I buy these days are border punches. The slim design punches by EK Success are my current favorites. Love the designs and the fact that they're more compact. That's not to say that I'm tossing out my Fiskars or Martha Stewart punches though.

Stamps: I used to be a red rubber stamper all the way. I've since unmounted all of my wood mounteds and I actually reach for clear stamps first. Again, ease of use and easy storage are big reasons. Clears and Memento inks seem made for each other, too.

Paper cutter: Making Memories paper trimmer and the 6" base Tonic guillotine cutters are what I use most often. Exacto and a ruler for thicker stuff. Tim Holtz scissors for rubber.

Scoring: I'm a long-time Scor-It user. I'll admit it. I love the look of the scores. After hearing so much about the Scor-Pal, I had to try it. Here's what I found....

In the photos, the Scor-It scored card stock is on the left and the Scor-Pal scored card stock is on the right.

Here a light source was aimed from bottom left to highlight the scoring.

To be fair, I aimed the light from bottom right this time.

The angle washed out some of the scores, so this time I aimed the light more directly from right to left.

This time the light was aimed from left to right.

To my eye, even without the extra light, the scores made using the Scor-It were more distinct and deep. Having become used to the looks of the scores made by the Scor-It over the years, the Scor-Pal scores don't quite measure up. To me it'd be similar to the difference between an image embossed using embossing folder with vs without a shim. I happen to prefer the more crisp embossing. Other folks may be fine with less crisp. I'll say that for making multiple scores that line up with the Scor-Pal lines, the embossing goes more quickly. That's an advantage. (I'm still tempted to redo those lines with my Scor-It though.) With the addition of the Scor-It ruler to the arsenal, the Scor-It definitely becomes more accurate and versatile, if still perhaps not as quick--and that has more to do with the user though, eh? I'm going with quality of score and still pull out the Scor-It. Love those fun starburst and light beam patterns! Plus I'm not much into box-making. Scor-Pal is good for that sort of thing.

Adhesives: I'm a long time ATG user, the 1/4" tape variety. I use the Scotch 714 and have never had any trouble with the gun or the adhesive. I have small hands and find it very easy to use--I only say this because its size always scares people. I'm not sure why. If you look at the handle, it's quite a manageable size--it's not like you're wrapping your hand around the entire ATG, eh? It's lightweight and balanced nicely. Can't beat the price for the amount of adhesive that you get either. It's by far the most economical and most eco-friendly to boot.

What some folks hate, and what is a disadvantage for lefties, is the fact that the tape runs along the left edge of the roller. I like that! The photo above shows what I see as I sit holding the gun with my wrist in a nice comfortable neutral position. I can see exactly where I'll be laying that tape down as I pull the gun toward me. That means that I can place the tape right along the edge of my layer and I have no trouble stopping right at the edge either.

This is a view of the Glue Glider Pro. I picked it up when it was on sale at Hobby Lobby. I'd heard so many glowing reviews that I couldn't resist trying it. Smaller and lighter. Okay. Not big selling points since I don't have size issues with the ATG. Tape unwinds toward the right edge of the roller as I've indicated above.

Okay. I tried a number of ways to try to accurately see where I'd be laying my tape down. If I leaned over the top of the Glue Glider and looked backward toward the roller, I could get a fair idea. Didn't work for a good camera shot, not to mention that it was uncomfortable. So, in the photo above, I tried to get a look from the side. Still couldn't see just where the tape was. This was also awkward as far as either having to twist my wrist or lean to the left.

Here I finally just set the roller on the card stock. I'm a bit puzzled about all of the glowing reviews. The adhesive is very good! I'm not impressed by the delivery though. More often than not, the adhesive ran off the edge or too far. Not a biggie to fold it back, but an aggravation. I like my tools to make life easier for me, not more frustrating. ATG wins easily. I like Tombow Quickie glue pen for small die cut letters etc.

As for my card, the sentiment was made using the QuicKutz String Bean border alphabet. The embossed background is the Cuttlebug Number Collage embossing folder. Both were rolled through my Big Shot. The decorative starburst scoring was made using my Scor-It and the Scor-It ruler. I used my ATG to glue everything down except for the letters--I used my Quickie glue pen for those. LOTS of my faves used in the making of that card.

That covers my recap and musings as I reflect over the past three years of blogging. Thanks to all of you who read or follow me here regularly. Thanks to those of you who've taken the time to comment, too. It's appreciated. Plus, then I don't feel so weird talking to myself. :-) To celebrate properly, I'll be hosting three giveaways. I'll make new posts for those. Seems right to have three of them, so stay tuned. I'll put the first one up when I get a chance to take some pics and get them uploaded. I think you all should get to celebrate, too! :-)