A Card 4 U

Card Making Supplies

3D Decoupage
Background Papers
Brass Stencils & Accessories
Embellishments
Fabric & Felt Motifs
Fun Flock
Peel Off Stickers
Rub-Ons
Shrink Plastic
Stickers

Scrapbooking Supplies

Albums
Bazzill Cardstock
Chipboard
Frosting
Scrapbook Accessories
Scrapbook Collections
Scrapbook Kits
Scrapbook Pads
Templates

Rubber Stamping

**Reduced to Clear**
Clear Stamps
Hero Arts CardArt Kits
Ink Pads
Stamping Accessories
Wood Mounted Stamps

ATC & Altered Section

Artist Trading Cards
Items to Alter

Tools & Accessories

Bind-It-All
Book Rings
Cuttlebug
EK Success Punches
Knives, Scissors & Trimmers
Miscellaneous Tools & Accessories
Scoring Tools
Woodware Craft Punches

Basic Craft Supplies

Adhesives
Cello Bags
Pens, Pencils & Paints

Kids Crafts Supplies

Cuttlekids
Kids Crafts Kits
Kids Stickers
Paint by Numbers
Shrinkles Bumper Boxes

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Hints & Tips

Introduction to 3D Decoupage

3D Decoupage pictures are made by cutting out various parts of an identical picture & layering them. There are usually 3-5 layers, which gives it's 3D effect. The highest layer is the part of the picture that would be nearest to you as you look at it. Each layer is raised by using either 3D Foam Pads (1mm, 2mm, or 3mm), glue dots, or silicone glue.

You can buy two types of 3D Decoupage sheets. One have a set of identical pictures & it is up to you which parts you cut out & how you layer them. This creates a more personal picture, but is more difficult. The other is called, "Step by Step", which has each layer already decided & numbered for you. This is ideal for beginners & more experienced crafters.

You will need a pair of small SHARP scissors and/or craft knife, & a cutting mat. Larger scissors can be used for larger areas, but the important part is that they are sharp. A pair of tweezers are handy for handling small pieces.

To add a more natural 3D effect, the edges of certain parts of the picture & layers can be rounded by using a shaping (embossing) tool or by gently bending round your fingers.

Some papers are glossy & some are matt, but you can add finishing touches such as varnish or glitters etc.

Here are some tips:

You have placed all your 3D pads on your project & you now need to remove all those small pieces of backing paper. This will be easier to do, if you press the middle of the pad with a pen, or similar object, first. This lifts the edges slightly.

When you are cutting out 3D Decoupage designs ALWAYS move the paper & not the scissors.

If you stick a layer down, & find it does not line up, do not try to pull the layers apart. 3D pads stick permenantly very quickly. Instead take a sharp pair of scissors & cut the foam in half, so the layers seperate leaving half a pad stuck to each layer. Then pick off as much of the foam as you can, leaving the double sided tape in place. Now stick a new pad in it's place & try again.

Sometimes you need a piece smaller than one of the 3D pad squares. You can either use a small dab of silicone glue (on the end of a cocktail stick), or cut the 3D pad in halves or quaters. Do this while they are still on the backing sheet, & not when you have taken the pad off. 3mm x 3mm Foam Pads are now available.

2mm Foam Pads are usually used for 3D decoupage, but is you have more layers or a more delicate design, you might find the 1mm Foam Pads are easier & the finished picture does not look too bulky.

If you have small delicate areas, within the picture that need to be cut out with a craft knife, do these first before you use your scissors to cut around the main picture. These areas are delicate & could tear if there is only a tiny strip of paper around it. It is better to have a bigger piece of paper to hold onto while you cut.

Introduction to Stencils

Brass Stencils
Brass stencils come in various sizes & designs, from small details you can add to tags, to large borders & backgrounds. They can be used with an embossing tool, inks, chalks, paints etc.

For dry embossing, using an embossing tool, first tape the brass stencil to the front of your card with low tack tape. You can use stencil tape, low tack tape, or masking tape, (place the tape on your jeans or jumper to ensure the tape is as low tack as possible).
Place the stencil & paper (stencil side down) onto your light box. If you do not have a light box, you can place your stencil & paper up against a window, but it is tiering on your arms.
Using the largest stylus end for your design, trace around the edge of your design. Then move to a smaller stylus end for the finer details & to get a crisp edge to your design. You do not need to rub in the middle of your design, but experiment to see what finished look you require.

When you have finished embossing you can remove the paper from the light box & turn over the paper.
If you want to add some colour, with inks, chalks etc, leave the stencil in place. When you use chalks, be careful not to rub the chalk too hard around the edges or it might go under the brass stencil & smudge the design. When you have finished, remove the brass stencil. Chalks can be fixed with hairspray (not suitable for scrapbooking) if necessary.

If you do not want to add colour to your design, remove the brass stencil from the paper & your design is now ready to be added to your project as you require.

Here are some tips:

Dry embossing is easier if you rub the paper facing you with Embossing Tissue (wax paper) first. You can also rub the ball of the embossing tool in the palm of your hands to help it emboss smoothly.

If you do not have an embossing tool, use an empty ball point pen, or a knitting needle.

For an easy storage solution for your brass stencils use a pocket sized photo album. Each single pocket is approximately 6" x 4" & can hold up to 20 brass stencils.

Stencils can be used for pop up cards. Draw around the outline & cut with a craft knife. Leave the bottom of the design attached to the card, so that when folded it pops up.

Embellishments

Here are some tips:

If you want to add a ribbon to a project, add the double sided tape to the project first & not the ribbon. This will stop creases & wrinkles in your ribbon. Don't forget to use a glue stick over the double sided tape as well (See adhesives tips), & your ribbon should slide in place nicely.

Use a button for the middle of flowers.

Paper

Here are some tips:

When you are cutting an appeture for your card, always place the metal ruler on the card to the side of the line that you want to keep. If the knife wanders, it will wander into the piece of card that you are removing, & not the piece that you want.

White gel pens look fantastic on dark paper & card. Hand write your message in your chosen font for a personal touch that will stand out, & makes a change from gold or silver peel offs.

Tearing paper creates an interesting decorative edge for your card or scrapbooking page. You can achieve two effects, depending upon how you tear it. If you want to have a white edging showing, hold your coloured/patterned paper in your left hand, & tear the right hand side, down & TOWARDS you. If you want the colour/pattern to go right to the edge of the tear, tear the right hand side down & AWAY from you.

Using the above technique, you can also use chalks of a complementary colour to colour in the white torn edges of the paper. This makes a more subtle effect.

Mulberry paper tears easily if you use a a little water & a paint brush & "draw" where you want to tear. Leave your piece of mulberry paper to dry & feather out the edges by lightly teasing the edges.

Craft Punches

Here are some tips:

Lubricate Craft Punches by punching through wax paper a few times.

Sharpen punches by punching through aluminium(tin) foil a few times.

Do not stamp on your punch if it gets stuck. Do not "punch" your punch, use a steady pressure. Do not use sharp objects such as a screwdriver,knife, or scissors to un-jam your punch. This could damage your punch, or even worse you!
If you cannot un-jam your punch, try putting it into the freezer for a little while. The metal will shrink slightly & this might be enough to loosen your punch.

Rubber Stamping

Here are some tips:

Baby wipes make good inexpensive rubber stamp cleaners. Most are alcohol free, but check first, & some have lanolin added which will help the stamp stay in good condition. Stamp a few times on a kitchen towel after cleaning to dry.

If you want your embossed cards to sparkle, try adding some fine glitter to the embossing powder before you heat it. Mix a small amount of embossing powder & fine glitter in a small container, to avoid contaminating your main pot. If you only want a small area to sparkle, add your embossing powder as usual, & only add the fine glitter over the required areas.

Store your stamps in a dry, cool container or drawer, as sunlight degrades rubber & hardens it quicker.

Store your ink pads upside down, so the ink stays in the top of the pad where you need it.

If you have embossed a design & found a piece of the design is missing, just get an embossing pen & "draw" in the missing bit & emboss again as normal.

If you are concerned your ink is dring too quickly on your stamp, breathe (huff!) on it before you stamp it on your project. This will temporarily revive the ink.

Try blending your embossing powders to create multi toned colours on your project. Don't forget to put the excess powder into a new container & label with the names of the mixed colours for future reference. You could also make a tester on a small piece of card & save this so you can see the finished effect.

Stamp out your design 3 or 4 times & cut out smaller parts of the design to form 3D layers on your original whole image. Use 3D foam pads between the layers & don't forget to colour each layer first.

Adhesives

Here are some tips:

Double sided tape is permanent & when you don't want it to stick something you just know it will. In order to make the double sided tape removable, stick it in position to your project & peel off the protective layer. Then run a glue stick over the exposed sticky tape. You can now stick you embellishment or backing paper onto your project & adjust it if necessary. When it dries it will be permanent.

Don't know what to do with all those left over pieces of funky foam? Add double sided tape to both sides & use as 3D pads, or pick a matching colour to your card, stick double sided tape to both sides & make a shaker card. It will blend in better than a piece of white 3D foam tape.