Let Your Dreams Take Flight! Embossing Using a Digi Stamp

I don't know if you can tell, but I have been spending a lot of time on Michelle Zindorf's blog and was especially inspired by her tutorial titled Butterfly Season #227 tutorial. If you never have looked at her blog, get over there. This lady is truly amazing. While I didn't copy her outright, I tried to incorporate some Zindorf style and also used the same colors.

Believe it or not, you can still emboss with digital stamps. I printed this lovely butterfly (from Winged Things digital stamp set from Lindsay's Stamp Stuff) on glossy white paper. (Tip: Rub with an embossing buddy and blow off the dust before putting in your printer.) As soon as the image came out of the printer, I dumped my clear embossing powder on it. Through trial and error I have found that the finer the embossing powder, the better it sticks when using digital images. I tapped off the excess and heated it using my heat tool. If the powder does not stick in any area, you can touch it up using your Versa Mark or embossing pen, although I did not need to do that. I used the glossy paper from Stampin' Up here but you can use any glossy paper or paper that does not absorb the ink quickly when embossing digital images. The PaperTemptress has several types of paper that would work. I have used the Silver Lustre paper and was impressed with the results. (In fact, I am hording some right now. I am going to try to make it a goal to make a project with this lovely paper soon.) You might be able to use glossy photo paper but I have not tried it. I do know that my photos smear if I touch them too soon after I print them so the ink must take a while to dry.

After I was done embossing the image, I colored it using my Stampin' Up markers in a similar manner to Michelle. In between colors I gave it a blast from my heat tool to make sure the ink was dry so as to not muddy the colors. When I was satisfied with the coloring (and the ink was dry) I went over the entire image with my embossing pen and embossed it one more time with clear embossing powder (just like Michelle's tutorial). I then sponged and stamped my background. The great thing was that I did not have to mask my butterfly when sponging because any ink on it would wipe off.

Now I know this seems like it might be a labor intensive or a daunting project, but it wasn't. Once the heat tool is plugged in, you are ready to go. For me the hardest part was walking back and forth to get my supplies (because I don't have a craft room).

Since I made two butterflies at the same time in case I made a mistake with one, I cut out the extra and used it for the inside of the card.

I hope you enjoyed this post and apologize that it was so text heavy. If you have any questions on embossing with a digi stamp, please feel free to leave me a comment or email me using the addy in my profile. Let me know if you would like to see a tutorial. If enough people want to see it, I will put one together.

Please remember that Friday is National Wear Red for Women day here in the US to raise awareness of heart disease in women. If you would like more info, please click the link in the side bar.

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Challenges for this card:

Andrea's Stampin' Moments - SS300110 Sketch

Crafty Creations - #53 Wings

Fab 'n' Funky - #9 - Emboss It!

Flutter By Wednesday - #95 Open Challenge

Pile It On - #4 Enough of Winter Colors

Pollycraft - #33 Things with Wings

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SUPPLIES:

• STAMPS: Winged Things digital stamp set by Lindsay's Stamp Stuff, Take Flight by Gina K. Designs, Key To My Heart by Close To My Heart
• PAPERS & CS: Stampin' Up glossy white, Always Artichoke, So Saffron, and Whisper White CS, Paper Studio black CS
• INKS: All Stampin' Up - So Saffron, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, Really Rust, Ruby Red, Basic Black
• EMBELLISHMENTS & TOOLS: Ranger clear fine embossing powder, Zig Emboss Writer, Provo Craft Floral Fanatasy embossing folder, Hero Arts black gemstones, Stampin' Up markers in Apricot Appeal, More Mustard, Pumpkin Pie, and Close to Cocoa, heat tool, embossing buddy
• TECHNIQUES: Embossing a digital image