Embossing Powder

[MICKEY M0USE]

Can you guys help me? I have been scrapbooking for a while and I thought I would try stamps. I could never get the stamping to look anything like I saw in the magazines and books. I realized that stampers use something called embossing powder and that's why their pages are beautiful and mine look like crap. How do I get into embossing?

Questions:

Should I buy markers or stamp pads? I have read about markers made especially for stamps. Are they easier to use than regular stamp pads?

I read that you shouldn't use a hair dryer to heat because that spreads the powder everywhere. True?

What kind of embossing powders should I try first? What did you guys have the most luck with?

Thanks for your help!

 

[BevS97]

i'm no expert, but I use a versamark stamp pad, which is clear and stays wet for quite a while to hold the embossing powder.
I have gold embossing powder ,which I think looks really nice for cards (about the only time I use it) but you can get 1000's of colors.

You are right, you can't use a hairdryer, but if you want to experiment, you can hold the piece over a bare lightbulb, or very carefully over a toaster or electric ring (don't use a gas stove!), but be very careful - I think the lightbulb is the safest option and I have done this quite successfully.
If you are keen then you will need a heatgun - it looks like a hairdryer but it doesn't blow it just gets very hot.

Bev

 

[MICKEY M0USE]

Bev, thanks for the tips! I have gotten a little bored with my pages lately and I think this will liven them up a bit! I will have to experiment a bit, but I think the next time I'm out I'll pick up that clear stamp pad you mentioned and some powder and play!

 

[YaYas_Mom]

Versamark works great with stamping, and there's a pen too that's great for working with chalks too. Any type of pigment pad will work too, what I like to do is buy more ink pads, and then use clear embossing powder - then you only need one kind of embossing powder

For coloring in stamps, I LOVE the blender pens - its a pen you fill with water, and you use it with your ink pads, it makes the pen like a watercolor brush. I'm sure I'm doing a horible job explaining it, but Dove makes one, as does Stampin' Up and I'm sure CTMH carries them too.

Good luck!

 

[chessie]

When you begin to experiment you may just get hooked.

I bought some really neat looking embossing powders. One is sort of a moiré look to it, another has sort of a pearl look to it. Like Bev said, there are literally 1000s of colors and textures to choose from. I have a small assortment, but they are not growing as quickly as I'd like because the powders start at about $3.50 each.

There are special inks that dry slowly so that the powder will stick to it. You can get them in colors or clear. I use mostly clear because I like the textured powders. I used to use my toaster to melt the powders. I now have one of the guns but you should always heat from underneath.

I also purchased background stamps that have different patterns to give textures like crackled paint, tree bark and spider webs. I have used them on cardstock to make borders, mats and also punches.

I think that embossing can almost get as addictive as scrapping. Then again, if you use you embossing in your scrapping it is the same addiction.

 

[piratesmate]

I tried embossing for the 1st time for Christmas. I borrowed my sister's gun, stamps, powders, etc. I don't have them handy to check the brand, but the rose powder didn't turn out as nice as the bronze & black. It had a grainy texture to it.

My sister uses a tinted stamp pad so that it's easier to see where the stamp is - for when you pour the powder over it. I liked that feature.

She also gave me a pen to use for freehand drawing, as well as touch ups to the stamp. I made out better doing the freehand stuff than doing touch-ups. It had a chisel point so that I could do caligraphy embossing. Nice!

I had some difficulty getting rid of all the excess/stray grains of powder on the paper. Tapping the paper on its side only removes so much - it got to the point that too much tapping removed powder from the actual stamped area. I found that a dry really, really fine point paintbrush - maybe 000 - worked great for removing the stray grains. You just have to be careful not to get too close to the stamp because it will come off there, too.

Deb

 

[pattyT]

I haven't embossed in a while! but when I first tried it I would hold the paper over the burner on my ceramic stove until it melted (not safe) then I bought an EMBOSSING GUN at Michaels with the 40%off coupn! It works great!

 

[MICKEY M0USE]

I was telling my DH the good news about the embossing products, and he said, "Great, another way to spend money." Ha ha! I think I will start out small, with a versamark pad and one kind of embossing powder, until I get the hang of it. Then I'll find a 40% off coupon and get a heating gun at Michael's!