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I don't know what all you guys call it, but I have seen it called the "Embossing Buddy". It is the little sachet that you rub over your paper before you stamp and then powder/heat emboss. Is there a way to make your own? Is it basically corn starch?
It takes the static out of the paper so when you throw down the embossing powder, it does not stick to any area that does not have the versa mark or pigment ink on it. Otherwise, you may end up with little dots after you heat it. I'm not sure if the dryer sheet works AS well but it does not produce white areas on dark cardstock like I notice with the embossing buddy.
The only caution with the dryer sheet is that it can leave a residue on your paper. Ask me how I know. I think the EB is filled with cornstarch. You could probably make your own by sewing a piece of loose weave fabric and filling it with cornstarch. I found that the EB was cheap enough to make it not worth my time to make my own.
__________________ My Gallery Team Jasper! "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" Mt. 6:21
I am pretty sure it is just CORN STARCH (corn flour) anyway that is what I used to make one for myself after I gave mine to a friend and I kept forgeting to replace it. It works Fantastic !
I'm not sure what it is filled with but I do know that a dryer sheet works too!
that's what i use also. a USED dryer sheet. i keep an empty kleenex box on top of the dryer and just stick them in there when i pull them out of the dryer (or out of my pants leg. they love to hide in my husband's jeans. lol).
i would probaby get ink or glue all over the embossing buddy then rub it on my card.
The stuff in an Embossing Buddy is actually something called Fullers Earth - it's a kind of clay. You can buy it from the kind of places that sell natural remedies as it has lots of health/beauty uses but if you have corn starch in the house already, that works pretty well.
I found this link to be helpful when I was considering the Embossing Buddy, although the use of cornstarch is not covered. There are also a few other Stampbuster episodes that liked. I think I will try the recipe for home made stamp cleaner when I need more.
Icant tell yup how frustrating it has been for me to have all the stray embossing power when embossing! I tried a small paint brush but that never worked well, I am so glad for those information! I will have to try it!
I've read where someone took a baby sock, filled it with cornstarch.
A baby sock works great and you probably already have cornstarch in your kitchen. You need a tightly knit or woven fabric or you will have the fine powder everywhere. You don't need to fill it very full. With a small sock, you can either stitch it closed or simply tie the top in a tight knot.
I don't have a baby sock, unless I can steal one from my 3 yr old nephew. lol Would a piece of panty hose work, or is that too open of a weave?
Thanks.
Trish
I think pantyhose would be too open.
If you know any young moms, most probably have a spare baby sock that lost its mate. The reason a baby sock works well is that it's tightly knit, but also not very thick. You could probably use a regular tightly woven fabric. Just cut a circle, maybe 6 to 8" across, put the powder in the center and gather it all up and tie a string or ribbon tightly around the gathered part.
You could probably use a regular tightly woven fabric. Just cut a circle, maybe 6 to 8" across, put the powder in the center and gather it all up and tie a string or ribbon tightly around the gathered part.
Ooh, thanks! You have inspired me to make pretty new embossing bags with pretty fabric and coloured ribbon!
__________________ Life is a great big canvas, and you should throw all the paint on it you can.-Danny Kaye
Icant tell yup how frustrating it has been for me to have all the stray embossing power when embossing! I tried a small paint brush but that never worked well, I am so glad for those information! I will have to try it!
It takes the static out of the paper so when you throw down the embossing powder, it does not stick to any area that does not have the versa mark or pigment ink on it. Otherwise, you may end up with little dots after you heat it. I'm not sure if the dryer sheet works AS well but it does not produce white areas on dark cardstock like I notice with the embossing buddy.
I keep a Swiffer duster on my craft table for just this purpose. After the embossing has completely cooled, I rub over the entire surface and all the white residue is gone.
I took a piece of scrap fabric...it was a pretty heavy type, almost a flannel type of material and made a little pouch and poured corn starch inside. I tried using regular cotton quilting fabric but I found that too much corn starch came out. The thick fabric helps keep the stuff inside but still makes the cardstock anti-static.
I hope that's better than clear as mud...lol
__________________ Sophia I got a reality check but it bounced.
I took a piece of scrap fabric...it was a pretty heavy type, almost a flannel type of material and made a little pouch and poured corn starch inside. I tried using regular cotton quilting fabric but I found that too much corn starch came out. The thick fabric helps keep the stuff inside but still makes the cardstock anti-static.
I hope that's better than clear as mud...lol
I'd guess that the thinner fabric could be doubled & would work.
The only caution with the dryer sheet is that it can leave a residue on your paper. Ask me how I know. I think the EB is filled with cornstarch. You could probably make your own by sewing a piece of loose weave fabric and filling it with cornstarch. I found that the EB was cheap enough to make it not worth my time to make my own.
Michaels has a "no name" aka Recollections version of the Embossing Buddy. Back in October, I bought on in Maine with a 40% off coupon and it was only $1 and change (can't remember the exact amount).
__________________ Leslie Harnish
Sambro, Nova Scotia
Canada
Hi! I am a new member to the group and joined especially to share this info...
Like an earlier poster here, I think too that the Embossing Buddy (and the Perfect Craft Pouch too) probably both have Fuller's Earth in them. I did a bit of research on the properties of cornstarch and could not find much about it have an ionic charge, though it's slippery coating may help it work well in a pouch.
Fuller's Earth, a kind of clay (minerals of montmorillonite) has a negative charge that works to keep your glitter, embossing powders, inks, etc from going/sticking where they are not wanted once it is rubbed or "pounced" over a surface. A pound of Fuller's Earth costs about the same before shipping (at the cheapest place I could find it online) as one of the little pre-assembled pouches I've seen offered online.
I'm going to assemble my own pouches and see if they work. I know it will take some experimentation. You can get the Fuller's Earth at mountainroseherbs. I have no connection with the company. I cannot post a link to the exact product page here as it is my first post. You may have to put "fullers earth" in the search box to find it on the site. I looked extensively on the web to find high quality at a reasonable price. Yes, it would have been cheaper just to buy the Embossing Buddy, snicker!
Fuller's Earth has thousands of uses, from being the main ingredient in many cosmetics and cat litter, and to helping make drilling mud more slippery.
PattyPrit,
thank you for your response. I made a pillow sack with corn starch and I find it does not really work for me. I would be interested in your results of your experiment.
Great info PattyPrit, good to know I'm not the only one who likes to know the "mechanics" of our stamping supplies!
For anyone who is interested in Fuller's Earth at Mountain Rose Herbs, here's the direct link that PattyPrit was not able to post: Fuller's Earth and their full technical specification and history info is here.
Those of you of with an interest in textile stuff might recognise "fulling" as being related to "felting" and indeed there's a connection - Fuller's Earth was originally used in the removal of oils from sheep's wool as the fleeces were processed before spinning and weaving.
I can't imagine cornstarch would actually work. Just because when I try to wipe it up in my kitchen, it kind of smears on the countertop and that is much slicker than card stock. I've had my embossing buddy for 5 years so it isn't something you'll have to buy again!
I'm glad then that I did not bother trying with the cornstarch. Oh, yes, I could have just bought the Embossing Buddy or the Perfect Crafting Pouch. I've heard they both last practically forever. I was wanting a bit larger one than the Buddy, like the Perfect Crating Pouch. It's at least 2 to 4 times larger. I will be using for more than paper crafts though there will be some of that (I'm actually not a scrapper) and I have an insatiable curiosity. Plus I just wanted to confirm that Fuller's Earth was the right powder.
Before I read anything here, I was sure it contained a powder and that it had to have anti-static properties. Thanks to Angelnorth for the answer as to exactly what it was. If for some reason Fuller's earth is not the right item, I will buy one of the retail pouches and still be glad I tried to make one. Heck, I'm sure I'll find lots if uses for the Fuller's Earth anyway.
It will be some weeks before I'm ready to use a pouch, as I am still unpacking from a move. I will report what I find when I do try it out.
Thanks for everyone's help and input!
If anyone is reading and wants to see some of the many uses for a pouch (so much more than embossing), there is a video on You Tube named "The Perfect Crafting Pouch by ScraPerfect". I am not affiliated with them, but that's the video that blew me away and made me consider a pouch an absolute "must have" for many projects. Sorry, cannot post links yet. Yes! I tried again! ;)
Last edited by PattyPrit; 10-02-2012 at 06:08 PM..
Reason: typos, TYPOS
Thanks again to all you clever people. I was just about to throw my Scrapping Buddy out but again you have solved the problem of whatever is in the buddy sticking to the darker papers. Thank you Thank you
I don't know what's in the E.B, but I can tell you ScraPerfect's Perfect Crafting Pouch does not contain clay (or cornstarch, for that matter). When people ask what makes the Pouch so "Magically Perfect", I explain it's the ground up baby teeth the Tooth Fairy sends to us and the design features she helped us with. (The Tooth Fairy is an avid stamper after all--but you knew that already!) The Pouch, with lining and handle/grip, is definitely a very tidy anti-static bag, but as PattyPritt mentions, it does so much more as well. I don't know if the clay stops ink from bleeding when stamping onto twill tape or silk flowers, if it dries pigment ink instantly, or makes inkjet printing on vellum perfect or any of the other things the pouch does.
I do know one pouch lasts a lifetime and that I use the Perfect Cleaning Cloth to lift any residue that might be visible on dark papers. And if you find something that works well for you, extends your other supplies, and is easy and cost-effective to use, it is worth its weight in gold (or leaves you more money to spend on more supplies.)
Patty- Check your PM...today might just be a little more fun!
Amy R.
Quote:
Originally Posted by PattyPrit
I'm glad then that I did not bother trying with the cornstarch. Oh, yes, I could have just bought the Embossing Buddy or the Perfect Crafting Pouch. I've heard they both last practically forever. I was wanting a bit larger one than the Buddy, like the Perfect Crating Pouch. It's at least 2 to 4 times larger. I will be using for more than paper crafts though there will be some of that (I'm actually not a scrapper) and I have an insatiable curiosity. Plus I just wanted to confirm that Fuller's Earth was the right powder.
Before I read anything here, I was sure it contained a powder and that it had to have anti-static properties. Thanks to Angelnorth for the answer as to exactly what it was. If for some reason Fuller's earth is not the right item, I will buy one of the retail pouches and still be glad I tried to make one. Heck, I'm sure I'll find lots if uses for the Fuller's Earth anyway.
It will be some weeks before I'm ready to use a pouch, as I am still unpacking from a move. I will report what I find when I do try it out.
Thanks for everyone's help and input!
If anyone is reading and wants to see some of the many uses for a pouch (so much more than embossing), there is a video on You Tube named "The Perfect Crafting Pouch by ScraPerfect". I am not affiliated with them, but that's the video that blew me away and made me consider a pouch an absolute "must have" for many projects. Sorry, cannot post links yet. Yes! I tried again! ;)
Homemade Embossing "Buddy"??
Scrapping buddy
