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Sticky Powder
Doris - Your Rubber Stamp Place
I have been on stamping email lists for
several years and so often the topic comes up about Sticky Powder.
It is an embossing powder that is white but turns to a clear
sticky consistency, in the image of your stamp. Just ink up your
stamp with pigment ink, then shake it on the same way you do
any
other embossing powder. Return the excess back to the jar and
heat with your heat tool.
I have worked with Foil & Flocking
Powder many times and I have some tips that might help others
working with this medium.
Use a stamp with bold lines. The more
surface you have in your image for the foil to stick to, the
better.
Be sure you are using cardstock that
is not coated with anything. I have gotten some of my best results
with the cheapest cardstocks. However, Stampin' Up has some wonderful
cardstock that I have gotten great results with also. Don't be
afraid to experiment with different grades. Sometimes you can
learn a lot this way. For example, I used a King James coated
cardstock that had just a little bit of a sheen. The results
were poor because the sticky powder did not stick to all of the
image. Now, I know why
matte is recommended. <grin>
Next, be sure you use pigment ink to
stamp your image. The ink has to be wet long enough for the powder
to stick and hold while you heat.
Always heat from the bottom of your
stamped image. This keeps any of the powder from blowing off.
Also, it makes it easier for you to tell when the actual melt
takes place.
And, speaking of heating, be sure that
you don't overheat. This is the biggest problem stampers have
with sticky powder. The powder is white and turns to clear (sticky)
when heated. But what most don't realize is that it continues
to heat for just a bit after you turn off your heat gun. So,
pull your heat tool away "just before" you think it
is finished. That way, when it continues to melt for that extra
second while you are laying down your heat tool, it will be just
right.
Have your foil ready to put on your
image the second you turn your heat tool off. As it cools, it
loses some of it's tackiness.
Use a pigment ink that will "blend"
with the color of foil you are using. For example, at Valentines
Day, I used red pigment ink and red foil.
Some instructions say to rub lightly
or even use a sponge to apply the foil. What works best for me
is to use my finger. Don't be afraid to rub a little hard, as
this will not hurt your stamped image at this point.
If you see some areas where the foil
did not stick, don't be afraid to put the foil on again and rub
a little more.
And lastly, the best results are achieved
when using dark, rich colors of cardstock. The lighter shades
just "do not cut it" for this technique.
You can put all kinds of things on your
sticky image. Here are some ideas:
1. Glitter
2. Flock Powder (for fuzziness)
3. Dry pigment powder, such as Pearl-Ex.
4. Coffee Grounds (yep, that's right.)
5. Sand
6. Spices such as powdered cinnamon, cloves, etc.
7. Tiny Beads
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