Terrific Tips Tuesday

One of the things I love most about Stampin' Up! is how all their products coordinate. It starts with the color families. You can find ink, markers and paper in each color of the color family. When the colors throughout your project match and coordinate your project will look top notch. You can be a novice or an old pro at scrapbooking and card making but if the materials you use work well together you'll look like that crafty artist we all wish we could be.

Another important aspect in all projects isn't just color but texture. There are so many ways to add texture by using ribbon, layering paper and using different ink techniques. The most common way to add texture is through embossing. You can dry emboss, using embossing folders or some other tool to make impressions in the paper, or you can heat emboss.

Heat embossing is one of my favorite techniques. It adds so much to a project without adding too much time. The three main things you will need is some sort of an "adhesive", a heat tool and embossing powder. The most common "adhesive" to use is VersaMark, a sticky, clear ink.

• Start by inking the image you wish to emboss in VersaMark and stamping it on your paper.
• Sprinkle embossing powder (found on page 12 of the Spring Catalog and many more colors on pages 158-159 of the Annual Catalog) over the image. Shake or tap to remove excess powder.
• Use heat tool to melt the powder to a smooth finish by moving over the image in smooth back and forth motions, being careful not to scorch the paper. 
• For a little extra help getting a clear image, rub the Embossing Buddy over the paper before stamping with the VersaMark. This will help the excess powder slide off the paper easier when you tap it off.

I used Melon Mambo Embossing Powder on these cards:

On the first card I used Melon Mambo Embossing Powder on Melon Mambo card stock for a fun, tone on tone effect. The second card shows how well embossing powder can help a color pop on another color where stamping the same image in ink might not. I just love this effect. And, taking us back to where we started, see how well these colors work together? There's no fear when working with Stampin' Up! colors. Try some heat embossing today and see how much pizzazz it will add to your projects!