FAUX CLOISONNE

I had seen several examples of a technique called Faux Cloisonne, and thought it would be a wonderful way to depict an elegant ornament on a Christmas card. Using random pages from
a magazine is the secret to this technique.

Cloisonne is a method of decorating metal objects. Design compartments are added to the
metal object by soldering or adhering silver or gold wires. These compartments are then
filled in with enamel that is then kiln-fired, rendering the soldered compartments visible
in the finished piece. In ancient times, the technique was utilized in decorative pieces and jewelry. I have in my possession a few pieces of modern cloisonne in the form of necklace pendants and a pill box. It is lovely and elegant. For further information on cloisonne, you
can check here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloisonn%C3%A9

Here are two examples of the card I created utilizing the Faux Cloisonne technique.

Even using such contrasting colored pages as black and red proves that each of the 

ornaments glows with its own special beauty. Any shiny page from a magazine is grist 

for the Faux Cloisonne mill. Or, for that matter, any combination of colors or patterns 

as long as it is subtle enough for the beautiful embossing to show. At times, I have 

thought I had chosen the perfect magazine image for my ornament, but after finishing,

it just didn't look as I had envisioned it. 

You can see here the closeups of both of the cards in my samples:

In my examples, I used the Stampin' Up! Pewter Embossing Powder and our Ornament 

Punch. 

A perfect combination, eh?

If you would like to create your own Faux Cloisonne Christmas cards, this is how I did 

my samples:

Supplies:

Baroque Motifs stamp set (unfortunately retired, but Stampin' Up! carries several swirly 

designs that would work admirably with this technique)

Whisper White Card Stock

Sahara Sand Card Stock

VersaMark Ink

Ornament Punch

Corner Rounder Punch

Big Shot

Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder

Designer Frame Embossing Folder

Basic Rhinestones

Heat Tool

Pewter Embossing Powder

Embossing Buddy

Early Espresso 3/8" Taffeta Ribbon (retired)

Magazine pages

Instructions:

Fold a 5 1/2" x 8 1/2" piece of Sahara Sand card stock in half, creasing well with a bone folder.

Run a 4" x 5 1/4" piece of Whisper White card stock through the Big Shot inside the Vintage Wallpaper Embossing Folder. A piece of 2 1/4" x 3" Whisper White card stock is also run through the Big Shot, but this time inside the Designer Frames Embossing Folder. Round the corners of this piece.

Adhere the smaller frame piece to a 2 1/2" x 3 1/4" piece of Sahara Sand card stock. Round the corners of the Sahara Sand piece also. Attach this larger piece to the embossed background, then to the card front.

Go through magazine pages, and select a colorful background that you think would make a wondrous ornament. 

Rub the Embossing Buddy over the portion of magazine page you have chosen. Stamp with the swirls from the Baroque Motifs (or your choice) in VersaMark. Sprinkle with Pewter Embossing Powder and heat to emboss. 

Use the Ornament Punch to punch out your ornament, choosing the most pleasing place in the swirls for your ornament. From a scrap of card stock, punch another ornament. Adhere these 

two ornament punches together to give the flimsy magazine page some stability. Attach to the center of the embossed frame with two Stampin' Dimensionals. Place a Basic Rhinestone onto your ornament.

Tie ribbon into a bow and attach it above the ornament with a Mini Glue Dot.

Although I didn't show the inside of my cards, rub the Embossing Buddy over the inside of the card and stamp a sentiment of your choice in VersaMark ink. Emboss with Pewter Embossing Powder. This just carries the elegance found on the front of the card throughout the greeting.

As always, you can order the needed supplies for your Stampin' Up! projects by clicking my button on the side of my blog. 

Smiles.