spot foiling

INK SWIPED BACKGROUND

Joan Bardee, a.k.a. Dear Paperlicious has shared a number of card designs featuring bold colors that just had me craving to make something along the same lines . . .

“Ink swiping” is an oldie but goody that fit the bill so I grabbed some Altenew Dye Ink Cubes for this project.

The sentiment was clear embossed over the ink swiping so the colors would show through—I love this look so much! But, a word to the wise: Make sure the inked surface is COMPLETELY dry before heat embossing. Sit on your hands and wait, or be like me, •hair flip• and heat set, then pounce the surface well with an anti-static powder (blow excess off before stamping) so the embossing powder only sticks to the embossing ink from the sentiment itself.

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The deer couple looks so elegant and sophisticated all in white—I just layered the die cuts multiple times to create faux chipboard, and then spot foiled some details using a Zig Two Way Glue Pen and some gold I-craft Deco Foil

INK SWIPING TIPS:

  • Pigment inks or dye inks work for this; you can use full size or ink cubes, as I did here, but having them well inked (as opposed to dry) will tend to give you the best results. Dry ink pads can result in the pad separating from the base, instead of gliding over the paper surface.

  • Depending on the desired effect, small cubes can be easier when applying multiple colors.

SPOT FOILING TIPS:

  • Use a glue that remains tacky when dry; I personally like Zig Two Way Glue Pens because they go on blue, but become clear when dry.

  • Make sure the glue is dry and tacky or foil will not transfer.

  • Apply transfer foil with pretty side up; use pads of your fingers (not your nails) to rub firmly to transfer the foil. For a project like the above, scraps of foil are all you need, so it’s worth saving foil scraps . . . just sayin’ . . . •wink•

Have you tried ink swiping? I should remember to use it more often.

Thanks for stopping by and continue to stay safe and healthy out there!


FOILING ROUND-UP

I did a foiling project for the Ellen Hutson blog on Monday (photo and video tutorial link at the bottom of this post), and it reminded me of how much I love the look. Today I’m sharing a round-up of various foiling projects I’ve done over the past year.

Before you scroll down my "foiling memory lane” •chortle•, I did want to mention a few things.

There are many different ways to foil, and a lot depends on the end result you’re looking to achieve and the tools you’d like to use (:

  • Foil card stock and Foil tapes

    • Great for quick die cutting, simple borders or layering panels, etc.

  • Dry adhesives + transfer foils

  • Toner images (laser printed) or special toner paper + reactive foils + MINC or heat laminator

    • Reactive foil brands include Minc (Heidi Swapp), ThermoWeb I-craft Deco Foil, and WOW!, to name a few.

    • Toner, combined with heat + pressure, causes a chemical reaction that serves as an “adhesive” for reactive foils; reactive foils will not fuse to inkjet printed imagery.

    • Works best on smooth/non-textured and thinner card stocks/papers.

    • Fine lines/details may not foil well; reactive foils tend to perform best with bolder images/text.

  • Hot foil (metal) stamps OR low profile dies + hot foils + Gemini Foil Press / Spellbinders Glimmer Hot Foil System

    • Hot (stamping) foils are designed to fuse to surfaces by way of heat + pressure (not toner).

    • Hot foil brands include Crafter’s Companion and Spellbinders Glimmer Foil, to name a few. FYI: Crafter’s Companion produces a “paper craft” foil, and a “multi-surface” foil (i.e. fabric, ribbon, leather, etc.); each is specifically formulated to perform best on their prescribed surfaces.

    • Hot foils work best with metal “stamps” (also known as foil press dies, hot foil plates, foil impression dies, etc.) as well as low profile dies (Yup! Those thin metal dies you normally cut paper with work spiffy!). Watch any videos I’ve linked for more information and details.

    • Hot foiling with this method also yields a beautiful de-bossed, Letterpress effect.

    • Works well with textured card stocks/papers and will knock your fine stationery-loving socks off when done on Letterpress paper.

I own two foiling “systems”, the MINC and the Gemini Foil Press, compatible only with the Gemini Jr / Gemini die cutting machine) and I alternate between them and the other methods I’ve described, depending on the end result I want, and the tools/supplies available to achieve it.

Ogle on . . .

Link: DIY Foiled Letterpress, includes video tutorial and overview of the Gemini Foil Press System.

Link: DIY Foiled Letterpress, includes video tutorial and overview of the Gemini Foil Press System.

Sidebar: I’m gonna straight up confess to you that I’m most partial to the hot foiling method because I am an absolute sucker for Letterpress; gives me the vapors! •heart palps•

Hope these projects inspire and if you find the foiling bug has bitten you, be aware that you can snag 20% savings on in-stock supplies at Ellen Hutson now through January 17th, with code supplies 20 at check out!

Happy foilin’!


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