Ready to emboss like a boss? Try out these 6 embossing techniques on your next project!

Embossing is a technique that adds dimension to a piece of paper. In this post we will be showing how to use embossing powder. To use embossing powder you use embossing ink and sprinkle the powder over it. Then use a heat tool or hair dryer to melt the powder onto the paper. Embossing ink comes in different forms:  ink pad, dabber, pens, or ink in a bottle. The embossing powder we are using is WOW!

 

1. Embossing Ink Pad with Stamps

         

For this technique add embossing ink to the stamp like you would with any other type of ink. I like to put my stamp on an acrylic block and dab it on the ink pad while making sure it is fully covered. Then stamp it onto your paper. While the ink is still wet on your paper add a generous amount of embossing powder over it by just pouring it out of the jar. I like to have a piece of paper under my page I am working on to use for dumping the excess powder back into its jar so none is wasted. Embossing ink is made to stay wet on paper so you have a little time to work with, but still try to sprinkle the embossing powder on as soon as you can to ensure that it will stick.

      

Tap off the excess powder. If there is any lingering powder where you do not want it use a paint brush to brush it off. To finish use a heat tool to make the magic happen! You can also use a hair dryer if you do not have a heat tool. When heating the embossing powder it changes its consistency. The powder will become shiny or metallic and that’s how you know you’ve heated it up enough.

 

2. Embossing Dabber with Stencil

I started by taping off the areas of the stencil I did not want covered with masking tape. Next hold down the dabber to get the ink flowing and dab it onto your paper. I kept my stencil on when I poured the powder over it to make sure it wouldn’t go anywhere I didn’t want it to. Remove the stencil before you use the heat gun on it.

      

      

 

3. Embossing Ink Pad with Stencil

This technique is great if you want the whole stencil area covered. Use the ink pad to dab over your stencil. I decided to make a gradient effect by adding the red powder to half of the page and the gold to the other. I did this step one at a time so my colors didn’t get mixed when I poured them back into the jars.

      

 

4. Black Embossing Pen

You can use embossing pens freehand or with a stencil! With some lighter color powders the black pen shows through more, which may be a reason why you want to use the clear pen. All you do is draw out what you want, add the powder, then use the heat tool on it.

 

 

5. Clear Embossing Pen

The clear embossing pen works the same as the black. It's a little harder to do freehand since you can't really see what you're doing. 

   

 

6. Embossing Ink with Paint Brush

Using a paint brush is another great way to do calligraphy with embossing. For this all you need to do is dip your paintbrush into your ink and start painting! I used the ink that was in the embossing dabber. I painted away, added my powder, then heated.

   

 

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Check out this quick video to see all 6 techniques in action!

 

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We hope this was helpful and you have fun embossing!

 

Posted by Jessica.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the August Cherry Box we have partnered with Doodlebug to bring you a box with over $80 value! It is filled with summer fun, beach vibes, and sunshine smiles. The idea of making a mini album out of the contents of this box came instantly to me after seeing how themed everything is and the variety of items and textures.

 

All you need to create an album like this is 6” x 6” paper, chipboard, your favorite adhesive, key or book rings, ephemera, and stickers.

 

     

Start by gluing your 6" x 6" paper onto both sides of your 6" x 6" chipboard. Do this twice (once for the front of the album and one for the back). I didn't want to leave my album square all the way around so I cut out a scalloped template that I used to cut out one side of my chipboard.

     

Measure out where you want the holes to be. I made mine 3/4" from the top and bottom and one in the middle. They are 1/2" in from the edge.

 

     

Next I painted the edges of my chipboard (this would have been easier if I had painted them before gluing the paper on) and in the punched holes. I also cut out different shapes on the left side of my pages that are going inside of my album. I added in some blank cardstock pages that I kept the left edge plain. I also rounded all my corners and punched holes in all of my inside papers. I found that twelve pages seemed to be the perfect amount. Twelve leaves enough space for adding dimentional objects onto your pages.

 

     

I used key rings for this and it was a bit of a struggle getting them on without scratching my papers so I recommend using book rings instead. But if you are using key rings this is how I found was the best way to put them on: First add on one of your covers and use it to pry the ring open and keep it there until you've added on all of your inside pages and the other outside cover. It is very hard to add in more pages once you have the key ring on, so just plan ahead for how many pages you'll want. It is better to add in more pages than you need and just tear out the extra. This would be less of a problem if you use a book ring and you can then easily add or subtract pages. You could also hold them together using ribbon.

 

 

Pro Tip: If you want to add layered papers onto your pages, just hole punch it where it looks like it'll line up and then cut a slit so it'll slide over the ring. Once it is glued you will not be able to tell the difference!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And that is it for the construction of the album.  Now it’s time to decorate the cover and start filling in the inside pages!

 

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Here are some of the layouts I made up on the inside.

I left spaces on them to add the photos in later. I love dimensional objects on my page so I included a lot of doodlepops, ribbon, foamies, paperclips, and layered paper. This type of album is great for adding these things in. I’m planning to add in some more stickers once I add the photos.

 

 

 

 

 

          

I am really happy with how this tuned out and I can’t wait to see what everyone will create using this month’s Cherry Boxes! Haven't subscribed yet? There is still time to get the August Cherry Box filled with all this Doodlebug goodness!

(Missed the deadline? A few August Cherry boxes are available for purchase!)

Make sure to share in our Project Gallery and use the hashtag #thecherrybox on social media! I love seeing what everyone creates

Thanks for checking out my mini album!

-Jess

 

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Posted by Jessica.

 

Watercolor Basics

Watercolor is made to be mixed with water! Inside the paint tube is concentrated pigment that needs to get mixed with water before you can paint with it. Once you put the paint on your surface the water evaporates and leaves only the pigment. So, the more water you add to your mixture, the lighter it becomes!

 

          

Watercolor Paints

Watercolor paints come in three grades: children’s, student, and artist grade. As you go up in the quality of the grade, the price also goes up. I recommend student grade for beginners. These paints also can come in many forms: dried in a pan, paste in a small tube, or liquid in a glass bottle.

Watercolor Paper

Watercolor paints work best on watercolor paper. This is because watercolor paper lets the paint sit on top of the paper until the water evaporates. This is important because with other more absorbent papers the watercolor will spider web out and be hard to control.

Watercolor Brushes

Watercolor brushes are made to hold a lot of water. They can have natural or synthetic bristles and come in many different shapes and sizes. Brushes are often dipped in a starch-like substance by the manufacturer, which makes the bristles hard to protect their shape and condition. So before you use a brush for the first time, rinse it off with water.

 

 

Watercolor Techniques

Wet Paint on Dry Paper: This technique is done by loading up your brush with watered down watercolor pigment and brushing it evenly across your paper. This is a good technique to use when you want to cover a large area of your canvas with the same shade.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Salt on Wet Paint: Adding salt onto wet paint draws the pigment to where the salt is. For this example I used table salt, but if you use larger salt, such as kosher salt, you will see larger areas of dark spots. For this technique do the same as the wet paint on dry paper and sprinkle the salt on while it is still very wet. After the paint has completely dried you can dust off the salt.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stencil: Hold or tape down your stencil. The closer you can have your stencil to the paper the less it will bleed outside of the stencil lines. The less paint you have spread on top of the stencil, the cleaner it will look. Carefully pull the stencil off. You can also wait until the paint is dry before you pull the stencil off.

         

 

Splatter: Start with dry paper and a paintbrush loaded with wet paint. Use your index finger to bend the bristles of your brush and as they go off your finger they will splatter onto the paper (and the area around it). Repeat as many times as needed. This is messy, but watercolor cleans up easily with water!

      

 

Gradient: Make a line of paint that is heavily saturated with pigment. You could also just add paint strait from the tube that has not been watered down yet. Next rinse off your brush and while it still has water on it blend it on your paint line. Rinse your brush off again and blend again moving down on your painted area. Keep repeating this until you have the gradient you want.

         

 

Plastic: Add paint onto your paper and while it is still wet bunch up a piece of plastic and hold it on the wet paint until it dries. This leaves an uneven pattern. This works best when done over a larger area. Thinner plastic works better, such as a grocery store bag or the plastic from your Cherry Box items.

   

 

Blending 2 Colors: Start by painting one of your colors on half of the area you want covered. On the opposite side paint the other color until it is just barely touching the first color. Rinse out your brush and with water still on it gently blend the two together.

       

 

Dry Brush: Although this technique is called dry brush, it is actually bad for your brushes to be 100% dry before you add paint to them. This is a tip for all types of water-based painting; always dip your brush in water before you add any paint to it! To achieve this look you just dry off most of the water from your brush before you dip it in the paint. You also only add small amounts of paint at a time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Wet on Wet: For this technique you first brush over your paper with water. While your paper is still wet dip your brush in the paint and lightly press it on your paper. It will spider web out across your wet area.

      

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There are plenty more techniques you can try out with watercolors. They are such a fun medium to play with! Tag us in your watercolor projects on social media and post them in our Project Gallery. We love to see what you create!

 

Thanks for stopping by!

-Jess

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Posted by Jessica.

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