Spellbinders Blog

Hello crafty friends! Celes Gonzalo, also known as GuiadeManualidades, is here today to share a layout filled with color, happy details, and a very special memory. For this project, I created my Smile, Always Layout using the beautiful Jubilee collection by Rosie’s Studio, and I chose a photo of myself from one of my most special birthdays from a few years ago. I wanted this page to capture that sweet, joyful feeling through soft rainbow colors, playful party-inspired elements, and lots of layered dimension. It is a design that celebrates memories, happiness, and all those little details that make a moment unforgettable. Let’s take a closer look!

Layout Base

Before we begin building the decorative details, let’s first create the background for this layout. This base is one of my favorite parts because it sets the whole mood of the design: soft, colorful, and full of happy energy. By combining die-cut paper strips, touches of color made with inks used like watercolors, and a bit of dimension, we will create a rainbow-inspired composition that feels playful and full of movement. It is a simple foundation, but it makes a big impact and gives the entire page a fun and special look.

• For the base of the layout, combine one 12" x 12" paper from the Jubilee collection. In my case, I used the pink background one. You can change it if you wish.
• Add one piece of white cardstock. Cut it to 11" x 11" using the trimmer.
• Use the Stripe Right Etched Dies and die cut strips in the colors from the rainbow striped paper included in the 6" x 6" paper pad from the collection . There is also one in the 12" x 12" pack.
• Create a rainbow composition with inks or watercolors in colors similar to those in the rainbow-striped paper.
• Using 3D foam strips, build a background with the colored paper strips. Start and finish it 1" from the side edges of the white cardstock and 4" from the bottom edge of the white cardstock.
• Adhere the strips in layers. You can leave them at different heights at their top ends. Keep the same level for the bottom ends.
• Using the inks or watercolors, create one area of each color following the position of the paper strips.
• Add a few splatters of each color as you go.
• Once everything is dry, adhere the white cardstock flat onto the colored cardstock (pink).
• The base is ready.

TIP: I used these Distress Oxide inks: Kitsch Flamingo, Carved Pumpkin, Fossilized Amber, Bundled Sage, Speckled Egg, and Stormy Sky.

Decorative Details

Now it is time to bring this very special layout to life by combining the beautiful embellishments from the collection with die-cut flowers made from the two sets I will detail below. This is the stage where everything starts to look prettier, more delicate, and full of lovely details. Mixing ready-to-use decorative elements with die-cut floral details gives the layout texture, dimension, and a much more personal touch. It is one of the parts of the process that I enjoy the most…

• Die cut flowers using cardstock in colors similar to those in the background you created. Use set Scallop Journal Cards Etched Dies for the smaller flowers and set Be Bold Blooms Etched Dies for the larger flowers.
• Die-cut the flower centers from gold cardstock.
• Assemble the flowers and shape them to add movement.
• Decorate by color areas. Begin from left to right.
• The photo used measures 2 1/2" wide x 3". Add a white cardstock mat that is 1/8" larger than the final photo size.
• Adhere the photo with 3D foam at 1 1/2" from the left edge (pink side) of the colored strip composition and 1/2" from the bottom of the colored strip composition.
• Combine die cuts, bows, and chipboard sticker pieces across all the color blocks. Use 3D foam to create layers whenever needed.
• Leave the flowers for the end.
• The main title will be "SMILE"; adhere it with dimension.
• Add two die-cut pieces with the phrases/words: "Happiness is Here" + "Celebrate." Add the puffy sticker word "Always" over the die-cut phrase.
• To add a little extra shine, use a few gold sequins.

Thank you so much for joining me today and for taking a look at this special project. I truly enjoyed creating this Smile, Always Layout, and turning one of my favorite birthday memories into a page full of color, softness, and happy little details. I hope this idea inspires you to celebrate your own memories in a fun and meaningful way. If you create something inspired by this layout or by the Jubilee collection by Rosie’s Studio, I would love to see it—please tag me on Instagram at @guiademanualidades so I can enjoy your beautiful work too. See you again very soon with more creative inspiration! [spellbinders-supplies]14785,14784,14787,14786,14791,14789,14792,S4-1438,S4-1450,S5-502,CSA-042,CS-8-104,CS-8-117,CS-8-115,CS-8-121,CS-8-131,CS-12-148,SCSP-001,T-042,PE-104,SCS-121,SCS-334,SCSAH-002,T-035,FS5,T-050,MIS-TRulerXL,SCS-273[/spellbinders-supplies]

Other Supplies

Sequins, Distress Oxide: Kitsch Flamingo, Carved Pumpkin, Fossilized Amber, Bundled Sage, Speckled egg, Stormy Sky

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Hello cardmakers! Welcome to the fifth installment of the Beginners Guide to Cardmaking Series. I’m Lisa Tilson, and today we are focusing on the gorgeous world of Hot Foil Stamping. A lot of crafters talk about the magic of heat embossing – how it never gets old watching the embossing powder melt and your image or sentiment appearing in front of you. Many crafters also feel the same about hot foiling. There is something magical about peeling back the pretty foil and seeing an image, sentiment, or background reveal itself in all its shimmery glory! So, let’s dive in with what you need to know if you are new to cardmaking and are considering giving foiling a go. The most important thing with hot foiling is to experiment. Play with your supplies and don’t worry if it doesn’t work well the first time around. There are many variables when hot foiling, and you will find a way that works best for you. Mistakes are all part of the learning process, and before you know it, you’ll be foiling everything in sight!

What Is Hot Foil Stamping?

Hot Foil Stamping is a technique where you add a design/impression onto your surface by using a hot foil/press plate and heat-activated or thermal foil. It produces a beautiful non-dimensional metallic shine to your project. When you use a hot foil system, the heat comes from your heated platform, and the pressure comes from your die‑cutting machine. As the heated platform (and plate) pass through your machine, the pressure pushes the foil onto your material. This combination of heat and pressure transfers the design cleanly onto your surface.

What Will You Need for Hot Foil Stamping?

The list below are items that are considered to be essential for hot foiling. You will need the following if you are going to be foiling for cardmaking:

• Glimmer Hot Foil System
• Platinum 6 Die Cutting Machine/a compatible Die Cutting Machine
• Foil Plate or Press Plate
• Foil
• Cardstock
• Best Ever Craft Tape – this will hold your plate in place and stop it from shifting during the foiling process

Note: You can even foil with wafer-thin dies (0.88mm)! This gives a much more delicate result than foiling a plate, as only the thin cutting lines will get transferred. It’s beautiful! Not all wafer-thin dies will work, so you will need to experiment with this technique.

Other Useful Tools

A few other tools that you might find helpful when foiling are:

• Quick Trimmer - this is a great tool to use when you want to cut a specific size of foil, and it also helps to reduce foil wastage.
• Scissors - the 9” Pro Shears are excellent for cutting foil as well as cardstock.
• Handy Craft Tool Set - the nudger tool in this set can be helpful when moving your plates once they are sitting on the Glimmer Hot Foil System platform.
• Magnetic Pick-Up Tool - this tool does come with the newer Glimmer Hot Foil Systems, but you can also buy it separately if you have an older system.
• Craft knife – you can use this to help scrape off any overfoiling from your project.

Foil

You cannot hot foil without a roll of foil! So, Glimmer Hot Foil is essential, and there are plenty of stunning colours to choose from, whether you are a gold or silver lover or prefer to foil for example, with pink, purple, grey, black, or blue. You can achieve a tone-on-tone look by using Opal Foil on any colour cardstock. You can also get a tone-on-tone look when using a blue foil on a blue cardstock, for example. Any heat-activated or thermal foil will work with your Glimmer Hot Foil System. All colours of foils look lovely on white cardstock, but coloured foils look especially gorgeous on dark cardstock (black, navy, or dark grey) as the colours stand out beautifully. Toner foil or Minc foil will not work with the Glimmer Hot Foil System.

Cardstock

When you are talking about cardstock for Hot Foil Stamping, the consensus is the smoother the better. This will help you achieve the best results. Here are a few cardstocks to consider:

• ColorWheel Cardstock – this is 100lb and works very well for foiling. It is smooth on both sides.
• Glimmer Specialty Cardstock – this is a synthetic cardstock that weighs approximately 76lb. The extra smooth coating not only works perfectly for foiling but it is also excellent for mixed media, alcohol inks, etc.
• You can also experiment with other cardstocks in your stash, but always remember the smoother the cardstock, the better the result. 80lb and 100/110lb cardstocks work well for foiling. Embossed or textured cardstocks will not foil cleanly.

Hot Foiling On Other Materials

Hot foiling is not restricted to cardstock! You can foil onto heat-resistant acetate, vellum, and even ribbon/thin fabric and leather to name but a few materials. Glimmer Specialty Clear Film gives beautiful results when foiled. Keep in mind that you may need to add extra shims to aid the foiling process on some materials.

Foiling/Press Plates

A couple of things to note about foiling plates.

• Foiling plates are different to your dies. They do not have a cutting edge, just a raised design. They can look similar at first glance.
• You can use BetterPress plates for hot foiling. However, you cannot use your foiling plates for BetterPress techniques.

So, what types of plates can you get?

• Background/Cover Plates – these are typically rectangular and a little larger than American A2 size. They will transfer a design over your entire A2 panel (4.25” x 5.5”) of cardstock. Whether you want stars, flowers, script text, confetti or snowflakes, you are sure to find something that will work for your design.

• Image Plates – these can include anything from florals, foliage, and butterflies to splatters and flourishes. Many come with matching dies to allow greater flexibility in your cardmaking.
• Sentiment Plates – there are a couple of options for sentiment plates. You can buy sets that contain individual sentiments with coordinating dies. Or you can buy sets that have one plate containing many different sentiments, and just one die to cut them all out in one pass. Sentiment foiling plates come in many different sizes and fonts and cover a huge array of occasions.

• Alphabet/Number Plates – useful for when you want to customise your project for a particular person, event, or date.
• Frame Plates – these are often (but not limited to) floral and can add a beautiful, pretty frame around the outer edges of your project.
• Border Plates – useful for adding a design down one or more edges of your cardstock. You don’t have to use them on the edges; you could use them on the diagonal if you wish!

• Shaped Plates - these can be used as a smaller backdrop to a focal point – e.g., circular.
• Stripe/Line Plates – what’s not to love about adding foiled lines to your card design for a modern, contemporary look?
• Solid Rectangle Plate – this plate is primarily for the reverse foiling technique when used in conjunction with your leftover foil. You can also use your solid hot foil plate to create a solid foiled panel. Simply foil the entire plate onto your cardstock to make a full rectangle of foil, then die cut any shape you like from that panel. It’s an easy way to get decorative shimmery elements for your card.

Adding Colour to Your Foiled Images

So now that you have foiled your image, what do you want to do with it? You may want to leave it as is, without any colour, for a beautiful, clean, and simple design. Or would you like to add some colour? If so, you have a few choices.

• Layering Stencils

Layering stencils has become very popular in recent times. If layering stencils has been made to coordinate with your foiled image, then you can use them to add focused colouring with ink blending.

• Ink blending

As an alternative, you can ink blend a panel of cardstock and foil your image on top. You could also reverse that process and foil your image first and add your ink over the top. The foil will resist the ink, and it’s a quick and easy way to add colour!

• Alcohol Markers/Pencils

There are a few other ways to colour your foiled image. You can colour it with alcohol markers, pencils, or even Karin Brushmarker Pro markers. If you have the time for colouring a foiled image, it can produce stunning results.

Hot Foil Stamping Tips & Tricks

To get the best results with hot foil stamping, here are a few tried and tested tips and tricks.

• Use the correct cardstock. This can make all the difference to how successful your foiled image will be. You might find that if your cardstock is too thick, then you may get some overfoiling. Overfoiling is when you see tiny flecks of foil in areas outside of the plate design.
• To reduce the chances of overfoiling, trim your foil to size before foiling.
• If you do get some overfoiling, use a clean white eraser to rub off the excess. You can also try using a craft knife (as mentioned above in the tools section). You can even use a sand eraser, but be careful to avoid scratching your foiled design. The sand eraser works well for removing overfoiling that isn’t too close to your foiled design.
• Make sure your machine is fully heated up before attempting to foil.
• Run your platform slowly through your Platinum 6 Die Cutting Machine. This will ensure you get even pressure as it passes through. You can run it forwards and backwards if you wish.
• If you get some underfoiling, make sure your cardstock is not too thin and ensure you have the correct shims in place. You may need to add an additional paper shim to provide a bit of extra pressure. Be careful adding shims and do not force anything through your die cutting machine.
• Always use the magnetic pick-up tool to remove the plate from the heated platform. Included with your Platinum 6 Die Cutting Machine is a cooling mat. You can place your plate on this whilst it is cooling down.

Step-by-Step Foiling Process

Let’s run through how to foil using the Glimmer Hot Foil System.

1. Turn on your machine using the switch on the back of the docking station. All three lights on the left-hand side will flash immediately. You have a red power light, a green platform-ready light, and a green timer light. The two green lights will go off straight away and leave you with a static red power light.
2. Prepare your plate, foil, and cardstock whilst the machine heats up.

• Take your piece of cardstock and place your foil on top of it, pretty side up.
• Place your foil or press plate on top of the foil with the raised edge touching the pretty side of the foil. You will now see the back of the plate.
• Tape the plate in place using low-tack tape.

3. When the platform has heated up, the green platform ready light will come on.
4. Flip your prepared plate, foil, and cardstock over and place it onto the heated platform. The foiling plate is directly touching the heated platform.
5. Press the timer button, and it will start flashing.
6. Add your two shims on top. You have one thin green shim and a clear spacer pad. The thin green shim should be placed on top first with the clear spacer pad on top of that. NB: You don’t have to do this step now. This is a personal preference. You can add them just before you run the sandwich through your die-cutting machine.

7. Once the timer button stops flashing, remove the platform and run it slowly through your die-cutting machine. You need to leave the shims on (or add them on) for this part of the process.
8. Bring the sandwich back to your desk.
9. Remove the shims and then your cardstock. You can use the pick-up tool at this point if you need to.
10. Remove the low-tack tape, and peel back the foil to reveal your design!

11. If you want to continue foiling, pop your platform back into the docking station and wait for the platform-ready light to come on again.
12. If you have finished foiling, you can switch your machine off now.

Note: The Glimmer Hot Foil System has a safety mechanism that will automatically turn the machine off if it is inadvertently left on.

There are a few variations on the above foiling process depending on your preference. Some crafters don’t tape their plate to their cardstock, and they use a different technique to foil. You may see the following process and feel that this works best for you, especially if you are going to be die cutting your foiled image and you don’t need for it to be specifically located in a defined area of your cardstock panel. This can also work well for a foiled background panel.

1. Switch the machine on and wait for the platform ready light to come on.
2. Place your foiling plate down onto the heated platform (raised edges up).
3. Add your foil on top (pretty side down).
4. Place a panel of cardstock on top of the foil.
5. Press the timer button and wait for it to stop flashing.
6. Add your two shims. As mentioned previously, you can add them at this point or just before you run everything through your die-cutting machine.
7. Follow steps 7-12 as above.

So, there you go, a quick run-through of how to foil. There are many educational videos on the Spellbinders Blog if you prefer a visual run-through. I hope you’ve found this introduction to hot foil stamping helpful. As you step into the world of foiling, remember to be kind to yourself while you learn. It takes a little time to build confidence with the process, and that’s completely normal. Practice is everything. Experiment, play, and discover what feels natural to you. Once it clicks into place, you’ll wonder how you ever crafted without it! Next up in the series, we’ll be diving into all things Letterpress. We’ll walk you through each step of the process so you can feel confident, informed, and ready to begin your own letterpress journey. In the meantime, thank you for being here!

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Hello, crafty friend! I’m Adrienne Boese, better known online as Alice Scraps Wonderland. Today I’m sharing how to create an easy, but beautiful, scrapbook layout using the Spellbinders Rosie’s Jubilee collection. You won’t need any specialized tools to create this easy layout, other than your basic paper trimmer, scissors and adhesives—making it perfect for scrapbooking beginners who don’t have all the fancy tools yet, or pros who just want an easy and quick layout! We’ll be making use of paper layering techniques to create beautiful, organic embellishment clusters that feel more contained thanks to that grid layout. I’ll be scrapbooking one photo on this page, but you are more than welcome to replace one or two more of the embellishment clusters with photos. And if you have memorabilia from a trip that you want to include, you can add those into the embellishment clusters too! My one big tip for creating layered embellishment clusters is that size matters. You always want to have a larger ephemera piece or several medium-sized ones that anchor your embellishment cluster as the bottom layers. Then you can layer smaller elements on top of and around this. Foam adhesive will be your best friend during this layering process. Let’s get started.

Step-by-Step Process for a Grided Embellishment Cluster Scrapbook Page

• Select one of Rosie’s Jubilee 12x12 Designer Paper Pack papers for a background paper and trim it down by 1/8 of an inch on each side using a paper trimmer.

TIP: I recommend choosing a simple and less busy pattern for this background paper, so that the smaller squares of patterned paper that create the grid pop and don’t get lost in a jungle of patterns.

• Rough up the edges of this paper with your scissors by dragging one of the blades back and forth along the edge of the paper. Make sure to be careful and not to cut a finger!
• Adhere this patterned paper to a piece of 12x12 solid cardstock (I chose white, but you can use any color that coordinates with this collection) using roller adhesive, keeping the adhesive away from the very edge of the patterned paper.
• Distress the edges of the patterned paper even more by using your fingers to gently push on the edges, dog-earing the corners, and/or tearing little bits and folding the torn edges. This will create a lovely distressed look.
• Trim your photo down to 3 ¾ inches square.
• Trim another piece of cardstock to 3 7/8 inches square. (I used white here, but you can use any color you like that makes your photo pop!)
• Matte the photo onto the white cardstock square using roller adhesive.

• Start creating the 4 blocks of patterned paper with the Jubilee 6x6 Designer Paper Pack. Take 4 sheets and trim them to 4 ½ inches square.
• Take another 4 sheets from the 6x6 pad and trim them to 4 ¼ inches square.
• Rough up the edges on all 8 sheets of these papers with your scissors, like you did for the large background paper.
• Distress the edges of these 8 sheets further with your fingers, like you did for the large background paper.
• Then adhere a 4 ¼ inch square on top of a 4 ½ inch square paper with roller adhesive. Be sure to keep the adhesive in the center of the paper, so that you can layer ephemera between the layers of papers later.
• Adhere the photo to one of these layered paper squares using foam adhesive.

TIP: I recommend using thinner foam adhesive, such as 1millimeter and 2 millimeter thick foam. This will allow your page to have dimension, without being so thick that it takes up a ton of room in a scrapbook album.

• Adhere the layered paper square with the photo to one corner of your background page using more foam adhesive. Just use a little bit of adhesive on the center of the back of the papers, so you can layer ephemera under and in between the layers later if you like.
• Then adhere another layered paper square diagonally from the photo with foam adhesive. (For example, if you place the photo in the top right, then the layered square of papers in the bottom left should also be adhered with foam.)
• Adhere the other two squares using roller adhesive to the final two corners of your scrapbook page. Remember to use only a bit of adhesive in the center so you can add layers of ephemera under and in between the papers later if you wish.

• Add some of the Jubilee Diecut Cardstock Ephemera around the photo, layering it both under/in between the layered papers and on top of the photo to create an embellishment cluster around your photo. Use both roller and foam adhesive to attach the ephemera.
• Place a sticker from the Jubilee Sticker Book on your photo cluster.
• Add a Jubilee Chipboard Embellishment to your photo cluster as well.

• On the paper square across from your photo, add a larger piece of the Diecut Ephemera (like the postcard) with some foam adhesive.
• Take one of the larger tags in the Jubilee Diecut Ephemera pack and cut it in half with your scissors.

• Using roller adhesive, adhere the top of the tag above the postcard, layering the cut edge just under the postcard. Then do the same with the bottom of the tag, layering it below the postcard, hiding the cut edge. This will make the tag appear longer than it is.
• Take one of the frames from the Jubilee Chipboard Embellishments and put a little foam adhesive onto the back of it—this will add more dimension to your layers. Use a minimal amount of foam adhesive so you can layer ephemera under the frame later.
• Then place the chipboard frame onto your embellishment cluster with the tag.

• Add more of the Diecut Ephemera and some of the Diecut Sentiments to your embellishment cluster using both roller and foam adhesive. Be sure to layer it on top of and below the chipboard frame to create an organic layered look.
• Add a sticker or stickers from the Sticker Book to this embellishment cluster as well. If you used the postcard ephemera piece, I recommend adding one of the postage stamp stickers to it!

TIP: You can shape banner sentiments and leaf sprigs with your fingers to make them more life-like. Simply hold the ephemera between two fingers and pull it through, using your fingers to curve the ephemera up or down (much like curling a ribbon with scissors when wrapping gifts).

• Move to the layered paper cluster diagonal from the one you just worked on and add some of the larger Diecut Ephemera to the square using roller and foam adhesive. I chose some large and medium-sized tickets, tags, and floral sprigs.
• Add a frame from the Chipboard Embellishments set over the top of the ephemera, using a bit of foam adhesive to pop it up more.

• Add more of the Diecut Ephemera and a Diecut Sentiment under and on top of the chipboard frame using foam and roller adhesive. You can shape any banner or leaf sprigs with your fingers.
• Add some stickers from the Sticker Book, like sentiments or a tiny binder clip.

TIP: If you want to shape long sentiment stickers with a little curl to one end of it, brush some cornstarch on the back of the portion you don’t want to “stick” to the paper. The cornstarch will get rid of the stickiness. Then curl that end with your finger and add the sticker. If you accidentally get too much cornstarch on the back and it won’t stick where you need it to, just use a small dot of liquid adhesive to help you adhere your sticker.

• Move to the final square and add some larger Diecut Ephemera using foam and roller adhesive, like some flowers, a frame, and the camera.
• Choose one of the large script Diecut Sentiments and add it to the top of this embellishment cluster with foam adhesive.
• Add a Chipboard Embellishment sentiment sticker to this embellishment cluster.
• Look over your page—if you feel like you are missing anything in any of the embellishment clusters, add some ephemera or stickers from the Sticker Book or Chipboard Embellishments to fill in those spaces that feel bare.

• Take a bow or butterfly from the Jubilee Butterfly & Bow Embellishments and add a small piece of foam adhesive to the center back.
• Then using a small paintbrush, brush some cornstarch onto the back of the rest of the sticker.

• Add your butterfly or bow to the embellishment cluster with the large script sentiment.

• Add some of the small confetti dots from the Jubilee Puffy Stickers all over your layout. Odd-numbered groupings look pleasing to the eye, so add 3 dots on and around each embellishment cluster.
• If you want to add any handwritten journaling, you can add it to one of the many pieces of ephemera, or write it on some cardstock and trim it down with your paper trimmer, then add it to your layout with roller or foam adhesive.

TIP: Using an awl or paper piercer tool is handy for picking up and helping place little stickers, like these puffy dots or the small Chipboard or Sticker Book stickers.

I hope you enjoyed this tutorial. Creating embellishment clusters in a grid format makes layering easy and accessible, especially when you don’t need specialized tools. The gridded layered papers are pleasing for those who love structure, while the embellishment clusters on top of the papers can be organic and fun! If you are visual like me, play with your embellishments before adhering them, testing out different pieces and shapes to see what you love most. This type of layout should be all about play and experimentation, so have some fun with it! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram and to check out my blog for another easy scrapbook layout idea using Rosie’s Jubilee collection. Until next time, happy crafting! Adrienne [spellbinders-supplies]168869,168868,168871,168874,168870,168875,168873,168876,CSA-042[/spellbinders-supplies]

Other Supplies

Foam adhesive (1-2mm thick), roller adhesive (dotted and/or permanent), liquid adhesive, scissors, paper trimmer, small paintbrush, cornstarch, awl/paper piercer tool

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