This week I will be using the Everyday Arches Bundle. The dies alone were enough to entice me to purchase this OnLive Exclusive, but the sentiments that fit in the arches sealed the deal.
Today's card uses a very old technique that I call Dry Embossing with a Shim. It's not a very enticing name but it was the most descriptive I could come up with.
We used this technique in the "olden" days when I first started stamping. As I recall, embossing folders came into being before we started having the huge variety of dies that we have today. We used this technique to create a "flat" spot in the middle of an embossed piece of cardstock.
Today, we usually just put a die cut on top of the embossed cardstock layer so we have a flat surface for our stamped images or sentiments. The drawback to using an additional die cut is that you add another layer to your card, and all those extra layers add up to more postage.
If you are not familiar with how to do this technique watch my Learning with Friends video where I show you.
I hesitated about even making this video because the technique was so old. However after sharing it I was really surprised by the number of people that told me they had never heard of the technique before. I guess there is some truth to the saying, "what's old becomes new again". Kind of like hip hugger and bell bottom pants!
Today's card has an arched flat shape in the center of the Eyelet 3D embossed layer. To create my "Arch of Sunshine", I used a mask made with one of the Everyday Arches dies to mask the Basic White cardstock layer before I embossed it. Then I used Blending brushes to create my sky.
After I completed by sky, I then made a shim using the same arch die and embossed the Basic White cardstock with the Shim Technique. The sentiment and hot air ballons were added after embossing.
For all the details on how to make this card you can download a FREE tutorial at this link. It includes Step by Step directions, all the dimensions you need and a list of the products used. The tutorial also includes all the written directions and some additional hints for the Dry Embossing with Shim Technique. There is also a link to the video so you will always be able to easily find it.
For the inside of my card, I used the mask again to create another pretty sky and then stamped some more hot air balloons. There is plenty of room to write your message in the sky!
Listed below are the supplies that I used for the card. You can click on any image to get additional information or easily make a purchase.
