Have you tried combining heat embossing and dry embossing on the same surface? There are several ways to do this. Let me tell you about it!
- Type of project: card
- Occasion: birthday
- Style: shabby chic
- Techniques used: dry embossing, heat embossing, die cutting
- Decoration: butterflies cut out from patterned paper
- Main colour: light blue
- Media used: embossing powder, distress ink, luster wax
- Equipment used: embossing folders, dies, stamps
READ ALSO: EXPLORING THE CANVAS PAGES IN MY ART JOURNAL
One way is to use a brayer and ink the heightened areas with embossing ink and then sprinkle the powder on and melt it. With a different color or just clear embossing powder this creates an extra cool effect on colors and structure.
But sometimes I’m purposely lazy and just sprinkle the powder loosely on the surface without using embossing ink. Then you must melt it from underneath the paper. It sort of diffuses the embossed structure a bit. I think that looks cool.
Yet another technique to combine the two is if you ink the heightened patterned inside the embossing folder before you press it through your machine. Then you can stick embossing powder on the debossed areas of the pattern.
On this card I mixed these techniques. First using embossing powder in the debossed areas with a sparkly blue powder. Then pulling the embossing ink pad directly over some areas as well as sprinkle loosely white embossing powder on and melting it from underneath. It felt so playful and I loved how it turned out.
I also sprinkled some over the framed area. Sometimes I emboss a piece of paper first before die cutting letters or numbers. This way you get sharp edges and if the dies have stitches they stay distinct.
In short it’s never boring to play with embossing! Try it out more!
Karin Åslund is from Sweden. Karin has been writing for TPC since 2020. Karin started paper crafting in 2005 and she makes cards, mini albums and do some Art Journaling. Her paper projects are often made in traditional Vintage or in a Whimsical style.