Techniques

What you need:

• Classy Brass Template - several to choose from, several that coordinate with stamp sets from the current catalog.
• Stylus or Empressor Stylus - both will perform the same, but the Empressor Stylus is shaped more like a ball point pen, with finger grip cushions which will make it much more comfortable to use if you're planning on using this technique a lot.

How you do it:

Using a piece of tape, stick the Classy Brass Template to the Light Table or a window - that way its easy to see what you are doing.  Before you put your cardstock over the Classy Brass Template, rub some waxed paper over the area you want to emboss - it will significantly reduce the chance of your paper tearing.  Then using the big end of the stylus trace the design on the template.  THis should give you the raised image you are looking for.

What you need:

• Blender Pen -similar to an undyed marker, will take color from pastels and ink pads.
• Aqua Painter - a blender pen that you can refill with water.
• Watercolor Wonder Crayons
• Watercolor Pencils
• Stampin' Pastels

How you do it:

Stamp your images onto the cardstock.  Then using the blender pen or aqua painter, pick up a color from the Stampin Pastels by dipping the end of the pen onto a pastel.  Now apply the color directly to the image.  The blender pen or aqua painter will give you a watercolor painting look.

What you need:

• Stampin' Pastels - a collection of 51 colored pastels that coordinate perfectly with the cardstock.
• Sponge Dauber
• Blender Pen - similar to an undyed marker, will take color from pastels and ink pads.
• VersaMark Pad - type of super wet/sticky ink that won't dry before you get the embossing powder open

How you do it:

Stamp the image with VersaMark ink.  If its a detailed image, use the sponge tipped applicators in the pastels container.  In the interest of your time, if the image is larger and more solid, it will be easier to use a sponge dauber.

What you need:

• solid image stamp - standard shapes are easiest like circles and squares
• two ink pads

How you do it:

Start by stamping the image in the lighter color ink.  Its easiest to use two different hues of the same color -- if not you'll end up with Cameo Coral ink in your Ruby Red pad.  Then roll the images edges in the darker color pad.

What you need:

• Stampin' Write Markers

How you do it:

If you're trying to get creative - one sure fire way is to ink a stamp with different colors, or emphasize a word in a sentiment with a different color.  To accomplish that, just use the stampin' write markers - they come in all the same coordinating colors as the cardstock.  Just use the larger brush end of the marker to color the rubber on the stamp.  If the ink dries before you get the image onto the cardstock, just breath on the rubber to remoisten the ink.

What you need:

• Heat Tool - is kind of like a miniature super hot hair dryer that melts the embossing powder creating a slick look and three dimensional feel to your project.
• Powder Pal Tray - will keep your embossing powder from winding up everywhere, also makes it super simple to get the excess powder back in the container with the trays handy funnel on one end.
• Heat and Stick Powder - keeps glitter in line, only sticking where it is supposed to
• Stampin' Glitter - comes in Chunky and regular in all sorts of fun colors.  Adds pizzaz to your projects.
• Craft Ink or VersaMark Ink - type of super wet/sticky ink that won't dry before you get the  powder open

How you do it:

Stamp the image in Craft or Versamark ink and place into the powder pal tray.  Cover the image with Heat and Stick Powder just until the powder melts.  Now sprinkle the glitter over top of the image.  Shake off the excess then heat once more to set the glitter.

What you need:

• background stamp

How you do it:

Turn the background stamp with the rubber facing you.  Now ink the stamp by pressing the ink pad onto the background stamp.  Make sure you are covering all the rubber parts with ink.  Place the cardstock onto the stamp, gently rub the cardstock to transfer the inked image.  Carefully lift off the cardstock and set face up as not to smear the freshly inked image.

What you need:

• Solid image stamp

How you do it:

This is one of the simplest techniques, but easily forgotten.  By stamping an image several times before re-inking the image will become more opaque as the ink is stamped off.

What you need:

• Two-Step Stamping Set

How you do it:

Start by stamping the solid image, then over top of the solid image, stamp the outline image.  Add dimension and variety by differing the color of the solid image and the outline image.

What you need:

• scissors

How you do it:

Masking is a super simple technique to start with.  Start by stamping an image twice - once on your project and once on scrap paper.  Then cut out the image thats on the scrap paper.  Place the scrap paper image over the image on your project, then you can stamp over and around the image without overlapping images or ink colors.

What you need:

• Powder Pal Tray - will keep your embossing powder from winding up everywhere, also makes it super simple to get the excess powder back in the container with the trays handy funnel on one end.
• Embossing Buddy - eliminates static on the paper so that your embossing powder only adheres to the ink.
• Craft Ink or VersaMark Ink - type of super wet/sticky ink that won't dry before you get the embossing powder open
• Embossing Powder - comes in several basic colors to make embossing an easy way to jazz up your projects.
• Heat Tool - is kind of like a miniature super hot hair dryer that melts the embossing powder creating a slick look and three dimensional feel to your project.

How you do it:

Place the piece of cardstock you want to heat emboss into the powder pal tray.  Rub the embossing buddy over the cardstock.  Ink up your stamp with either Craft Ink or Versamark and stamp the image onto the cardstock.  Cover the stamped image with embossing powder, then shake off the excess.  If you're using the tray you can just funnel the extra powder right back into the container.  Finish heat embossing by waving the heat tool over the image just until the image turns shiny and rises a little.  You can burn the paper and the powder, so don't overdo it!

What you need:

• Classic Ink Pad
• Stamp Set of your choice
  

How you do it:

Open your ink pad.  If you're having difficulty, there are instructions on the underside of the ink pad.  With your fingers on the sides of the wooden block, place the image onto the ink pad surface, evenly putting pressure to ink the image.  If you rock the image you will get uneven ink on the surface and get ink all over the wooden block.