There are three main things you will need to successfully do heat embossing: Heat Tool (129053), pigment ink (Versamark Pad – 102283 or Whisper White Craft Stampin’ Pad – 101731) and embossing powder (Clear Stampin’ Emboss Powder – 109130, Copper Stampin’ Emboss Powder – 141636, Gold Stampin’ Emboss Powder – 109129, Real Red Glitter Stampin’ Emboss Powder – 142635, Silver Stampin’ Emboss Powder – 109131 or White Stampin’ Emboss Powder – 109132). One other thing that is a good idea to have and will make your embossed image a lot neater is the Embossing Buddy (103083).
After cutting your cardstock and before stamping, you will want to rub the piece of cardstock you will be embossing with the Embossing Buddy. This has a powder in it and removes the static electricity from your piece of cardstock so you won’t have all those little stray pieces of embossing powder stick to it.
Once you have done that, stamp your image with pigment ink. I find that the easiest and cleanest way to use embossing powder is to store it in a container that is at least a little larger than a card front. You will want to carefully pick up the piece of cardstock you stamped and hold it over the container of embossing powder. I keep a plastic spoon in my container with the embossing powder. Use the spoon to pour embossing powder over the stamped image, then holding the cardstock sideways, tap the edge of it to get the excess embossing powder off. If some places are not covered as well as you would like with the embossing powder, spoon some more over the area that is in need. Tap, again.
Lay the cardstock on your table in a clear spot.If it is a small piece of cardstock, you may want to use your Paper Piercing tool to hold the edge of the cardstock in place, so it doesn’t blow away when you turn the heat tool on.
Hold the Heat Tool straight up and down, about two to three inches from the surface of your table. When you first turn it on, it will take a few seconds for it to heat up, so hold it in place until you see the embossing powder start to melt. Then slowly move over the image to melt the rest of the powder. Once it is all melted, give it a few seconds to cool off before touching it.
Once it has cooled off, you can then finish the rest of your card, whether it is coloring in the image you embossed or sponging over it. If you do sponge over it, make sure you wipe your image with a clean tissue when you are done, to remove the ink from the embossing. This helps it to pop out.
Now you can finish your card however you choose to.
Happy Stampin’
