I normally buy my stamps, embossing folders and dies with magazines. Largely, this is so I have some inspiration to hand if I’m stuck for ideas.

The downside, though, is that I’m at the mercy of the magazines. Sometimes, there are co-ordinating sets across sister-mags, or a theme trends and there are several similar sets in relatively quick succession. If you’re even luckier, the sets will have different combinations of stamps, dies, embossing folders, and papers.  

Sometimes, if you wait long enough, a theme comes back around.

A few years ago, there was a lovely Stampendous underwater set with Creative Stamping, with a mermaid and sea-creatures, which I just could not resist. I do like Stampendous stamps. I probably don’t use this set as often as I could do, though. That summer had several nautically themed sets, across various papercraft magazines, with sea-creatures and ships and underwater treasures and Bon Voyage! sorts of messages. Mostly all stamps, with a seahorse die from Crafter’s Companion.

And then, this summer, Simply Cards and Papercraft had a seashell embossing folder from Creative Crafts, which I thought would work beautifully with the Stampendous set.

And I was right.

The mermaid and the octopus have both done well, and I expect the turtle will too. And a different Message in a Bottle set by Lisa Horton. Thinking again, I shall probably manage to use a lot more of the sea-themed stamps with this folder.

I had a go at inking the folder for the mermaid, to give a bit of colour to the shells and the seaweed, and for the octopus, I attempted a sort-of gilding with a silver pigment ink. I’d seen a YouTube video using gilding wax, which I don’t currently have in my stash.

I think what this is telling me is that I need to collect a few more (cut and) embossing folders.

The other joy with this cut and emboss folder is the cut-out being a good size and shape for using for sentiments. It’s a good splat sort of shape. You’ll have seen it on the Chocolate card a few weeks back.