If you are like me you are always looking for new and interesting ways to spruce up your craft projects.
Here is a quick and easy project using wax paper to make interesting backgrounds giving your projects that extra little wow factor.
What you will need:
Cuttlebug or similar and Embossing Folders
Wax Paper sheets
Glossy Card and Coloured Card
Iron with steam switched off
Promarker Gold or Silver Markers
Craft Knife and Metal Edge Ruler
Glass Cutting Mat or similar
Distressed Ink pads of your choice
Archival Ink Pad
Step 1
Choose the embossing folder you want to us for your project and cut your wax paper to the same size.
Step 2
Place the wax paper inside the embossing folder and then run it through your cuttlebug or a similar die cutting machine.
Step 3
Carefully remove the wax paper from inside the embossing folder and place it between 2 pieces of glossy card.
(You can us just one piece of glossy card if you wish but I like to use two, you will see why in a few moments).
Step 4
Take a piece of copier paper and place it over the top of your glossy card. Then take a hot iron and iron over the top making sure to iron over the whole card area.
This process transfers the wax from the wax paper to your glossy card.
Once finished you should see a faint image if you turn the card to the light. But don't worry if you don't see it the hot iron will still have transferred the wax to the card.
Step 5
Now take your distressed ink pad, in this case Barn Door, and gently apply the ink to your card.
You will start to see the image of your embossing folder appear on the card like magic.
As I mentioned earlier I use two pieces of card, this is so that I get the negative image as well as the positive image from the wax paper.
Some of the effects you can get are brilliant.
You can also make use of the waste wax paper for another project. Just add a little ink to the top.
Step 6
Now take another piece of glossy card and using the same colour ink pad cover the whole card making sure it is nice and even.
Step 7
Take all 3 pieces of glossy card and divide them into equal sized squares.
I chose 2 inch squares for this project but you can make the squares as big or as small as you like.
Step 8
Next you will need to chose two patterned squares and two plain squares and fix them together using tape.
This creates the base for your card topper.
At this point I used my Gold Promarker around the edges to hide the white card. I like to do this on all my projects to hide the white edges and depending on the style of card I am making I adjust the colour to match.
Step 9
To finish off my topper I cut a flower out of glossy card and coloured it using the same distress ink pad and added some gold highlights using my Gold Promarker pen. I then stamped some small flowers onto the plain sections to add more interest.
I fixed the flower together using a gold brad and then glued the it to the topper using
Collall 3D glue. You could add any element you like here depending on what style of card you are making.
I then placed a black mat behind the topper before placing it onto my card blank.
I chose to make this card into a Christmas card but as you can see from
the image to the right I used the same technique and a different colour (Red Brick) to make
a simple card that could be used for a birthday or a thank you.
And by switching the patterned squares around you can change the look of the finished card quite easily.
I hope you enjoy playing with this idea.
Until next time Happy Crafting. xx
