[Tutorial] Dimensional adhesive and Brass Stencils

Happy Monday and 1st of July!  We are halfway through Year 2013.

Do you like texture and dimension?  I do.  I love doing dry embossing either with my Vintaj sizzix bigkick or manually using  a lightbox and an embossing pen.  Few years ago, I went to the CHA where I learned about using dimensional adhesive and stencils.  I bought the adhesive and a couple of brass stencils but rarely used it until recently.

Here's a quick tutorial on how to do it.

Tools and Materials:

     Brass stencil

     Dimensional adhesive (i used Tessler dimensional elements clear embossing gel)

     Chalks

     Paper

     Painter's tape

     Spatula

     Warm soapy water in a bowl

Instructions:

1.  Clean your brass stencil with soap and water or alcohol.  Dry completely, lay it on the paper and secure all sides with painters tape.  I just used a little because I'm stingy, lol.
3.  Color the open spaces using chalks and a cotton applicator or small brush.  Put a manageable amount of the paste on one end of the stencil.
4.  Hold the spatula on an angle and in one sweeping motion, spread it across the design.
5.  Check for missed areas and apply adhesive if necessary.
6.  Gently lift the brass plate by removing the tape on 3 sides first and the top tape last.  Dunk the brass stencil and spatula in a bowl of warm soapy water and rinse thoroughly.
7.  Allow to dry.  It took the design above about 10-15 minutes to dry.

I like how the design turned out.

You can use these for your handmade cards - I made bookmarks that I gave to the group of seniors  citizens at church to put in their Bible.  Adhere the embossed design on a piece of colored cardstock, punch a hole in the center, add a ribbon and done!

dry embossing and Tessler dimensional elements

Stencils allow you to be creative with your color pattern and it's exciting to see the whole picture once the stencil is lifted.  It goes really well with floral designs too - yup, that's me!

May your day be filled with blooms!

♥  michelle  ♥