Thought about trying to emboss resist but not sure where to start? Well, today’s video shows you multiple ways you can use emboss resist in your papercrafts, from a simple background to more focal elements for a more advanced technique. This video features 4 techniques, but bare in mind there are many out there to try and we hope you’ll find some inspiration from these 4 cards.
PRODUCED AS PART OF MY DESIGN-TEAM WORK FOR WOW!EMBOSSING POWDER - SEE END OF POST FOR MORE DETAILS
Technique 1: Ink blending over a simple embossed background
The first card uses simple ink blending for a background emboss resist. This background stamp is the Pinstripe background from Altenew, and this was stamped onto a piece of navy cardstock using Clear ultra slow drying embossing ink from WOW! This was covered in Metallic Platinum and heat set using the dual speed heat gun from WOW! The colour of this powder when it melts is gorgeous!
Now for the emboss resist! Using distress oxides and blending brushes, apply ink to one end of your cardstock. I started off with Chipped sapphire, but it wasn’t really darker than my cardstock in the end so it isn’t that noticeable. I later go in with black soot to increase the contrast. As you blend the ink on, the ink will go onto your cardstock and may lay over the top of your embossing.
However, as the embossing isn’t porous the ink just sits on the top – so use a dry cloth to wipe the ink off and buff the powder up again. I add some tumbled glass to the top of the card to get a greater Ombre and faded from dark to colour. Once you’ve added the ink, remember to wipe it away and buff it with a dry cloth.
This panel was then adhered to a light grey-blue card base and a happy birthday sentiment from my favourite things was added along with foam die cut letters underneath for my dimensions. To finish the card off, a few Nuvo drops in white and platinum were added as embellishments.
Technique 2: Colour trapping with clear gloss
For the next technique, uses a similar process as before, ink blending on a background however instead of using a coloured, metallic or opaque embossing power, we are going to use clear gloss. The leaves from the Skeleton Leaves stamp set from Gina K designs was repeatedly stamp in embossing ink over some Sea Glass card stock. This was then covered with Clear Gloss embossing powder from wow! Once heat set this gives a tone on tone embossed background as the clear gloss darkens the colour of the cardstock.
However, it also traps the colour of the cardstock so if with ink blend over the top, the leaves retain the colour of the card. I use a selection of coloured inks from Catherine Pooler Designs in Fiesta blue, Day dream and Juniper mist for another Ombre background.
Again, the ink will sit on top of the clear gloss embossing, but as its not porous you can take a dry cloth to wipe the ink away and buff the embossing powder. To finish this card off, the panel was adhered to a light blue-grey card base and the Big Scripty Thank you was adhere in white onto a vellum shadow die cut and white Nuvo drops as embellishments. I was too inpatient to wait for the ink to dry before adding the drops, they soaked up some of the colour from the card.
Technique 3: Watercolour washes and 'wells for watercolouring'
This next card uses emboss resist to create a background wash as well as a ‘well for watercolouring’. A selection of stars from the Starts Above stamp set from My Favourite things was heat embossed onto some Distress Watercolour card stock with Rich Gold Pale embossing powder. It is a good idea to stamp watercolour paper in a stamping platform to get a good impression. This will allow you to stamp a couple of times as the rough surface may result in not all the stamped image stamping perfectly.
Once heat set, tape your panel down to a hardboard and apply a coat of clear water over the background. Using a selection of watercolours start adding colour to your background over your embossing. I used Sky Blue, Aquamarine and Sapphire liquid watercolour from Pink Fresh studios. Make sure your paper is wet to get a seamless blend.
If you prefer more texture, dry in between the colours for less blending of the colours. The heat embossing will resist the water and therefore will not affect your stamping. When you’re happy with the wash, dry the panel before you move onto the next part. Heat embossing can create ‘wells’ within your stamped image, allowing you to add colour to select areas without the colour spreading outside the lines. I used the same colours to add blocks of colour to the stars in the background.
To finish the card, a Lil’ Inker Designs Celebrate was added in Gold Mirror card with a black die cut offset for a shadow along with a heat embossed sentiment using Opaque Bright embossing powder from WOW!
Technique 4: Ink blending small stamped images
For the last card we are using embossing resist to selectively colour in stamped images. There are blending brush on the market that make this much easier now as you can buy blending brush in different shapes and sizes – including very small ones. These are perfect for ink blending small areas to add detail. A selection of flowers and leaves from the Cherished Memories stamp set from Altenew was heat embossed in Platinum embossing powder on smooth white cardstock. To start adding colour, take a medium to small blending brush and apply ink in the centre of the flowers blending this out towards the edges of the petals. As you blend out, lighten your hand to soften and lightly the colour.
You can then add more depth and dimension but using the other smaller brushes. Experiment with the different shaped brushes to add more colour to areas where you expect there to be shadows. Remember though to go back out with the bigger brush again to smooth out your blending. Also, don’t be afraid for the ink colour to go out of the stamp image.
To finish the card, the flowers along with some leaves with fussy cutout and foam mounted onto a white card. A hello layered die cut sentiment from Signature words die by Altenew as added to the corner and the panel was added to a card base made out of Gina K Tranquil Teal Cardstock. Lastly, sequins from the Rock Candy confetti mix were added with for some glimmer.
If you fussy cut or die cut the stamped images out this prevents the stark white outline. You may find this technique takes time as it is the same process as step one – ink blending with embossed resist backgrounds but on a much smaller scale for stamp images.
(click to enlarge images)
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WOW! Embossing Powder
wHERE YOU’LL FIND Full details on how I made this card AND LINKS TO SUPPLIES
4 ways to use emboss resist in cardmaking
Supplies
Affiliate links are used at Altenew (ALT), Scrapbook.com (SB) and Craft Stash (CS). All other links are NOT affiliate – Bumbleberry Papercrafts (BP), WOW! UK and WOW! US
 Gina K Designs – Connect Glue Shop at: PB |  Neenah Classic Crest Solar White 110lb Cardstock Shop at: PB |  Scrapbook Adhesives 3D foam sqaures 1/4″ white Shop at: PB | SB |
 “Life Changing” Blender Brushes 2 pack Shop at: PB |  “Life Changing” Blender Brushes 10 Pack Shop at: PB |  WOW! Metallic Gold Rich Pale Shop at: CS | WOW (UK) |
 WOW! Dual Speed Heat Gun (UK version) Shop at: CS | WOW (UK) |  WOW! Clear ultra slow drying embossing pad Shop at: CS | WOW (UK) | WOW (US) |  Birthday Builder – Altenew Shop at: ALT | PB | SB |
 Original MISTI – My Sweet Petunia Shop at: ALT | PB | SB |  Chipped Saphire Distress Oxide – Ranger Ink Shop at: PB | SB | CS |  Metallic Platinum – – WOW! Embossing Powder Shop at: CS | WOW (UK) | WOW (US) |
 Metallic Platinum (Large Jar) – WOW! Embossing Powder Shop at: WOW (UK) |  Clear Gloss – WOW! Embossing Powder Shop at: CS | WOW (UK) | WOW (US) |  Clear Gloss (large Jar) – WOW! Embossing Powder Shop at: WOW (UK) | WOW (US) |
 Metallic Gold Rich Pale (large Jar) – WOW! Embossing Powder Shop at: WOW (UK) |  Spring Garden Stencil – Altenew Shop at: ALT | PB | SB |  Tranquil Teal – Gina K designs Shop at: PB |
 Opaque Birght White -WOW! Embossing Powder Shop at: CS | WOW (UK) | WOW (US) | WOW! Dual Speed Heat Gun (US version) Shop at: WOW (US) |  Signature words – Altenew Shop at: ALT | PB |
 Cherised Memories – Altenew Shop at: ALT | PB | SB |  Pinstripe – Altenew Shop at: ALT | PB | SB |  Block Happy Birthday – MFT Shop at: PB |
 Black Soot Distress Oxide – Ranger Ink Shop at: PB | SB | CS |  Blueprint Sketch Distress Oxide – Ranger Ink Shop at: PB | SB | CS |  Bundled Sage Distress Oxide – Ranger Ink Shop at: PB | SB | CS |
 Mowed Lawn Distress Oxide – Ranger Ink Shop at: PB | SB | CS |  Shabby Shutters Distress Oxide – Ranger Ink Shop at: PB | SB | CS |  Aquamarine Watercolour – Pink Fresh Studios Shop at: PB | SB |
 Sapphire – Pink Fresh Studios Shop at: PB | SB |  Sky Blue – – Pink Fresh Studios Shop at: PB | SB |  Peacock feathers Distress Oxide – Ranger Ink Shop at: PB | SB | CS |
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These four cards have hopefully shown you 4 ways to use emboss resist within your papercraft projects, whether you take it back to basics with simple ink blending over an embossed background, or whether you have stepped this up by colouring smaller stamps or combined it with watercolours. There are so many ways you can use it and it is a fun technique to try, so have a go and make sure you tag us so we can see what you make!
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Design team work:
DISCLOSURE
This post was produced as part of my design team work for WOW! Embossing Powder have not been paid to make this post, but I am given supplies from WOW! Embossing Powder to use. However, I create projects with creative control and produce projects I am proud of and with products that I love. The information provided is based on my own personal experience – I am not an expert.
