Punch Pals

So many projects... so little brain cells.
I made these Punch Pals (and a few others a while ago and captured them to share) But after searching through my blog, I couldn't find them. Makes me wonder how much else I thought I had posted and didn't.

So, I saw these great punch pal projects on SCS months ago. The Scallop Punch is a great way to make all kinds of characters, from Oscar to Elmo. Anything that has that fluffy circle works great.

On the other hand, smoother critters work better with the Circle and Oval punches. The masks are made with the Word Window punch. One for the mask and a second for the ties.Depending on the effect you want, there are different options for eyes. The 1/4 circle punch makes fun eyes without the dimension of the googly eyes (which I love)

Patrick was a big TMNT fan as a kid and making all the turtles was a must. I made these for our Smithsonian Scrapbook where I have Patrick with an original TMNT.

My Swaps

When I saw the new Ocean Commotion, I knew it was my first "Must Have"

For this card, I used the Curly Label Movers and Shapers on Whisper White. I stamped the Swirly Kelp in Baja Breeze first. I then used the Swirly SU Texturz to emboss just the front. I used Pacific Point to stamp the animals to make them stand out. The Seahorse stands out even more with a couple dimensionals. With a final touch of Pacific Point ribbon, it all comes together.

A tip for embossing just the front:
The Silicon pad has a tendency to slide while running through the Big Shot. Run the back of the card through first so that if the pad slides, it does not emboss any other paper. I found the easiest way was to use the seam line to line everything up: the fold of the card, the edge of the silicon pad, and of course the textured pattern.

How to emboss card fronts

There has been some discussion on SCS about how to emboss just the fronts.
So here is how I made my cards and projects.

First off, I used the Movers and Shapers Curly Label die to make my cards. These dies are so cool. I sure hope SU and Sizzix come out with many more. You can put the put anywhere you want and it is held in place magnetically. It doesn't more so you can make many cuts all consistently. The Curly Label punch also coordinates with this die.

In this case, I ran a 12 x 5 piece of Real Red through the Big Shot on the Movers and Shapers die.

To emboss the front:
Line up the score line on the card (made by the Movers and Shapers) with the edge of the Texture embossing plate. Because the Silicon pad has a tendency to slide, always run the back side (or whatever is not being embossed at this time) through first. As you can see, it is already in the Big Shot. Remember which side is the front of your card. The front of the card needs to be down to raise the image.

To be sure that everything is correctly embossed, use the edge of the Embossing plate to line up the Silicone pad. By lining up everything on the edge line, it is quick, easy, and accurate.

The front is now embossed. This can be used for a card. Or, the back can also be run through to create a gift bag like the Valentine treat below.

Valentine's treats

I love my new Big Shot toys!
I tried something new with the Movers and Shapers die. After cutting it out,I ran both sides through with the Texture Plates. One is with the Damask and the other with Paisley. Line up the edge of the silicon pad with the score line, so there isn't any card missed on embossing or doubling of embossing.
Instead of just folding in half to make a card, I folded the score and also folded again 1 in forward (on the front side- so don't cut the window too close to the score line)

I then folded over 1 inch of the back of the card, so it would overlap to the front of the card.
Then, I took the Scallop Punch and trimmed along the fold over edge.
Inside, I placed a medium sized Cello Bag full of goodies (Dark Dove-YUM!) and then sealed the top shut.
All it needs is to add a little accent, like a stamped image from the Love You Much set. And done.
Although, I am wondering if a touch of taffeta ribbon might look nice? Time to go try!

Embossing vellum

I love embossing on the Big Shot. It is so fast and easy.
Embossing on vellum can be a bit of a challenge though. Vellum is thin and delicate. Do not add any extra shims, or you may cut right through. I used some of these vellum bits on some of my cards (below)

New Big Shot toys ROCK!

With the new catalog came some new products I was not too sure of. The Movers and Shapers were interesting, but I wasn't sure of the value at first. I read some mixed reviews on the Sizzix Texturz plates. Some people loved them, but others thought they didn't emboss deep enough. I decided to buy them and make my own decision.
And the vote is in!

I have been merrily experimenting with embossing. I think it gives a great effect on card stock. Although some recommend misting it to get a greater depth of impression, I am happy with the results without. I did add a paper shim with the thicker card stock (never add a shim with the vellum paper, or you'll cut right through).
These first two cards are Riding Hood Red with Vellum Paper textured. I love the little Polka Dots! And the Paisley seems to go so well with the Love You Much heart.

The second pair of cards use the SU Curly Label Movers and Shapers. I ran the Real Red card stock through the Big Shot with the die to cut out the card. I then embossed just the front of the card with the Swirls texture plate. Stamping and punching the Curly Label sets fit just right inside the window.
On the bird card, I embossed the Vellum.
And don't forget a touch of ribbon and Silver Hodge Podge!