We’re excited to share a new technique created by our Design Team member, Karen Taylor. She shared it first on her blog, Creative Yearnings, and we thought it was so great that we had to share it here too.

I am excited to share a new Spellbindersâ„¢ Impressabilitiesâ„¢ technique with you. It is a heat embossing technique.

To do the technique you will need fun foam or foam letters, an Impressabilitiesâ„¢, a hot pad and a heat tool.

Using your hot pad, heat the Impressabilitiesâ„¢ with a heat gun. Heat for at least 30 seconds and lay it on your foam. Gently press with hot pad. Let cool and lift the Impressabilitiesâ„¢

This is a very versatile technique. Since fun foam can be cut in the Wizardâ„¢, the possibilities are endless.

This is sure to be come a favorite technique….I know it is mine! Karen Taylor

WOW, Karen, that looked so fun that I had to try it on my layout featuring my daughter’s fall picnic at school.

I found the fun foam to be a little more challenging to “take” the embossing than I did the foam letters. So I modified the technique just a bit. First. I like to work on a 12×12″ ceramic tile. You know, the kind you get at the home store for a couple bucks. It is heat resistent and gives me plenty of room to work. I cut my three ovals (S4-140 Petite Ovals Small) from Burgundy fun foam. I placed the Impressabilitiesâ„¢ template on the tile and heated it with my heat tool. I was so tempted to check to see how hot it was before I laid my foam oval on but decided that was not a good idea.

As soon as I removed the heat, I placed the foam oval on top of the Impressabilitiesâ„¢ template and then pressed down on the foam using an acrylic block. I could see through the block and it pushed the foam down into the template in an even manner. I noticed that the places on the template that were the hottest, actually gave the foam a shiny look…so cool. Here is a close up of the embossing!

I created three of these ovals, changing the placement on the template for variety. I wanted to echo the template again on the page, so I embossed 2 sections of a cardstock strip, added metallic rub-ons for emphasis and adhered it with  the title. Next went the photos and journaling blocks on top of my embossed ovals. Voila! Not too difficult and definitely worth it. Thanks, again, Karen for the fabulous new technique and great inspiration.

Eli

Borderabilities Grand, what a wonderful product from Spellbinders, especially for scrapbookers. Where else can you get 12-inch border die templates with incredible detailing featuring three functions: cutting, embossing and stenciling? (If that weren’t rhetorical, I’d say, “Nowhere!”)

Today, I’m going to share a layout with you. But first, you might want to watch our very own Stacey Caron demonstrate the Borderabilities Grand in the Wizard. Check out this video below. She cuts/embosses the Grand Borderabilities with the accessory Grand Cut Mat Kit for efficient cut/emboss functions, and she shows the Extended White Master Mats that are included with a Wizard.

(more…)

So, you might have come looking for a Designer Spotlight today but we’ve moved it to make room for another technique day. Tuesday’s project will now be the “rebound” from Savvy Saturday. Learn a technique on Saturday and see another way to use it on Tuesday…cool.

Today, I want to share with you a layout called “Spring Blooms.”

If you missed the first Cut Loose post, be sure to check it out to see how to cut all the S4-191 Dahlia die templates at once.

Once you’re familiar with the technique you are ready to create. Feel free to stick around for instructions…

You’ll need the following Spellbindersâ„¢ Products:

• The Wizardâ„¢ Embossing and Die Cutting System (Remember, if you don’t have a Wizardâ„¢, our die templates are universal so you can use them in your die cutter. Check out these videos or our compitability FAQ’s for some help)
• S4-191 Dahlia
• S5-016 Polka Dot Frame
• S4-167 Victorian

Then get cardstock, two contrasting patterned papers, some adhesive, sandpaper, ribbons and other embellishments.

1. Using the same sandwiches as on Saturday, cut/emboss two sets of each of the patterned papers.
2. Cut/emboss the Polka Dot Frame. Lightly sand the embossed dots to bring out the white core.
3. Round the corners of the center rectangle and use it for a journaling block.
4. Using both patterned papers, cut/emboss the whole set of the Dahlia die template. I chose not to use the smallest flower to give me a larger center.
5. Construct flowers by adding glue to the tips of the petals and layering.
6. To create the top and bottom borders, cut a 1″ strip of patterned paper. Cut using the Flower Bud template. Cutting several times to finish the whole 12″. Repeat with another strip and add the matching pieces to the top and bottom.
7. Assemble the layout. Embellish with fibers, charms, etc.

And that is all there is to it. I hope you can see lots of potential for this die template. It is pure fun to play with!!!

Happy Crafting, Eli

For the past month, Spellbindersâ„¢ has been hosting a creative party for a bunch of very enthusiastic crafters at Splitcoaststampers.com. Designers were asked to use Spellbindersâ„¢ die templates and submit projects in three categories: cards, layouts and altered items.

What a fabulous response we had. All toll, over 170 projects were submitted. Today we are here to announce the winning entries (via random.org) from each category. Designers were added to the list, one time for each category they entered.

So, without further ado:

Card Category Winner is Pammyjo who submitted this card.

Layout Category Winner is buzsy who submitted this layout

Altered Item Category Winner is vdutchr who submitted this altered item

Each of the above crafters will receive $50 in Spellbindersâ„¢ die templates. If you are Pammyjo, Buzsy or Vdutchr, please send an e-mail to spellbinderseditor@yahoo.com.

Thanks to all who participated and filled the Splitcoaststampers gallery with some amazing projects featuring Spellbinders’ projects.

Until next time, Ciao! Eli

Hey everyone. The party we’re throwing in our gallery at Splitcoaststampers.com is filling it with a ton of amazing art featuring Spellbinders’ die templates. It is fun to skip over there and see the new stuff. We are so excited. Everyone still has a few more days to upload one card, one layout and/or one altered project. If you do upload a project, you’ll need to use the following key words to make sure each project is included in the random drawing for the winner in each of the following categories:

Spellbinders_card

Spellbinders_layout

Spellbinders_altered

{Click on the above links to see what has already been uploaded. If you plan to upload in the categories above, use the underscore or it won’t find its way to our list.}

Please note: We would really appreciate it if everyone would upload projects to those specific “keywords” with only one per category. To be fair, we will count the first item per designer for each category.

Of course you may upload as many items as you’d like to the Splitcoast Stampers’ Spellbinders gallery (feel free to keyword it as Spellbinders) as you’d like but for this contest, just one per category…

If you have any questions, just comment here and we’ll do what we can to help us.

Thanks, Eli

OK, It’s my turn to share some fun projects with Impressabilitiesâ„¢, give you a few hints and show you a sweet spring layout…

First, I want to share some definitions a couple of terms that we are using with Impressabilitiesâ„¢. I know Beth showed you some amazing stuff but I think it bears repeating, I mean this is pretty fresh and hot.

1. Emboss: to raise or represent (surface designs) in relief. (dictionary.com)

2. Deboss: to indent (a figure or design) into a surface

3. Letterpress: the process of printing from letters or type in relief, rather than from intaglio plates or planographically.

4. Stencil: a device for applying a pattern, design, words, etc., to a surface

So, you can do all these things with Impressabilities, wanna see? Below you’ll see several images, all created with the Butterfly Impressabilitiesâ„¢ and Core’dinations Cardstock….

As a small note, the top two hearts are actually a darker blue that were run through with the Impressabilities template and sanded. The bottom two images are lighter cardstock with a dark ink.

Below is the layout that I created using sanded embossing, sanded debossing and letterpress…Thanks for letting me share. Order you Impressabilitiesâ„¢ today and start playing with them soon…

Here is a close up of the letters before and after:

Supplies: Wizardâ„¢ Embossing and Die Cutting System, Flowers Impressabilitiesâ„¢, Curved Rectangles die template, Kelly Font (Retired), Prism and Core’dinations Cardstocks, Glue Dots, etc.

So have fun with these very versatile templates!!! Eli

Spellbindersâ„¢ loves a party. This time we’re throwing it over at Splitcoaststampers.com. We want you to show us your best Spellbinders projects to add them our gallery at Splitcoaststampers. We want everyone who visits Splitcoast to see how versatile and detailed our die templates are, and we know SCS is the place to do just that–with an amazing group of talented, versatile and stylish paper crafters!!

So, beginning today, we invite anyone who is a member at SCS to create items in three categories: Cards, Layouts and Altered Projects, using our die templates: Shapeabilities®, Nestabilities®, Borderabilities®, Frameabilities®, or any die template category.

So here is what you need to do:

1. To be eligible to win, you must be a registered member at www.Splitcoaststampers.com

2. You may not have any current affiliation with SpellbindersPaperArts.com (such as you are on our Design Team or Blog Team).

3. Create a card, a layout and/or an altered item using Spellbindersâ„¢ die templates.

4. You may enter one category, two categories or all three categories, but only one item per category allowed.

5. Upload your project(s) into their Upload Page. (Make sure you log-in before clicking this link.) If you would like any info on the upload process, check out this link: Sharing your artwork on Splitcoaststampers. When uploading be sure to include the appropriate Keywords (a box for the keywords appears on the second page in the uploading process:

• Spellbinders_card
• Spellbinders_layout
• Spellbinders_altered

The underscores are imperative. Only projects utilizing correct keywords will be considered for the contest. Please only use the keywords for new projects that you upload for this contest and not for art previously created.

We would also appreciate your including the product names or numbers in the description or accessories section.

6. Complete the upload by 11:59 pm CST on Sunday, March 8th.

Winners will be chosen by random integer program on On March 9th at Random.org (through our entering the number of qualified entries in each category).

Winners will be announced on Spellbindersâ„¢ Blog and over at SCS on March 10th.

OH, What do you win???

One winner in each category will win $50 retail value in die templates at SpellbindersPaperArts.com. Sooooo, show off a few die templates you have from Spellbindersâ„¢ and you might just get shipped a few more. Ooooh! La! La!

If you have any questions, feel free to e-mail me, Eli, at spellbinderseditor@yahoo.com.