Introduction: How to Use Heat Embossing and Chalk on Your Cards

By www.paperwoods.com

This project teaches you how to do heat embossing, and how to use chalk to create a nice focal point for a card.

Step 1: Gather Supplies

Stamps:
Words of Encouragement from Inkadinkado
Paper:
I used a light green 3 1/4" x 5 1/4" folded card made of cotton paper from Woodson Creative for the card base, but you don't have to use anything fancy
White cardstock at least 3 1/4" square
Paper to mat the stamped image cut to 3" square. I used a shimmery silver piece of scrap paper (not pictured)
Ink:
VersaMark watermark pad by Tsukineko (not pictured)
Tools:
Heat gun
Craft knife
Pencil and eraser
Metal edged ruler
Matte clear finish spray by Krylon
Adhesives:
Zots glue dots by Therm O Web (not pictured)
Other paper adhesive, like mounting squares or double stick tape (not pictured)
Other:
Black detail embossing powder by Stampin' Up!
White embroidery floss
Chalk and applicators by EK Success
Heart charm

Step 2: Outline the Stamp

It is helpful to have an outline of the stamp on the white cardstock to guide you in the next several steps. To do this simply place the stamp, rubber side up, centered on the white cardstock and trace around it with your pencil.

Step 3: Apply Chalk

This is the fun part! Let your creative side take over and apply a variety of chalk colors all over the white cradstock piece, being sure to completely fill the area inside the stamp outline.

Step 4: Apply Fixative (clear Finish)

Chalk applied to paper will smear and come off on your fingers, even long after it's been applied, if you don't use some sort of fixative over it. You can use a clear matte spray finish like I do, or you can just use any cheap aerosol hair spray. Applying a fixative now is also essential for a later step involving the use of embossing powder.

Krylon says that their sprays are safe to use indoors, and it won't affect your work surface. But you can always spray it outdoors, or at least lay your piece on some scrap paper before spraying, if you're concerned about it.

Be sure to completely cover your piece with the fixative. It may buckle the paper a bit when first applied, but once dried the paper will lie flat again. It should only take about 5 minutes or less to dry, but make sure that it is completely dry before moving on to the next step.

Step 5: Stamp Image

Ink the stamp with the VersaMark watermark ink pad and stamp on the chalked piece, lining the stamp up with the outline you drew earlier.

Step 6: Apply Embossing Powder

Lay the stamped piece on a sheet of scrap paper. While the ink is still wet, cover the entire piece with embossing powder.

Step 7: Remove Excess Powder

Lift the piece and tilt it so that the powder falls onto your scrap paper. The powder will stick to the stamped image only. Tap the card lightly once or twice to make sure any loose powder comes off, but do not touch any part of the stamped image!

If you did not apply a good coat of fixative after you chalked this piece you run the risk of having the embossing powder stick to the cardstock in errant places. You also run the same risk if you did not let the fixative dry comepletely before stamping and applying the powder.

Step 8: Return Excess Powder to Jar

Set the stamped piece aside and carefully create a funnel with the scrap paper and return the excess powder to the jar.

Step 9: Heat the Image With Your Heat Gun

Turn the heat gun on and hold it above the stamped piece until the powder melts and becomes glossy and raised.

Heat gun tips:
- Do NOT use a hair dryer! There is one very big different between hair dryers and heat guns: hair dryers blow. A hair dryer will blow the embossing powder right off your paper. Heat guns, on the other hand, simply create heat, not air movement.
- Hold the gun several inches above the paper. If you hold it too close to the paper you could scorch it, leaving very unattractive brown marks all over your beautiful art work!
- Place the stamped piece on a heat resistance surface. Heat guns create a very high level of heat and can warp a work surface if you're not careful. Another option is to hold the piece in the air with a pair of tweezers (you can burn your fingers if you hold it with your hand).
- Keep the heat gun in motion at all times. You lessen the risk of scorching the paper if you don't hold it in one place too long. Heating it evenly is the goal.

Step 10: Trim Embossed Piece

Trim the embossed piece just inside the pencil outline you drew earlier.

Step 11: Adhere

Mat the embossed piece, if desired, and adhere both to card.

Step 12: Add Bow

Tie a bow with several strands of embroidery floss. If desired, loop one additional strand of floss through the hole in the charm and tie it around the center of the bow.

Adhere the bow to the card using the glue dots. The best way to do this is to press the center of the bow onto the glue dot, then peel it off and attach it to the card. This way you don't have to touch the glue dot with your fingers, and believe me, they are very hard to get off!

Step 13: Finished!

Press bow and charm with glue dot onto the card, and you're done!

Heat embossing is a really fun way to add a bit of class to your cards. Using chalks to create a background for a heat embossed image is just one of it's many fun uses. Have fun creating!