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I am really loving the look of heat embossed images!! I found an inexpensive set of powders and have been playing around and having a blast! My question for the masses is this: Do you use clear or colored mainly? At first, I thought you could only emboss if you are using the embossing ink pad but have been reading that if you use pigment ink, you can emboss on that as well because it's slower drying. This opens up a new world of possibilities for me if it works So...which do you prefer?
__________________ "For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack" ~Rudyard Kipling my gallery
I probably use white, silver, black, clear and gold/copper in that order. Any pigment ink will "hold" embossing powder and if you're using an opaque powder it doesn't matter about matching ink colour to powder colour as the ink won't show through anyhow.
If you have Distress inks, those also stay wet long enough to be able to use embossing powders with them.
I probably use white, silver, black, clear and gold/copper
Ditto.
But not necessarily in that order. These are my basics that I use time after time. I do have a few colored powders too, but I have make a very conscious effort to use the colored ones. Like with Valentines Day coming up, I may pull out the red. But, if you don't own red, I wouldn't recommend going out to buy it. I would make other combinations work by using what I have on on hand.
There are so many ways to get color into your creation. I look at embossing as a way to pizzaz or accentuate something, not necessarily to be a primary way of bringing in color.
The look of clear embossing powder over colored ink is different that using the colored embossing powder. Not drastically "I must own powder in every available color" different, but different.
I own many colors of powder - some from sets, some on clearance, some I just couldn't resist - but still mainly use clear, white, black, silver & gold.
The one thing that you can do with the colored powders is that they really REALLY pop on dark cardstock. If you try stamping with red pigment ink on black cardstock and emboss in clear, it won't really show up much. Emboss with red colored EP and you'll see it.
If you're feeling a need to purchase a colored powder, Michael's carries one by Stampendous (I think) called "Jewelled Gold". It's a gold powder with flashy irridescent glitter and turns out just gorgeous when melted.
I like the colors but with black....I found it works better to stamp in black and use clear EP. If I use black EP, little black specks somehow always managed to get embossed even after using the embossing buddy...
Colored embossing powders can be used for more than embossing stamped images. Ranger makes a variety you can use to create texture and various surface designs on paper and other materials. Their "Antiquities" powders are an example of the variety of uses for embossing powders: Embossing Antiquities | Embossing Powder | Ranger Ink.
Tim Holtz's Distress Embossing Powders also create interesting textures. I really like working with Ranger's (I'm not a Ranger employee!) "Ancient Golds" powders, which contain various types and colors of glitter: Ancient Golds Embossing Powders | Ranger Ink.
As a general rule I like clean EP over colored ink. For 2 reasons. One, if there is a tiny area that missed the EP it won't show, and Two, if you get tiny specks of clear EP scattered on your project they won't be as obvious. Now why do I have over 20 colors of EP?????????????????????
I agree with Cathy H's reasons for preferring clear. I do have and use the metallics (silver, gold, copper) and I love the look of white, but find it a pain to work with so don't often go there. I've tried several brands and have never found one that is what I'd call bright white.
Personally I've never had much luck using them with distress inks even though I've read that you can; conversely I have had success with chalk inks if I work quickly.
There are some fun techniques you can try - faux metal, cracked glass, embedded images, and there was a recent one in Resources I haven't tried it. Just go to Resources and put embossing into the search - and then discard the dry embossing techniques .
Thanks for all of the responses Looks like I am good either way! Gosh, that means I will have to probably go buy a few more things (DRAT!) But while we are on the subject of embossing...I did a card the other night and it felt kind of bumpy. I hit it with the heat gun again and it wrecked it! No more embossing...like it just dissappeared :( Is that normal? The powder that I have is no-name (litterally NO NAME, just in little plastic containers) so maybe it is the powder? More likely user error though. Thanks again ladies!!
__________________ "For the strength of the Pack is the Wolf, and the strength of the Wolf is the Pack" ~Rudyard Kipling my gallery
I hit it with the heat gun again and it wrecked it! No more embossing...like it just dissappeared :( Is that normal?
Yep, if you overheat embossing powder it will flatten out and you'll lose the raised effect. If it's a coloured one, it will most likely go very dull and a shade or two darker as well. Reheating it most likely just overcoooked it. (The Ranger/Tim Holz Distress powders are the exception to this - you can't overcook those.)
Slight "bumpiness" (kind of orange peel texture) is pretty common with regular embossing powders, a detail powder is more likely to give you a very smooth result, especially on fine lines. Detail powders have a much smaller grain size than regular ones.
Embossing powder: Clear or colored?
