selective embossing...

I had some major brain activity in the studio this weekend & I thought I'd share a really fun technique...

normally, when you heat emboss, 

you stamp the image, 

sprinkle on the embossing powder & heat to emboss...

the black in the photo below is what you would 

normally expect see embossed...

so what if I didn't want my outline embossed, 

but rather I wanted to emboss some other areas?

like this daisy...

here comes the title...

selective embossing...

here's the secret ingredient...

Ranger's PERFECT MEDIUM PENS...

I stamped my flower with jet black archival & dried it...

then I used the Perfect Medium Pen to go over the flower petals & leaves...

I didn't cover the flower center, 

to create some contrast...

so my tag now looks like this...

***keep in mind to stay in the lines***

I didn't & you'll see it in the finished tag...

the clear embossing powder will stick wherever 

the Perfect Medium was added...

just like it is meant to do...

note to self...don't be so impatient & hurry...

stay IN the lines...

now sprinkle the clear embossing powder over the flower & heat to emboss...

it now looks like this...

next, I added my background colors right over the whole tag, including the flower...

the embossed areas will resist the distress inks...

the manila tag color remains...

I used the blending tool to apply 

mustard seed, broken china & rusty hinge...

you can used a moist paper towel or baby wipe to wipe the inks off the embossed areas...

now it looks like this...

 distress inks always react with water...

you've seen tim flick water on to the surface

 to create bleached out water spot areas...

here's how you can add a pattern to the background...

mist water onto your craft sheet...

press a background stamp into the water...

***stamp into the water ONLY ONCE***

more than that picks up too much water & the pattern will be lost...

after stamping, allow the water to sit for about 10 seconds, then dry...

I LOVE IT!

I used this background...

it's a worn lined pattern from 

my very first stamp release back in 2008!

YIKES...5 years ago already!

time does fly when you LOVE what you do!

EDIT...OOPS...

wrong stamp link...

the skinny lines are THIS STAMP...sorry!

I used the old paper distress marker to trace around the flower to add a shadow...

and colored in the flower center with the tea dye marker...

***in this close up...you can see where the embossing is outside the lines***

duh...

note to self...

art does not have to be perfect!

I stamped TRUST & the mini bee with jet black archival...

and also the border at the top, using this background stamp...

I used the peeled paint, rusty hinge & broken china markers to add color to the bee & the border...

I inked this unmounted script background stamp 

with french ultramarine archival & randomly stamped the background...

to remove the archival from the embossed flower, 

I just wiped it off with a paper towel before it dried...

ps...archivals are AWESOME!

I drew 3 little hearts & filled them in 

with the sepia Sakura Glaze pen...

used the clear glaze pen over the bee wings...

then added the pointing finger...

it's one of tim's new remnant rubs...

they are so flippin COOL!

a little bow at the top & done...

***things to note***

normally when I work on a project, 

the background is the first thing I do...

I start at the bottom & work to the front...

BUT...

when using this technique, the main image gets stamped before the background is done...

that keeps the embossed area,

 the manila color of the tag...

and...

if you do this same technique on a kraft tag...

you get this...

a vintage amber looking jar...

I think my glass jar looks cool...

with the wildflower INSIDE the jar...

I left the glare on the photo so that you could see that the jar stamp really does look like glass...

the embossing makes it super simple to cut out the image & make it even more dimensional, when layered onto the project...

I find open area stamps to be the best for this technique...

like the jar...

this ink bottle...

this medicine bottle...

(how cute for a get well card!)

or this one...

and stamps like this flower

or this is another good one...

 like the infomercial says...

but WAIT...

there's MORE!

but...that will be my next post...

it's a really fun one...

selective embossing again, but...

with a different effect...

stay tuned!

***REMEMBER***

all my products are ON SALE at Simon Says...

thru this Thursday...

at checkout...

enter the code...

4wendy

and you'll get 40% off...

stamps, 

art parts,

CFA (clearly for art)

clicker cutts, 

stencils,

books and

embossing pastes...

not to tease you...

BUT...

I had a M A J O R discovery with the embossing pastes this weekend...

here's just a little hint...

I found a way to make dimensional embellishments...

they are especially A W E S O M E with the metallic pastes...

clicking on the highlighted links, 

will magically transport you right to the items I used...

I hope you enjoyed this technique & 

that you'll give it a try...

it's so much fun to try something new when you...

make art!

wendy