Hot Foil – Creative Juice by Loni

Do you ever get the “itch” to create art? I did this morning when I saw Emma Goddard’s card featured on the Global Design Project’s “CASE the Designer” challenge #gdp556

That SPLASH of color on Emma’s card felt like creative juice, so I pulled out the new Butterfly Flight Hot Foil Dies, some watercolor paper and ink to “CASE” (Create And Share Everything) the washes of ink!

I started by making “blobs” of color (the technical term, I’m sure) onto watercolor paper using Water Painters and Timid Tiger, Melon Mambo and Pretty Peacock ink. TIP: If you squeeze your ink pad while it’s closed, some of the ink transfers to the LID of your ink pad and you can pick it up from the lid with a paintbrush so the water doesn’t damage your pad.

The Butterfly Flight Hot Foil dies were foiled in GOLD on Very Vanilla card stock (if you haven’t seen our amazing new Hot Foil system in action, click HERE to learn more) then colored with the coordinating masks. Watch how fun it is to layer on the color with Blending Brushes and the same ink pads used for the background:

The sentiment “Here’s to a new chapter” from the Sending Salutations stamp set feels appropriate for a butterfly card, as the creatures are known for their beautiful transformation from caterpillar to beauty queen! It could be used for a birthday, retirement, new job, new parents, beginning of a school year, or a wedding, don’t you think?

May you capture a moment to create today ~ it will fill your heart with happiness to make something lovely!

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The first time I saw HOT FOIL on a greeting card, I was captivated! That was a few years ago, and I’ve (not-so) patiently waited for Stampin’ Up!®️ to release a version I could use and share, for I knew that they would…it was just too beautiful to resist. The DAY HAS FINALLY COME and you are going to be just as enchanted.

Let’s start with a quick video to show you how, then display a few stunning examples. Make sure you read ALL THE POST for a few tips to make your experience the best! You may want to SAVE or PIN this post to refer to later.

The card I created for the video was a split-image of the breathtaking Garden Silhouette background foil die in Night of Navy Two-Tone card stock and White Willow on a Strawberry Slush Card base (Strawberry Slush seems to be the closest color to the Pink Foil). The sentiment is from the Classic Greetings hot foil dies:

The next card I created was a fun-fold with the Flourish & Frames Bundle and all the supplies for this card will be listed below.

Foiling works best on smooth paper, such as:

Two-Tone Cardstock
Smooth cardstock (Our Basic White Cardstock works great!)
Stampin’ Up! vellum
Designer Series Paper
Window Sheets
Pearlized Specialty Paper

I used our regular milled Basic Black card stock for the frame, and to be honest, it wasn’t quite smooth enough and if I was to make this card again, I’d use Black Two Toned card stock (which I’ll list in the supplies). Too much excess foil stuck to the black. Always test small samples first on other surfaces. Porous or textured papers can yield inconsistent results.

This fun-fold peek-through card design is a surprise to open!

Inside the card, the Vanilla card stock is 4″ x 10.5″, scored at 5.25″ and 7-7/8″

My mother made my sister and me matching gingham rompers for summer when I was a little girl, and perhaps that’s why I’ve been obsessed with the pattern ever since. This new Designer Series Paper has two sizes of Gingham in the 2026-2028 In Colors and the Golden Glow was ideal for my Bee-Love card.

More Hot Foiling FAQ:

Q. How is hot foiling different from regular foiling?

A. Hot foiling involves heat and pressure. It uses heat-reactive foil and special hot foil dies to transfer the foil. Regular foiling is adhesive-based and uses glue, toner, or laminator to bond the foil.

Q. How does hot foiling differ from heat embossing?

A. While both techniques are high on “wow” factor, the hot foil finish is smooth, where heat embossing is slightly raised.

Q. What tools do I need for hot foiling?

A. You’ll need:

Stampin’ Hot Foil System
Specially-made hot foil dies (IMPORTANT NOTE: Cutting dies are not designed to be used with hot foiling. You cannot die cut using foiling dies. Doing so risks damaging the dies and the system.)
Stampin’ Hot Foil Rolls
Stampin’ Cut & Emboss Machine

Q. How do I avoid over-foiling or patchy results?

A. You can remove over-foiling (extra foil outside the design) by lightly erasing with a clean white eraser. Patchy foiling can result from uneven heat or papers with a texture. Try preheating your hot foil die longer or switching to smoother paper. Clean your hot foil die occasionally to prevent residue buildup.

Two final notes:

When you order the Hot Foil system before January 4, 2027, the Metallic Magic Class is INCLUDED in your purchase, helping you to learn how to use your new tools!
Stampin’ Up!®️ has already placed a second order for the system, but it takes time to manufacture. If they sell out quickly in July, it may not be available until late 2026 when the second shipment arrives, so don’t delay ordering!

Another video tutorial resource: