DENIM KITE EMBELLISHMENTS

Step 1

Cut a piece of denim to the size you would like. I cut a rectangle to accommodate my diamond-shaped kite. Fold your material in half, then draw an elongated diamond shape on the back and cut it out with sharp scissors. You may like to fray the edges of your kite for a different feel.

Step 2

Take your kite shape to the sewing machine and stitch along the middle of the kite from corner to corner, then turn it and stitch from corner to corner again. If you do not have a sewing machine, use some embroidery thread in a contrasting colour that coordinates with your layout. Glue your kite into position.

Step 3

To create the tail, I usually use coloured baker’s twine cut to the desired length. To get the smooth curled look to the twine, add a couple of drops of tacky glue to the end of the twine and use your fingers to run it along the length. Wait a minute or so until it becomes a bit tackier, then lay the twine down on your project in the desired position. You can use staples to hold it in place if you prefer.

DENIM PINWHEEL

Step 1

Cut a square of the desired size out of your denim. Fold it in half diagonally to form a triangle, then cut a slit from the open corner of the triangle to just before the folded edge. Unfold the square and repeat this on the other diagonal. Unfold it again and lay it flat.

Step 2

Pick up one corner then fold it into the middle of the square, and secure it with a small drop of tacky glue. Repeat this for the other three corners, making sure you choose the same corner to complete the pinwheel shape.

Step 3

Once your pinwheel is complete, choose a big bold button and sew it to the centre of your pinwheel with some coordinating embroidery thread. Now your pinwheel is complete and you can add it to the project of your choice.

EMBOSSING THE CIRCLE    

Step 1

Place your cardstock or patterned paper onto a cork mat, or a flipped over mouse pad, with the good side (the side you want to see on your layout) facing down. Using a shape template and your paper-piercing tool, prick holes around the circle approximately 3mm apart.

Step 2

Remove the cork mat and keep the paper facing down. Open your embossing folder and slide it underneath your paper. Remember, you want to use the side that has the divots in the pattern, not the bumps. If you are working close enough to the edge of your paper you can fold the top of your folder over and press gently within the circle to reveal some of the pattern making it easier to hand emboss.

Step 3

Using the small ball end of an embossing tool, gently press into your paper to create the embossed pattern. You may need to gently roll the toll a little to get into every groove. Ideally this technique is done over a light box or up against a window as it takes away the guess work in finding the embossing pattern through your cardstock or paper.

EMBOSSING DIFFERENT MEDIUMS

Vellum

Vellum is making a bit of a revival these days and is perfect for hand-embossing as you can see through it easily. Here I have pierced the flower shape and added a hint of colour with chalk before embossing so the dots appear white through the colour.

Metal

Silver, copper, gold metal or even aluminium foil can be hand-embossed to achieve a polished effect. Although it is almost impossible to use on an embossing folder with fine details, it’s quite easy to create your own patterns without a folder. Here I pierced the pattern into the foil then, using a ruler and a cork mat, I ran my embossing tool along the ruler to create a straight line pattern across the flower. I then turned the flower over and gently pressed along either side of the ruled line to make the metal sit perfectly flat.

Acetate

I use so much acetate in my projects as I love the effect it creates. Embossing is just another way of giving it a purpose. Transparencies are the easiest to emboss as they are quite thin. Although, I do prefer the thicker acetate as it holds its shape, especially with flowers or butterflies when you want the petals and wings to stand up. I’ve coloured my flower on the reverse side using a marker and then smooched it across the cardstock to give a slight pattern.