Trust me, I am not eating bon-bons in being so late in my post…..it just was one busy but productive day yesterday and today I have a card for you but the HO~HO~HO from me today is all about HEAT EMBOSSING!
Before we get to heat embossing…..we need to see who won from yesterday’s post…..the random winner was # 25…..Vicki Blackwell – WOOT-WOOT…..go ahead Vicki and do that dance!
Here is her comment – I cracked up with the hoarding comments from yesterday but let’s face it….we are out there! Thanks for leaving the comment and please email me with your address and I will add to your ribbon stash! I am just lovin’ being Santa!
Onward we quickly go……
My oldest Peep Will teaches 6 – 9 year age group at a Montessori School in Boston and I always love it when he comes home and we get to talk “crafty” On Saturday he watched me heat emboss and was AMAZED at the whole concept and how easy it is!
Naturally I am always GLAD TO TALK CRAFTY and I showed him all of the discontinued embossing powders I have and a heat gun I bought from Michaels years ago and he is thrilled and excited to play around with it…..BUT – he asked me, why did they get rid of all of these colors?
This is where the TIP comes in today and one that I do hope that you try. Please leave me a comment and one person will win an Embossing Buddy and a container of Clear Embossing Powder.
There is no need to have a bunch of colors of embossing powders when you have a clear one….all you do is simple stamp and then use the clear, heat set it and PRESTO…..an embossed image with any of our colors! If you click here – you will see the offerings that we have…this is ALL YOU NEED.
Here are 3 pictures of the notecard that I made and I used the real red and heat embossed it. I know that it is hard to tell in the pictures…but it is just beautiful! This stamp set is One Big Meaning…and it has been well loved by me over the past year. After the pictures…I will share tips for perfect heat embossing….
I know that many of you get frustrated with the results from your heat embossing. The 2 biggest KEY POINTS are to have a GOOD HEAT GUN and also an EMBOSSING BUDDY.
These 2 things will be game changers for you. Do you remember that I said that I had a heat gun that I bought from Michaels that I was giving to Will? The reason was…it simply did not get hot enough (or should I say fast enough for my liking) and the results were not the best.
Once I bought a GOOD HEAT GUN….and also turned it on about 30-45 seconds before I bring it to my project…the results were stellar.
Please leave a comment and let us know how you like embossing…have you tried it with our ink or just say HI….and who knows….maybe you will win!!!! I have some other GREAT tips and giveaways…..keep popping back and see what Santa Susan is up to!
I absolutely love heat embossing and have a large collection of powders!! Having fun reading all your awesome tips!!! Thanks!
Ah yes! I had to ditch the old heat gun and purchased the Stampin’ Up! heat gun. And if I would remember to use the embossing buddy I could make twice as many cards rather than spend time getting rid of the unwanted powder before heating! I LOVE embossing on cards. It adds such elegance! I am also loving all the fun tips!!!!
Congrats to Vicky Blackwell !! Blackwell is my maiden name so Vicky and I might be related !!
Love heat embossing and yes, I agree that the clear embossing powder does the trick . Although I did get the Copper powder this year because it is trendy and beautiful !
Loving all these tips , Susan ! Lots of fun !!
I love heat embossing. It makes every card look special. Love your card. Stay warm!!
Love embossing. I don’t have a problem with stray powder flecks messing up my stamping (I do use my embossing buddy faithfully) but I am not always sure I have a solid enough inking to get perfect coverage before I sprinkle on the powder. I have re-inked whatever pad I’m going to use (including Versa Mark) and that helps, but it must be my uneven stamping pressure. Or maybe I’m just in too big a hurry. (NO! Really?! Surely not…?!) But I often get less than complete inkage and so less than perfect design. Sigh. Just need to practice more (every crafter’s excuse to spend more time playing in the craft room!) Thanks for sponsoring such a great dialog on tips. We all get so much insight from you and from each other. And, lucky you to spend time wowing the Peeps and crafting together. Best Christmas present I can imagine!
Linda there is a versamark pen you can find on the internet to fill in the place you might have missed!
Gail~I have one of the versatile.pens and have had limited success using it to correct any missing sections. I always feel like you can see the “correction”, no matter how careful I am. Just need to do more embossing to practice doing it right in the first place! [grin] Thanks for your support!
After reading everyone’s comments, I think I have been really lucky with my pen. Probably jinxed myself now… 🙂
Ho! Ho! Ho! I love embossing. Actually embossed on my Christmas card design this year!
Does the Classic ink stay tacky long enough to emboss or do you re-stamp with VersaMark?
I love the look, but I get frustrated easily with it – one card, not so much, but if I tried a dozen or so at a time, I would have been locked up by now. I was just having a conversation abut using the clear and ink – need to try that!
Well, I agree with you Susan. Now that I have the right tools-good heat gun and embossing buddy I now love embossing! I used to get so frustrated with the results but now enjoyng embosing with very good results. I have clear, silver, gold and copper powers I then have some non-SU pigment ink pads in colors that I use w clear embossing powder
I have once again embraced embossing, it fell off of my favorite techniques for a while but have come full circle. It adds an elegant shine and texture to a card.
I really like to heat emboss my cards. It really makes them ‘shine’. However, I have to be careful with the embossing powder….I can really make a mess trying to get it back into the container. Just messy me at work!
Try putting your project over or in a coffee filter before pouring on the powder….makes it pretty easy to get it back in the container because you can pick up the filter like a taco and pour it in 🙂
I use a coffee filter also and it works like a charm! An added bonus: they are super cheap. 🙂
I love the results of heat embossing. I learned a trick too. First stamp into versamark then without stamping on paper stamp in the ink color of your choice then stamp on paper. Cover with clear embossing powder and voila! The versamark won’t hurt your ink pad either. Pootles.co.uk has a video to show you how. So simple and cost effective and you don’t have to worry about lining up the images.
I Love heat embossing, it’s so easy and gives such a nice finished look to any project. Here is a tip that I learned on my own. Who knows, maybe many have already tried it. I wanted some real dazzle on my project. I was using the large trees stamp from Lovely As A Tree. I took the white embossing powder and mixed in a little Dazzling Diamond dust to it, then I sprinkled on my trees that were stamped in versa mark first. Oh my, let me tell you what a Beautiful row of sparkly trees I ended up with! Just Gorgeous!
Awesome tip!! I tried it earlier today and it is stunning! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
I love heat embossing, especially when it is done in gold or silver. It adds such an elegant touch to any project.
You are right…embossing makes a card! I think it takes a card from “homemade” to “handmade” if you know what I mean!
I love Heat embossing. I usually use gold. If I win I will try the clear and see how I like it. Have a Merry Christmas Susan and enjoy the return of the Peeps!
I love the magic of heat embossing. I find it fairly easy, with the right tools, and it makes the card look so special. The recipient is usually super impressed by my “skills”.
Congrats to Vicky! I love embossing and, I agree Susan, you definitely need to use the embossing buddy and a hot heat gun for a crisp, clean shine. I like the tips from Roberta and Patty, too. Thanks ladies!
I too have lots of embossing powders (colors that are no longer current) but thanks for the tip using clear. Your tips have been very useful; thanks so much!
I love the look that heat embossing gives a card. Gives it that extra special touch. I heat embossed on my Christmas cards this year. I love silver embossing with red or navy. I just need to remember to use the embossing buddy before stamping. Makes it less frustrating. Next time I’m going to try the tip using clear. Thanks for sharing all the great tips.
Heat embossing is one of the items that inspired me to begin buying Stampin up products. I was at a party over 20 years ago and heat embossing was demonstrated and I fell in love with the look. So now 20 years later it is still one of my favorite things to do on cards.
That’s so wonderful to show your youngest how to emboss…I could just envision the look on his face when his eyes lit up! I remember the first time I did it, too…of course, with SU! supplies! I am STILL in awe every time I do it. So much fun!
Using heat embossing is like making Poppers. Once you start, you don’t want to stop! I love to watch the magic take place when it turns from a boring powder to a gorgeous image.
I forgot to say congrats to Vicky for winning yesterday’s “pot of gold!” 🙂
I do like to emboss but I do forever to use the embossing buddy.
I have fallen in love with embossing. I used the gold many times for holiday cards and tags. It gives the projects such a classy look.
I am confused wth heat embossing with our ink pads and clear powder. Does the ink stay wet enough or do we need to add versamark?
I used heat embossing on my first ever cardmaking project many years ago…and fell in love! I was ‘playing’ with my sister-in-law (who just happened to be an SU! demo), and when I mentioned that I wanted a bit ‘more’ on the cards, she suggested heat embossing. After she showed me how it’s done, I was off and running! And I’ve used it often over the years. Love the versamark tip, which I’ve employed when I haven’t had powder to match an ink color.
Forgot to mention that I’ve been an SU! demonstrator for nearly four years. Mary Fish is my upline. Oh, and today’s my 46th wedding anniversary!!!
I love to emboss & TRY to remember to use my embossing buddy. i have found that a small dry paintbrush helps to remove those stray powders. I keep one next to my heat gun.
I despise heat embossing! Ugh. I will say it became less of a chore with the right tools but embossing buddy or no I still get stray specks of powder clinging to everything. I will only heat emboss under extreme duress.
Hi Susan, when you use the clear powder, do you put your stamp in the Versamark first then the colored ink pad, then powder it and heat? I wondered if the Versamark damages the colored ink pad — ? But if I try to stamp twice in the same spot, even with the Stamp-a-ma-jig, it never comes out right on! What is your technique for this? Thanks!
I almost never emboss even though I love the way it looks! I just never think my looks that great, so I am open to any suggestions and yes, I have an embossing buddy! I am confused because I thought you had to use Versamark ink?!?? Looks like Karen and I have the same question???? HELP!
I love to heat emboss. It s like magic and adds texture to you project. Heating up the heat gun first does make a difference. TFS
I love heat embossing–the magic of watching it and how it looks on the card. I’ve learned when using the colored ink and clear embossing powder that I have to stamp it a couple times (using my Misti) to get enough ink on it for the embossing to fully cover the sentiment. Maybe you’ll do a video on this and show me a better way!
Heat embossing makes me feel like a magician. Love it! You need an embossing buddy and a good heat gun, just like you said. I had no trouble with my first one from Michael’s, but now I have a great one. I reink my versamark pad with versamark ink to keep it nice and gooey.
I love embossing- both the heat and the dry! they add so much! thanks for all the tips and for a chance to win awesome stuff!
Heat embossing really does make a card even more beautiful. I love all the comments and tricks. Than you everyone. Embossing buddy will be on my next order!
I do like to emboss but I sort of forget about it……..that is why I am trying to figure out ways of organizing my craft area so I can keep things in “eyesight”……..that way I won’t forget about using them. But, a girl has only so much space…….always thinking about how to use my space more efficiently!! Lots of good tips!
Heat embossing is what hooked me into stamping…22 years ago. Who knew that it could be that easy to make something so Pretty! I was an embossing fool. I still love to emboss, but I don’t emboss every thing in sight any more.
Congrats Vicky. Heat stamping can be lots of fun and then sometimes not so much. Never mind how I know! I generally am pretty lazy and don’t heat emboss that much. That would be at least one more trip upstairs to get the heat tool etc. I have not gotten the hang of the glittery kind of embossing powder yet – I either heat it too long or not enough – like the new red one in the holiday catalog. Does any one have any good tips for that? Then I always forget about the clear embossing powder which I may try with the last of my hot chocolate holders. Oh and Susan, I love this card! That gold twine is just the crowning touch on this card. My local demo asked if I could host next week so now I feel like I can splurge and maybe get either the perfect or peaceful pines so I have the proper sized tree. I guess I could fussy cut the trees and save some bucks. Hopefully the Warmth and Cheer paper will be available.
I love all the tips here today, especially about the coffee filter. Sometimes my card is great and other times no so great. It is frustrating. At a stamp class I went to we were doing embossing. The demonstrator noticed that I had missed areas with the Versa Mark, and had me ink the card again before using the embossing powder. This time only I will blame it on my eyes. They are getting old and wore out.
In a nutshell for me it is proper lighting and looking at the card in various angles to be sure I have enough coverage. Then add the embossing powder and check again before using the heat tool.
But, I still enjoy the challenge.