Guest Design: Double 'Bossing

Hi everyone! Jay, aka stampinjay, here. Maggie invited me to do another round as a Guest Designer, and I was very happy to accept.

Today I thought I'd describe a technique using embossing folders and supplies that most crafters will already have on hand. I like this technique because of its simplicity and its versatility. I call it double 'bossing. You'll see why shortly.

Here are the basic supplies that I used....


Pictured above are the Big Shot and Cuttlebug machines. This technique works equally well with both. I have some embossing folders made by Provocraft and by Sizzix. I also have some white card stock cut to fit inside the folders, Core-dinations card stock, my Memento dye inks, a Kaleidocolor ink pad, a brayer, and a sanding block.


I'll describe double 'bossing using the Big Shot first. Up above is my Big Shot, the multipurpose platform with No Tabs, one clear plate, my card stock inside the Birds & Swirls Cuttlebug embossing folder, and the other clear plate on top. Roll it through.


I opened the folder to the debossed side and had my Summer Sky Memento ink ready for some direct to paper application. I just gently applied ink to the surface to bring out the debossing.

Here is that same piece now inked and placed inside the folder so that the card stock will now be embossed. Roll it through.

Here's the result after embossing. I think it looks nice like that, but I decided to make the embossed images pop a bit more.


Again, using DTP, I applied Paris Dusk Memento ink to the embossed images.


As I said, this works just as easily using the Cuttlebug. Pictured above is the sandwich combo that I used: the A plate, one B plate, my Core'dinations cardstock inside the D'Vine Swirls embossing folder, the other B plate. Roll that through the machine.


This time I'm going to distress the debossed side with some sandpaper.


After the sanding, you can see that the debossed images are more distinct.


Here I've again embossed the card stock by inserting it into the folder with the sanded side up. This time I'll leave the embossing alone for a more subtle look.


This photo just shows that you can also use this technique with the Sizzix Textured Impressions. I used the Flowers folder from the Dots and Flowers set. Note that the folders are slightly thicker than the Cuttlebug folders. I had no problem putting that stack through my machine though.


Accenting the image can also be done using a brayered ink. Up above I brayered my Kaleidacolor ink onto the Stylized Flowers folder itself, inking so that the debossed image would remain white and the background would receive the color. I then embossed the card stock and rolled my inked brayer over the newly embossed images, turning it 90 degrees from the direction that I had brayered originally.


And of course you can also leave the debossing and embossing alone as I did above with the A2 size folder from the Cuttlebug Friends Forever combo set.


So, once again, here are my examples using those various ways of making the 'bossing stand out.

Now on to the cards that I made using these examples. All of the stamped sentiments are by My Favorite Things.










Again, I love using this technique with embossing folders because you use what you already have on hand. It's so simple! Just run your card stock through the machine inside the folder, flip it inside the folder, and roll it through again--deboss, then emboss, a.k.a. double 'bossing. I like the depth that you can achieve without adding layers or weight. I like the fact that this technique can be as subtle or as wild as you want it to be. It works nicely for monochromatic cards and for the clean and simple look. You can double 'boss directly on your card front, too, just use a heavier weight card stock because the double 'bossing will soften up that card front.

I love the simplicity and versatility of this technique! I hope you'll give it a try and will come to enjoy using it as much as I do. :-)