Simply Squared

For my latest Visible Image Design Team post, I had free-rein so decided to revisit another way to use stencils that I’ve not used for a long time.  I like being able to stretch my stash and being able to dry-emboss a stencil gives a whole new look.

To emboss a stencil requires an additional bit of kit – check your machine’s accessories.  I’ve got a Sizzix Big Shot and I used an Impressions mat together with a silicone rubber mat in the following configuration:

impressions mat – silicone mat – card – stencil – cutting plate

I flipped it over so the cutting plate was on the bottom and ran it through the Big Shot.

Here’s a close-up of the embossed panel using Squared stencil.  It’s not deeply embossed but it's definitely textured.

Next, I trimmed a bunch of squares of white card in various sizes and stamped the focal images onto them, clear heat-embossed and coloured with alcohol markers.  The images are from Little Ladybirds, Bee Happy, Antisocial Butterfly and Birthday in Bloom.

Rather than use black mats for this pretty floral card, I backed all the panels with some lovely bright green card.  I cut the large one ⅛” larger than the embossed panel and the smaller ones 1/16^th” larger than the squares.

After much deliberation over arrangement of the squares, they were fixed in place using foam tape.  I thought that a sentiment would ruin the design so I’ll stamp a sentiment on the inside instead.