Step 1. The Fiskar's Shape Boss Tool is an ingenious little paper crafting gadget. It consists of a heavy molded plastic base, which is drilled with peg holes. At the top of the tool is a handy storage container that holds the pegs and embossing tool that come with the Shape Boss set (hint: I also use the storage compartment in my Shape Boss tool to store extra blades for my paper trimmer).

A basic stencil set is included when you buy the tool, and other stencil sets are available (subjects range from Heritage, Fantasy, Special Occasions, etc.). Use the stencils to create borders and embossed design elements for greeting cards, scrapbook pages and other paper crafts.

What's unique about the stencils that come with Fiskar's Shape Boss system is that they consist of two parts: an opaque die cut lower layer, and a thinly die cut upper layer, conveniently printed with grid marks for accurate positioning of your embossed images. The pegs hold the layers in place so that your work in progress does not move or shift -- stencil bottom layer, the paper you are embossing (we used vellum in this example and card stock in the photo at the top of the page) and the top stencil layer.

Step 2. Use the embossing stylus (which also comes with the set) to trace the design of the stencil on your paper. In the example above, we are creating a bottom border on a sheet of vellum. You can either trace the outline of your design or fill in the solid area. Shift the paper as needed, moving the pegs to accommodate the moves, to get the design positioned where you need it.

Important Embossing Tip: Unless you want your final image inbossed (in other words, the final image is an indentation rather than a raised design), you will be embossing the design backwards on the wrong side of the paper. This is especially important to note when embossing letters.