Foiled Again!

A question came up on a group about how to use gold leaf -- the kind that comes in sheets or flakes. I thought I would post a card that uses gold leaf and quick instructions on how the card was created. This particular technique works best with bold image stamps. Using a detail stamp image (depending on the amount of detail) can lose the effect of the foil. If you have various colors of foil, have fun mixing your colors. I have gold leaf that I have bought in flakes and in sheets.

Once I open a bag of gold leaf, I store it in a tin.

Here is a close-up of a stamped and foiled image (the stamp used in this project is from the Fabulous Flowers set by Stampin' Up!):

How to do this:  Ink your image with VersaMark or an embossing ink, stamp onto your card stock, cover with heat-n-stick powder (also known as sticky embossing powder), and heat emboss just until sticky (the stamped image will appear shiny; if you overheat, the image will appear dull and will have lost its tackiness). Firmly press the gold leaf flakes into the heat-n-stick and make sure that the entire image is covered.

It looks like quite the mess, but with the fine mesh scrubber pictured above (found at your local stamp or craft store; a kitchen scrubber can be used, as well), you will scrub, or buff, away the excess foil, gradually revealing your stamped image. Any large pieces of foil can be put back in your "stash" (I scrub holding my card stock directly over my storage tin so that all pieces go right back in for future use). Your beautiful stamped/foiled image is revealed.

Use the piece in your project, be it a card or a scrapbook page. I made this card:

Thanks for stopping by!  Have a wonderful day!!