Thursday, June 8, 2017

Embossed Background Tutorial

Hello everyone! I have a Sizzix tutorial for you today, but before starting with that, I just wanted to write that I am so very sad about the devastating fires that have been, and are still, raging, in and around Knysna in South Africa. It is such a lovely area and we have visited it many times, and know people who live there. It appears to be forest fires that spread very rapidly due to storm winds. Lives have been lost and no one knows how much destruction it has caused yet, since the fires are still not out everywhere. I am so sad for everyone affected, as well as for all those old trees in that unique forest. Below are a couple or my photos that I took while visiting Knysna.


This photo was taken from the higher areas of the town, which appears to have been badly affected by the fire.


This photo is from the other side of the lagoon, looking in towards Knysna. It is heartbreaking to think of a large part of this area being on fire. I really hope that the fires will be completely under control soon and not spread further. I had typed up the tutorial below a couple of days ago, but felt that I had to write something about Knysna first since it has been so much in my thoughts since yesterday.

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And continuing with the tutorial. I have a Sizzix tutorial for you today, showing a great and easy background technique with embossing folders, as well as some other fun stuff.


I made a double scrapbooking layout, but the techniques work on any type of project. Not far from us there is a small forest where the entire forest floor is completely covered in White Anemones during a couple of weeks in spring. I try to go there as often as possible during that time and of course take tons of photos. These photos are from last year. Leo posed for photos there this year too, but didn't want to sit down among the flowers, at the time of these photos, he wasn't yet walking and was very happy to sit and look at flowers. This year, Leo wanted to jump from a little tree stump instead.

The entire background is covered in dry embossed squares, using Dina Wakley Scribble Sticks to add color.

Layers of ink - Embossed Background Tutorial by Anna-Karin with Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folders and dies

Start by cutting 4 x 4 squares of watercolor paper until you have enough to cover your surface. You can also use smaller squares.

Layers of ink - Embossed Background Tutorial by Anna-Karin with Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folders and dies

Emboss them in different folders. This is a great time to go wild with mixing patterns, since lots of patterns make the background look even better. If you want to, you can leave it like this and skip the coloring. All the folders I used are listed in the supply list below.

Layers of ink - Embossed Background Tutorial by Anna-Karin with Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folders and dies

I wanted to add some color and scribbled a blue Scribble Sticker over the papers. The color will mainly end up on the embossed areas, giving you both color and texture at the same time.

Layers of ink - Embossed Background Tutorial by Anna-Karin with Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folders and dies

If you want to, dissolve the color with water, but don't use too much water.

Layers of ink - Embossed Background Tutorial by Anna-Karin with Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folders and dies

When the papers were dry, I scribbled on some more blue here and there, leaving it as it was this time and not adding more water.

Layers of ink - Embossed Background Tutorial by Anna-Karin with Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folders and dies

Wet the tip of the Scribble Stick and flick a paint brush against it to splatter color on the background. You could use a contrasting color, or black, but I went with the same shade of blue.

Layers of ink - Embossed Background Tutorial by Anna-Karin with Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folders and dies

Distress all the edges.

Layers of ink - Embossed Background Tutorial by Anna-Karin with Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folders and dies

Place the squares on a piece of background cardstock and apply double-sided tape to the centers. Since I was planning to stitch, I avoided taping the edges, since I try not to stitch through adhesive with my sewing machine.

Layers of ink - Embossed Background Tutorial by Anna-Karin with Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folders and dies

Sew around all the squares. I really like this look.

Layers of ink - Embossed Background Tutorial by Anna-Karin with Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folders and dies

Die cut letters from white mat board using Tim Holtz Deco Alphabet die.

Layers of ink - Embossed Background Tutorial by Anna-Karin with Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folders and dies

Paint with Distress Paint.

Layers of ink - Embossed Background Tutorial by Anna-Karin with Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folders and dies

Coat the letters with Glossy Accents, for a great finished look.

Layers of ink - Embossed Background Tutorial by Anna-Karin with Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folders and dies

Die cut flourishes from white mat board with the new Scroll die and paint them green. I really like the shape of the two flourishes you get on the die, and it is a Bigz die so it die cuts thick materials too.

Layers of ink - Embossed Background Tutorial by Anna-Karin with Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folders and dies

Sand the edges carefully.

Layers of ink - Embossed Background Tutorial by Anna-Karin with Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folders and dies

Stamp dots on the flourishes with Fern Green ink.

Layers of ink - Embossed Background Tutorial by Anna-Karin with Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folders and dies

I stamped a sentiment and tickets on cream cardstock with blue ink.

Layers of ink - Embossed Background Tutorial by Anna-Karin with Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folders and dies

All the embossed patterns looks great together and creates a textured background that doesn't overpower whatever you put on top of it.

Layers of ink - Embossed Background Tutorial by Anna-Karin with Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folders and dies

To mimic the flowers, I die cut three sizes of flowers from Tim Holtz Small Tattered Florals from white wool felt and added yellow dots with Buttercup Liquid Pearls.

Layers of ink - Embossed Background Tutorial by Anna-Karin with Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folders and dies

Glue the flowers here and there on the pages.

Layers of ink - Embossed Background Tutorial by Anna-Karin with Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folders and dies

Here's another close-up of the embossed texture of the background, with the splatters.

Layers of ink - Embossed Background Tutorial by Anna-Karin with Sizzix Tim Holtz embossing folders and dies

I really like the Tim Holtz set with these tickets and sentiments and have used them a lot in the past too.

Thank you so much for stopping by here today.

Anna-Karin

Supplies:






10 comments:

  1. What a lovely page. I like the embossed background and how you stitched around each square.

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  2. Great background for this lovely layout. Thankyou for the tutorial, Cathy x

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  3. I love sweet Leo in the flowers! This background is so cool- you always create things I want to immediately make and your tutorials are perfect!

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  4. I LOVE all of the details of your FAB layout! Thanks for showing the details!

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  5. Beutiful pages with the most clever background and embellishments to high light those fabulous photos! What a cutie your sweet son is! Thank you for sharing your techniques.

    Very sad about the wild fires and their destruction to this town.

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  6. After reading the first paragraph of todays post I "googled" the information on the fire.... What a devastating loss for all of those people. I shall be saying prayers for all. It was so sad to think that over 10,000 people are now without homes.
    I do thank you for posting this lovely layout. I have a few embossing items from Sizzix and will be trying them out. Thanks for this tutorial.

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  7. So sad about the fires and pray that those whose lives have been affected will be able to cope.
    Thanks for great ideas using the embossing for backgrounds.
    Could you advise on using sewing machine for card please? Such as needle type/size and tensions etc. My efforts to date have been miserable messes😣

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    Replies
    1. Thank you so much for your comment! I have a pretty basic Bernina sewing machine. I have had it for many years. It is nothing fancy, and works great for me. Now and then it sees fabric, but I use it almost only for paper. The tension can be a bit tricky and I am sure it differs from machine to machine too. It also depends on the thickness of the papers and the length of the stitches. Before starting on a project, I always do a test run through a scrap piece of paper, and adjust the tension a little if necessary (usually it isn't necessary). I normally keep it on 4 to 5, but I am sure that differs between machines. I am not even sure about the needle size I am using - I think it is sort of the standard, medium size (I haven't changed the needle in a really long time).

      I always pull through the thread that ends up on top of the project and tie the two threads together at the back, and I am careful not to stitch through tape. If my sewing ends up looking messy, I kind of just go with it, sometimes I stitch around everything a second time, so that the messiness really looks intentional. :) I hope that helped!

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  8. What a great idea Anna-Karen, I never thought to do this for a layout. It's beautiful.

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  9. I love this! All the texture, what a great way to use embossing folders for scrapbooking!! Really like that you used more than one photo on the layout too! What size did you crop the photos to be?? Thanks for sharing - going to try and imitate this layout in daughters wedding album.

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Thank you so much for leaving a comment! Happy Crafting!