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Post by MichyM on Mar 17, 2022 18:20:16 GMT
3/24 I have a new question (surprise surprise)  I did search here but couldn't find a thread about the teflon sheets that someone (so sorry, I forgot who it was) suggested I look into to protect my desk top. Anyhow, I looked on Amazon and am wondering is THIS what I want? Oh, I have one other question. On a whim I bought a set of the little Versamark Dewdrops. They're a chalk ink. And the set was $30. I haven't even looked into them at all and am considering returning them but the colors are so yummy! Do you use chalk Inks? If so, do you use them often, infrequently, or in between? And what do you enjoy using them for the most? Thanks so much! _____________________________________________________________________________ I'm a little embarassed to be starting yet another thread here, and I apologize if I've become annoying as can be! Would you all prefer I just add new questions to old threads of mine, or start a different thread for different subjects? Also, again, thank you for all the help you've offered me over the last couple of weeks! So way back 15-20 years ago I tried stamping, but wasn't very good at it, and just kind of gave it up. I was also scrapbooking, but really card making, so I didn't stamp all that often anyhow. I'm perfectly ok with learning to stamp taking some time but have not improved at all. I am getting frustrated, and it doesn't help that I have perfectionist tendancies. I've watched a bunch of video tutorials online over the last week. There are no in person stamping classes in my area as far as I can tell. A wonderfully kind pea sent me a stamping platform, another kind pea sent me some of her old and/or duplicate stamps, and I've had a lot of pea guidance/encouragement behind the scenes with types of ink, paper choices, and the like, but am still struggling. Part of the problem is that I'm starting out wanting to stamp tiny words....I know, I know. So this morning I decided that using the tiny words stamps is just going to have to wait and I pulled out a large sentiment stamp, and still just couldn't get the embossing to work right. I do realize that a lot of this is feel and experience, but maybe you could point me to some videos/websites to help a beginner out. The supplies I used this morning (and last evening) were Neenah 110 cover paper in Solar White, TH Stamping Platform, Versafine Onyx Black, and Versa Clair in a gray and a dark brown, Ranger embossing powder, and the Ranger heat tool. On to the questions: 1. How hard do you push the ink pad into the stamp? And how hard do you press the top of the platform onto the cardstock? Are there any "rules of the road," or will it come to me with practice and experience? 2. If you're working with black pigment ink, do you also use black embossing powder? Or do you use clear? Same with white, do you use white or clear embossing powder? 3. How do you brush small errant pieces of embossing powder off your paper after removing the excess and before applying heat? Just use a small paintbrush? 4. Can you talk to me about the actual embossing process? I feel like I'm using the heat gun for quite some time before the powder actually does its thing. Was purchasing the Ranger heat tool a good choice, or should I have selected a different one? 5. Rather than me hunting and pecking trying to find good videos for a beginner, do you all have a particular website or youtube search I could use to try and find good info with how tos for basics? I've watched 2 TH videos, and a couple of other random ones that sounded interesting after doing a google search. 6. Are there other supplies you'd recommend I try - have you found products that you've had good success with? Thank you thank you thank you! |
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Post by CardBoxer on Mar 17, 2022 19:05:28 GMT
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Post by CardBoxer on Mar 17, 2022 19:20:52 GMT
I like the new threads unless you want the old attached. And you are the opposite of annoying! You’re learning! Could you describe the results you’re getting when you stamp? What you don’t like? What do you see? Have you tried using an acrylic block, and if so, what are you seeing? 1. How hard do you push the ink pad into the stamp? And how hard do you press the top of the platform onto the cardstock? Are there any "rules of the road," or will it come to me with practice and experience? I tap the ink pad onto the stamp. Tap tap tap all over. Then look at it and tap more if needed. Moderate pressure for the stamping platform. And sometimes then using my hand (or you could use a tool) to gently press all over. Too much pressure squishes (widens) photopolymer stamps. Remember the letter “h” was too wide on a sentiment I showed you? That was from a little too much pressure. So moderate pressure and then re-stamp assuming the cardstock is snugged into a corner. If some of the stamp isn’t getting good contact with the paper, you might try adding a piece of fun foam to the platform. Tim platforms are very sturdy but have less give than a Misti so that sometimes happens. 2. If you're working with black pigment ink, do you also use black embossing powder? Or do you use clear? Same with white, do you use white or clear embossing powder? I use black ink - lately Versafine Clair Nocturne mostly - and clear embossing powder. Most black embossing powder isn’t very good at fine detail. I’ve heard Brutus Monroe has a good one but haven’t tried it. Yet.  White embossing powder is great. Fine or detailed or super fine, depending on the brand. Hero Arts, Ranger, Brutus Monroe, Wow. 3. How do you brush small errant pieces of embossing powder off your paper after removing the excess and before applying heat? Just use a small paintbrush? Yes, exactly. But before the card is stamped it’s prepped with an anti static powder bag or tool. 4. Can you talk to me about the actual embossing process? I feel like I'm using the heat gun for quite some time before the powder actually does its thing. Was purchasing the Ranger heat tool a good choice, or should I have selected a different one? See my post above. The Ranger heat tool would not be my choice for heat embossing. It would be for drying wet mediums without moving them around. 5. Rather than me hunting and pecking trying to find good videos for a beginner, do you all have a particular website or youtube search I could use to try and find good info with how tos for basics? I've watched 2 TH videos, and a couple of other random ones that sounded interesting after doing a google search. I’ll look. Meanwhile, have you called www.urbanscrapbooker.com to see if they might help in real life? Even if they don’t have classes they may be happy to guide you. Helping someone learn = more sales. And often owners are passionate about paper crafting. (I don’t know this LSS - just googled. And there may be more.) 6. Are there other supplies you'd recommend I try - have you found products that you've had good success with? If you don’t have one, an anti static bag or tool. Examples: I’ve had this one for years: www.amazon.com/Inkadinkado-Embossing-Powder-Tool-Stamps/dp/B0021FACC8/ref=asc_df_B0021FACC8/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=194013412954&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=12567581258394545607&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=t&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007596&hvtargid=pla-308230388839&psc=1www.scrapbook.com/store/ri-ink62332.html?cmp=googleproducts&kw=ri-ink62332&gclid=Cj0KCQjwuMuRBhCJARIsAHXdnqM9OMf9RWqffLDQ0oDY2zYt-pm9Kud7AW1edLw-wUpg6NFwnxrpfKwaAq-cEALw_wcBblog.tayloredexpressions.com/blog/2022/01/27/more-oh-what-a-day-kit-inspiration-new-embossing-tool/You’ll get there! 💯%. |
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Post by seveerb on Mar 17, 2022 19:37:45 GMT
I had a really hard time with embossing and found that a stamp platform, anti static powder and good embossing powder have made all the difference. I usually ink and stamp twice and have had great results with lawn fawn products.
Also a small paint brush to clear errant powder away before embossing.
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pinklady
Drama Llama
Posts: 5,535 
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Post by pinklady on Mar 17, 2022 20:42:29 GMT
MichyM I like new threads with your questions so they don't get messy. I like your questions, it makes me giddy when someone is new and so into stamping! High level, you need good embossing powder, a good heat gun and an anti-static powder tool/bag. I highly recommend searching Jennifer McGuires blog for embossing videos. I feel like she explains stuff to me like I'm a kid and it always makes sense. My answers are in blue below. 1. How hard do you push the ink pad into the stamp? I'm a stamp to ink tapper. I tap multiple times until I get good ink coverage then stamp the paper. And how hard do you press the top of the platform onto the cardstock? Depends on the type of stamp. If its a delicate small sentiment, I lightly press the sentiment to the paper but I may do that multiple times. This helps avoid smooshing the sentiment into a blobby mess. If it's a large image stamp, I give it a lot of pressure. I also use a cloth towel to rub over the top of the platform so I make sure I get the entire area of the stamp. Are there any "rules of the road," or will it come to me with practice and experience? It does take practice. I've never used the Tim Holtz platform so there may be specific tips for that stamp positioner.2. If you're working with black pigment ink, do you also use black embossing powder? Or do you use clear? Same with white, do you use white or clear embossing powder? I try to stay away from black embossing powder. I usually stamp with black versa fine ink that stays wet longer and use clear embossing powder. You also need a good embossing powder. WOW, Gina K and Hero Arts work great for me. Recollections from Michaels is not great and you will not get the best results. It works but it's not great. Also, fine embossing powder is best.3. How do you brush small errant pieces of embossing powder off your paper after removing the excess and before applying heat? Just use a small paintbrush? You need to get an anti-static powder tool/bag. It will make all the difference in the world. I actually created my own with baby powder in a nylon stocking. Just make sure you use a lot, that will make a difference. I do brush off the bits that do stick with a dry paint brush when needed.4. Can you talk to me about the actual embossing process? I feel like I'm using the heat gun for quite some time before the powder actually does its thing. Was purchasing the Ranger heat tool a good choice, or should I have selected a different one? You need to get a good heat gun and let it heat up for at least 30 seconds but closer to 1 minute before bringing it to your paper. Simon Says Stamp sells the Wagner heat gun but you can also get it from Amazon.
5. Rather than me hunting and pecking trying to find good videos for a beginner, do you all have a particular website or youtube search I could use to try and find good info with how tos for basics? I've watched 2 TH videos, and a couple of other random ones that sounded interesting after doing a google search. I'm a fan of Jennifer McGuires videos. They are typically long but I think she explains things very well. I like Gina K too but I feel like all her cards look alike. I would also recommend Mindy Eggen, Laura Bassen, Cathy Zielske.
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Post by CardBoxer on Mar 17, 2022 21:01:09 GMT
BTW, I learned to stamp from the owner of an LSS. She insisted on my bringing the stamp pad to the stamp (on a block), saying that’s how the professionals did it. If I reversed it and brought the stamp to the ink pad she stopped me - and if I did it when she wasn’t looking I didn’t get a good impression. My hand would tilt and I’d get ink on the block or more ink on one side of the stamp than the other. So she was right. But maybe she wasn’t. There are well known stampers and experienced hobbyists who do it the reverse. But if you’re bringing the stamp to the ink rather than the other way around when using a block, you might want to try reversing it. To this day if I rebel and bring the stamp to the ink pad, I might not get as good as an impression. Just what we’re used to. Here is Shari Carroll (love her!) for Simon Says Stamp doing a basic, short how-to-ink video. Apparently it’s part of a basics series. ** Notice she leaves the block on the paper for a moment to allow the ink to soak into the cardstock. It’s not a super-quick stamp-remove. It’s more stamp-hold-remove. ** youtu.be/Bfa9CSgSLj0 |
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Post by kmage on Mar 18, 2022 14:14:24 GMT
** Notice she leaves the block on the paper for a moment to allow the ink to soak into the cardstock. It’s not a super-quick stamp-remove. It’s more stamp-hold-remove. ** These are all such great tips!! I was just going to add that this last one for me was really hard to learn, but it has made so much difference. In the past I was all like, more ink, quick stamp, and now I have learned to pause and let the paper "take in" some of the ink. |
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Post by CardBoxer on Mar 18, 2022 14:17:33 GMT
** Notice she leaves the block on the paper for a moment to allow the ink to soak into the cardstock. It’s not a super-quick stamp-remove. It’s more stamp-hold-remove. ** These are all such great tips!! I was just going to add that this last one for me was really hard to learn, but it has made so much difference. In the past I was all like, more ink, quick stamp, and now I have learned to pause and let the paper "take in" some of the ink. That took me a minute too! And to not press down too hard. I think learning to stamp with blocks is still valuable to get the feel of ink and stamp and paper even if most stamping will be done with a platform. |
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Post by joblackford on Mar 18, 2022 16:13:36 GMT
Sorry I didn't read everyone's answers thoroughly so I'm probably repeating the same advice I only use clear, white, and gold embossing powders (haven't quite gotten to silver yet but metallics are fun for holidays). I use colored/black ink with clear powder which is both cheaper and less prone to annoying specks of errant powder. Definitely heating your gun up a lot and using a high powered one help. And apologies if someone else already mentioned but Ardyth uses a foil lined box to hold her embossing pieces while she melts them and swears by the reflected heat, plus no burned fingers Her videos are excellent and she gets right to the point. Using a lot of antistatic (corn starch) powder makes a difference and IMO the little bag works better than the brush dispenser thing. And IMO people dump way too much embossing powder on their project. I like Jennifer's tupperware method and spooning the powder over, tapping it back off into the container, spooning again from a different angle if needed, making sure you got powder all over. |
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Post by melanieg on Mar 18, 2022 16:54:15 GMT
My questions would be - how old is the embossing power? Is it DISTRESS embossing power or regular? Distress powder has a totally different look.
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Post by freeatlast on Mar 18, 2022 22:17:17 GMT
Lots of good advice here.
In terms of ink to stamp pressure, when I was learning I was taught to "pat, pat, pat the bunny", not "squish, squish, squish the spider". Gentle application and then look at ink coverage. Apply more if necessary.
Same for stamp to paper pressure, especially for photopolymer stamps. Close the stamp positioner and tap your fingers lightly across the sentiment. Sometimes that's all it takes to get a good impression. I also use a pressure tool. Stamp companies are selling all kinds of fancy ones; mine is just a dry board eraser. The felt on the back just glides over the stamp positioner and applies even pressure.
For years I used a cheap heat gun from the craft store. I recently upgraded to the Wagner heat gun (got mine from Amazon but Simon also sells it). Made a world of difference. Make sure it's hot (just a few seconds of run time) before you go to paper. Sometimes I'll heat the underside of the paper before starting to melt the embossing powder.
In terms of the powder itself, I only use detail or fine/super fine embossing powders. And I only use gold, silver, white and clear. Black can be very tricky. Check to make sure there are no errant bits of powder before getting that heat anywhere near your project. Knock them off with a small paint brush.
For inks, I only use Versamark (for silver, gold or white embossing powder) or Versafine Onyx (with clear).
Keep trying. It does take some practice. And even after all these years, some of my attempts end up in the trash.
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Post by don on Mar 18, 2022 22:55:41 GMT
Things I have learned;
You need a cushion. If you are using a clear stamp, fun foam under the paper works just fine.
When the inked stamp hits the paper, count to ten before you remove it. The ink releases from the stamp faster than the paper adsorbs it.
Not all paper is the same.
Wash and rinse all your new stamps before you use them.
Make a Stamp Catalogue now, before your collection becomes unwieldly.
Mistakes are how to make scratch paper.
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Post by CardBoxer on Mar 19, 2022 12:58:49 GMT
Things I have learned; You need a cushion. If you are using a clear stamp, fun foam under the paper works just fine. When the inked stamp hits the paper, count to ten before you remove it. The ink releases from the stamp faster than the paper adsorbs it. Not all paper is the same. Wash and rinse all your new stamps before you use them. Make a Stamp Catalogue now, before your collection becomes unwieldly. Mistakes are how to make scratch paper. Other than when using a platform, I stamp without a cushion and wait about 3 seconds for good coverage. The video by Shari Carroll in the link above demos what I also learned/do. Yes about paper! I’ve never heard of washing stamps ahead of time and don’t wash them after - other than with water or stamp cleaner for some inks and a microfiber cloth. To prep photopolymer the stamps are just rubbed with a thumb, inked and stamped off onto scrap paper once or twice. Or some people first stamp with Versamark and stamp off. Not cataloguing was a mistake and now I’ll never tackle it. But I’ve thought about going through and cataloging sentiments only that are in non-sentiment sets. And I’ll be thinking about it forever without doing it. |
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Post by CardBoxer on Mar 19, 2022 13:25:37 GMT
2. If you're working with black pigment ink, do you also use black embossing powder? Or do you use clear? Same with white, do you use white or clear embossing powder? Coincidentally Taylor just posted this on an event forum. Fast forwarding to about 4:30 shows the process of stamping with black - Versafine Clair Nocturne (my fave now) - and embossing with clear. youtu.be/LTkZ7o0aZKo |
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Post by don on Mar 19, 2022 15:07:04 GMT
Other than when using a platform, I stamp without a cushion and wait about 3 seconds for good coverage. The video by Shari Carroll in the link above demos what I also learned/do. I don't see how you can stamp without a cushion. The cushion would be behind the stamp or under the paper. |
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Post by CardBoxer on Mar 19, 2022 15:17:39 GMT
Other than when using a platform, I stamp without a cushion and wait about 3 seconds for good coverage. The video by Shari Carroll in the link above demos what I also learned/do. I don't see how you can stamp without a cushion. The cushion would be behind the stamp or under the paper. Yep, I understand what cushioning is and that it helps many people get good images - which is great, whatever works. When I tried it images were wonky. But I learned to stamp from an LSS owner using acrylic blocks on a table. When I use blocks now it’s on my glass mat, so equally hard - just what I’m used to. But I often use a stamping platform. If it’s the Tim platform there’s no foam - just hard plastic or sometimes a couple pieces of cardstock behind the cs I’m stamping on. If it’s the “other” {ahem} platform there’s the foam insert. |
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Post by MichyM on Mar 19, 2022 18:01:52 GMT
Oh my gosh. Thank you. And thanks for "oking" the new thread. I thought it might be easier to search for (if someone else is also interested down the line). Darn it on the heat gun. I just bought it (tears). And yes, it's the one that CardBoxer linked upthread. I guess I should have asked here first for recommendations. Lesson learned. Ranger brand "fine detail" embossing powders (black, clear, and white) are brand new as are the Versafine and VersaClair ink pads. Sounds like I want to put away the black for now and stick to clear powder with black ink. I happened to buy a couple of clear blocks the other day, I'm going to see if I get better control with them with the tiny words that I was trying to stamp and emboss before. I'll also try adding some foam to the platform and see if that helps me at all. Oh and yes, I bring ink to the stamp. CardBoxer , thanks for the link to Urban Scrapper. I almost went up there last week, but ended up driving out to Ben Franklin instead. They'll be my next outing! and thank you for the link to the anti static tool. I saw it mentioned in one of the videos I watched, but it was brought up in passing, so it dodn't seem that necessary to me at the time. pinklady , thank you for recommending I look back into the Jennifer McGuire videos for some help. I watched a cardstock video of hers, and some storage ones. Apparently she's a "go-to" for all things cardmaking  I also appreciate the other video recommendations! While I SHOULD be cleaning closets today, more likely than not I'll spend the afternoon looking at the videos linked, and practice some more, maybe without embossing until I get a better heat gun. Thank you ALL again and again! ETA: so it took me a whopping 40 minutes to decide to order a better heat tool. It'll be here next week For those who are also looking at them too, the same Wagner heat tool is $10 less on Amazon over Simon Says Stamp. Plus in my experience, SSS takes a full week (or longer) before shipping orders. |
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Post by MichyM on Mar 19, 2022 20:15:17 GMT
Holy cow. Just your tips here (I haven't watched any of the videos yet) have improved my stamping so much! ❤️ Check out my photo below. All are embossed with VersaClair fallen leaves and embossed with Ranger fine clear powder. Some had a couple of layers of 110lb CS behind the paper I stamped on as a cushion, some did not. To tell the truth I couldn’t tell much difference in how they stamped whether they had an additional cushion or not. And the tip to run the heat tool for a while before bringing it over to the paper helped a lot. I have a couple more questions for you: 1. After I stamp and add embossing powder, how long can I wait before heating them? I’d love to be able to stamp 10 pieces and get embossing powder on them before heating them if possible. That will take some time. 2. What do you use to protect the top of your wood desk? I’m tempted to get a piece of plexiglass to cover my entire desktop, but am open to some more affordable options. Right now I have an old soft vinyl desk blotter that I work on. 3. What items do you make sure to have out when stamping…beyond the obvious stuff? I have a small bottle of water and rubbing alcohol to clean the platform. The Gina k stamp cleaning cloth, and paper towels/Swedish dish cloth just in case of messes. What else do you find helpful? I’m so excited to have these to play with tomorrow. A friend and I are getting together for wine and crafting and I’m going to play with her watercolors to color these in. Everything crossed I don’t totally much them up! Thank you!  Wow, and look at the difference in detail between using Versafine Clair (left) and regular Versafine (right).  |
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scrapnnana
Drama Llama
Posts: 6,144
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Post by scrapnnana on Mar 19, 2022 22:48:03 GMT
Holy cow. Just your tips here (I haven't watched any of the videos yet) have improved my stamping so much! ❤️ Check out my photo below. All are embossed with VersaClair fallen leaves and embossed with Ranger fine clear powder. Some had a couple of layers of 110lb CS behind the paper I stamped on as a cushion, some did not. To tell the truth I couldn’t tell much difference in how they stamped whether they had an additional cushion or not. And the tip to run the heat tool for a while before bringing it over to the paper helped a lot. I have a couple more questions for you: 1. After I stamp and add embossing powder, how long can I wait before heating them? I’d love to be able to stamp 10 pieces and get embossing powder on them before heating them if possible. That will take some time. 2. What do you use to protect the top of your wood desk? I’m tempted to get a piece of plexiglass to cover my entire desktop, but am open to some more affordable options. Right now I have an old soft vinyl desk blotter that I work on. 3. What items do you make sure to have out when stamping…beyond the obvious stuff? I have a small bottle of water and rubbing alcohol to clean the platform. The Gina k stamp cleaning cloth, and paper towels/Swedish dish cloth just in case of messes. What else do you find helpful? I’m so excited to have these to play with tomorrow. A friend and I are getting together for wine and crafting and I’m going to play with her watercolors to color these in. Everything crossed I don’t totally much them up! Thank you! Your stamped images are looking great! I haven’t chimed in before because I rarely do heat embossing these days, so I felt others would give you better answers. 1. I heat emboss promptly, but some inks will stay wet longer. Pigment ink might work for stamping multiples, but I never succeeded in stamping a lot at one time. Ten is a lot to stamp first before embossing. 2. Add a teflon sheet on top of your blotter. It’s so easy to clean up. 3. The only thing I would add is a tray to catch the embossing powder, that has a little “funnel” end to pour the embossing powder back into the jar. It might have been mentioned in an earlier post, but if not, it’s really helpful. You can just use a sheet of paper, but the tray works better for me. |
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Post by freeatlast on Mar 19, 2022 23:54:08 GMT
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Post by CardBoxer on Mar 20, 2022 2:03:47 GMT
Holy cow. Just your tips here (I haven't watched any of the videos yet) have improved my stamping so much! ❤️ Check out my photo below. All are embossed with VersaClair fallen leaves and embossed with Ranger fine clear powder. Some had a couple of layers of 110lb CS behind the paper I stamped on as a cushion, some did not. To tell the truth I couldn’t tell much difference in how they stamped whether they had an additional cushion or not. And the tip to run the heat tool for a while before bringing it over to the paper helped a lot. I have a couple more questions for you: 1. After I stamp and add embossing powder, how long can I wait before heating them? I’d love to be able to stamp 10 pieces and get embossing powder on them before heating them if possible. That will take some time. 2. What do you use to protect the top of your wood desk? I’m tempted to get a piece of plexiglass to cover my entire desktop, but am open to some more affordable options. Right now I have an old soft vinyl desk blotter that I work on. 3. What items do you make sure to have out when stamping…beyond the obvious stuff? I have a small bottle of water and rubbing alcohol to clean the platform. The Gina k stamp cleaning cloth, and paper towels/Swedish dish cloth just in case of messes. What else do you find helpful? I’m so excited to have these to play with tomorrow. A friend and I are getting together for wine and crafting and I’m going to play with her watercolors to color these in. Everything crossed I don’t totally much them up! Thank you! Wow, and look at the difference in detail between using Versafine Clair (left) and regular Versafine (right). By George she’s got it! 👏 👏 Good going! I was just thinking how much easier I had it than you because the owner of an LSS gave me a stamping lesson, and then I went to a different LSS for a workshop were we used many types of inks and at least half a dozen different papers to see the differences. It’s so much harder doing it yourself - no one to tell you to apply more or less pressure to change some little thing that gives such a better outcome. So you should be thrilled! !) Yes, you can stamp and apply embossing powder to your 10 cards and then heat emboss. The powder is stuck there - if you don’t touch it. But you made me curious so will apply embossing powder and put it aside for a couple days and see if it will emboss. 2) A glass shop cut 1/4” thick plexiglass to cover my surfaces. Some people like glass - it feels a little too cold and and I don’t love the clanky noise when putting hard things on it, but that’s my weirdness, not that anything is wrong with it. And I have a magnet glass mat on top of the desk where I stamp. That works well when doing techniques rather than straight stamping. I used to use a self-healing cutting mat covered with a Ranger teflon sheet for blending, techniques with water, etc. I folded the sheet to the back and taped it down. I got the idea from Jennifer McGuire who used to do that. Ranger sells the mats, but Joggles sells the Ranger material by the foot so you can get as much as you want. Ranger directed me to her. 3) A stack of small microfiber cloths. I use them for cleaning up, for cleaning stamps and my platforms with Hero Arts aka Stewart stamp cleaner, for wiping my hands. They get very colorful aka stained, but the color never comes off onto anything even a couple seconds after using it. They’re tossed in the washing machine occasionally. These are the ones I have. The last time I bought them they seemed a little different, softer, but still work. Note the quantities since sometimes 24 cost not much more than 12. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ANZHG7C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1I have Costco’s (Kirkland) baby wipes (zero fuzz) and paper towels out but rarely use them; I’d prefer less in the trash. Water or hand sanitizer, often expired, is used for my glass mat, depending on whether the medium is dye based or not. And little alcohol swabs from a drug store are used to get residue off of scissors. BTW, if the watercolor doesn’t work well on your cards, next time you can use watercolor paper. We can talk about types. And you will use the Ranger heat tool promise - it’s not a waste. It’s great for gently drying watercolor and other wet mediums or inks like Distress Oxides between layers if you’re in a hurry. |
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Post by scrappinheather on Mar 20, 2022 13:16:32 GMT
Over the years I have bought all the anti static tools but my favorites by far are from rabbit hole designs and taylored expressions. Both of those are great anti static tools.
The ranger gun is a lot of fun for doing wet techniques when ink blending. Like adding water to paper and ink smooshing. The Wagner gun on Amazon is about $25 and worth it’s weight in gold. As others said that’s what you need for heat embossing.
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PaperAngel
Drama Llama
Posts: 7,351
Jun 27, 2014 23:04:06 GMT
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Post by PaperAngel on Mar 20, 2022 21:43:39 GMT
I exclusively incorporate (basic) stamping onto scrapbook layouts, so only heat emboss on occasion, & currently use VersaFine Clair & VersaMark inks as well as Ranger Super Fine embossing powders. HTH.
1. How hard do you push the ink pad into the stamp? And how hard do you press the top of the platform onto the cardstock? Are there any "rules of the road," or will it come to me with practice and experience? I prefer wood mounted rubber stamps, but also use unmounted rubber & photopolymer stamps, & gently tap the ink onto the stamp until full coverage to avoid getting ink on the wood mount or clear block. Since I use the WRMK Precision Press Advanced stamp platform primarily for large background & detailed stamps, I do not have experience with hinged platforms, such as Tim Holtz. There is no right or wrong, so you develop product & process preferences over time as you experiment.
2. If you're working with black pigment ink, do you also use black embossing powder? Or do you use clear? Same with white, do you use white or clear embossing powder? With black ink, I use either black or clear embossing powders. I do not use white ink, rather stamp with clear VersaMark & emboss with white powder.
3. How do you brush small errant pieces of embossing powder off your paper after removing the excess and before applying heat? Just use a small paintbrush? I initially use an anti-static bag before stamping/embossing, then remove rare strays with a dry paintbrush.
4. Can you talk to me about the actual embossing process? I feel like I'm using the heat gun for quite some time before the powder actually does its thing. Was purchasing the Ranger heat tool a good choice, or should I have selected a different one? I prime all stamps by simply rubbing a white art eraser over the stamping surface before inking it for the first time (to remove any residue from the manufacturing process & reduce ink beading/etc.), then gently tap the ink onto the stamp until fully covered. I press the wood mount/clear block/stamp positioner gently & evenly onto the paper, hold for at least 5 seconds, lift it straight upward, & repeat as necessary to achieve desired saturation/intensity of color. Per the manufacturer website, VersaMark dries in 5-10 minutes on uncoated papers; VersaFine Clair ink dries in as quick as 5 seconds but is still embossable minutes later. Ranger Super Fine Embossing Powder is applied in small amounts over a craft funnel tray until the entire stamped image is covered, then excess powder is poured back into its container. Meanwhile, my Wagner heat tool (that I've had for at least a decade & still going strong) is plugged in. I slowly & methodically apply the heat, holding the tool a couple inches away from the paper, to the back & front of the paper until all the powder is melted, then reassess whether I need to emboss again (ie re-ink, re-powder, & re-heat) for a smooth finish, if desired. This process yields consistently clean/crisp/detailed shiny words/images.
5. Rather than me hunting and pecking trying to find good videos for a beginner, do you all have a particular website or youtube search I could use to try and find good info with how tos for basics? I've watched 2 TH videos, and a couple of other random ones that sounded interesting after doing a google search. I'm unable to recommend stamping videos since I don't watch them. However, I suggest experimenting/playing with your stamping/embossing products (without following someone else's process) to become familiar, determine what you dis/like, & have fun!
6. Are there other supplies you'd recommend I try - have you found products that you've had good success with? See #4 above.
ETA:
1. After I stamp and add embossing powder, how long can I wait before heating them? I’d love to be able to stamp 10 pieces and get embossing powder on them before heating them if possible. That will take some time. While I may not decide to heat emboss until a few minutes after stamping an image (which is possible with - & the reason I currently use - both VersaFine Clair & VersaMark), I heat immediately after adding the embossing powder. My guess is it depends on the drying/embossable time of the ink used. As long as the ink is wet, the powder will still melt with it; if the ink is dry, the heat tool will disperse most of the powder leaving only spots of the image/word embossed.
2. What do you use to protect the top of your wood desk? I’m tempted to get a piece of plexiglass to cover my entire desktop, but am open to some more affordable options. Right now I have an old soft vinyl desk blotter that I work on. I use a heat resistent mat when heat embossing to protect my work surface.
3. What items do you make sure to have out when stamping…beyond the obvious stuff? I have a small bottle of water and rubbing alcohol to clean the platform. The Gina k stamp cleaning cloth, and paper towels/Swedish dish cloth just in case of messes. What else do you find helpful? In addition to water, a stamp cleaning cloth, & paper towels, I use a white art eraser to prime stamps, a anti-static bag before stamping (just in case I decide to emboss), a craft funnel tray to corral excess powders & pour them back into their containers, a small dry paintbrush to remove stray powder on paper, & a small Swiffer duster to remove stray powder on my work surface. ETA: I also wear an inexpensive, basic, solid black apron (bought at least a decade ago at a big box store) when stamping/embossing to protect my clothing!
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Post by MichyM on Mar 21, 2022 20:06:44 GMT
Thank you thank you thank you for all the additional information! <3 I watched some videos over the weekend and between what has been posted in this thread and on the videos, I'm feeling so much more comfortable with stamping and embossing. The Wagner heat tool arrived today (I don't even have Prime so WTG Amazon) and I cannot wait to play with it. I'm anxious to try triple embossing that Jennifer McGuire demoed on one of the videos I watched.
So yesterday my friend I got together. She's an encaustic artist, and has lots of fun things to play with, including really good quality watercolors. I didn't complete anything worth saving, but got to play a lot with them on the stamped images and decided that I ALSO need to learn how to use them too. If you happen to have any watercolor 101 videos that you'd recommend, I'm all ears. I'll do some googling later.
I feel like y'all have been my personal cheerleaders the last few weeks. You've really been (and continue to be) amazingly helpful to me and I appreciate it more than you know!
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Post by cmpeter on Mar 22, 2022 2:00:30 GMT
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Post by marg on Mar 22, 2022 13:35:49 GMT
MichyM Regarding embossing in batches - as long as you add your embossing powder fairly quickly it doesn't matter how long you wait to melt it, you can let it sit for quite a while, at least in my experience. I've done batches of cards where I've stamped and added the powder to 10-15 cards and then melted them after. After melting about 10 cards in a row my heat tool did get hot enough to set off my smoke alarm briefly (but no smoke and no issues with the paper, so I guess my alarm is just very sensitive).
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Post by MichyM on Mar 22, 2022 17:16:10 GMT
Wow, these look EXACTLY like what I need, I never expected something so specific to what I'm looking for. Thank you! |
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Post by CardBoxer on Mar 23, 2022 14:41:05 GMT
BTW, MichyM if you think you might end up enjoying coloring images with Copic markers, I agree Sandy has excellent courses. Jenn Shurkus’ Copics 101 blog entry might be a good first read and maybe taking her Copics class or taking it first. It’s a simpler approach, though that’s not the best word. shurkus.com/tutorial/copic-101-all-you-need-to-know-to-get-startedDisclosure: I got rid of my Copics. I thought I should like coloring and Copics because “everyone” did, and took live and on-line classes. But I don’t like coloring and didn’t as a kid. (Coloring shapes, covering them with black and scratching through was fun.) But I’m glad I tried because I learned enough to not wonder if lack of enjoyment was because of zero skills. |
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Post by kmage on Mar 23, 2022 16:43:06 GMT
Thank you!!! I watched a couple of videos after reading this and am excited to try and color again. She is really good and seems to do a very good job of explaining her process as she goes along which is so important to me when I am trying to learn. |
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Post by MichyM on Mar 24, 2022 2:18:06 GMT
BTW, MichyM if you think you might end up enjoying coloring images with Copic markers, I agree Sandy has excellent courses. Jenn Shurkus’ Copics 101 blog entry might be a good first read and maybe taking her Copics class or taking it first. It’s a simpler approach, though that’s not the best word. shurkus.com/tutorial/copic-101-all-you-need-to-know-to-get-startedDisclosure: I got rid of my Copics. I thought I should like coloring and Copics because “everyone” did, and took live and on-line classes. But I don’t like coloring and didn’t as a kid. (Coloring shapes, covering them with black and scratching through was fun.) But I’m glad I tried because I learned enough to not wonder if lack of enjoyment was because of zero skills. Thank you, I’ll check it out. I don’t know what Coptic markers are but I do have a set of about 72 Tombow dual tip (brush on one end) markers that I want to pull out of their drawer and play with some more. |
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I also appreciate the other video recommendations!
