Faux Stitching Tutorial

With the photographic assist of my husband, I have that Faux Stitching Tutorial I promised.  Here is the card that I made using the Faux Stitching.

Believe it or not, there is no gel pen involved!  Here is the step by step tutorial.  First of all, you must use cardstock with a white core for this technique.  Patterned paper and cardstock without white core will not work.
Step 1 – With a pencil draw a line 1/4 inch from the outside of the card on the wrong side of the cardstock.

Step 2 – Using a paper cutter that has a deep “trough” and the larger end of your dry embossing tool, place the line that you drew over the “trough” and gently rub over the line that you drew.  I go over it a few times gently with the larger end of the tool, then a couple of times with the smaller end, and then again with the larger end.  Make sure that you do not tear the paper. Repeat on all four lines that you drew.

Step 3 – Turn the cardstock over to the front.  See the ridges that I dry embossed?

Step 4 – Pick up your sanding block and gently sand over the lines that you dry embossed.  You are sanding on the front of the cardstock where the lines are raised.  Keep the sanding block perpendicular to the cardstock and try real hard not to sand any of the cardstock that is not raised. 

Sand over all four lines.

See my sanded dry embossed lines?  I slightly sanded a few spots near the lines, but all-in-all a pretty good job.

Step 5 – For this step I used my Close to My Heart ruler and my paper piercing tool.  I placed the paper piercing tool straight up and down and using the larger spaced holes on the ruler pushed straight down.  I continue piercing until I get to the end of the line.  Then I repeat down each sanded line.


And the finished faux stitched cardstock.

Not bad, huh?  I love this technique.  If you try it, post your blog link in the comments so that I can visit your blog and see your artwork.