Introducing The Gilded Age Collection Blog Hop

Sponsored:  As a designer for Amazing Paper Grace, I receive dies to create projects.   I'm also a designer for Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L and receive product to use for projects.

Greetings glimmeristas!    Today, we are launching The Gilded Age - a small glimmer collection with some exquisite plates.  Join us as we introduce five new Glimmer Sets (some with dies) and 1 brand new Die Set that has matching glimmer plates. We've eased into the beautiful habit of building card layers and layering frames with foil and the Spellbinders Glimmer Foil System.   These metal plates are just like stamps and can be used for letterpress and deep embossing as well as transferring gorgeous foils to many items.  

Welcome to The Gilded Age Collection - Becca shares her inspiration below:

Inspiration for The Gilded Age

I have a romantic fascination with days gone by and the beautiful, fragile relics that survive to create our memories. The Gilded Age is a look back to a time when beautiful things were all around and each item had a story tied to it.  Fineries were hard earned and treasured, garnered with much pride and bathed with love and sentimental value.  Whether in art or clothes or architecture, the timeless glamour of the era thankfully punctuates our lives today.

It was an age where dreamers knew no bounds in decorating and inventing, paving the way for exquisite art, extravagant embellishment and a level of grandeur that defies simplicity.   We're fortunate that traces of the era live on.  One of our present day methods of gilding comes in the way of foiling. Once only able to be carried out at prints shops, it was an expensive process that signaled exceptional taste; your eyes can't help but be drawn to it.

In the collection, I've curated a couple of looks inspired by a ladies stationary desk.  A desk where she might sit a compose "Thank You" notes with care and attention to detail using her coveted fineries of the day.  Each plate in the collection delivers a mark that can be considered hallmarks of fine penmanship and papers.  I'm convinced that each of us has a mark, an indelible mark - the tools are there, calling out for us to use them.

My Project For Today:

 

I'm pleased to introduce GLP-119 Gilded Leaves Shaped Panel 

Here is what the plates actually look like:

I chose to use Gilded Leaves Shaped Panel to stamp and deboss to show another way to use these beautiful dies and plates.  One of the other designers will show it with foil and glimmer!

I love to make journals! So I used the largest glimmer plate to decorate a small faux Midori style journal.  If you're not familiar with Midori journals, simply google it and you'll find lots!  It's a journal style with elastic bands that hold notebooks in place for use and can easily be removed and replaced when used.  The journal I made today is small, perfect to carry in a purse, pocket or back pack.  Actually, I made two or these journals...….more about that shortly.

For the blue journal, I cut 2 layers of a product called Kraft-tex™  which is a Kraft paper fabric.  It's strong, acts similar to paper and leather, doesn't fray, easy to cut, can be sewn, comes in several colors, etc.  Perfect for a journal cover as it should wear well. I first rough cut the pieces, soaked them with water and crumpled them well.  Once dry, I ironed them to flatten. The pieces were cut 4⅜ x 7¼ʺ and I rounded the corners.  

I chose that size to fit the inserts made from Becca's Filigree Booklet die set. For the cover, I painted one side of each of the pieces with fabric paint and let dry. 

To emboss, actually deboss, the design, I first laid the largest of the glimmer plates from Gilded Leaves Shaped Panel on the front cover to decide placement.  Then I aligned the cutting edge die alongside it and taped that in place.  I used that as a guide only. I placed a long strip of masking tape on back side of glimmer plate to use as a handle once it was inked.   

Then I inked the largest of the glimmer plates from Gilded Leaves Shaped Panel with Staz-On ink. I chose that ink because it's permanent.  

I carefully lifted it with the tape and turned it over.  Then I aligned it with the edge die that was taped to my journal cover and laid it in place.  Firmly holding it so it wouldn't slide or move, I removed the edge die and taped the glimmer plate in place

The sandwich I used with my Spellbinders Platinum from top down was blue plate, embossing mat, journal cover, glimmer plate and base plate.  When I placed the inked plate on my journal cover, I had the cover laying on the embossing mat with blue plate under that.  Once the inked glimmer plate was on the cover, I placed the base plate on top, held all plates together snuggly and flipped it over to put through the Platinum die cut machine. 

The glimmer plate did cut through the cover in a few areas but I was okay with that as I was gluing a piece to back.  (I suggest to try a sample so the embossing sandwich can be adjusted to compensate for the thickness of Kraft-Tex.) I glued the front and inside covers together and left them to dry That was the hardest part waiting for it to dry!  The cover has 2 holes at top and bottom of "spine" for elastics to hold inserts and 2 holes at center for elastic that holds journal closed.  I put eyelets in the holes at bottom and top.  I didn't do center ones because my pliers didn't reach and I was too lazy to dig out my hammer and setter tools!  To thread the elastic, I started at outside bottom, up to top on inside, out hole on same side, back in other hole, along inside to bottom hole and repeated the process so have 2 elastics in each hole with long elastic inside.  The elastic is knotted on outside at bottom.  For the elastic to hold journal closed, I threaded it from outside through one hole and out other.  I added a small piece of Kraft-tex to protect the edges.  It has a hole at each end which elastic goes through and knots at center of it.  I added beads to the ends of elastic and knotted them.  I rubbed some paint on the elastic to blend with the cover. I also decided to stamp the smaller glimmer plate on the inside of cover and on insert covers.  When stamping with the glimmer plates, I fasten them to an acrylic block with repositionable adhesive.  I place the paper that I want to stamp on my embossing mat from die cutting machine (craft foam would probably work as well).  Then I stamp and press firmly to get image to stamp well.  The cushion underneath the paper helps for a better impression. 
The inserts/small notebooks were made with the die from Filigree Booklet set that cuts the pages.  I cut 9 pieces of text paper for pages and 1 from a file folder for cover for each of the 4 inserts/notebooks. I was able to cut 3 pieces of printer paper at a time.  These were handsewn together with linen thread.  

To insert into the journal, open notebook to center, slip it under an elastic and slide it to the center.  My journal was designed to hold 4 notebooks.  

Now about the second journal...…

Because I know not everyone has access to Kraft-tex or wants to buy a huge roll of it, I decided to try making a journal with layers of Kraft paper glued together.  I used light Kraft wrapping paper such as that often used wadded up as packing for shipping.  Yes, I save the Kraft packing paper!!! Since it was such light weight paper I glued 9 or 10 layers together with PVA glue.  The papers were cut larger than the cover and cut to size after it was dry. I placed it under a stack of books to dry.  I don't have much patience waiting so I tried ironing it. Not such a good idea!  Let it dry overnight!  I'm happy with how it turned out.  There's a little rippling inside along the folds of the spine.  I painted it on both sides with white gesso.  When that was dry, I painted the outside.  The inside has tissue paper applied using Adhesive Sheets....no waiting for that to dry!  I dry brushed paint on inside and rubbed Distress inks over that.  I used the same process as for the blue journal to emboss design.  The only difference is the embossed design shows on inside as I had already finished it, no inside layer to cover it.  Not a big deal really!  The insert notebooks were made the same only I used white cardstock for covers, adding tissue to 2 of them and stamping on the other 2.  I really like the look of it!  It looks like painted leather. Time will tell if it stands up to use.

These were fun to make!  I'm really pleased with being able to stamp with the glimmer plates.

Availability:

These plates are available right now on the Spellbinders website — HERE

Prizes:

In the meantime, be sure you leave a comment on this post and every Creative Team Members post for a chance to win an Amazing Paper Grace Die from any previous collection.

There are three dies that are being given away.  One name will be randomly picked from comments left on the combination of our seven blogs on the Introducing The Gilded Age Blog Hop post between March 17 and March 22, 2018, at midnight US Central Time.  We encourage all of our international friends to participate!  The randomly selected names will be announced on the Amazing Paper Grace Blog on March 23rd.  (All giveaways for this hop are managed by and the responsibility of Amazing Paper Grace).

Up for grabs is an Amazing Paper Grace die of your choice from the Vintage Elegance Collection, the Graceful Borders Collection, the Venise Lace Collection, the Chantilly Paper Lace Collection, the 3D Vignettes Collection, the Romancing the Swirl Collection,  A Charming Christmas Collection, the Glorious Glimmer Collection or the Shadowbox Vignettes Collection.  

There will be a total of three dies and a winner can win once among all the blogs.  If your name is selected, simply claim it within 2 weeks of the announcement by sending your address through the form under the Contact Tab on the Amazing Paper Grace Blog.  There won’t be a reply back but if you leave your choice, we’ll get it, I promise.  When sent, you will get an email that your die is on the way. The dies will be mailed out from Amazing Paper Grace.

Creative Team:

Visit Joanna   – joannakrog.blogspot.com
Visit Teresa   –  victorianpaperqueen.blogspot.com
Visit Melissa  – keepsakesbymelissa.blogspot.com 
Visit Ewelina -  elinaart.blogspot.com

Visit Judy       – judyhayesdesign.blogspot.com 

Visit Kate       – craft2owls.blogspot.com

Visit Becca     – amazingpapergrace.com/blog

Thanks so much for joining us for the Introducing The Gilded Age Blog Hop.  We hope you'll find a little bit of inspiration along the way!  Don't forget to leave a comment to tell us which plate you like best - do you have a favorite?  Have you tried Glimmer yet?  What's your favorite way to use foils?  If you are new glimmer you can see this post for answers to frequently asked questions ------- HERE.

Happy Creating!

Judy

Supplies:

Spellbinders: 
Gilded Leaves Shaped Panel

Filigree Booklet 

Scrapbook Adhesives by 3L®:

Adhesive Sheets 6 x 12 inch

Kraft-tex™ Brown

Tsukineko/Imagine Crafts Staz-On Ink - Midnight Blue, Jet Black

DecoArt® So Soft Fabric Paint (Blue Journal)

DecoArt® Americana® Multi-Surface Satin (Pink Journal) 

Black Elastic Cord

Beads

Eyelets

File Folders

Printer Paper

White Cardstock

Linen Thread

Liquid Glue