Embossing Techniques

[onelightningchic]

I see a lot of advise to emboss and use those techniques. Can someone hook me up to a discussion on what that is and how to do it? Is it pressing an impression into your cardstock or is it cutting a design or is it putting glitter on it or a combination of all of the above. I am particularily interested in the glitter part. I am not free hand artistic, but can embellish pretty good. What tools, pens, powders, glues etc are required to do this technique as a beginner?

[stamps&cars]

I usually refer to Embossing as when you stamp an image with an ink such as Versamark and cover with Embossing Powder then heat to create a raise colored image. You can also emboss with an embossing type folder using a die cut machine and they type raises the paper itself. Then there is the type of embossing (sometimes called debossing) where you use a stylus and 'press' the image into paper or vellum.

[onelightningchic]

I feel like I am speaking Greek with all of this new stuff. Is there a special heating tool ? or do I use a glue gun tip or hairdryer?

[stamps&cars]

There is a special heat gun.....lots of different companies but I prefer Milwaukee Tool heat gun.....they are the ones that make the SU gun as well. Best longevity, noise and heat. Hair dryer will not work....not hot enough and too much wind. Glue gun tip will not work at all. You can use a 5th burner, burner on your stove, lightbulb, iron (You hold the image over it...not press the iron on it). Basically anything that has radiant heat to melt the powder. I used a 5th burner for years in the last 80's until heat guns for embossing had been invented.

[BillieDee]

Try them all!

Heat embossing usually refers to the type of embossing that requires the heat gun (hot air gun). It melts the embossing powder into the ink/wet stuff.

Dry embossing usually refers to the press-into-the-paper using a stencil or embossing folder.

I hope these terms help give you additional keywords to look up.

[onelightningchic]

Thanks everyone. I was in JA's Saturday and picked up a heat tool (thanks to your advise I knew what to look for) at 75% off. I came right home and tried it! Thanks again for the help.

[curias]

Here is a video I did on the basic wet embossing techniques:

http://scraptime.ca/blogpage/?p=16

And here I did some Dry embossing:
http://scraptime.ca/blogpage/?p=293