Today I’m going expand your embossing repertoire with 3 different ways to use the embossing skills you learned last week. Using 4 different products, we’ll create some really beautiful and unique textures to give your projects that “wow” factor. We’re going to cover: clear embossing, glitter embossing (my favorite), and flocking.

Because this post is going to be super long, I’m putting all of the how-to stuff after the jump.

Clear Embossing

In the last tutorial I showed you how to use colored embossing powders over a clear ink called VersaMark.  That’s great if you can find an embossing powder color you like. But sometimes you can’t. With all of the beautiful pigment inks on the market, it’s pretty likely you can find one that’s perfect for your project. The problem with pigment inks is that they’re very slow to dry and prone to smudging while they’re wet. This is where clear embossing powder comes in handy. Clear embossing powders not only give you a nice, shiny raised texture, they “seal” the ink so that it doesn’t smudge.

The steps are the same as in last week’s tutorial but I’ll give the photo tour anyway. I’m just nice like that.

Supplies Needed

• Printed project to be embossed
• Rubber stamp
• Pigment ink
• Clear embossing powder
• Heat embossing tool
• Embossing buddy or anti-cling dryer sheet

Directions

1. The first step is to rub the face of the paper project (in this case, the invitation) with an Embossing Buddy or a used dryer sheet. This helps remove static from the paper which will help the embossing powder stick only where it’s supposed to. Set the project aside.
2. Ink a rubber stamp with the pigment pad.
3. Stamp the inked image onto the invitation. Set aside for a brief moment.
4. Fold a piece of scrap paper in half.  Open it. Place the invitation on the opened scrap paper. The scrap paper is to catch excess embossing powder. The fold will act as a funnel when you pour the unused embossing powder back into the container.
5. Pour a generous amount of embossing powder onto the stamped areas of the invitation. Don’t be stingy here.
6. Now carefully pick up the invitation and shake off the excess embossing powder onto the scrap paper. Set the invite aside.
7. Pour the unused embossing powder back into its container. (Spilled e.p. is a pain in the butt to clean up! It’s almost as bad as glitter.)
8.  Turn on your heat embossing tool and let it warm up, about 30 – 45 seconds is usually sufficient.
9. Now, point the heat tool over the embossing powder, about 2″ – 3″ away from the surface. In slow, steady movements move the tool back and forth over the powdered images. You’ll be able to see the powder melt and go from slightly grainy to glossy. It’s important to note that the heat tool is HOT. The air coming from it is HOT. It will burn the paper (or you) so keep it moving. Linger too long on a spot and it’ll turn brown or it’ll catch fire. I know this from experience.
10.  Once the embossing powder has completely melted, you’re done!

[Rubber stamp: Baroque Motifs set from Stampin’ Up! • Cardstock: Unknown brand • Ink: Martha Stewart Crafts (Aloe) • Embossing Powder: Filigree (Crystal Clear) • Heat Tool: Uchida]

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 Glitter Embossing

 An easy way to add high impact to your projects is to use glitter. With the wonderful product embossing product called “heat & stick” powder, you can add glitter to your stamped images. Insta-glam!

Supplies Needed

• Printed project to be embossed
• Rubber stamp
• VersaMark ink
• Fine grade glitter (chunky glitters don’t work very well with this technique)
• Plastic container and a spoon (for the glitter)
• Soft-bristled makeup brush (one that you won’t use on your face, please)
• Heat embossing tool
• Embossing buddy or anti-cling dryer sheet

Directions

1. As with the other embossing projects, the first step is to rub the face of the paper project (in this case, the invitation) with an Embossing Buddy or a used dryer sheet.
2. Pour some glitter into your plastic container. The container should be about sandwich-size to allow plenty of room to work with your project and catch all the excess glitter.
3.  Ink a rubber stamp with the VersaMark pad.
4.   Stamp the inked image onto the invitation. Set aside for a brief moment.
5. Fold a piece of scrap paper in half.  Open it. Place the invitation on the opened scrap paper. The scrap paper is to catch excess heat and stick powder. The fold will act as a funnel when you pour the unused powder back into the container.
6. Pour a generous amount of heat & stick powder onto the stamped areas of the invitation. Don’t be stingy here.
7. Now carefully pick up the invitation and shake off the heat & stick powder onto the scrap paper. Set the invite aside.
8. Pour the unused heat & stick powder back into its container.
9.  Turn on your heat embossing tool and let it warm up, about 30 – 45 seconds is usually sufficient.
10. Now, point the heat tool over the heat & stick powder, about 2″ – 3″ away from the surface. In slow, steady movements move the tool back and forth over the powdered images. You’ll be able to see the powder melt and go from slightly grainy to glossy. Important note here! You want to move fast from this step to the next. You’ll need to get the glitter on while the heat & stick is still warm and sticky.
11.   Once the heat & stick powder has completely melted, hold the invitation over the container of glitter and pour a generous amount over the powdered areas.
12. Shake off the excess. (Don’t worry too much about the “excess” there will be a lot sticking to the paper. Get the bulk off.)
13. Set the invitation back on the table and give it a quick hit with the heat gun. You’ll blow off some more of the excess and, more importantly, reheat the sticky powder so that the glitter melts into it a little. 5 -10 seconds should be sufficient.
14. Rub the soft brush across a dryer sheet to help discharge the static. Glitter loves static. That’s a bad thing.
15. Now, taking the soft-bristled brush, lightly brush off any excess glitter. Voila! Nearly instant glam.

{Warning on this one: Glitter Will Get Everywhere. It’s a pain to clean up, too. But it’s gorgeous!}

[Rubber stamp: Baroque Motifs set from Stampin’ Up! • Cardstock: Stampin' Up! (Sahara Sand) • Ink: VersaMark • Heat & Stick Powder: JudiKins (Sticky Stuff) • Glitter: Martha Stewart Crafts (Green Agate) • Heat Tool: Uchida]

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Flocking

Flocking, a slightly fuzzy powder, is really fun and perfect for tactile couples that want to do something a little unexpected. The directions is pretty much the same as glitter embossing (above). We’re just using flocking powder instead of glitter.

Flocking comes in limited colors and works best on bold graphics, not fine-line or detailed images.

• Printed project to be embossed
• Rubber stamp
• VersaMark ink
• Flocking powder
• Plastic container and a spoon (for the flock)
• Soft-bristled makeup brush (one that you won’t use on your face, please)
• Heat embossing tool
• Embossing buddy or anti-cling dryer sheet

Directions (see glitter embossing above for detailed directions) or the quicky directions below.

1.   Stamp image in VersaMark, pour on heat & stick powder. Use the heat tool to melt the heat & stick.
2. Once the heat & stick is melted, pour on a generous amount of flock.
3. Shake off excess flock.
4. Flip the paper over and press down on the back. This’ll help bond the flock to the sticky image.
5. Flip the paper over again. Use the soft-bristled brush to lightly sweep off the excess flock.
6. That’s it!

[Rubber stamp: Baroque Background from Stampin’ Up! • Cardstock: Stampin' Up! (Pretty In Pink) • Ink: VersaMark • Heat & Stick Powder: JudiKins (Sticky Stuff) • Flock: Stampendous Fun Flock (Hot Pink) • Heat Tool: Uchida]

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That I am a rubber stamping fiend should come of no surprise to long-time DIY Bride friends. I’ve professed my undying love for it many times in these pages. Part of the reason is that it’s what got me started in crafting and part because stamping is just plain fun. The technique I’m sharing today is one of my favorites and one that adds a beautiful finish to nearly any paper craft project you can stamp on.

Heat embossing is the act of melting a plastic-based powder onto paper. The result is a shiny, slightly raised surface on the embossed image. It’s a great way to add a little pizazz to invitations or favor packaging. And it’s pretty darned easy to do.

While the finished project (above) is black-on-white embossing, I’ve used white embossing on black cardstock to better illustrate the technique.

Tools & Supplies

• Paper or cardstock
• VersaMark Watermark stamp pad or pigment ink stamp pad
• Embossing powder
• Rubber stamp
• Heat embossing tool
• Scrap paper
• Embossing buddy or anti-cling dryer sheet (not shown)

Directions

1. The first step is to rub the face of the paper project (in this case, the invitation) with an Embossing Buddy or a used dryer sheet. This helps remove static from the paper which will help the embossing powder stick only where it’s supposed to. Set the project aside.
2.   Ink a rubber stamp with the VersaMark pad. For larger stamps, I like to turn the stamp on its back and tap the pad onto the surface of the stamp. This lets me see where I’m putting the ink to make sure the stamp is evenly covered.
3. Stamp the inked image onto the invitation. Set aside for a sec.
4. Fold a piece of scrap paper in half.  Open it. Place the invitation on the opened scrap paper. The scrap paper is to catch excess embossing powder. The fold will act as a funnel when you pour the unused embossing powder back into the container. (One of my favorite tips. Ever.)
5. Pour a generous amount of embossing powder onto the stamped areas of the invitation. Do be stingy here.
6. Now carefully pick up the invitation and shake off the excess embossing powder onto the scrap paper. Set the invite aside.
7. Pour the unused embossing powder back into its container. (Spilled e.p. is a pain in the butt to clean up! It’s almost as bad as glitter.)
8.   Turn on your heat embossing tool and let it warm up, about 30 – 45 seconds is usually sufficient.
9.   {Shot of grainy embossing powder, before melted}
10. Now, point the heat tool over the embossing powder, about 2″ – 3″ away from the surface. In slow, steady movements move the tool back and forth over the powdered images. You’ll be able to see the powder melt and go from slightly grainy to glossy. It’s important to note that the heat tool is HOT. The air coming from it is HOT. It will burn the paper (or you) so keep it moving. Linger too long on a spot and it’ll turn brown or it’ll catch fire. I know this from experience.
11. Once the embossing powder has completely melted, you’re done! That’s all there is to it.

Notes:

• Embossing powders come in hundreds of shades, different opacities, several textures and can even be found metallics and with glitter.
• If you’re going to do a lot of embossed projects, I recommend getting a wide, flat Tupperware type container with a lid.  Pour all of your embossing powder into it. Hold your paper projects over the container and use a spoon to pour powder onto the paper. The rest will just fall back into the container.
• Embossing Buddys are small bags of cornstarch that you rub over paper to help prevent static cling. Because most embossing powders are plastic-based, the powder often will stick in places you don’t want due to static cling. Embossing Buddys (there are different brand names for them) are available at most craft stores in the stamping section.
• We’ll talk about VersaMark and pigment inks in another post, but I wanted to give the reason you need either one of these. Pigment inks and VersaMark are “sticky” inks that give embossing powder something to grab on to. Dye-based inks dry too fast and aren’t sticky enough (they don’t have as much glycerin) to use embossing powders with.

The finished project measure 5.25″ x 7.25″. The template for the invitation is available here: 5×7template.doc. It measures 5″ x 7″ and is mounted on a 5.25″ x 7.25″ piece of contrasting cardstock.

Rubber stamp: Baroque Motifs set from Stampin’ Up!

Cardstock: Unknown

Ink: VersaMark

Embossing Powders: Imprintz, White ; Personal Stamp Exchange, Black

Heat Tool: Uchida

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It all started when I was planning my wedding some years ago and needed a way to decorate some favor boxes. My then-MIL-to-be (now just my MIL) introduced me to the wonderous graphic design tool known as the rubber stamp. She was (and still is) a demonstrator for a direct sales stamping/scrapbooking company and quickly became my connection, doing all in her power to fuel my addiction. It worked.

See, stamping is my creative fix of choice and it served as my slide into the subversive, sordid world of craft. It was my gateway drug. Soon after I got hooked on stamp, I started scoring vintage glitter on eBay, loitering at craft stores on days I knew new products were released, and bogarting my stash of hard-t0-find cardstocks — all because of my insatiable desire for images vulcanized into rubber. (Don’t even get me started on my lust for clear stamps. It’s too painful.)

I tried to hide my addiction but, alas, the tell-tale inky fingers, the paper cuts, and scraps of ribbon gave me away. (And that middle-distance stare after obsessing over the right color & embellishment combination for hours at a time.)

My decision to “out” myself was difficult but one I’m ultimately happy to make. Because, instead of a recovery program, I’m out to get you hooked, too. (When you’re most vulnerable, planning those wedding crafts. Bwahahaha!)

I’m dedicating the month of August to writing about and tutorializing (is that even a word?) rubber stamping. Stay tuned for projects galore, video tutorials, and a whole bunch o’ resources, tips and hints. Prepare to get those fingers all inky, dirty girls.

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