Cardmaking with embossing folders + puzzle-pieces

Hi, hi.

So. Embossing, with embossing folders. Do you? Have you? How often?

If you're anything like me your answers may be: 'yes', 'yes' and 'not often at all'.

And I'm not sure why I don't use my embossing folders very often - it's not like I don't have my Big Shot within arm's distance - I use it all the time. So the opportunity's there ... just maybe not the inspiration. Until ...

... until I had to write an 'Embossing Masterclass' for Papercraft Inspirations magazine as a follow-up to my 'Die-cutting Masterclass' [they're both due for publication in a couple of months across Issues 111 + 112]. And so I set to work with a pile of folders hoping to be inspired enough to inspire others and earn my keep!

Which is where this card comes in - it's one of the leftovers from my experimenting and I thought the geometric shape of the puzzle piece [which came from a Christmas Cracker**] coordinated perfectly with the chequerboard embossing detail: 

I'd loaned a Tim Holtz Embossing Diffuser to try out too - which you use on top of your regular folders to leave flat areas on your cardstock - making it easy to stamp on to. You might just be able to make out here where there are no raised squares beneath my greeting:

So ... there's every chance I'll be crafting with embossed bits and bobs more often now, if only to use up the small pile of trials, dry-runs and discarded ideas left on my desk since completing my commission.

And - as I hope this card shows, combining embossing into your crafting needn't be the forerunner of anything as scary as 'traditional', 'twee' or 'cute-in-a-bad-way' cardmaking. Especially with a clean, crisp embossed design such as this ... and some bright - dare I say 'on trend' - geometric plastic nonsense thrown in for good measure! 

So ... now I'm done I'll ask that question again: embossing folders - do you? Have you? Or, more to the point:

Will you?

Julie ;-)

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Supplies used:
Plastic puzzle piece
4x4 blank card
Papermania A6 Universal Tri-Boss Folder 'Chequered'
Sizzix / Tim Holtz Embossing Diffuser
Pink Paislee 'Portfolio' stamps

** As I discovered in my recent posts about using Christmas Cracker gifts on cards - not everyone in the world knows what crackers are and so my definition goes: Christmas crackers are something like a party favour ... but with added gunpowder. But, in short, they're novelty gifts we often have on the Christmas dinner table.