Grandma's Rocking Chair for June 9, 2013

Question of the day for Grandma's Rocking Chair.

What is the Difference between wet and dry embossing?

Boy I guess I could talk forever about embossing be dry or wet.

When I first started to stamp dry embossing was way different than it is now. We had a light table, or window and tape, embossing stylus, embossing template and tons of patience (I never got to far on the patience so I didn't dry emboss a lot).  It was hard I didn't think it worked well so I had a lot of templates two light tables and only a few times did Dry embossing.

Here is the definition: Dry embossing, also called relief embossing, is done by tracing a stencil with a special tool, called a stylus. The result is a stunning, raised pattern on the object you are embossing.

Well all that has changed and now I can't think of sending a card out that it not embossed. What has changed that.  Well the Cuttlebug came out for me and the embossing folders and I was hooked.  Things just popped off the card. I know have the Big Shot that embosses but also die cuts, which I love.

Just put your card stock in the embossing folder and run it through the Big Shot, it is stunning.

Here are a few examples of dry embossing.

They now have so many patterns and styles that you can have different cards all the time.  Mix with that some great techniques using dry embossing and that makes great looking cards.

So what is wet embossing?  Well that is something before the Cuttlebug and Big Shot I did a lot and still love to do.  It is a great technique to do for new stampers and have the WOW look on their face when you heat the embossing powder and it embosses.

Definition is: "Wet" embossing is achieved by stamping with a particular type of ink, to which an embossing powder will adhere, then heating the powder to melt it into a raised finish.

Here are a few examples:

So how do you do it.  As I tell my folks it is magic and you can't get anymore fun than magic.

You need the following:

Slow Drying ink such as a pigment ink, or versamark - which is probably the most popular ink for embossing.

You need embossing powder, it comes in a wide variety of colors, but you really only need maybe clear, black and white.  With clear powder, versamark and Stampin' Up! Classic ink you can have any color Stampin' Up! has for embossing. I embossing powder melts so it is a type of plastic grains, really small.  They have fine powder and then they have an Ultra Thick Powder, mainly for general embossing you use the fine.

You need a heat tool or commonly called a heat gun. I tried it with a hair dryer and it was not hot enough and had to strong of a blowing power, just blew off all the powder before it melted.

If you are using Black embossing powder or a dark color or embossing on a dark card stock you may want an embossing buddy that removes the static from the card stock so the powder only stick where you want it to.

General steps.

1. Ink up your stamp with Versamark or a Pigment ink.  

2. You may want to run the embossing buddy over your card stock now.

3. Stamp your card stock

4. Pour embossing powder over your stamped image.  There are some tips about doing this so you don't get it all over.  You may want ot watch one of my embossing videos to get them  here is one http://marysstampinghappenings.blogspot.com/2013/02/tips-techniques-tuesday-2-26-13.html

5. Tap off excess embossing powder

6.  Heat with the Heat gun and watch it change like magic.

There are a lot of great techniques using wet embossing and are mainly referred to as embossing techniques.  I have a few that you might want to check out on my techniques page.

Hope this answered your question.  

I will be gone for a few weeks but I hope to be able to post a Grandma's Rocking Chair question on the Sunday's that I am away.  If I miss one I am sorry but will get back to it when we get home.

If you have any stamping questions you would like answered please leave a comment or e-mail me at nuhddad @ gmail.com (remove the space around the @).

Happy Stamping

Mary