Everyone tries to relieve a stressful situation or nervous tension in their own way. A wonderful way is needlework. No matter what you do, the main thing is that painstaking and creative work captivates, takes thought, distracts from the hardships of everyday life. Many types of manual work require skill, patience, and skill, but there are those that can be dealt with without a serious skill in small work. These include embossing, sometimes called scrapbooking. So embossing - what is it?
Features of the technique
Translated from English, "embossing" - embossing, the technique of constructing a three-dimensional picture. Using available tools on the basis of the embossing of the prepared drawing.
According to the technique of execution and materials, dry and wet embossing are distinguished. The resulting relief image will decorate the house and give uniqueness to your favorite trinkets.
Necessary materials for dry stamping
Dry embossing involves the creation of convex patterns on paper, foil or other materials. To perform the work necessary:
- Thick paper for the base. It is advisable to choose no more than 100 g / m 3 . Too thick cardboard does not give a volumetric effect, since it is difficult to emboss on paper - the drawing is barely visible.
- Stencils made of metal or plastic.
- A metal rod, on the end of which a ball is attached - a stylus. Styluses are distinguished by the size of the spherical working part. The smaller the details of the drawing, the smaller the tip used in the work. Styluses provide convenient handles, as in the process of constant pressure the hand gets tired.
Wet Embossing Supplies
Wet embossing is somewhat difficult to complete. Technique requires more devices and materials. The mechanisms necessary in this case are more intricate, the materials are specialized, but the costs are worth it:
- basis: paper, leather, fabric;
- a set of stamps made of rubber, silicone (when using silicone stamps, you may need an acrylic block);
- multi-colored powder applied to the base with the help of special transparent ink;
- the working pad filled with ink should be soft, well absorbing moisture;
- a set of brushes to brush off excess powder, and you may need an antistatic pad;
- a special hair dryer, since you do not need to use a regular hair dryer to create a sufficiently high temperature and low-speed air flow.
Dry stamping technique
Opening the question “Embossing - what is it?”, It is worth turning to the technique of its implementation. You can create embossed embossing on paper using special stencils. Acquiring them in our time is not a problem, but you can create them yourself. When embossing on paper, the main thing is to create the right lighting. Backlighting is usually done from below. A photo table or a lamp with glass is used. Illumination is necessary because paper is attached to the stencil from above.
It is better to fix the paper with double-sided tape. Having placed the combination on the glass, use the stylus ball to gently squeeze the pattern out of the screen. It is necessary to act extremely carefully so as not to break through the base.
Perform wet embossing
Wet, or hot, embossing begins with the application of ink on the base with a special stamp. In order to avoid smearing the ink on the base, they fill the stamp pad. This is how uniform ink is applied to the stamp. A print of the drawing is done on paper. Thin paper may warp and burst under the moisture of the ink, so you should choose a warmer base. So, the ink is applied to the base, sprinkled with powder on top . Embossing powder has various colors and a special texture. For some time, it is worth waiting for the powder to fix on an adhesive basis. At the next stage, the excess powder is brushed off with a soft brush. Sometimes brushes are not enough, so use an antistatic swab or pad.
Getting to warming up. A special hairdryer is used for this. At a distance of 5-7 cm, the pattern is evenly warmed up, the molten powder forms a relief. When the pattern cools down, it can be carefully cut and attached to the product for which it was created. They claim, talking about embossing, that this is an original jewelry that makes the product refined and unique. Both ink and powder can be both transparent and color. Various combinations of these materials on multi-colored paper give extraordinary effects.
Types of powder
The features of various powders are so interesting that it is impossible not to dwell on them.
Distinguish:
- homogeneous (golden, silver, matte, glossy);
- with volume effect;
- with sparkles.
When heated, the colored powder melts and spreads evenly along the base, creating an original pattern. The mixture may contain sparkles of various sizes and shades that create an interesting texture.
Matte or pearl white powder looks great. A delicate pattern looks best on wedding or children's things. The effect of a velvet surface creates volumetric powder. The rainbow colors of the relief of the pattern will be provided by transparent powder with shine. The effect depends on the concentration of sparkles in the composition.
Most often, transparent powder, creating the effect of a smooth convex relief, is used on a color basis.
The technique for applying embossed applications is sometimes called scrapbooking. The use of convex, embossed appliques gives originality to any product. Embossing in scrapbooking is practically no different from them.
Finishing in this technique is often used to decorate caskets, boxes and other hard surfaces. Sometimes it is used to create the effect of the skin (for example, crocodile).
Answering the question “Embossing - what is it?”, It should be noted that the technique of applying or creating a relief image does not require special skills and is available to any craftswoman. The effect of its use does not leave indifferent even the most ardent opponents of handmade.