Foiled Flowers using GoPress & Foil

This is a video tutorial showing how to make these two tone foiled flowers.  I've used a Spellbinders layered poinsettia die set, and foiled using the back of the cutting die. 

• You'll need a Couture Creations GoPress and Foil machine
• Thin metal shim (0.3mm with a card shim or 0.6mm)
• Foil card stock, or white, smooth water colour card.
• Hot Stamping Foil, Couture Creations or similar.
• Low tack masking tape - I use FrogTape Delicate Surface tape.

This is NOT a beginners tutorial, it assumes you've had some practice using your GoPress & Foil and are familiar with how the pressure feels when using your GoPress & Foil with hot foil stamps.  It should't be any harder to roll through when using this technique, but you should be able to feel when the roller reaches where the die is under the lid.

You do all of the foiling first, then any colouring and then die cut the flowers.

In the examples in the picture I've used gold foil on red mirror card, rose gold foil on silver mirror card and dark red foil on green metallic card.

• Put the thin metal shim (this is NOT the GoPress Adapter Plate which is much thicker) onto the GoPress to heat up.   If you have a very thin metal shim, 0.3mm thick, then use a piece of 300gsm (110lb) card stock, cut to fit over the grey hot plate, under the metal shim. 
  
• Leave it to heat through while you cut your foil to size and prepare the card to be foiled.
  
• Put piece of foil cut to fit one of the dies down on the card stock coloured, shiny side up and put your die on top with the cutting edge facing upwards.  Tape the die and foil down onto the card.
  
• Put the card, with the die on top onto the metal shim in the GoPress & Foil, and close the lid.   Allow a minute or 2 for the card to heat through, and then roll the GoPress through your die cutting machine.
  
• When you've foiled of the the layers of the flower, position the die over each one, cutting side down and tape in place - then cut them out with your die cutting machine.
  
• Use a ball tool and foam mat to shape the flowers and glue the layers together offsetting the petals of each layer (so they are not lined up).

Part 2 of the video shows how I coloured and shaped the copper flowers foiled onto the water colour card; and cut out and shaped the purple on silver flower.

Foiling with embossing folders exploration part 1 - the last few minutes...

Couture Creations Design Team Audition 2018

  

Butterfly Garden Foiled Card

This card brings together everything I imagined doing when I first saw hot foiling demonstrated.  I've added accent foiling to the backing paper, foiled the edges of labels, created a foiled topper and a foiled sentiment.

You need a Couture Creations GoPress & Foil machine to create the foiled elements of this card.

The backing papers for this card are from a Paper Boutique 8"x8" paper pad called "Butterfly Garden"  I've used just two of the designs from the pad.

Paper Boutique
Butterfly Garden
Paper Pad

Background 
Paper
  

Narrow Strip 
and 
Topper

I've also used some plain black card, as a mat for the patterned paper, and plain white, smooth 250gsm card for the topper frame, the die cut butterfly, and to foil and die cut the label for the sentiment.  At this point, don't die cut the labels yet - they have to be foiled first.

I've also used the following hot foil stamps and dies:

• Ooh La La Framed Owl set - for the fancy oval frame
• Ooh La La Framed Butterfly - for the large die cut butterfly
• Todo Laurel wreath hot foil and letterpress plate set
• Todo Cherry Blossom Branch hot foil and letterpress plate set (leaves and flowers)
• Couture creations butterfly hot foil stamp
• Couture creations Happy Birthday hot foil stamp
• Decorative oval nesting dies from Tattered Lace Create A Card - Flourishes die set (but you could use plain nesting ovals instead)
    

Start by cutting the black card mat and the patterned background paper to size.

• The patterned paper, to fit on an A5 card blank needs to be 20cm x 13.9cm
     
• The black card to mat the paper onto needs to be 4mm larger in both directions - 20.4cm x 14.3cm, so give you a 2mm border all the way around.

I've created a video showing how to do all the foiling for this card, and how to assemble the elements to finish the card Butterfly Garden Foiled Birthday Card  The video is almost an hour long, as its shows all the details, but do feel free to fast forward through any sections you don't feel the need to watch.

The instructions below are quite long - I would suggest watching the video and then using the instructions below to make sure you do everything in the correct order.

In the video you'll see me using a thin metal shim on my GoPress & Foil.  My metal shim is NOT the Couture Creations Conversion Plate for Cut, Foil and Emboss dies.  My thin metal shim is only 0.3mm thick, and I use a piece of 300gsm card underneath it.  You could also use a 0.6mm thick metal shim without the card underneath it.  This is only used when foiling the edges of the 2 oval labels.

I also use Frog Tape for Delicate Surfaces to stick the foil and hot foil stamps to the paper, so that the foiling is exactly where its intended to be.  This is a high quality masking tape designed to be used by decorators on freshly painted, but dry, surfaces.  3M ScothBlue Delicate Surface Tape and Tesa Sensitive Masking Tape are similar products, but I have not tested them.

Foil The Background Paper

Having cut the background paper to size, the next stage is to use your GoPress and Foil to apply foiling to the paper.

Use the Todo Laurel Wreath leaf sprigs to apply foiling in the four corners of the backing paper, and then use the individual leaf and flower hot foil stamps from the Todo Cherry Blossom Branch hot foil stamp set, to fill in some of the spaces on the paper.  I like to use low tack masking tape to stick my foil and hot foil stamp to the backing paper so I know exactly where the foiling will be.  I also put some copy paper under the areas of paper not being foiled to make sure they don't become contaminated, as I've had problems adding foiling to opposite ends and sides of larger pieces in the past.

Prepare the contrasting strip and die cuts

Cut a strip of the darker patterned paper approximately 2.5cm (1 inch) wide, but don't trim it to length - its better to do that after its stuck down on the backing paper, which comes later.

Die cut the fancy oval frame from the Framed Owl die set, and the butterfly from the Framed Butterfly die set using some white 250gsm card. Die cut some small butterflies from the same card.

Create the sentiment label

• Choose an oval for the sentiment to be foiled on, and cut a rectangle of the smooth white card about 2.5cm (1 inch) bigger than the oval in both directions.
• Cut a piece of foil slightly larger than the oval and tape it to the card on 2 edges using low tack masking tape.
• Position the sentiment hot foil stamp in the centre of the foil (ensure there is enough space around the edges for the oval to fit onto the foil.  Tape the sentiment down to the foil.
• Put the card, foil and hot foil stamp onto the GoPress heat pad, so that the hot foil stamp is at the bottom and the card on top. Roll through your die cutting machine to apply the foil.
• Remove from the GoPress and allow to cool. 
• Set up the GoPress with you thin metal shim (as shown in the video) and let it heat up.
• Remove the sentiment hot foil stamp from the foil, but leave the foil taped in place.
• Position the oval die, with the cutting side up, so that the sentiment is in the centre of it, and tape it down to the foil.
• Put the card with the die cutting edge facing upwards onto the thin metal plate close the lid of the GoPress and leave to warm up.  Roll through your die cutting machine to apply the foil.  Replace the GoPress on the base to get it back to temperature, turn the card through a quarter turn, close the lid and roll again.  This should ensure your foiling is good on all the sides.  You can check by peeking under the edge of the die and heat and roll more times if necessary.
• Remove the oval die and foil from the card.
• Re-position the oval die over the foiled edge with the cutting side down and tape down.  Die cut the oval.
• Remove the thin metal shim from the GoPress.

Foil the Topper

• Choose an oval die to cut the paper for the centre of the topper, but don't cut it out.  Cut a rectangle of the darker paper that's at least 2.5cm (1 inch) bigger than the oval in both directions.
• Cut a piece of gold foil slightly bigger than the oval die and tape it to the card at 2 edges using some low tack masking tape.
• Tape the butterfly hot foil stamp to the foil so that its left hand edge will be off the edge of the oval.
• Foil the butterfly, and then use the same process as for the foiled edge of the sentiment label detailed above to create the foiled edge on this label.

Assemble the card

Without sticking anything down, layout the topper, band of the darker patterned paper and the sentiment label onto the backing paper so you can work out where to position the narrow band of paper.  The sentiment label needs to be vertically centered on it, to the right hand side of the background paper and the topper needs to be a little way in from the top left corner.

When you've worked out the position, use double sided tape to stick down the narrow strip, but leave both ends overhanging your background paper.  Once its stuck down, turn the background paper over and trim the ends that a sticking out flush to the edge of the paper.

• Stick the black mat down on your card blank and then stick the background patterned (and now foiled) paper down so that there is an even border all the way around.
• Add foam pads to the back of the sentiment label and stick on place on the strip of darker paper.
• Stick the foiled butterfly label in the centre of the die cut oval frame.
• Add foam pads to the back of the topper and stick in place.
• Use a suitable glue to stick the large die cut butterfly in place on the topper.  I use an acrylic based glue for this, or a glue that's a PVA with acylic, such as a "tacky" glue.
• The finishing touch is to add the 2 small die cut butterflies - 1 to the right of the topper, and 1 to the left of the sentiment on the band of darker paper.

Geometric Frame Birthday Card

For this card I've used a backing paper with a geometric design - no flowers on this one as its a birthday card for my kids to give to my husband.

Using an A4 (21cm x 29.8cm) sheet of  300gsm aubergine card stock I've created an A5 card blank (by scoring and folding in half), and  I've also used the same card stock to die cut various elements of the card. Along with my patterned background paper, I've also used some plain 250gsm ivory card.

This is an A5 (21cm x 14.9cm) card.  I've left a 3mm border of the card blank showing, an then a 2mm border of the ivory card.  So, my patterned paper is cut to 20cm x 13.9cm, and the ivory mat to 20.4cm x 14.3cm.

The dies used are as follows:

• Couture Creations Magnolia Lane Corners
• Couture Creations Ooh La La Floral Frame set
• Couture Creations, Intricutz - Sea Breeze collection Sandy Frame
• Large flourish or foliage die
• Small decorative oval label die 
• Sentiment dies to fit your small oval label.

I've added two sentiments to my card, and an additional small label with "50", but you could just put one in the centre of the Floral Frame.

• Using the ivory card, die cut both elements of the Floral Frame, 4 of the Magnolia Lane corners, the Sea Breeze Sandy Frame, and a small oval.
• Using the aubergine card die cut another Sandy Frame, 2 large flourishes, and a small oval to mount onto the sandy frame
• Stick the ivory mat and the patterned paper down onto the card blank
• Glue the corner die cuts in each corner of the backing paper
• Stick the die cut frame (from the floral frame set) in the centre of your card.
• Next stick down the flourishes die cut from the aubergine card, so that they cross over in the centre of the frame.
• Put a foam pad on the back of the Floral part of the set in the centre - where it will be hidden by the sandy frame, and stick the floral element into the centre of the frame, over the top of where the flourishes meet.

• Die cut your sentiments in either the ivory or aubergine card to contrast with the oval they will be mounted onto, and stick them to the oval labels.
   
• Use the ivory label with the aubergine Sandy Frame, and the aubergine label with the ivory Sandy Frame.
   
• My small labels are just the right shape for the swirls around the edge of the frame to "hold" them - but if yours are a slightly different shape they can just be stuck down overlapping the edges of the frame.
   
• Stick the sentiment that has the aubergine Sandy Frame and ivory oval label in the middle of the Floral element using foam pads, hiding the foam pad that the Floral element is stuck to.
   
• Using foam pads, stick the other sentiment in place overlapping the top of the frame, between the corner die cuts.
  
• I've also added a small label die cut from the aubergine card, with "50" die cut from ivory card, in the bottom right corner, as this was a special birthday.

Foil Resist "messy inked" Background

This card is really all about the "messy inked" background, with all of the other elements just added as finishing touches.  I wanted to create something really bold, and the foiling is really shown off by the bold colours of the inks.

To make this card you'll need:

• GoPress and Foil machine with a compatible die cutting machine
• Heat tool
• White 300gsm card (A5)
• Hot stamping foil - I used gold and red (Couture Creations or similar)
• Hot foil stamps, or layered die cuts and a thin metal shim (0.3mm - 0.6mm)
• Water based brush pens
• Die cut flowers and foliage
• Die cut oval label
• Die cut corner embellishments
• Die cut sentiment
• Glass place mat or glass crafting mat
• Optional - salt crystals

I created the background in 2 stages.   First I did all of the foiling (on white Sheena Stamping Card).  I didn't have a rose hot foil stamp, so I've used multiple layers of a die cut rose with my thin metal shim, and I've also used some thin wooden embellishments as hot foil stamps. It would be much easier to use hot foil stamps if you have them. All the stages of the foiling are shown in this video.  Spritzed Ink Background with Foil Resist - Part 1 The Foiling

Once all of the foiling is completed you can then add colour using water based inks.  I've used Spectrum Noir Sparkle Pens, but you could create a similar effect with any water based brush pens.
You can see how to create the back ground in this video Spritzed in background with foil resist - part 2

Using a glass mat, add colour to the mat from the brush pens in small squiggles spread an area about the same size as your card stock. Spray the mat with water to get the ink moving and then lay your card over the inked area foil side down. Press the card down gentle so that it soaks up the colour.

Turn the card over and add more colour  into wet areas of the card, and spritz again to activate the colour and disperse it over the card.

Optional - grind salt crystals over the card and allow them time to soak up some of the water and colour.

Dry the card with your heat tool and then brush off the salt.

To finish off the card: 

• Trim and mat and layer onto a card blank.   
• Create a topper using the oval label and the corners, place your sentiment in the center.
• Add the die cut flowers and foliage around opposite corners of the topper.