Selective Embossing

Happy Thursday! How is everyone doing? Hope all is well, wherever you may be...we are surviving the heat wave here in Nashville, Tennessee! I have given up working on "outside" projects...and that has given me a bit more time in the studio -- no complaints there! *smile*

Wanted to share a new technique with you that I used to create this Cheeky Nurse card. As most of you know, Dad has been in the hospital since the end of February battling Leukemia. He is finished with Chemo and doing well...in fact, he is now at a Rehab Center working on regaining his strength. We are so blessed that he was not only able to withstand the chemo - but is doing so well. He had great care from all the nursing staff...and many of them have become like family in the process....so before he left the hospital to go to rehab, I wanted to send them a Thank You for all the care they had given him....and this Cheeky Nurse seemed to be just perfect.

I wanted the nurse to be the focal point of the card...so I decided on doing just a simple medallion or label of some sort as her background. I cut out the label with a Spellbinder Die from 120 lb white cardstock. And then I had a little idea....and decided to see if it would work. I knew that I could run the whole diecut piece through an embossing folder - but I really only wanted to emboss the INSIDE part of the die....and then ink it. So I opened up the embossing folder....and put the diecut - still inside the die - face down (meaning the cutting edge of the die was pointed UP...this is REALLY IMPORTANT). I put a tan embossing mat on top of the cutting edge and DID NOT close the embossing folder. You don't want to put the cutting edge down against your embossing folder or plate as it will cut a groove in your folder and you won't be able to use it again....so just be certain that your cutting edge is UP! Use your regular sandwich for embossing and run it through your machine. Viola! Your die will be embossed on the inside but have that nice smooth unembossed edge framing it! To make it stand out even more, I used some distress inks and inked up the the embossed part....and OF COURSE, added some Rock Candy Stickles to give just a bit more SHINE! (yeah I know - I am ALL about the SHINE!).

I think she not only looks Cheeky.....she looks a bit Sassy!

I will work on a Tutorial Video for this technique if you are interested...just let me know!