Paper Craft Planet Introduces New Dreamweaver Stencil's Thursday Tutorials!

Welcome to the first week of Paper Craft Planet's new "Dreamweaver Thursday Tutorials"! Each week one of our Supernovas, or a guest designer from Dreamweaver Stencils, will share with you tips & techniques for working with stencils in your paper-crafting. Plus, each week Dreamweaver Stencilsis offering one stencil of your choice to one lucky commenter. There is one requirement which will be shared at the end of this post.

This week's tutorial covers the absolute basic, most simple way to use Dreamweaver Stencils...machine embossing. If you've been a paper-crafter for many years, you probably remember the days of using a light box to emboss your stencil designs by hand. This is still a great option, but...now we live in fabulous times where there are machines to do this for us! Our favorite die cutting/embossing machines are perfect for this technique, with a few tips:

Step #1: Choose your favorite Dreamweaver Stencils' designs (DW stencils are made of high quality brass and steel, with a thickness perfect to use with the machines.) Below are the Quatrafoil background, the Blossom, and the Cherry Blossom Shapestencil.

Step #2: Place the stencil (name and number side down) on your base plate. Place cardstock face down on top of stencil (you can add a bit of tape to hold in place).

Step #3: Spritz the back of the cardstock with rubbing alcohol. This softens the fibers of the paper for a deeper emboss. You can use water, but it tends to leave spots and cause tearing.

Step #4: Place rubber embossing mat over cardstock layer. Place TWO clear acrylic plates on top. Yes, two on top, none underneath. The machines recommend that you have one under it all and one on top. Dreamweaver Stencils recommends that you place both plates on top to protect your stencil from the roller. If your plates are warped from die cutting, DO NOT USE WITH STENCILS! Your stencils would become warped as well. Suggestions: keep one set for your stencils, and one set for die cutting.

Step #5: Run "sandwich" through machine, being careful that no edges of stencil hit the sides of machine. If stencil has specific lines in one direction (like the Stripesstencil), make sure those lines go with the movement, not against. See how fabulously the stencil design embosses?

Step #6: Follow the same process with each stencil, including the beautiful shaped designs like the Blossom and the Cherry Blossom Shape. There will be occasions where you will want to use the debossed side instead of the embossed side.

Step #7: Once you have embossed all pieces, you can create your final card as seen at top!

Bonus tips:

1) This technique can be used with the Big Shot, Big Shot Pro, Cuttlebug, Tim Holtz' Vagabond, Spellbinders' Wizard, and Grand Caliber machines. The plates used may vary depending on machine. Follow manufacturer's directions with the exception of having the two plates on top where possible. Never force through the machine.

2) All papers, cardstock, acetate, aluminum, and thin chipboard can be embossed with the Dreamweaver Stencils. For added fun, experiment with Co'ordinations' cardstock by embossing and sanding the surface to reveal the gorgeous designs. Similarly, run Dreamweaver Stencils' Mercart Colored Aluminumthrough to emboss, followed by sanding the color from the embossed surface.

Please come back again next Thursday for a tutorial by Cyndi Bundy, one of the Dreamweaver Stencils' Dream Team.

Be sure to leave a comment here with the stencil design you would like to win from this site: Stencil With Style, for your opportunity to win this week's stencil prize to be announced on next week's post. For a bonus opportunity, go to the Dreamweaver Stencils' Facebook Page, "LIKE" them, and leave a comment on which stencil you'd like on the linked post from the Paper Craft Planet blog.