Foiling - Lesson 4 - Hotfoil Stamps

Finally - you get to learn how to use the Hotfoil stamps designed to complement the GoPress&Foil machine. You should by now be familiar with using your GoPress and with adding shims to achieve the necessary pressure for successful foiling.

So let's get started ...

You will need:

• your GoPress & Foil machine - plugged in and waiting - plus the knobbly silicone protective mat and tweezers that came with your machine
• your die-cutting machine without any platform or plates
• GoPress foil  (and sharp scissors to cut the foil). 
• a Hotfoil stamp
• some SMOOTH cardstock or paper for your image
• piece/s of shim -as described in Lesson 1 - but you know that, don't you
• Optional but useful - an adhesive eraser
• Also optional - a bandaid (just checking that you are reading each line)

Emergency Washi tape & tissue
first aid measures!

But first - today's fact - and WARNING - the Hotfoil stamps are not dies - they do not cut card or paper. However there is a very sharp metal ridge around the edge of the stamp that can (and has) cut fingers! Handle with care - especially if you are cleaning the stamp.

My metal shim came with this warning. Without the
scotch-tape advice it could also be useful on
the Hotfoil stamps!

Today's tip - if you have left your machine unused for 25 mins it will have stopped heating - the red light will not be flashing. Remember to turn it back on to flashing to start it heating again. Mine demonstrated this whilst I was cutting foil and paper and working out positions for dies and taking photos!

Using the Hotfoil stamp:

• Turn your GoPress&Foil machine on and wait for the red flashing light to become green.
  
• While you wait, cut a piece of foil to the size of your Hotfoil stamp - to do this, lay the Hotfoil stamp, detailed side down, on the front (pretty side) of the foil and cut around the stamp. Do as I say not as I do - by laying this on the metal Carl cutter plate you see pictured below the foil, the surface of that abraded the foil a bit. Maybe lay the foil on scrap paper.
  
• Place the Hotfoil stamp onto the heated platform with detailed side UP. (** See Placement tip below)
• 
  
• Lay your piece of foil - pretty side DOWN - over the Hotfoil stamp. (Not shown but you know what to do.) Remember to use the gridlines as a guide to placement.
  
• Place your card or paper layer over this, good side down, again using the gridlines.
• Add a shim - I need to use a slightly thick shim - mine is  the card from a Lauke breadmix box - probably equivalent to two thin pieces of cardstock. Close the platform.
  
• Allow the layers to heat through - light returns to green and wait 15 seconds.
• Transfer the platform to your die-cutting machine and wind SLOWLY through. I like to turn the platform then wind it back in the other direction.
• Rest the platform back in the GoPress (not heating), allow to cool slightly then peel backing from image.
• Remember that your Hotfoil stamp will be hot - use tweezers to move it from the platform.

** Placement tip - hold your Hotfoil stamp detailed side down where you want it on your card or paper layer,

and bring the two together over the GoPress heating platform. My thumb is still holding that stamp in place.

Keeping the pieces held together, find a gridline intersection you can remember - I tend to use the 1cm down and 1cm across point in the top left corner of the platform.

Lay the combined stamp and card or paper here, leave the stamp on the platform,

remove the card or paper, place the foil pretty side down over the stamp (yes I should have trimmed it)

and return the card or paper to the grid point you used.

Add shim,

close platform and proceed.

Advanced technique:

This only works if the Hotfoil stamp is next to or overlapping one edge of your card or paper.

Here you can see me planning my layout with stamps and dies that I will add later.

When I want the foiled image in an exact position I use Washi tape to hold the layers in place.

To do this I assemble my layers as follows:

1. Paper or card, good side up (Blue Fern Studios 'Happy Accident - Fortuity')
2. Foil, pretty side up (Rose Gold Bright)
3. Hotfoil stamp, detailed side down (Thorny Branches)
   

When happy with placement, I put small pieces of Washi tape onto the stamp as shown and wrap the tape to adhere behind the paper or card. (I have also moved away all extra bits - stamps and bird dies.)

Holding all the layers together, I flip them face down onto the heating platform, add my shim, close the platform and allow to heat.

I then wind this SLOWLY through my BigShot from one side and return the platform to the GoPress. I reheat this then wind it through my BigShot from the other side because I know I need to do this for a successful image with the stamp I am using.

Because everything is anchored by the Washi tape I can gently lift my paper layer to check that the foiling is complete.

You will need to slowly and carefully peel the Washi tape away from the back of your paper as the heat will have made it stick more firmly to your paper layer. This is the reason for not adhering any tape to the front of the paper layer.

If you need to clean adhesive from the back of your Hotfoil stamp use orange-oil based Oomph or Orange Power goo remover and remember that the die edges are extremely sharp. 

Below is the finished card using this panel - you can see a list of product used on my main blog - The Wobble-Headed Mumbat - by clicking this link.

HOTFOIL STAMPS SUMMARY:

Layering - from platform up:

Heat required - machine is ON

Hotfoil stamp - detailed side up

Foil - coloured side down
paper or card - good side down

Shim - make a note of what you need 

Close platform, reheat, wind SLOWLY through die-cutting machine
You may need to reheat and rewind the other way