Joy A4 Trouvaille - Embossing Stencils and Masks

Hi friends, thanks to all who responded to my appeal for info on the JT machine.  I will be in touch with you, and if anyone else would like to add their comments negative or POSITIVE, I would be pleased to hear from you.

The machine is still working okay, no squeaks, the vicious backspin of the handle seems to have stopped and it turns smoothly!   So far so good, but I'm being very cautious! 

One of the things I've tried is using brass stencils and masks....

 

This mica mask is from Creative Expressions and called That Special Touch - Ivy background.  I  was very surprised to get such a good embossing/debossing effect on the JT, because I've never been completely happy with embossing this type of stencil in the Bug using the Spellbinders Impressionabilities, which I now find also embosses well in the JT.  Great, this opens up more pattern options!  Both sides of the pattern have been coloured with chalk, which is a medium I used a lot before I discovered DI's and happily will now be using them again.

From the JT leaflet   (they describe it for embossing templates)

 the sandwich recipe :  A plate / Black Mat / Paper / Embossing template / B plate

Now for a bit of News, and puzzling at that!!!

The other day I received a message from PeeJay telling me of another A4 die cutting machine on the market called "Happycut" from Artemio (a French Company).  And, she thought I might be interested in seeing it - to right PeeJay.  AND, this is the surprising bit - it's WHITE and LOOKS exactly like the JOY TROUVAILLE (a Dutch Company)  !??!?!?  What is going on? 

Now for some help please, I have received this message from Karuna, but I have no experiences of this problem - so can anyone add anything to help?

From Karuna an reader living in India

"Hey ikki, I see your expertise on the bug and i need some help please. Just today i tried to use the nesties in my buy and it went so lose. Yes i triple checked on the sandwich too! :( i have used it only 3 days ago and it was cutting well. I almost used 8 cardstocks to make it cut the nestie! What happened to the machine. even the bug dies go quite easily but still cut. Any help? "

If you have any comments to make please feel free to add them by using the comments button below.

Thanks for dropping by an I hope you enjoy the rest of your day.

Tippy Thursday - Joy Craft Border Dies

Sometimes you see a die and wonder what it will be like cut and embossed.  So I thought I would show you a set of dies from Joy Crafts that I bought last week from Liz at Make a Lasting Impression (you will find the link on the sidebar if you would like to see more of this company's product).

 

These are the dies cut and embossed.

I found that they cut better using the sandwich  A / C / Die cut side up / card / B

The dies are cheaper than the Spellbinder dies and they are not as sturdy, but the cut and embossing I found quite satisfactory, and the designs are lovely.

 

This is how I used  one of the dies to make a card base

.  Despite the poor picture, I think you will see they are very effective.

My thanks to all who have left comments this week, your imput is greatly appreciated.  Unfortunately at times I cannot get back to you if you have a query or suggestion if you do not have a blog, or leave me an email address.   So I will continue to leave messages for you either on my Tippy Thursday post, or on the comments page where you left your query.  Hopefully this will work - if not....I'll think of something else!

Alexandra:  Your suggestion was interesting and I think I have tried or seen something similiar, but I would love to see your work and if possible share it with other Cuttlers.  Could you leave me a contact on the comments page please.

Cuttlebug and brass stencils - Christmas No.13

Can you use Brass Stencils in the Cuttlebug - Yes, you can. This is the result of using a stencil.
I have read forum chat on using stencils, and although it's not a favourite of mine, I thought I would show you the results of using stencils in the Bug. Also, more importantly the sandwich you need in order not to break your Bug.

BUG Sandwich: A/B/TAN mat/card with the right side up/Brass Stencil/Shim (this can depend on the thickness of the stencil)/B.

You definitely need a Tan Mat for this and also to follow the golden rule "Never Force" - start with one shim and add extra if needed.

TIP - look for any writing on the stencil - this needs to be facing up - otherwise you will get an impression on the card. You will also get an impression of the edge of the stencil. I cut round this and used as a frame before layering.

The effect of the embossing is not as clear as the embossing from folders, but it works okay. I got a better embossing on a lightweight cardstock.

These tips should save you time and keep your Bug safe!
Using brass stencils is a way for ringing the changes, so a useful aid to cardmaking. Afterall it's a shame to leave them in your Cupboard. Get them out and join me in my Cupboard instead.