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How to Do Ink or Powder Embossing
Rate it! Votes (4) | Comments (0) By FabulousLiving.com Photos: Mitch Mandell Posted July 31st, 2007 FabulousFoods.com Recommends: Stenciling & Embossing Greeting Cards: 18 Quick Creative, Unique & Easy-To-Do Projects, by Judith Barker, (2000, North Light Books)	Stenciling & Embossing Greeting Cards: 18 Quick Creative, Unique & Easy-To-Do Projects

See Also: Dry or Stylus Embossing

Embossing with rubber stamps, inks and embossing powders gives the image a shiny raised surface when the powders are set with a heat tool.

Embossing Powders
Embossing powders come in a rainbow of colors, as well as a clear version that gives a shiny raised surface to the image or can be used for special techniques like resist embossing (instructions coming soon).

Colored powders may be either opaque or semitransparent, some are metallic, and some are sparkly and glittery. There are so many embossing powders to choose from, it can seem overwhelming to a beginner. Gold and silver are good to have in your arsenal, if you can afford more, go for clear, a glittery white and any favorite colors you may have.

The jars of embossing powder may look small, but they will actually last a long, long time. It only takes a small amount of powder to cover the ink on most stamped designs. While you may pour a lot of powder on to begin with, you can funnel the excess right back into the embossing powder jar. Pouring your powder over a piece of paper makes it easy to get the powder back into the jar. You can also get a small tray, like the blue one on the photo above, at your craft or rubber stamping store. The tray has a small capped funnel end, which lets you emboss over the tray, then pour the powder back into its jar.

Embossing Powder Tips

• To apply embossing powder, you can either shake it out of the jar or use a small spoon to spoon the powder over the stamped image.
• If your embossing powder is opaque you can use a clear or resist inkpad, or your favorite tinted inkp ads.
• If you are using clear or semitransparent embossing powder, keep in mind that the ink color you use will show through, so choose accordingly.
• You can make make stronger more vibrant images by embossing a strong color powder over a matching color of ink -- for instance black on black, red on red, etc.
• You can achieve a softer look by embossing with semitransparent or pearlescent powders, for instance a light pearlescent blue powder over navy blue or black ink.

Heat Tools
Despite the similarities in appearance, embossing heat tools are not hair dryers. The heat tool concentrates the heat on a small area without nearly as much blowing as the hair appliance. You can pick up an embossing heat tool for about $25.00 at your local craft or rubber stamping store, or online through Amazon.com.

There are four simple steps to embossing

1.	2.
Step 1. Stamp the image.	Step 2. Apply embossing powder over the wet ink of the stamped image -- shake the paper slightly so that all ink areas get covered by the embossing powder.

3.	4.
Step 3. Pour off excess the powder, use your finger to "flick" the back of the paper in order to shake off any powder that lingers.	Step 4. Use an embossing heat tool to apply heat until the powder melts (it only takes a few seconds and you can see the transformation).

	5.
	When you are finished you are left with a shiny raised or embossed image.

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