3D Embossing for Christmas

I don't think I'd find many people who would disagree that Spellbinders 3D embossing folders are some of the best!  I've always been drawn to embossing, but the 3D really takes the folders over the top!  Today I have 3 simple Christmas cards that rely heavily on embossing.

supplies: Simon Schoolhouse Red, white,  and Matte Silver metallic cardstock, Spellbinders Adorning the Tree 3D folder, Brilliance Platinum Planet pigment ink, sentiment from (retired) Elegant Holiday Glimmer Sentiments foiling plate, Red glimmer foil

I've embossed this on greens before, but I wanted to do something else this time, and I'm so pleased with these results!  After embossing, I gently rubbed an old platinum pigment ink pad across the surface - it comes out silver and glimmery!  So then all I had to do was add a red-foiled sentiment and mat it in silver.

Next up, I tried inking direct to the folder before embossing.

supplies: Mint and Schoolhouse Red cardstock, Spellbinders 3D Holly and Foliage embossing folder, Rustic Wilderness oxide ink, Merry Little Christmas sentiments, Red glimmer foil, Sticko red glitter heart stickers 

I was pleasantly surprised at these result when I inked direct to the inside of the folder (in Spellbinders' case, the side behind the Spellbinders logo).  I did so 2 or 3 times until I had a nice contrast with my cardstock.  The sentiment is a reverse foiling, using a solid foiling plate and some "used" red foil.  Because that was red, I matted my panel in red, and added glitter hearts anywhere there were berries in the design.

The thing I really like about this particular folder is the delicate skeleton outline of a few of the leaves, in contrast to the rest of the design!  So I did the whole thing over again, except this time I inked the folder with white pigment ink.

supplies: white and Mint cardstock, 3D Holly and Foliage embossing folder, white pigment ink and white embossing powder, Merry Little Christmas Sentiments foiling plate, Matte Gold glimmer foil

My white ink didn't give me enough contrast against the mint cardstock, so after about the 3rd time inking the folder, I pulled out some white detail embossing powder and sprinkled it over just as I took the panel out of the folder, then heated it - much better!  I loved the softness of this result, so I just added a gold-glimmered sentiment and called it done.

I hope that you'll give any of the 3D folders a try if you haven't already - I love the tactile nature they add to our cards!