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.

**********

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. :-)

**********

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.

my new Cuttlebug embossing folders are here!

I knew that the new folders that I'd ordered were on the way, but I didn't dream that they could possibly arrive so soon! Imagine that thrill of hearing the dog bark and seeing the Big Brown Truck out front! Yes! The box was imprinted with the HSN logo! Hey, it was a deal that I couldn't pass up, eh?

They arrived in a fairly small box with these 11 folders each wrapped in its own plastic sleeve. I like that there wasn't a lot of extra waste, though I usually do manage to put the backings to good use.

Here's another look at them. Just had to look up all their names so I could label each one.

This card was debossed with the new Moroccan Screen embossing folder then inked with Memento Dandelion ink. Just as a side note, this folder debosses rather than embosses if you place it inside the folder with the Cuttlebug logo facing the front. I then embossed with the Owl Flourish folder--double 'bossing--and accented it with Memento inks and added the die cut sentiment, also by Cuttlebug. The decorative scoring on the card front was made using the Scor-It.

I've always liked the look of embossing on decorative card stock and papers. This is some DCWV Taj Mahal card stock that I embossed using the new C'bug Victoria folder. I accented the embossing with white craft ink. The sentiment is by Hero Arts. The flowers are Primas and the decorative pearls are by Kaisercraft.

This is the Celtic Knot embossing folder that I used on some polished stone card stock. I accented the embossing with Memento ink. This is one of the folders that is supposedly only available if the new folders are purchased as a set. I think the other is the Harlequin design. The stamps used are by Scottish Borders Stamping. The die cut was made using a Spellbinders scalloped circle Nestabilities die and the accent scores near the sentiment were made using the Scor-It.

I can't say that I would have purchased all of these at the regular price, but for what amounted to just a bit more than $3 per folder, including shipping and handling, it seemed worth it to go for the bundle. These were delivered very quickly, too! Kudos to HSN for that. I was very pleasantly surprised. :-)

art of flower pounding, using the Big Shot

Pounding flowers isn't a new concept. It's been around for a while. Using die cutting machines to pound flowers and get them to release their pigment onto paper isn't new either. I remember the old red Sizzix being great for this sort of thing, back when the original Sizzix was new, but I'd never tried it. Probably the wrong time of year or something. ;-)

So, this morning I was catching up on my Google Reader subscriptions and came across a blog post in which Spellbinders' Wizard was used to pound flowers. I had to try it. We have lots of flowers around here, and though I may not have a Wizard, I have my trusty Big Shot.


Our poker plants are blooming. So are the clematis and peonies. None of those was really right for this project. Then I remembered that my shrub rose, pictured up above, is full of blooms! These would be great! Nice color, not too big, fairly flat, also lots of them! Sorry that the sun wasn't out when I snapped my photo this morning. It looks so pretty in the bright sunlight, but we were due for rain.


Here's a close up of some of the blooms.


I plucked three candidates for my first attempt at "pounding" flowers with my Big Shot.


I trimmed the stems and placed them--hm, I guess you'd call it face down on my card stock. You can see what I mean.

I then arranged my stack as follows, from the bottom up: multipurpose platform on Tab 2, clear cutting plate, 1/2 sheet of card stock, arranged flowers, scrap text weight paper folded in half, clear cutting plate. You may or may not need to shim, depending on the size/thickness of your flowers.


This is what I got after running it through the Big Shot. There was quite a bit of pigment transferred, but you can also see where the juiciness of the flowers kinda squirted out and made a rather unsightly mess on what had been going to be my card front. This called for a change in plan. LOL!


Here is the card that I made after switching gears. The embossed background was made using the QuicKutz vines embossing folder. The rose leaves are Primas. The sentiment is by Penny Black and stamped using Memento dye ink.


Here's a close up view of the result of the flowers being pressed by my Big Shot. I like the way it turned out, even if it wasn't quite what I'd envisioned when I started. :-)

Addendum: I'll make a separate post at some point, but for Cuttlebug users, this will work in your machines, too. The stack that I used, from the bottom up, was: A plate, Cuttlebug backing shim, C plate, card stock, flowers, another sheet of card stock, B plate. As usual, you may or may not need to shim, depending on your particular machine and on the 'thickness' of the flowers you choose. Just remember not to force anything! :-)

House Mouse challenge #25 card

Here's yet another card that I've made this week from a sketch. This time I used the Challenge #25 sketch designed by Jami over at the House Mouse Monday Challenge blog.


The patterned card stock is by Me and My Big Ideas. The image was stamped using Memento dye ink then colored with Prismacolor colored pencils. The circle and scalloped circle were cut using Spellbinders Nestabilities dies.

selective Sizzix-ing?

Okay, I have a dilemma of sorts. Way back when, I posted a technique that I'd dubbed creative Cuttling. In short, this was a way of selectively embossing Cuttlebug folder designs using stuff from around the house. You can do the same thing with these new Sizzix textured impressions folders. Neat, eh? Looks even better because the card front is embossed edge to edge. The one problem? I can't call it creative Cuttling. LOL! Just so you know that I'm using Sizzix folders but essentially the same technique, I'll call it selective Sizzix embossing--selective Sizzix-ing is just too hard to say, even just in my head. ;-)

Here are a couple of cards that I made using wood die cut frames in place of one clear cutting plate to leave an unembossed area on the card front.


For this first card I used a wood die cut frame with an oval opening. The folder is from the Dots & Flowers set.


This one was made with a wood die cut frame with a small rectangular opening over the A2 size folder of Wedding Set 2. I then accented the opening by making score lines with my Scor-It.

Both cards were embossed with Sizzix textured impressions folders. The sentiments are both by Hero Arts and stamped using Memento dye ink. The dancer silhouettes are from an Angela Cartwright Stampington set and stamped using Tuxedo Black Memento dye ink. The flowers are Primas and I used hot fix crystals for a bit more embellishment.

TGIF, everyone!

stair step card

Okay, this is one of those card-making techniques that I'm late getting in on. It's a fun alternative to the regular A2 cards that I often make, and they fit inside the A2 size envelopes, so no extra fuss as far as that goes.

This is my first attempt at making one....


My apologies for the poor quality of the lighting. It was a gray day here, and even darker than usual because the ice and sleet were blocking my skylights.

I used the stair step base and added decorative wintry cardstock. The leaping deer was made using a Sizzix die. The snowflakes were made using Martha Stewart punches. The embossed dove is a Cuttlebug combo die. The label die cut and scalloped rectangle were made using Spellbinders dies. The Merry Christmas sentiment is by Cloud 9 Design. The remaining stamped images and sentiments are all by My Favorite Things and were stamped using Memento dye inks. The embellishments are Prima flowers, Flower Soft for the bath rug underneath the tub, clear Sakura Glaze pen for the bubbles and glass, Copic clear glitter pen for the mirror, and assorted sizes and colors of hot fix rhinestones.

The card looks rather busy in the photograph. It isn't so busy in real life where you get a better feel for the 3D effect and depth of the images.

This is a fun change from the usual and I'm looking forward to trying my hand at more of these.

more holiday cards

Die cuts and embossing folders can make creating holiday cards go quickly. Here are some of the ones that I made today.


I pulled out a number of supplies that I'd been wanting to use, but hadn't had time to pull out. Up above, the deer die cut and the embossed deer image and its frame are both by Sizzix. The latter is one of the new XL embosslits. The tag die cut is by Cuttlebug. The stamped images are by Making Memories and stamped using Memento dye ink. I embellished with some Distress Stickles and Brides and Prima flowers.


For this card I used the Cuttlebug Snowflake A2 embossing folder for the card front. The snowman and his accessories as well as his embossing were all done with the Cuttlebug Snow Fun combo. The sentiment is by Sizzix, and the snowflakes were made using a Martha Stewart snowflake punch.


This last card is one that I'd been wanting to try for a while. I love the simple elegance of the Lace Tree image--this is a Cuttlebug A2 embossing folder. I wanted a simple sentiment and decided to go with the fairly understated "With Love" embossing border. The bling is 2mm size rhinestones. I love these because they're so small and understated. I have to laugh though because when you end up using so many of them I'm not sure how understated that really is! LOL! But I do like the way it turned out. :-)

offset Cuttling

I was experimenting with some of my Cuttlebug embossing folders when I happened on something that I thought was a neat look. I tweaked what I'd done a bit and made a few cards to show off some "offset Cuttling".

Here are a couple of cards that show what I'm talking about....


This card was made with the Cuttlebug Joy & Cheer folder. I ran it through my die cutting machine twice. The first time through, I placed my cardstock off center inside the folder--more specifically, I shifted it a bit down and a bit to the left of where I'd normally place it. I accented this impression with the Memento New Sprout ink. I then placed the same piece of cardstock back inside the folder, this time centering it as I normally would. I accented that impression with Memento Rhubarb Stalk ink. This basically gave a drop shadow effect that I thought was fun. The flower is by Prima.


I did the same thing with this Holly embossing folder, tinting first with the light green, then the dark green and red after the second pass. The holly leaf embellishment is by Prima. The "berries" are Robin's Nest Dew Drops. The sentiment is by Impression Obsession. Those two cards show the effect fairly obviously. Offset Cuttling can also be used to more subtle effect and can look particularly striking with metallic cardstocks or papers. For the following two cards, I used the shimmer-finish silver paper that I'd bought at Target.


I offset my two embossing passes as I described above, and I tinted the second impression with Memento inks. Because of their translucent effect, the look is much more subtle. The sentiment is from a Martha Stewart clear stamp set and stamped using Memento Tuxedo black ink.


And this is one more example of the offset Cuttling effect. I'd accented after my first pass using Memento London Fog ink. When it dried it was just barely visible. I still like the effect though.

This technique can be used with any folder, but some will work better than others just given their inherent design. Simpler designs and patterns are probably best. It'll be fun to experiment and see which other folders can be used this way to give a little more visual interest.

more with Cuttlebug holiday embossing folders

I've had these Cuttlebug holiday embossing folders for quite a while. Since I managed to carve out some time for card-making, I was determined to use some of them.

This is a card that I made the other day....


For this card I used the Christmas ornament folder for the background. The sentiment is part of the Joy & Cheer folder that was double Cuttled with the familiar Swiss Dots folder. The poinsettia is by Prima and the wreath was made from a combination of red Brides flowers and branches punched using the Martha Stewart branch punch. I accented the sentiment with Memento dye ink.

holiday ornaments

A few weeks ago I couldn't resist a clearance item that I'd found at Target--a bucket of thirty 2" diameter tins, the kind that are used for bridal or baby showers, for only $4.99. I didn't have a specific idea in mind at the time, but I knew that I could somehow fashion some ornaments out of these.

Here's what I came up with....


These are two of those tins. I'd embossed some sparkly cardstock using some holiday Cuttlebug folders, Winter House and Lace Tree. I cut 2" circles with my Martha Stewart circle cutter and then accented the snowy parts with Stickles in the ornament on the left and Liquid Pearls in the one on the right. The foreground image was made with the Martha Stewart train punch, and I added the smoke with a thin layer of Liquid Pearls.


This is a close up view. The sentiment is by Verve Stamps using Memento dye ink.


This is a close up of the second ornament. I attached the hanger by punching a couple of holes at the top with my Crop-a-dile. The embellishments are Primas and Brides flowers. The winter houses layer was popped out from the background using pop dots to give more of a 3D effect. Again, the train was made using Martha Stewart's train edge punch.

two more cards using new Cuttlebug folders

For this card I used the new Leafy Branch A2 Cuttlebug embossing folder to emboss a piece of glossy cardstock that I'd spritzed with Stampinback's Perfect Resist and then colored with a Kaleidoscope inkpad. Stampinback is a company based in the Netherlands. They also produce a metallic myst as well as stamps. I purchased the Perfect Resist from I Brake For Stamps. I can recommend that site. Great service! The sentiment is by Heidi Grace Designs.


For this card I creatively Cuttled using my Forest Branches Cuttlebug folder. The stamped images are by Inkadinkado and stamped using Memento dye inks. The flowers are Primas.

more Cuttlebug border fun

I made this first card using the Sizzix XL scallop card die. I embossed the top layer with one of my new Cuttlebug Just My Type embossing borders and cut out the windows using a Sizzix movers and shapers die. The stamped images and sentiment are all by Inkadinkado and stamped using Memento dye ink. I colored the images with Prismacolor pencils blended with the Goo Gone Mess-free pen. The embellishments are Prima leaves. The "berries" are faux dew drops from Michael's.

I like having fun with transparencies. I used a heavy weight transparency as my card base. The green layer was embossed with another one of the new Cuttlebug Just My Type embossing borders. The corner punch was Tonic. The toad and sentiment die cuts are both by Cuttlebug. The toad is attached by a pop dot to lend more dimension. The corner embellishments are Robin's Nest dew drops.

faux jewels

Before I go any further, I'd like to say that I didn't come up with this idea. This was a tip that was offered up on the Gingerwood stamping forum by Karen Lingel. I just thought it was a nifty idea and wanted to share what I did with it.

Here's how it works. You take a round paper punch and punch 1/4 inch circles out of adhesive holographic paper. You could do 1/8 inch circles or bigger ones, too. That's it! The holographic design makes it look like those 3D adhesive jewels that are so popular as card bling right now. The best part is that they're flat and won't require any extra padding or postage when mailing.

Here are some pics.


I used the clear gel glue and the Stickles to add some sparkle and dimension. I actually like them better plain, in retrospect. I used the blue holographic paper because that happened to be what I had on hand. I have the silver stuff somewhere, but I found this first.


This is just a close up of my first attempts at these. They're fun, but they could still use a little something. I decided that what was needed was some dimension. But how? I was pondering this last night when my eye landed on some packaging plastic that someone had left on the counter after opening something up. AHA! I guess sometimes it's a good thing that people don't always throw their trash away. Yeah, right. One time now it's been helpful. ;-)

So, this morning I did what any good crafter would do and rummaged through my trash for a nice pristine piece of transparent plastic. The one that I'd seen last night was mangled. I cut a piece and adhered the blue holographic strip to it. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the back was.... silver!


That's the silver side showing through the plastic.


And here are the circles that I punched out using my Crop-a-Dile. I haven't tried this with a regular punch. A regular one might not add quite so much bend to the circles, or at least the bending might be more symmetrical. Don't know if it'd punch through the plastic though. They do flatten out with a little pressure using a stylus or bone folder. I hope you can see that they catch the light and do look like those little adhesive jewels.


They really are flat though. Here they are from a different angle.

And here's a card with them.


The stamps are by Inkadinkado and stamped using Memento dye ink. The embossing was done with the Floral Fantasy Cuttlebug A2 embossing folder. The flowers are Primas with Diamond Stickle centers. The bling below the sentiment are the faux jewels, silver side up.

I just love ideas like this. Something so simple to do, with items that a crafter probably has on hand already, and with a very practical application.

granite resist

I finally got my hands on some Perfect Resist by Stampinback the other day. I'd been wanting to try this stuff since I first heard of it. I put some in a mister and gave it a go. It was fun! Here's what I have to show for my first attempts.

This first resist was spritzed on glossy and allowed to dry. I then added color DTP using my Memento dye ink dew drops. I love how it turned out! It was similar to a polished stone look, but more like granite than marble because of the speckling. I then stamped the butterfly image by About Art Accents using more Memento inks in various colors, and stamped over them again in black. The purple layer was embellished with the floral lace Martha Stewart/EK Success edge punch and embossed with the Perfectly Paisley Cuttlebug A2 embossing folder. The flowers are Primas. The sentiment is by Impression Obsession and stamped with Tuxedo black Memento ink.

These next two backgrounds were also made by spritzing Perfect Resist on glossy cardstock and allowing it to dry. This time I added color by spraying over that with two complementary colors of Glimmer Mist by Tattered Angels.

This ATC was stamped with an image from I Brake For Stamps.

The dragon in this card is also from I Brake For Stamps. The sentiment is by Inque Boutique. The edging was done using Martha Stewart/EK Success edge punches.

Can't wait to see what else this resist can do!