AECP Impressive Heat embossing techniques

The Altenew Educator Certification Program (AECP) class, Impressive Heat Embossing Techniques, features several clever ways to enhance your project using heat embossing. Techniques I am applying for me project include:

• Using clear embossing powder on colored cardstock to create a background,
• Always making sure to use antistatic powder to have clean results, and
• Heating up my heat gun for a minute or two and applying heat from both the front and back to minimize warping

I started this project with a specific color inspiration in mind. Earlier in the day, I saw a gorgeous Christmas card made using magenta as the feature color with pops of dark green and teal which was made by the amazing Susan Opel, editor of Scrapbook and Cards Today Magazine. I knew I wanted to use rich colors for this project, and the palette from Susan’s card was the perfect choice.

Per lesson two of the course, the facilitator, Svetlana Marchenko, suggests using solid stamps when applying clear embossing powder to colored card stock so more of the desired image shows. I pulled out my Laelia stamp set because it has such beautiful solid stamp leaves I could use to create my background. I selected a piece of aqua colored cardstock and performed the following steps:

• Prep the cardstock with antistatic powder,
• Place my cardstock in my Misti stamping platform and arrange my two leaf stamps,
• Ink the stamps with Versamark ink,
• Apply embossing powder,
• Heat from both the front and the back to prevent warping using a pre-heated heat tool,
• Repeat all previous steps in order until my background paper was complete.

For my embossing powder selection, I did not use completely clear powder. I chose instead Brutus Monroe’s Fairy Dust, which is clear powder with a touch of iridescent glitter to add a subtle sparkle. The image below shows a close up of the embossed background details.

Once my background was complete, I matted it against a darker blue-green card panel and set about creating my feature image using the Craft-A-Flower: Sulfur Cosmos Layering Die. This die set may be my all time favorite layering floral die. I cut the leaves from the same dark blue-green of my mat, and I cut the flower petals from two shades of magenta cardstock. I added a touch of Distress Oxide Ink in Aged Mahogany to the center of the petals for a little more visual depth. Further, using the side of my picking tool, I curled all the petals to create movement. I adhered all of the pieces together using the layering guide, and I added a little foam tape under some of the petals for additional dimension.

Once my flowers and leaves were complete, I arranged them in a triangular pattern on my background and added a few additional leaves die cut from brushed silver cardstock using my Itty Bitty Branches die set. To finish things off I cut a “Love You” sentiment from the Versatile Greetings Die Set, also in brushed silver. My pretty card is complete and I will be using this background technique again in the future.