How do I use the Brass Templates with just the stylus
 

Okay, I have tried to find another thread that might talk about this but my 2 year old is having a fit right now so I have to make this easy for me.

I can't buy the Cuddlebug stuff yet but I have this brass template and a stylus. How do I use it or is it worth it? I don't have a light table or anything else. I just can't figure this out.

Help!!!:confused: :confused:

pick a piece of CS- rub over it with wax paper (helps the stylus slide)
put the CS on top of the template ( you can make your own template by punching what ever shape you want from CS and use it in place of the brass template) trace inside the template with the stylus. you really only need to trace the outline of the design.
i hope this makes sense! good luck!

Light table?
 

That makes sense now. Do since I can't see the template underneath, should I invest in a light table?

Without a light table, you can either:
1. buy an empressor tool
2. find a subsitute - I use the colored plastic end of some Zig markers I have:
http://www.dickblick.com/zz213/04/
Tape your brass stencil to the cardstock with removable tape (you can buy that at any office supply store). Flip it over so the brass stencil is on the bottom. Rub the empressor tool or marker end all over the design. This allows you to see where you need to emboss. Rub your finger or wax paper over the design. This step will make the stylus glide nicely. Now run the stylus around the design. Remove the stencil and you're done! I've been doing it this way for years. I'd love a Cuttlebug but can't buy it either so this works for me.

If you have any other questions or if I can clarify any of the above, please ask away!

HTH,
Anita

Looks like I was posting at the same time as momis mama.

""That makes sense now. Do since I can't see the template underneath, should I invest in a light table?""

A light table does make it easier on light colored cardstock but I have found that the light table doesn't work on medium/dark cs. But you can do med/dark cs with the empressor or the marker end and they are cheaper and smaller to store.

Just my humble opinion.
Stamping Smiles,
Anita

in a pinch I have used a window to put my project up against so that I can see through. or, borrow the trouble light from the garage and put it under a clear pyrex dish.

Now that's an idea. Thanks for your help. I hate having all of this stuff and not using it or knowing how too!

Now that's ingenious. What a great idea!

Waaaay back in the dark ages of the 70's, I used my window all of the time to do embossing with brass or plastic or even paper stencils. And All I had at the time was a fat knitting needle for a stylus tool! And it all worked out just fine. I know. I walked barefoot uphill both ways to school in 6 feet of snow, too.

I remember waaaay back then too and using the sliding glass doors on a sunny day with the cap of a Bic pen to trace the stencil... (but I didn't have to walk in the snow - here in MD they always cancelled school when the first flake fell - we are wimps here!)

One of the neat ideas I saw on someone's blog was related to using punches to make a stencil. First you'd cut cardboard (like a cereal box) to 4 1/4 x 5 1/2 size (or whatever size your card is going to be. Then punch where you want. Since the cardboard is the same size as the card then you don't need to worry about where everything is. I thought that was pretty cool.