Are you ready to learn how to heat emboss with some easy steps and tips? Ditch any fears you have about embossing when you follow this guide and the helpful tips!
Heat Tool
- 2 heat settings: low for drying ink, high for heat-setting powder.
- Has a protective plastic tip to cover the hot metal end.
VersaMark
Embossing Powder
There are a variety of Embossing Powder styles of clear, colored, glittered, matte, and more. Stampin’ Up! offers two bundles: Basics and Metallics.
- The Basics Embossing Powders come in clear, white, and black.
- The Metallics Embossing Powders come in copper, gold, and silver.
Rubber Stamp & Paper
- Stampin’ Up! offers a variety of Cling rubber stamps in several stamp sets. The Botanical Layers stamp set is featured in the images below.
- There are also several colored cardstocks to choose as a heat embossing base. Basic White, Polished Pink, and Bermuda Bay cardstock are featured in the images below.
Embossing Additions Tool Kit
This tool kit makes embossing SOOO much easier!! The kit comes with an Embossing Buddy, Powder Pal, Crafting Tweezers, and Crafting Brushes.
- The Embossing Buddy, also known as an Anti-Static Tool, is a small bag of powder that removes static and oils from paper. Rub it over the paper before inking and embossing. This ensures the embossing powder stays only where it’s wanted.
- The Powder Pal is essentially an embossing tray with a funnel. It is a super easy way to catch and funnel excess embossing powder back into its container. A piece of scrap paper creased down the middle can also be used to replicate!!
- The Crafting Tweezers are used to comfortably hold small items, like pieces of paper, while using the heat gun and embossing.
- The Crafting Brush is handy for brushing stray powder away and for keeping the paper and work area clean. A paint brush can also be used to delicately brush the powder away!!
- Stamp the image on a piece of paper using the VersaMark Ink Pad. Any colored cardstock can be used!
- Sprinkle the embossing powder on top of the image. It is recommended to use the Powder Pal or a piece of scrap paper underneath to collect the excess powder.
- Use the Heat Tool on high heat (level 2) to heat-set/melt the powder. Follow the embossing powder with the Heat Tool as it melts.
- The completed image will be beautiful and glossy!
- Extra Tip: Run the completed image through the Embossing Machine to get a beautiful double texture!
Stamp the image in VersaMark ink.
Sprinkle embossing powder on top of the image.
Use the Heat Tool to melt the embossing powder.
Completed image!
Here are a few examples of some other embossing powder and cardstock colors:
Copper Embossing Powder.
Gold Embossing Powder.
White Embossing Powder.
Clear Embossing Powder.
Tone-on-Tone Embossing
For a tone-on-tone embossed look, stamp the image in VersaMark ink. Stop here to let the VersaMark stickiness dry and create a beautiful tone-on-tone effect.
To achieve the glossy look, sprinkle some clear embossing powder on top of the image and use the Heat Tool to dry. The completed product will be a beautifully glossy tone-on-tone image!!
VersaMark with No Powder.
VersaMark with Clear Embossing Powder.
Embossing With Stamp Pads
Yes!! Embossing powder can also be used with any Stampin’ Up! stamp pad. The steps are all the same but instead of using VersaMark ink, use any colored stamp pad. Be quick though, because the Classic Stampin’ Pads dry much faster than the VersaMark ink. Simply sprinkle the embossing powder over the image as soon as stamping has been complete!!
Cherry Cobbler Ink with Clear Embossing Powder.
The Bermuda Bay image is hardly covered because the stamp pad needs to be re-inked.
Why is the embossing powder not sticking?
This is likely due to an incomplete stamped image. But good news, there are several things to check to fix this issue! Be sure to stamp on a flat, stable surface. Also make sure the stamp has been inked evenly and don’t allow the ink to dry before using the embossing powder.
Some of the powder brushes off after heating…
This is likely because the powder has not been properly heat set. Make sure to use the Heat Tool across the ENTIRE image and it all looks the same. Any area that looks dusty or matte in appearance generally has not been heat set enough.
Patches of powder are sticking where it shouldn’t be…
Powders will stick to finger marks, grease, or anything wet! To help avoid unwanted patches try these tips:
- Wash hands and allow them to dry before using embossing powders.
- Handle cardstock by the edges or use Crafting Tweezers!
- Use a clean sheet of paper to catch excess powder and return it to the jar straight away! (Avoid using plastic trays such as the Powder Pal because it adds static after each use).
- Try using an anti-static bag, or Embossing Buddy by swiping it across the card before stamping. These will cover sticky bits with the enclosed powder, making it more likely that the embossing powder won’t stick anywhere it shouldn’t.
- Brush away the patches with a fine dry paintbrush, or the Crafting Brush, before heat setting.
A few weeks ago I created a card using a cool heat emboss technique called the ‘black ice’ technique. Don’t miss that heat emboss card inspiration and video tutorial too!
