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  • Faux Brad Tutorial

    Posted on by Julie 20 Comments

    I frequently make faux brads for my cards. Apart from liking the way they look, I find they go through the mail easier, don’t add a lot of weight and I don’t have the prongs to worry about. I hate it when they stick out or won’t allow the layers to lay flat. They can also be made to match by using the same card stock or designers paper used for the project. Usually I stick to 1/4″ but really, the size is only dependent upon the size of hole or circle punch you use.

    In my quest to find an easy, consistent way to achieve the distinct rounded shape of a brad, I came up with a little brad jig. I’ve tried a lot of different objects, but this seems to work the best. I made this new one for the tutorial as my old one was made from a cereal box and had a lot of colors and words on it. After I finished this, I went back and added some other sizes using my Japanese screw punch.

    Before I show you how to make the faux brad, I need to show you how to make the Faux Brad Jig. It’s made from a piece of card board from a box. This is how it looks. (Click on any picture to enlarge)

    Faux Brad Jig

     

    Step 1

     

    Step 1: Cut a piece of card board and score where directed. I made my piece a little wider than I need for this, but I added more sizes next to it.

     

    Step 2

     

    Step 2: Use the punch to create a 1/4″ hole  halfway between bottom edge and first fold, as indicated.

     

    Steps 3 & 4

     

    Steps 3 & 4: Fold the punched layer over the next layer. Line up your punch over the punched hole so that you punch through the next layer in the same spot. (Turn your punch over to see the hole.) Repeat this step on the 3rd layer. Leave the 4th layer unpunched.  Your Faux Brad Jig should look like the first picture. If you made your jig this size, you will have room to add more sizes, if you wish.

     

    Supplies for Faux Brads

     

    To make the Faux Brads, you’ll need your Faux Brad Jig, 1/4″ hole punch, card stock, scrap card  board, glue, stylus (I use the two shown: the blue one is by Fiskars and the large rolling ball silver one says Chatterbox on the side. I put some of those squishy grips for pencils on them to make them a little more comfortable to handle.)

     

    Rounding the punched circle

     

    First, punch a circle out of card stock. Fold up your jig completely and place the circle inside the hole. I use the largest round end of the silver rolling ball stylus to push the circle into the three layer deep hole. This will slightly round the edges of the circle.

     

    Further rounding of Faux Brad

     

    You can see in the left photo, the Faux Brad is starting to take shape. Here, I switch to the smaller stylus, but I only use the largest end. I rotate the stylus inside the Faux Brad, concentrating on pushing the edges against the sides for maximum rounding.

     

    Faux Brad with card board insert

     

    Make another brad shape out of a scrap of card board. You can use the same hole punch, but I usually use a size smaller to make sure it fits snugly inside the Faux Brad. You will need to round the card board circle before using a small amount of glue to attach it inside your Faux Brad.

     

    Finishing Touch

     

    As a finishing touch, I place a piece of wax paper on the last (unpunched) fold of my Jig, place the Faux Brad back into the Jig and use the smaller stylus to ensure that the brad and the card board are firmly glued together. The wax paper keeps any excess glue from sticking to my Jig and it also adds a nice little shine to the brad by “waxing” it.

     

    Comparison

     

    I hope you’ve enjoyed my Faux Brad Tutorial and I hope you’ll give it a try.

    Thanks so much for stopping by! Your comments are always read and much appreciated!

     

     

    To see examples of cards using these Faux Brads, click HERE. A list will come up and you can click on any to see the card.

     


    This entry was posted in Tutorials and tagged

  • Out of the Box Nestie Tutorial

    Posted on by Julie 84 Comments

    This tutorial came about after an ongoing discussion with Roxie at SCS about our methods of doing the Out of the Box Nestie Technique. We each were using this technique, we just went about it differently.  (6/23/10 Edited to add: Roxie now has a blog and here is her version of this technique.)  I promised I would take some pictures to show my method.

    (Click on any image to enlarge.)

     

    Julie Warner - justwritedesigns https://thewritestuff.justwritedesigns.com/
    Step 1

     

    For Step 1, I stamped my image(s) and selected the Nestie shapes I might want to use. I selected the sizes of the circle and rectangle that were slightly smaller than my image in order to get the Out of the Box look I want. Usually, I just cut this frame out of white copy paper, but I’m using a light blue in order to be more visible here. The only reason I use a cut template and not the actual die is because of the 1/8″ difference in size. The inside of the die will be 1/8″ further into your image than the template. Most of the time this won’t matter, but on some of the more intricate ones I’ve done, it did make a difference.

    Julie Warner - justwritedesigns https://thewritestuff.justwritedesigns.com/
    Step 2

     

    Julie Warner - justwritedesigns https://thewritestuff.justwritedesigns.com/
    Penciled Frame

    For Step 2, place the frame around the image and lightly trace the frame with a pencil.

    Julie Warner - justwritedesigns https://thewritestuff.justwritedesigns.com/
    Step 3

    In Step 3, I use a craft knife to cut the areas which will be Out of the Box. In order to insert the Nestie die under this area, I have to start the cut inside the circle. I cut very close to the image outline and continue around the image to other side.

    Julie Warner - justwritedesigns https://thewritestuff.justwritedesigns.com/
    Top Cut

    The Out of the Box area is cut. Note that the very top is just a rough cut for now. I don’t want it to be too unstable when I insert the Nestie die. I will go back and finish trimming this area with detail scissors after I’ve cut and embossed the Nestie circle.

    Julie Warner - justwritedesigns https://thewritestuff.justwritedesigns.com/
    Step 4

    In Step 4, I insert the die under the Out of the Box area I’ve cut out. With the die under this area, it will not be cut or embossed. Test fit your die before cutting to make sure you have cut your image deep enough to allow the die to be inserted on your pencil lines.

    Julie Warner - justwritedesigns https://thewritestuff.justwritedesigns.com/
    After cutting & embossing

    Now I will remove the die and finishing trimming the top area.

    Julie Warner - justwritedesigns https://thewritestuff.justwritedesigns.com/
    After top is trimmed

    My Out of the Box is ready for coloring. It doesn’t really matter if you color your image before or after. I have done it both ways. With this method, it has worked the first time for me and I haven’t had to do it over. If my Out of the Box area has a lot of cutting inside the shape, I will usually add a little scotch tape to the back after it’s cut and embossed. This just stabilizes the area and really makes the cut disappear.

    Julie Warner - justwritedesigns https://thewritestuff.justwritedesigns.com/
    Detail scissors

    I’m including this picture to show you my detail scissors. Quite a few people have commented on my detail cutting so I wanted to include this. The little orange pair of scissors have small, curved blades. You can see they are only about 4″ in length but the small curved tips make cutting a breeze. I’ve done a lot of decoupage and these scissors are invaluable. Fiskars made these, but cuticle scissors work, too. Another trick is to remember to turn the paper, not the scissors, when you are cutting.

    Julie Warner - justwritedesigns https://thewritestuff.justwritedesigns.com/

    All done! This was colored with Prismacolor Pencils and OMS (odorless mineral spirits, aka Gamsol).

    Thanks for looking and I hope you try this fun technique. Here’s the finished card I made with this fun image.

     

    Julie Warner - justwritedesigns https://thewritestuff.justwritedesigns.com/

    Julie2 sig

     


    This entry was posted in Distressing Impression Obsession Prismacolor Pencils Spellbinders Nestabilities Splitcoast Challenges Studio G Tutorials and tagged

  • Mosaic Tutorial

    Posted on by Julie 7 Comments

    Supplies Needed: (click on any image to enlarge)

    1. Sticker Paper
    2. Various Scraps
    3. Black Embossing Powder
    4. Brayer
    5. Heat Gun
    6. Black Marker (Galaxy Deep Space Black or Permopaque Black)
    Supplies Needed

    Step 1.
    Pick some scraps. I usually use 3 or 4 color groups. Here, I selected some blues, turquoise, and an orchid color for contrast. Scraps that are stamped and/or embossed will work well, too. With scissors, cut some of each color you plan to use. Vary the sizes and angles slightly. I try to leave 2 sides fairly square so they fit around the edges.

    Step 1.
    Step 1.

    Step 2:
    Cut your sticker paper to the size you want. For my example, my sticker sheet measures 3.25″ x 4.25″. I precut to this size because I want to leave a border around the edge of my sticker paper.
    I put a little removable adhesive on the back side of my sticker paper to hold it still while I am working with it. Peel the release sheet off the sticky side of your sticker paper. Start placing your cut mosaic pieces. I start in one corner and work across. Vary the pieces and colors.

    Step 2.

    Note that one piece is hanging over the border. When a piece does not fit correctly, use your scissors to trim it before pressing it down. (Step 2a)

    Step 2a
    Step 2a

    Step 3:
    Finish arranging your pieces. I find it easier to place my pieces on the sticker paper if I use a pair of needle nose pliers. Note the border around my pieces. You do not have to have this border.

    Step 4:
    Place the release paper over your mosaic. Using the brayer, roll over the release paper covered mosaic. This will help to secure the pieces to your sticker paper.

    Step 4
    Step 4

    Step 5:
    Coat your piece with the embossing powder. For my example, I am using detail black powder. Gently tap off excess. Place the release paper over the piece again and repeat the pressing with your brayer. This will help the embossing powder to cover the exposed areas of the sticker paper (“grout lines”).

    Step 5
    Step 5


    Step 6:
    Melt the embossing powder with your heat gun. Note that when using black embossing powder, tiny areas of the white may show through. This is not noticeable with other colors of embossing powder. If you look closely, you can see this, especially around the outer border.

    Step 6
    Step 6

    Step 7:
    Since I am using the black powder, I go over the “grout lines” with a permanent black marker. After testing a number of these, I found that the Galaxy or the Permopaque work the best and do not dull the shine of the embossing powder.

    Step 7
    Step 7
    Finished Mosaic Sheet
    Finished Mosaic Sheet
    Finished card using the mosaic example.
    Finished card using the mosaic example.

    Other Supplies used for this card:
    Spellbinders Nestabilities: Flower set, oval and scalloped oval sets
    Hole punches in 2 sizes
    Sentiment image: Studio G

    Julie2 sig


    This entry was posted in Embossing/Dry or Heat Mosaic/Faux Mosaic Spellbinders Nestabilities Studio G Tutorials and tagged