Technical Know-How • Embossed with Silke Roßmüller

With embossing powder, every stamp impression becomes something special. However, you can do a lot more with embossing powder...

In order to bring you closer to all the tricks and secrets, our dear Silke has written a blog post for you. In this article she explains the basic techniques, how to get the perfect impression and which materials you shouldn't miss when starting out.

Silkes basics:

• Embossing powder
• Embossing buddy
• Embossing hair dryer
• Watermark ink pad
• A heat-resistant base
• Filter paper or similar to collect excess embossing powder
• A stamp and paper of your choice

Embossing powder is not just embossing powder. Because the colorful powders have many different properties that transform your works into true masterpieces.

We are big fans of the embossing powders from WOW! – they are simply unbeatable in terms of quality and color selection.

WOW has developed its powders in different strengths for different areas of application. There are Super Fine (SF), Regular (R), and Ultra High (UH). You can find out which powder has which strength on the tin.

Super Fine – this gives you the best results with very fine and delicate designs.

Ultra High – is particularly suitable for embossing large areas, such as entire stamped parts. “It looks a little like icing.”

Regular – is good for large and small stamp impressions. Since it is universally suitable, you can also find most colors in this thickness.

In addition to the thickness, there are also three important differences in the final finish: Opaque (O), Translucent (T), or Marbling (M)

Opaque – are opaque colors.

Translucent - are translucent after heating, so that, for example, stamp ink or the paper's motif can still be seen.

Marbling – are color mixtures. There is often a portion of white powder included to create a marbling effect.

“To get started, I recommend purchasing a few basic colors in the “Super Fine” strength. You can use this to perfectly emboss delicate stamp impressions in particular and they are also suitable for smaller areas. I think with black, white, gold and maybe silver - depending on your taste - you have a good little basic equipment. The Clear Gloss embossing powder in Super Fine is also highly recommended - I'll show you what's possible with it in the next post."

The nice thing about Watermark ink pads is that their oily, thick viscous liquid dries very slowly. Best conditions for embossing! The ink pad from WOW is recommended here because it has a very firm surface so that you don't accidentally overdose. But the Versa Mark ink pads are also excellent.

Our tip: Don't press the stamp directly into the ink pad, but rather dab it gently without applying too much pressure. This way you avoid overflowing your results.

Have you ever wondered what exactly this is and what it's good for?
Then take a look at the picture.

I treated the lower part in advance with the Embossingbuddy.

With every touch on our paper we leave fingerprints. You would notice this immediately on a glass plate, but of course you won't see it on paper. However, it is precisely on these impressions that the embossing powder tends to get its particles stuck. And this is exactly where the Embossingbuddy comes into play - thanks to its antistatic effect, such small imprints are as if erased. This means that the powder particles only really stick where the stamp was placed.

However, the whole thing is a dusty affair, which is why the Embossingbuddy feels most comfortable in its plastic bag after use.

To ensure that the embossing powder melts properly, you need a hot air dryer. Dryers with multiple settings are a good choice - especially when working with sensitive materials such as tracing paper. You should also pay attention to a moderate air flow so that the powder particles do not fly away.

2a. Place your paper on a piece of filter paper or similar and prepare it by running the Embossingbuddy over the area you want to emboss on.

2 B. Gently dab a stamp of your choice several times with the Watermark ink pad so that the entire stamp surface is wetted with it. Now stamp your stamp where you want to put it. Since the ink is transparent, you won't see any impression here at first.

2c. Sprinkle your print with your embossing powder. Simply pour the excess powder onto your filter paper and tap again if necessary. So you can simply sprinkle it straight back into the jar.

2d. Now blow dry the result until the powder is melted everywhere and smooth.

Please do not go beyond this - then the paper may “absorb” the melted powder and the embossing effect will be lost. If your paper curls a little, blow dry the underside too.

Complete! You should now have a nice and sharp embossing result in your hand.

Quite simple, right?

Next time we will introduce you to a few more techniques and ways in which you can achieve many special effects with embossing powder.

What are your favorite tips and tricks? And which powder should definitely not be missing from the craft table?

Write it to us in the comments 😊

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Silke and Lara