NOT a Card!!!!

If you follow my posts, you already know that I had a great Craig's List score a few weeks ago - a gallon bag of embossing powders for next to nothing.  I had some time to play today, and wanted to learn more them, what works, what doesn't, and practice using the powders.  I learned a lot, and came out with these:

A few years ago, I gave my friends wooden boxes full of gift tags for Christmas, thank you, birthday, etc.  Every year, I replenish their boxes!!  Thought these tags were a great way to learn, without creating a lot of trash. 

I learned that:

• I can heat emboss on foil paper.
• Just because one color and brand has great coverage, it doesn't mean that all of that color or brand work well.  Just like ink, and paper, and stamps, and...
• Glittery embossing powder is just as bad as glitter when it comes to the mess.
• The stamp used matters A LOT, some I thought would be great, weren't (the green trees).  Others I thought would be too detailed, weren't (the gold stars on black and red).
• The higher the contrast between the paper and the powder, the more striking the effect.  Less contrast, more subtle effect. 
• I can emboss with one color, and emboss the same image with another stamp and powder without burning or over-melting the original embossed image (the red, gold, and white Silent Night tags).
• I need to learn about/buy something to remove static from my paper to avoid stray flecks on my final product. 
• Hmmm.  Wonder if I could dry emboss, them tap on ink and then heat emboss?  SO much to learn!!!

Fun, productive day!!!

Tag and sentiment stamps from Our Daily Bread Designs, snowflakes from Martha Stewart, Spellbinder dies, VersaMark watermark ink, various brands/colors of powders.