fizzi~jayne's crafty tips for stamping.... #4 heat embossing

Have you been stamping since I shared my tips on how to stamp? It's been a while so I hope you have had the chance to practice and try out the techniques before I show you this really cool technique of heat embossing!

As well as card and a stamp from the basic material list you will also need these additional materials....

• Tsukineko Versamark Watermark Ink Pad. This is a clear sticky ink which is perfect for embossing and can also be used to create watermark effects. This is my ink pad of choice but there are other brands available, like Ranger's Perfect Medium Clear Pad.
• Embossing powder
• Heat Embossing Gun. These give a targeted heat perfect for embossing.  Don't use a hair dryer, they are not hot enough and will just blow the powder off your card. Heat tools have a high intensity heat, so young children will need supervision and heat tools should not be used to dry your hair, ouch! 
• Heat-resistant surface like the Ranger Non Stick Craft Sheet, embossing guns can heat up to 600 degrees, so you’ll want to handle with care.
• Anti Static Bag. This will help to eliminate static, smears, smudges, fingerprints and stray flecks of embossing powder that could appear on your work. A light dusting of talc can also do the same.

How to heat emboss....

1. Wipe your card with the anti-static bag.
2. Ink the stamp with your embossing ink pad using the same techniques I shared in the how to stamp post and stamp on your card.
3. Immediately pour embossing powder on the image. Make sure you cover the entire image.
   
4. Shake the excess powder onto a piece of scrap paper. I usually tap the edge of the card to make sure I've removed any stray powder. A small dry paintbrush or cotton swab is perfect for removing stray powder too.
5. Gently roll the scrap paper into a funnel and pour the embossing powder back into the bottle.
6. Place the card on your heat-resistant surface and/or hold it with tweezers so you don’t burn your fingers. I like to warm up my embossing gun for a few seconds before using it.
7. Hold the embossing gun about 15cms (6 inches) away from the image. Hold the gun over the image, taking care not to direct it in one area for too long. As soon as you see the powder change move the heat tool, don't be tempted to over heat as it will flatten and the colour will become dull.  You can heat from underneath the card which will give you a smooth finish, whereas heating from above is more textured.  I prefer to heat from above as I feel I have more control and I am less likely to burn the card or over heat the powder.

   

   Using a silver metallic embossing powder, the hearts on the left have not been heated where as the ones on the right have been heat embossed. Hopefully this shows the difference between how the powder looks once it changes when heated.

8. That’s it! It amazes me every time, it's like alchemy!

Embossed wine bottle using a copper metallic embossing powder.

Embossed champagne glasses

As with any other stamping, embossing can be used for a main image as well as backgrounds.  I have embossed both the Champagne glasses and hearts in the background for a recent order for a wedding card.

You can also emboss with pigment inks as they are slow to dry so you have enough time to add embossing powder.  If you do this you can choose any ink colour and use clear embossing powder.  This can be a good way to start as if you have any stray embossing powder you don't see it on your project because it is clear.

Not only does embossing add texture to your work, it is also helpful if you are not so good at keeping in the lines when colouring as it acts as a resist.

Until I am brave enough to do video tutorials I thought it would be useful to share a YouTube video that takes you step by step. You can see the magic that happens when you heat emboss.  There are loads of them out there but I liked this one as it takes you step by step through the basics.

I hope you try this technique and have fun with heat embossing.  I'd love to see your stamping projects. You can tag me on social media or leave a link in the comments below. Or please feel free to email me your photos at fizzijayne@gmail.com and let me know if I can share your work, don't worry if you don't want me to I would just love to see what you have done.

Happy Stamping!

Disclaimer: The Amazon links in this post are affiliated.

Also in my crafty tips for stamping....

#1 Types of Ink

#2 Basic Materials Needed

#3 How To Stamp

#CraftBlogClub challenge launch, with a twist....

It's time for another #CraftBlogClub challenge launch! This time it's not a crafty one but a blogging one!

The #CBC hosts had a chat about what we could do for our next challenge and we discussed the idea of a blogging challenge for a change.  During a chat someone else (sorry I forgot who) brought it up as an idea and everyone loved it.  We discussed topics in the chat and voted for our favourites on Twitter and on our Facebook page.  

And the topic most voted for was..... Firsts! 

Your post can be about the first thing you made, first craft you tried, first blog post, first time you tried something new. We'll let your creative juices flow and let you interpret this topic to what it means to you.

The topics that weren't picked can be used for another challenge at a later date or as a #CraftBlogClub chat topic, so thank you for all your ideas.

So the rules....

• Write a post based on the topic and link back to this blog. It would be great if you can also mention our lovely #CraftBlogClub chat
• Deadline is 3rd November 2015
• There will be a Linky on this blog for you to link your posts to so everyone can check them out.
• As we have often chatted about how we don't make enough time to comment on blogs it would be great if you check out everyone's posts and comment on at least one of them.
• Have fun with it!

We will be chatting about this new challenge tonight and sharing any blogging hints and tips with each other.  If you don't have a blog yet I hope you can join us to be inspired and feel free to ask for any help and tips to get started.

Happy Blogging!

this little blog is 2 years old today!!....

I have another excuse to eat birthday cake after last week's celebrations, this blog is 2 years old today!

I've looked back on my posts over the past year and here are some of your favourites (according to Google Analytics that is)....

This is your number 1 post of the past year and all time! Have you made this? I would love to see your pictures

my crafty tips for stamping.... #3 how to stamp

Guest post ~ Spiral Earring Tutorial

Craft A Creative Business Book Review. I also ran a give-away to win this book which was popular.

#CraftBlogClub 2014 Secret Santa Challenge Reveal

Did you have a favourite post?

Book reviews, craft tutorials and #CraftBlogClub challenges were definitely the favourite reads last year.  I plan to continue with these as well as share more of my business top tips and behind the scenes of fizzi~jayne's world.

If you look at the side bar on the right, you can see the top 10 most popular posts of all time from this blog.  Most of my posts from this year appear in this top 10, I hope this is because I have improved as a blogger and because I listened to your feedback from last year's survey and not because my posts from the first year were rubbish, haha! Thank you to everyone who took part in the survey it really helped me shape my blog and what to focus on. I hope you have seen an improvement but have still enjoyed what you liked about my blog since it started.

I always love to hear from you and if there is a topic I've not covered yet that you would like me to write about or if there is something you want to read more of here, please let me know, I truly appreciate your feedback.

I love blogging, it's another form of creativity, a way to share my experiences, ideas, crafty skills and to write about my passion. 

The blogging community is awesome. Since starting this blog I have met so many inspiring crafters and bloggers both in the virtual world but also in real life and some of whom I now consider friends. It's great to meet up with like minded folk to chat about craft and blogging over tea and cake or a glass of Prosecco!

I hope you enjoy reading my ramblings and I am thankful to anyone who makes the time to read my posts.

thank you

fizzi~jayne x

fizzi~jayne makes.... is 3 today!

I can’t believe fizzi~jayne makes.... is 3 years old! Where has the time gone?

I am so grateful for all the support I get, every sale and every lovely comment still makes me want to jump up and give a hi-five, but, so I don't look like a crazy lady I just have a big smile on my face and go "whoop whoop" in my head instead.

I'm coming up to my second year of running my business full time too and what a great second year it has been. I looked back on the post I wrote for Emma's blog (The Vintage Good Life) last year about the benefits and challenges of being self employed as well as what I learnt in my first year of running a creative business. It is still relevant and I still have the same highs and lows as well as the Bon Jovi t-shirt! If you missed it the first time you can read it here. 

This year I have been more focussed by having specific goals and plans to make them happen, which meant I feel I have achieved more and finally launched my own website.

Also this year ....

An exciting opportunity came about only a few weeks ago to have my products stocked in a new shop in Royston - No.3 Royston and I've already had to restock after the first week! 

Find No3 Royston at 3 Melbourn Street, Royston SG8 7BP

My Coasters in the shop.  A selection of my handmade cards and wall hangings are also available at No3.

I'm a regular at Royston and Little Fox craft fairs which is great as I get to meet my customers from the area and I've made friends with other stall holders who are also a great support network.  Plus, I've had returning customers for bespoke orders and my order book is constantly full up!

So I have been a busy bee and I have more exciting things to come. I still feel that fizzi~jayne makes.... is work in progress as I'm learning everyday and there is still stuff on my to do list from 3 years ago, but isn't that life? I'm hopefully taking the right steps, albeit baby ones, in the right direction to running a successful business.

Remember one of my 2015 goals was to relaunch my online shops and grow that side of my business? This started with my website and as part of this I relaunched my Folksy shop back in May. With the success at launch, craft fairs and my first stockist I now need to focus on production. This is now my focus for the next couple of weeks and I hope to have new products available soon.

One of my own development areas needed is to be more efficient with my time.  I still follow these time management principles but I still find myself saying "there is never enough hours in the day" too often and I still have the same as what Albert Einstein had, right?! 

With resources from Business Bakery I am starting to use a time sheet to see where I waste time or don't focus on the right things. Do you follow Business Bakery? I recommend them as a useful resource and inspiration for small businesses.

Source

So what have I got planned for the future....

I'm currently making products for my Folksy shop, the craft fairs I have booked as well as No.3 Royston. I am also working on my Christmas range, it's only 100 more sleeps!! 

I have a list of ideas I want to develop, some of which I hope to be available this year (although that maybe too optimistic) but some I know I'll have to put on hold until 2016.

I'm also looking into starting workshops, watch this space....

Thank you for all your support, each year gets better and I'm so grateful that I'm kept busy and get to do what I love everyday (well almost, the admin is more of a chore but hey I can't complain!).  

I hope the next year will be just as busy and exciting.

fizzi~jayne x