Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Let's Talk Heat Embossing

Studio L3's Compendium of Curiosities Challenge this week features distress embossing powders.  Linda suggested that people either love 'em or hate 'em.  I'd say I'm in a love/hate relationship with them - like I am with most embossing (LOL!).  I love it when it works but get frustrated when it doesn't.  I've done enough embossing to know that its success is affected by humdity, ink type, paper type, and all kinds of other things.  I decided to try embossing on plaster, and I love the effect, but find it sort of fragile.  Most of the distress powders wiped offed, even after being heat set and cooling.  I was able to get this part of the image to stay intact, but I'm not sure how well it will hold up.  Oh well, in the meantime, I love it.  I guess I'll think of it like a sandsculpture, something you can only enjoy until the elements wash it away.  How do you feel about embossing in general?  How about distress embossing?  Got any great embossing tips to pass along?
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12 comments:

  1. debs14July 14, 2010 at 12:08 AM

    This is yet another lovely piece of work Rinda and I hope it survives longer than you are expecting it to.
    I have only ever tried heat embossing twice; once at a crop and once at a card making class. I enjoyed trying a new technique but I can see how I might easily ruin something to set the house up in flames if I were let loose on my own at home!

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  2. humelJuly 14, 2010 at 1:42 AM

    It's great, Rinda - really lovely :-)

    I haven't tried distress embossing (though I do now have a pot of the powder) but I do emboss sometimes. I like the dimension and texture. I also like getting 'messy' effects by smudging pigment ink here and there on a project and adding embossing powder to those parts. This works especially well on the edges of a piece.

    Oh, and I loved Deb's comment about setting the house on fire! I did once melt a small section of carpet.....

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  3. humelJuly 14, 2010 at 1:44 AM

    PS Meant to say: the sentiment on your tag is perfect for something that may not last :-) I did wonder about the possibility of sealing it with a thin layer of glossy accents or similar, though this would lose some of the texture and finish? x

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  4. scrappyjackyJuly 14, 2010 at 2:29 AM

    This is beautiful,Rinda....and I do hope it manages to last.Another time could you emboss on something else and stick that to the plaster?
    Have never used distress embossing powders, but just this morning on Kath's blog saw how she'd made perfect rusty hinges using a Tim die and brushed cordoroy ink and distress embossing powder...so hope to have a go sometime. I do occasionally do heat embossing...but not often.

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  5. AnonymousJuly 14, 2010 at 2:55 AM

    Another beautiful piece, and I hope it holds up. I've done lots of embossing, but not on anything except paper. I don't have any of the distress embossing powders, and wonder if and how they are different from "regular" ones.

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  6. AbiJuly 14, 2010 at 4:40 AM

    beautiful piece here Rinda. I have never tried heat embossing because my mum won't let me have a heat gun! she claims I will set the house on fire! Lol! Is it easy to do? I wud love to have a go and it looks very effective on your work! Abi xxx

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  7. SianJuly 14, 2010 at 4:44 AM

    I have never tried embossing. I'm with Abi..I don't think my family would trust me with a heat gun; they don't even like it when I get out the hot glue gun!

    I hope your piece isn't too fragile because it is lovely

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  8. Tammy Lee BradleyJuly 14, 2010 at 5:10 AM

    I absolutely love that saying. Wonderful work!!!

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  9. Linda LedbetterJuly 14, 2010 at 9:10 AM

    Rinda, you have convinced me that I need to start working on plaster. This is just flat-out incredible! I love the soft, sun-bleached look of the Distress Powder on the plaster, and of course your entire tag is wonderful!

    You're another person I want to take a class from.

    Thanks for bringing another gorgeous and inspiring piece to the Compendium Challenge! ♥

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  10. LoriJuly 14, 2010 at 9:27 AM

    Wow, great work! love the effect of the EP on plaster, really cool!

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  11. nancy yJuly 14, 2010 at 10:19 AM

    my hint is to use one of those embossing buddy packs - I think you could make your own with some cornstarch in a sock ;-)
    It's greatly helped me - i don't get so much of the stray embossing specks. I think humidity really effects your results.

    I like embossing - even the distress for rustick pieces, but don't do much of it as it's kind of time consuming!

    Great little tag Rinda!

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  12. CherylJuly 16, 2010 at 3:53 AM

    Beautiful! Love all those stamps.

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