Beginner Friendly Hot Foiling & Die-cutting Paul Antonio PAScribe Upright Italic Everyday Sentiments

Hi there. I’m Gaylynn Martling. I am delighted to share this photo tutorial as a guest designer here on the Spellbinders blog. This is a step-by-step process that is beginner-friendly.

For today, I’ll step you through one card project from beginning to the end using both hot foiling and die-cuts.  Simple techniques and clean layouts are always appealing to me. The Paul Antonio PAScribe Upright Italic Everyday Sentiments Collection provides the most elegant and eye-catching sentiments for card making. In today’s example, I focus on the Happy Birthday press + foil plate. There are other wonderful sentiments in the collection for different occasions

You will see process photos along with steps and tips along the way.  Additionally, supplies that I used in the making of this birthday card are noted.

First up is the card base.  I chose an A2-sized vertical side-fold card base for ease of mailing with lower postage rates.  I often make two A2-size card bases using one letter-size 8 ½” x 11” sheet of cardstock.  To skip this step, premade card bases can be purchased already cut and scored using side-fold card bases or top-fold card bases.

How to make your own handmade A2 4 ¼” x 5 1/2” side fold card base:

1. Select a sheet of white Colorwheel cardstock 8 ½” x 11” in size.
2. Cut the cardstock sheet in half at 5 ½” using a paper trimmer. You will have two sheets measuring 8 ½” x 5 ½”.
3. Score one of the cut pieces in half at 4 ¼” using the scoring blade of the paper trimmer. If your trimmer does not include a scoring tool, use a bone folder to score, then use the bone folder again to flatten the folded edge.
4. Scoring can be done with the paper trimmer or a scoring board.
5. The card base can be decorated either vertically (as in this example) or horizontally.
6. This finished A2 card base size is 4 ¼” x 5 ½”, side fold and vertical.

Next, die-cut embellishments and frame layers to decorate the card and enhance the featured birthday sentiment.  For this example, I chose to add alphabet balloons using the HBD Balloons Etched Dies.

1. Choose three coordinating Colorwheel cardstock colors in teal topaz, blue spruce, mint, and raven.
2. Die-cut the three alphabet balloons and steamers. Use one color for each letter from trimmed-down teal topaz, blue spruce, and mint cardstock pieces. Cut the streamers in Raven cardstock for contrast.
3. Die-cut a white card front layer and a blue spruce background frame layer using the two largest dies in the set Perfect Touch Rectangles Etched dies.

TIP:  Fill your die-cutting plates with as many die-cut pieces that will fit on your plates.  I used a Spellbinders Platinum die-cutting machine, which has the longer plates and machine size.  You may need to die-cut multiple times, depending on the size of your cutting plates and your machine.  The Spellbinders Platinum Six die-cutting machine is another lovely option.

Here is a look at the finished die-cuts and the dies that I used for the cutting process.

These are the steps for the hot foiling process using the Glimmer Hot Foil Machine along with the Paul Antonio PAScribe Upright Italic Happy Birthday press + foil plate.

1. Preheat the Glimmer Hot Foil system.
2. Once heated, place the Happy Birthday plate with the sentiment upside down over the Glimmer platform, design side up. Place it centered at the top end.  (The finished sentiment will display on the bottom of the card front panel.)
3. Cover the Happy Birthday sentiment plate using a trimmed piece of pastel mint hot foil roll from the Glimmer Hot Foil Rolls Variety 4-Pack Satin Pastels (pretty side facing the plate design).
4. Temporarily tape the sentiment plate down where there are open spaces, or use repositionable adhesive to tape down the backside of the sentiment plate.

TIP:  Trim down your hot foil piece to the size of your plate and avoid leaving sharp edges on the foil.  This helps to prevent overfoiling in areas where it shouldn’t.

5. Center and place the white Colorwheel cardstock die-cut panel over the foil at the top of the platform.
6. Temporarily tape the cardstock panel down at the top end to form a henge using Best Ever Craft Tape.

7. Place the two Glimmer plates over the cardstock panel right before pressing. (My plates have been previously accidentally foiled, and they still work perfectly.)

8. Slowly, run the Glimmer platform and plates through the Platinum or Platinum SIX die-cutting machine (or compatible machine and plates) to press the foil into the paper.

TIP:  When using the Glimmer Hot Foil system with press + foil plates and a die-cutting machine, you are pressing the hot foil into the smooth cardstock, but not die-cutting.  This method works with hot foil rolls or sheets and not toner foil.

Take a look at the card front panel after the pastel foiling was finished.  This includes the card base and prepared frame layer.

Lastly, layer and decorate the card front to accent the foiled sentiment.  I added the playful HBD balloons at a slight angle.

1. Layer the white card front panel and the background panel using double-sided White Foam Adhesive Strips – 2MM.
2. Adhere the layered rectangle panels to the card base using glue or Permanent Tape Runner.
3. Add white paint marker lines and dots over the pressed impressions and on the edges of each balloon letter.
4. Adhere the die-cut pieces together for each of the balloon letters, using White Foam Adhesive strips 1/8” or glue.
5. Overlap and adhere the balloons with foam strips and the stings with glue, flowing the strings towards the right-hand side of the card.

It has been a pleasure creating here with you.  Thank you so much for visiting the Spellbinders blog.  You can find me at NeatThings on Facebook, @neatnook on Instagram, YouTube, and my Blog for lots of crafty projects and inspiration.  I invite you to visit me there. Best wishes and have a lovely day,

Gaylynn Martling

Spellbinders Supplies:

Other supplies​

EZ Runner Repositionable Tape, White Paint Marker, Bone Folder