Embossing Bliss!

CRAFT SHARE!

There is no joy in my heart like the joy of embossing. I never grow tired of setting the heat gun to the powder and watching it melt into a glorious foil or wet-paint-like finish. It amazes me every time. Geeky, I know- but if you remember the first time you saw that powder run, you know just what I'm talking about. It makes me want to emboss my entire living space, my closet of clothes, my furniture, my friends...

This holiday season I will once again observe my tradition of sending New Year cards rather than Christmas cards. At some point I realized that I liked sending cards out after the new year. I like starting the year off by reaching out to friends and family. I like the idea of sending a card to someone after all the holiday madness has died down and it's just cold, lonely January. Really, how often do you just get a card or letter in the mail these days? It's a dying art, letter writing.

So this year I am not sending handmade cards, but I did want to personalize them. I did this by embossing the fronts of the envelopes in gold, red, and robin's egg blue. I'm also going to make some stationary for my grandmother.

If you don't know how to emboss, it's easy!! Here's what you'll need and how it works:

You'll need:
*Embossing ink pad
*Embossing powder
*Rubber stamps
*Heat gun
*Paper or other surface to emboss

How it works:

1) To start, cover your rubber stamp with embossing ink. For larger stamps, make sure you have a raised embossing ink pad so that you can cover the entire stamp with the ink.

2) Stamp the image onto your paper or surface to be embossed. The ink is clear but slightly tacky, so you should see an impression of your image.

3) Sprinkle enough embossing powder over the stamped image to cover it sufficiently. Make sure the image is well coated with powder, then lightly tap off the excess powder onto a piece of scrap paper. (Use this scrap paper to funnel the remaining powder back into the container for future use.)

4) Carefully wipe or lightly blow any excess powder away from the image, paying close attention to the details.

5) Once the image appears exactly as you want it, get ready to heat set! Turn on your heat gun and hold it carefully over your image (start at about 6-8 inches away). You will see the surface of the powder start to "melt" into a smoother texture. Move the heat slowly around the image until all of the powder is evenly melted. Do not hold too close or too long as this can cause scorch marks.

6) Set embossing aside to cool for at least one minute or until cool to the touch.


So easy and so impressive!!

Rubber Stamp Inquiry

Combing over the selection of rubber stamps at the local craft stores always inspires ideas. But the last time I was there I saw some stamps that baffled me. When I think of buying a rubber stamp, I'm thinking of how versatile it is; How many times can I use it, and on how many different projects?

Who buys the oversized cartoon stamp that says,"I'm smiling because you're my sister. I'm laughing because there's nothing you can do about it." It would seem the creator/purchaser of the stamp is planning on sending his/her sister the same birthday card every year for the rest of her life. Or maybe he/she is planning to taunt her on a daily basis, crazily stamping the same image and phrase on every surface in the house- windows, walls, plates, toilet-until the sister is driven mad. That, or he/she has an endless supply of sisters. Creepy.

I don't know. I just can't see buying a pricey stamp that doesn't have reusability appeal.