Cutting and embossing

Punching is cutting out shapes from paper with the help of a cutting stencil or cutting die. Embossing means creating relief in paper – a simple and creative technique that’s great for making cards and scrapbooking. The embossing technique gives you a 3D effect because the pattern is pressed into the paper. Embossing can be applied in many different ways. For example, you can use embossing powder in combination with ink in an embossing heat tool. There’s also the possibility of working with an embossing pen. Or you can use an embossing folder or embossing stencil with a pattern or text that you press into your paper using an embossing machine. When you work with an embossing pen or embossing folders, you obtain two different patterns. One is an embossed pattern (raised design on the paper, which can be felt) and the other is a debossed pattern (recessed design in the paper, which cannot be felt).

Embossing folders

Vaessen Creative has a wide range of embossing folders from various brands, such as:

• Joy!Crafts
• Marianne Design
• Kaisercraft
• Sizzix
• Tonic Studios
• Carabelle
• Cuttlebug

An embossing folder is a straightforward product. It’s usually made of plastic and has two parts that are folded together. Usually one side is flat, while the other side has a design with which you can create depth and texture.

Embossing folders are available in various sizes:

• 3 x 20.3 cm.
• 7 x 17.8 cm.
• 8 x 14.6 cm.
• 7 x 14.6 cm.
• 5 x 30.5 cm.
• 5 x 14.5 cm.

The embossing machine determines the size of the embossing folders that you need.

Cutting stencils

Vaessen Creative has a wide range of cutting stencils from various brands, such as:

• Joy!Crafts
• Marianne Design
• Kaisercraft
• Sizzix
• Tonic Studios
• Carabelle
• We R Memory Keepers
• Darice

Beautiful cards often have complex patterns. If you wanted to draw and cut out these complex patterns by hand, you would need a lot of precision, time and patience. You don’t want to imagine anything going wrong so that you have to start all over again. For this reason, cutting stencils are wonderful to work with. Cutting stencils are metal figures with a sharp edge, which are available in all kinds of shapes. With the help of a cutting stencil and a punching machine, you can make paper figures in next to no time! Vaessen Creative has more than 1000 cutting stencils in all imaginable shapes, from flowers to complete houses. Plenty of choice for everyone and every occasion!

As well as the cutting stencils and embossing folders, Vaessen Creative has a wide range of cutting and embossing stencils from the Studio Light, Marianne Design and Joy!Crafts brands.

Embossing pen and other accessories

An embossing pen or embossing tool is a kind of pen with a small metal ball on one end and a larger one on the other end. You need an embossing pen if you want to emboss your own cards without a machine. In addition to the embossing pen, you also need a template and a light panel. With the light panel, you can see the template through the card. Lay the template on the light panel and put a card (white or light-colored) on top of it, with the inside of the card facing upwards. Next, use the embossing pen to go over the outlines and the holes of the template. The paper is then pressed into the holes in the template. Take care not to press too hard with the embossing pen, as otherwise the paper could tear. Because you press a pattern into the back of the card, you create a relief on the front of the card.

At Vaessen Creative you can find all the embossing and cutting accessories you need for the Sizzix Big Shot, as well as plates or pads, among other things. Vaessen Creative also offers handy accessories such as the Sizzix magnetic platform: a thick magnetic plate on which thin cutting stencils remain fixed and do not slide when the ‘sandwich’ is put through the Sizzix Big Shot. The ‘sandwich’ is then made up of the following parts, from top to bottom:

• cutting pad
• thin cutting stencil (Sizzix thinlits and Sizzix framelits)
• paper or felt
• cutting pad
• Sizzix magnetic platform

If you’re working with thick cutting stencils such as the Sizzix bigz cutting stencils, with scoring lines as well as cutting lines, it’s useful to buy a Sizzix crease pad. You can then be sure that the scoring lines are not cut by mistake. The ‘sandwich’ is then made up of the following parts, from top to bottom:

• Sizzix crease pad
• thick cutting stencil with scoring line(s)
• paper or felt
• cutting pad

Discover even more materials for cutting and embossing at Vaessen Creative…

Do you want to discover more cutting and embossing tools? Vaessen Creative also provides:

• Embossing folders
• Embossing powder
• Embossing molds
• Embossing machines