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Location: along the bluffs of the Upper Mississippi River
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I only just bought my lightbox last year. I've used a few times but I will keep it as I love how relaxing and calming doing embossing by hand is. I'll keep my LB around for awhile still. (I got a cuttlebug before I had the LB!)
__________________ All I want is the chance to prove money won't make me happy!
I only just bought my lightbox last year. I've used a few times but I will keep it as I love how relaxing and calming doing embossing by hand is. I'll keep my LB around for awhile still. (I got a cuttlebug before I had the LB!)
I actually cant do embossing by hand .. due to arthritis.. so im wondering what other way I might use it.. I am needing to adapt the philosophy .. USE IT... or TOSS IT!! LOL
I like the use it or toss it philosophy! And I'm glad I don't have to apply it to a lightbox, because that's one of those things I wanted really bad there for awhile, but didn't let myself get. SO GLAD I didn't let myself get!!
I like the use it or toss it philosophy! And I'm glad I don't have to apply it to a lightbox, because that's one of those things I wanted really bad there for awhile, but didn't let myself get. SO GLAD I didn't let myself get!!
BWAHAHAHA! yeah it was one of my purchases about 5 years ago... so im really thinking its gonna get purged/added to a bst listing in the future
I usually use mine for quilting and other handwork. Don't use as much for cards anymore...but I sure do like some of the new brass stencils coming out from Lasting Impressions. It might move back to my paper crafting corner after all!
I usually use mine for quilting and other handwork. Don't use as much for cards anymore...but I sure do like some of the new brass stencils coming out from Lasting Impressions. It might move back to my paper crafting corner after all!
My children (10, 13 and 15) use it all the time for school projects. They print up images from the internet and trace them using the light box. We store our light box with our printer and paper since it's used so much.
I got my light box Christmas probably 1963, it was part of the Betsy McCall Trace designer Kit. Haven't tossed it yet and have used it for many different crafts.
__________________ Beth My avatar is Wit'l & Dollo- we love them!
This thread did not help me AT ALL! I have had a light box for years and have not used it for years although I think about getting it out to use but it is too much trouble as it is in the bottom of a draw with tons of stuff on it. I know when I did not have one I always though of reasons I could use a light box.
I have been wondering for awhile if I should just get rid of it but I am afraid I will want/need it. Your answers have not given me a clear answer.....lol
Did anyone get rid of theirs and wish they had it back??
This thread did not help me AT ALL! I have had a light box for years and have not used it for years although I think about getting it out to use but it is too much trouble as it is in the bottom of a draw with tons of stuff on it. I know when I did not have one I always though of reasons I could use a light box.
I have been wondering for awhile if I should just get rid of it but I am afraid I will want/need it. Your answers have not given me a clear answer.....lol
Did anyone get rid of theirs and wish they had it back??
LOL!!! I know.. Im still in the same boat as.. get rid of it.. or use it.. LMBO!!
I had mine made by my dad for tracing embroidery designs - still use it for that. DH uses it for his origamic architecture. It's a keeper in this house.
Although I don't use my all that often, there is nothing else that does the job better for tracing a design/pattern whether it's for my embroidery, decorative (tole) painting, cardmaking or other crafts that I do. You can substitute a brightly lit window which is what I used to do before my Light Box - but I got tired of having my arm & hand at such a steep angle - it used to ache. I daresay that if you haven't used it in ages, you probably won't, but sell it if it's in good condition - people do buy them.
I won't part with my lightbox either. I use it for tracing embroidery designs. I bought the EK Success Light Box. I love that I can use an X-acto knife on top of the box itself for intricate tracing of patterns. Plus, I love to hand emboss. I agree with the other OP's I find if so relaxing. Plus, sometimes I only want a bit of an embossed area and you can't do that on a die cut machine. I can finely tune my designs.
My lightbox earned me high acclaim from a bunch of tweens at my daughter's school and helped me create the cheapest Halloween costume ever. She wanted to dress up as a character from the book/movie "Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief." She and her friend wanted orange t-shirts with the words "Camp Half-Blood" and a picture of Pegasus...don't ask, it's from the movie.
After combing the internet for an hour we could locate shirts that were somewhat similar to what was in the movie, but they were still off and some were $35 each plus shipping! I ended up combining images from coloring pages off the internet to make the Pegasus and found a font that matched the one on the movie shirts. I used the light box to trace the whole thing onto a $2.99 shirt from Hobby Lobby with a black fabric marker. It turned out fabulous, and she was the hit of the 6th grade!
Unfortunately all of her friends want me to make them shirts just like it. I told them I would if they provided me the t-shirt. I'm slowly making them as the shirts come in. So do you think Disney is going to come after me???
I've never had a light box but what it is really good for in paper crafting besides (patterns and embossing) is if you do freehand writing on your paper you can put a line guide behind and shine it through and write either in your own hand or calligraphy and not have lines on your work. I used to do this with watercolor scenes and wrote poems in calligraphy over the top.
Can you use the Cuttlebug with the brass stencils?
THis U-Tube link shows you how,and this link takes you to a blog where she shows how to do it. Its a bout halfway down the page.
You might find more info in the cuttlebug FAQ on here too.
Light box is good for tracing patterns, images, and various things.
I don't use my lightbox for embossing - but I do use it for tracing. I have an enormous design book, and I can pick a nifty design (or scan and resize on the computer) and trace it with a good black ink pen. If I'm careful and go slowly to the untrained eye you can't tell it apart from a stamped image.
I bought the book on amazon used for about $5 and increased my "image" collection by about 1000.
The tracing does take practice though. OR, you can go for the "hand sketched" look that has more of a sketched outline to it.
Either way, I can trace some pretty cool designs with it. Of course it's not as quick as stamping, but it is a good alternative.
__________________ A good dog, a sewing machine, and an old guitar......
my dad made me a light box many years ago. It is huge and takes up so much space. It is currently on its side hiding behind a chair in the library. It has too much emotional attachment to get rid of it. it is too heavy to lug out if I did want to use it LOL!
I use mine for looking at slides and negatives. Also use it for tracing lots, and a little for brass stencils. As an elementary school teacher, kids LOVE using them, so if you're really wanting to donate yours, consider an elementary school.
I have one too and it has been sitting ard for about 10 years. I have not been doing must of stencil embossing for a long long time. Still prefer powder embossing but I am not giving up my light box. Who knows I might go back to it one day.
My not handy dh made me one years ago and I don't think I have ever used it. It is a big ugly gray box that sits in a cabinet in the garage. Last month my LSS had a yard sale and I think I sold more than half of my embossing plates there.
Using a light box is great if you want to stamp in a circle, oval or some other shape. You can trace a shape onto copy paper, put it under your cardstock on the lightbox and stamp away. This way you won't have to erase any lines on your cardstock. It's also great to draw straight lines, and you can line up multiple sentiments. Or if you want to make a frame out of small images (think Rubber Stamp Tapestry peg stamps), the lightbox also works great for this. Another thought: if you want to incorporate a sentiment into your stamped frame, draw the shape onto copy paper, stamp your sentiment onto the paper. Then use it underneath and you'll have everything lined up perfectly.
Many more uses than just for brass stencils. Hope this helps!
__________________ Linda E
Caution: You are entering an artistic zone. This is not clutter - this is creating. These are not pajamas - it's my work uniform.
Using a light box is great if you want to stamp in a circle, oval or some other shape. You can trace a shape onto copy paper, put it under your cardstock on the lightbox and stamp away. This way you won't have to erase any lines on your cardstock. It's also great to draw straight lines, and you can line up multiple sentiments. Or if you want to make a frame out of small images (think Rubber Stamp Tapestry peg stamps), the lightbox also works great for this. Another thought: if you want to incorporate a sentiment into your stamped frame, draw the shape onto copy paper, stamp your sentiment onto the paper. Then use it underneath and you'll have everything lined up perfectly.
Many more uses than just for brass stencils. Hope this helps!
Location: along the bluffs of the Upper Mississippi River
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Quote:
Originally Posted by uncbballfan
Using a light box is great if you want to stamp in a circle, oval or some other shape. You can trace a shape onto copy paper, put it under your cardstock on the lightbox and stamp away. This way you won't have to erase any lines on your cardstock. It's also great to draw straight lines, and you can line up multiple sentiments. Or if you want to make a frame out of small images (think Rubber Stamp Tapestry peg stamps), the lightbox also works great for this. Another thought: if you want to incorporate a sentiment into your stamped frame, draw the shape onto copy paper, stamp your sentiment onto the paper. Then use it underneath and you'll have everything lined up perfectly.
Many more uses than just for brass stencils. Hope this helps!
Oh, I love the idea of using it to stamp in the middle of a cirlce or oval!
__________________ All I want is the chance to prove money won't make me happy!
I use mine alot. In fact I have two of them. I sometimes like to hand emboss, as I have alot of Anna Griffin brass stencils, and some other really nice ones. I know you can use the Cuttlebug for them, but I'm kinda old fashioned at times and like to "do it myself"! I also use it for embroidery transferring and sometimes I also use it when I have a printed template. I just put the printed template on the light box and my white cardstock over it and trace. I use white cardstock as a base for most of my boxes, and cover them with dp alot of time.
I consider my light box a staple supply to have just like scissors, rulers, adhesive. It will be a "won't part with" item and I'm wanting to get/make a much larger one. I use it for everything from quilting, school stuff, cardmaking, etc. It's a must have tool in my house.
Does anyone still use a lightbox? lol
