Tuesday Tutorial : The Heat is On….Let’s Emboss!

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I love heat embossing! There are so many fantastic techniques that use it like emboss resists, varnishing, outlining. You can change the colour of metal embellishments with heat embossing or you can create faux metal accents to match your projects. All with just a few basic supplies and a little bit of practice. You will be amazed at all the fun things you can do with embossing powders once you get started. And that’s what this tutorial is all about – getting started. I am going to show you step-by-step how to heat emboss and explain some of the do’s and don’ts to help you get the best results every time.

So, what kind of tools and supplies do you need to heat emboss? You will need :

HEAT TOOL :

You will definitely need a good quality heat tool that is designed for paper crafting like the one from Marvy. It has a stand to keep the hot tip off your work surface when you are not using it and it heats up very quickly. Embossing powder melts at over 200 degrees Fahrenheit so these special tools are designed to deliver a lot of heat without blowing too much air onto your project.

INK :

Pigment or clear ink that is appropriate for your project. Dye based inks dry far too quickly and will not hold onto the embossing powder. Selecting the right ink for your project is very important. If you have never heat embossed before you may find our article about the ‘Types of Inks Used for Heat Embossing’ helpful. It shows you the types of inks we recommend and what embossing powders they are used with.

EMBOSSING POWDER :

You will also need to select an embossing powder that is right for your application. Our article, ‘Embossing Powder Basics’ gives you lots of information about all of our Studio K Embossing Powders and the best inks to use them with.

STAMPS :

Most of the time you will stamp an image and then heat emboss it so you will need to have a variety of stamps.You can use outline or solid images, rubber or clear.

CARDSTOCK :

When you are beginning I suggest that you stamp on a smooth, good quality cardstock. This will give you a nice even surface to work on. When you have mastered the basics you can certainly stamp and emboss on a whole range of papers like vellum, glossy cardstock, watercolour paper and textured cardstock. These different papers produce some very interesting effects.

ANTI-STATIC BAG :

One of the biggest problems with embossing powder is that it sometimes sticks where you don’t want it. That’s why I recommend brushing the area where you are going to stamp with an anti-static bag. This will discourage stray bits of embossing powder from sticking where they shouldn’t.

You will also want to have scrap paper for laying under your project when you are stamping and to catch any excess embossing powder. You may want to have a few extra sheets handy just so that you can stamp off any excess ink before cleaning your stamps with stamp cleaner and a stamp scrubber.

Now that you know what you will need to heat emboss let’s get started.

Step 1 :

The first thing you want to do is wipe the area to be stamped with your anti-static bag. This step is optional but it is a really good idea if you want to make sure that no stray embossing powder sticks on the rest of your paper.

Step 2 :

Ink your stamp. I have found that the best way to do this is by laying my stamp down on my table facing up and then dabbing or patting the ink pad onto the stamp. By moving the ink pad around on top of your stamp you will get a more even application and there is less chance of applying too much ink.

Now stamp your image onto the cardstock with firm pressure. If you are using a large stamp make sure that you gently press down in the middle as well as along all the sides. Pressing too hard will result in a blurry image and not pressing enough will leave blank areas where there is no ink. I suggest trying a few test pieces before moving to your project piece, just so that you get the feel of it. After stamping lift your stamp carefully away from your project.

Step 3 :

Generously sprinkle embossing powder over your stamped image. You can pick up the cardstock and gently tip it back and forth to make sure that the entire surface is covered. Tip your cardstock up and allow the excess embossing powder to fall onto your scrap paper. Gently tap the back fo the cardstock with your fingers to remove any stray bits of embossing powder that might still be attached. If you still find there is embossing powder where you don’t want it you can remove it carefully with a small paint brush.

Step 4 :

Turn on your heat tool and let it warm up for a few seconds then hold your heat tool apprixmately 4 inches over your image and heat the embossing powder. When the powder melts it will become shiny and change colour slightly. As soon as this happens move your heat tool to the next area until your entire image is done. Don’t wave the heat tool over your image – all you are doing is heating the entire area a little bit instead of directing the heat to one small area at a time. You must however keep your heat tool moving slowly from one area to the other as the embossing powder melts and avoid putting it too close to the paper as this will scorch or burn it. Leave your embossed image to cool for a minute or two and then it’s ready to use.

That’s all there is to it! You now have a beautifully embossed image that you can use on cards, scrapbook pages, altered items and many other projects. Now that you have learned the basics don’t be afraid to experiment with different colours of ink and embossing powders on a variety of papers. You will get some truly amazing effects.

Here are a few very important safety tips for heat embossing :

• Always emboss on a heat proof surface.
• Never leave your heat tool running when you are not using it and keep your fingers away from the metal nozzle to avoid burns.
• Hold your paper or cardstock in a pair of tweezers above your work surface to keep your fingers away from the heat.

Here are a few pictures of cards that Mary-Ann and I made the other day with the new Christmas stamps from Creations Unlimited and Studio K Embossing Powders. They were such fun to make quick to put together.

Ingredients:

• Stamp : Creations Unlimited Unmounted Rubber Stamp : Large Poinsettia & Fir Branch
• Cardstock : Paper Accents Red Mirror Cardstock ; Paper Accents Crimson Smooth Cardstock ; Paper Accents Bright White Cardstock
• Patterned Paper : 25 Days of Christmas
• Embossing Folder : Cuttlebug Swiss Dots
• Pearls – Kaisercrafts
• Ribbon – May Arts

Ingredients:

• Stamp : Creations Unlimited Unmounted Rubber Stamp : Snowy Tree
• Embossing Powder : Studio K Black Forest
• Glitter : Studio K Crystal Rainbow
• Cardstock: Studio K Red Cardstock with Red Foiled Merry Christmas ; Paper Accents Gold Mirror Cardstock ; Stardream Ice Gold Cardstock
• Ribbon – May Arts Taffeta – Deep Red

Ingredients :

• Stamp : Creations Unlimited Unmounted Rubber Stamp : Winking Santa
• Cardstock : Stardream Ice Gold ; Paper Accents Red Mirror Cardstock ; Studio K Gunmetal Mirror Cardstock with Silver Foil Snowflakes
• Ribbon : May Arts 3/8″ double-faced satin – red
• Rhinestones : Kaisercraft clear

Ingredients :

• Stamp : Creations Unlimited Unmounted Rubber Stamp : Reindeer
• Embossing Powder : Studio K Gold Ice
• Cardstock : Stardream Ice Gold ; Studio K Red Mirror Cardstock with Gold Foil Snowflakes
• Ribbon : May Arts 5/8″ Sheer Metallic Ribbon- Gold
• Rhinestones : Kaisercraft red

Hope you enjoyed today’s tutorial. Thanks for dropping by.

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