Beautiful Butterflies

Hi everyone, Debs here with my project using the amazing Flourescent colours.  When I first saw these colours I thought I would need sunglasses whenever I looked at them! The colours in the jars are deceptive though, as once they are embossed on card, they are actually quite a lot softer than they first appear.

I chose to make a side stepper card in black, to really make those colours stand out.  I matted and layered the main panel of the card using a lovely bright blue background card to pick out the colours used in the main images.

I used the WOW! Build a Butterfly stamp set and stamped 3 butterflies, with the outline of the butterflies in Versamark on white card, then embossed using Flourescent Blue.  I stamped the pattern on the butterfly wings in Flourescent Green and used an embossing pen to ink the buttefly bodies and then embossed with Flourescent Pink.

The large flowers were stamped on white card using Versamark and the How Does Your GardenGrow stamp set, then embossed using Flourescent Blue, Flourescent Pink and the lovely soft Flourescent Yellow.

The smaller daisies were created by stamping Versamark onto white card, embossing a panel in each of the colours, the punching daisies from the embossed card - no cracking or peeling of the embossing, just beautiful!

The leaves were made using the same technique as the daisies, stamping and embossing onto white card using the gorgeous Verdigris embossing powder, which is a fab variegated green and works really well for foliage. I punched several leafy branches from these embossed panels.

All flowers and butterflies were cut out and arranged on the stepper card, glued in place using glue gel for dimension, then I added the punched elements. I matted and layered a small rectangle of black card on blue, and stamped the sentiment, embossing in Flourescent Blue to match the main card.  I attached blue organza ribbon around the lower edge of the card and tied a bow, then mounted the sentiment panel on the left of the card.

The finishing touch was to add gems to all flower centres, and there you have it, a flourescent card with beautiful spring flowers!

Hope you are enjoying using the WOW! embossing powders and stamps, and the projects shared by the Design Team. And don't forget to enter the monthly challenge for your chance to win a set of these fab powders - you even get to choose the colours, which will be a tough choice!

Happy crafting.

Debs x

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A Laure Mika inspired tower

Hello, Doris here. I do get a lot of inspiration looking at other artists work. For some time I have been admiring the colourful creations by Laurie Mika but have never fancied working with polymer clay.

Who needs polymer clay anyway, when one has embossing powder! Together with some die cut (or hand cut ) shapes and some stamps one can quite easily achieve a similar effect. My shapes were cut from a pizza box and gave me a nice sturdy base to emboss on. It helps to use a craft knife or some tweezers to keep the small shapes away from fingers when heat embossing.

I decided to decorate my tiles with complimentary WOW embossing colours using a variety of purples, silvers and one green. Some of the tiles have also been stamped. This project really got my imagination going and I made a list of all sorts of embossing techniques on my next 'Laurie Mika' project.

I added some painted photo slide frames and some 'bling' for variety. Again, the things I can imagine adding to a project like this are endless, I would just need to dive into my (emberassingly) vast studio storage and find all sorts.

This is a great way of tarting up old boxes to make them into something very special!

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Fab NEC....

Hi Everyone

Last week-end I went to the NEC with WOW Embossing Powders and met some fantastic people.

What surprised me was the variety of countries represented.  I was speaking to people from Russia, Poland, Spain and Ukraine to name a few.  Some had never seen heat embossing demonstrated so our demos and the make and take table were busy all day. 

Rachel Walker (design team/demonstrator)  and

Tania Ahmed  (Design Team

Co-Ordinator) were also on hand.

Archie and Richard (co-owners of WOW) were making sure         everything was running smoothly.

 We had some beautiful samples done by the design team which showed off what you can do with embossing powders to great effect.

Our guest stamper was Marion Emberson who has designed some new stamps for WOW.  (You will be seeing these shortly).   Marion was showing everyone how to make a small tag book with different techniques and ribbon binding.

As I was 'people watching' from the stand, I have to say I was in ore at the 'red carpet crafting stars' that were either coming onto WOW or passing by.  People who you only see on the TV.  I wanted to get my camera out all the time!

Sat across from us was the lovely Sheena Douglass demonstrating with her 'Paint Fusion' and WOW Embossing Powders.  What you cannot see is Sheena's big tin of biscuits under her table!     (http://www.sheena.tv/).

She has very kindly given permission for me to copy her instructions for the grungeboard watch strap on the WOW blog so watch out for that! (no pun intended!).

Make and take area 

After the busy show, we tidied up then went for a bite to eat.  I headed home hitting the pillow at 1am.  Long day from 5.30am! but I wouldn't swap it!  

Speak soon..........

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Rainbow Hearts... Bunting Home Decor

Hello to you all...

Amazed by the variety of colours in the Wow Embossing Range, I set myself the task of creating something lovely, colourful and arty that I could display on my wall in my craft room... I loved it so much, it ended up on display in my living room! If you want to learn how to make beautiful heart bunting / garland?!... then read on...

Start by punching out a large number of heart shapes and heat embossing the hearts in a number of colours... you don't have to use the full colour range... why not choose a selection of tonal colours that work well together and alternate them? You can see here that a combination of pinks work so well together... or even pinks and pastel purples?
Pinks:
Wow Embossing Glitter - Candy Floss
Wow Embossing Glitter - Princess Pink
Wow Embossing Powder - Cerise
Wow Embossing Powder - Magenta

Pinks & Pastel Purples:

I used tweezers to press each heart onto a clear embossing ink, then dipped the heart into the jar of powder and carefully placed onto a foil lined baking tray to heat in the oven. This was the quickest method for creating the numerous heat embossed coloured hearts that I was going to need.

TIP: When using the oven to set the powder, be aware that different powders melt at different speeds (for example, metallic powders heat very quickly and cannot be left in the oven for the same time as earthtone powders, without overheating and burning) Also, when using the oven (set it at around 160 Degree's Celsius) it only takes a couple of minutes for the powders to set keep your eye to the tray.

It is easy to see when the powders are 'set' as they turn glossy.

To create the strings of hearts, I threaded silver thread through each heart and secured each with a small knot on the back.

One option for displaying the hearts is on a plain canvas using 3D foam pads to secure in place... perfect for my craft room wall so that I can easily see the range of colours that I have to create with! :D

Happy Embossing... Isn't the range of Wow Embossing Colours incredible?!

It's quite appropriate that I am typing this blog post today as my wonderful boyfriend treated me to a surprise trip away for my 30th birthday and we are staying in the fabulous Pantone Hotel in Brussels! A hotel dedicated to colour! I couldn't resist adding a few images of it...

 

We are on the 5th floor in the wonderful orange section.... 

Orange is vibrant. It's a combination of red and yellow so it shares some common attributes with those colors. It denotes energy, warmth, and the sun. But orange has a bit less intensity or aggression than red, calmed by the cheerfulness of yellow. 

What's your favourite colour?

Visit http://www.wowembossingpowder.co.uk to choose yours!

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Gift tags and Scrapbooking with WOW! Fluorescent powders

Hi, Amy here again and it's my turn to show you what I've been making. This month we have all created projects using the fluorescent powders. I must confess I wouldn't normally have picked colours so bright but I have certainly been converted. Don't knock it till you try it is all I can say! My particular favourites are Fluorescent Blue and Fluorescent Tickled Pink. Amazing! These will definetly be getting frequent use on a wide range of projects.

First I made some simple gift tags using kraft card, (which I cut using a tag die from Spellbinders), the Gratitude stamp set and the following powders: Fluorescent Tickled Pink, Fluorescent Yellow, Fluorescent Orange, Fluorescent Green and Fluorescent Blue, finished off with some pretty ribbon. These gift tags would be great for mothers day presents as well as loads of other occasions. I've already used one on a gift for a friend and am planning to batch make loads more to have ready for the rest of the year. Hope you like them.

Since I enjoyed using the powders so much I was also inspired to try them out on a couple of scrapbook layouts.

Fluorescent pink was perfect for this first page using photos taken when myself and some friends did the Ladies Midnight Walk in Lincoln in aid of St Barnabas...

I chose a black patterned background paper and tore the edges against a border die to create the scalloped edge.

I then embossed the edge using Fluorescent Pink powder, tore into the bottom edge of the paper, folded the torn edges back and embossed them with Ebony powder. After stitching the black paper onto a pink paper I stamped one of the hearts into the space on the pink paper that is exposed by the tear. The border strip is embossed with Fluorescent Pink and the ticket and flowers from the Gratitude stamp set as well as the layout title are embossed with Ebony powder onto white card and then coloured with Worn Lipstick distress ink. I used the Alphabet and Months stamp set to write 'Friends' for the title and then underlined it using the WOW embossing pen. I have stamped various other images from the Gratitude stamp set and used the border stamps from the set to add detail around the bottom corners of the photos.

The fluorescent colours were also perfect on this second page with photos of my nephew (honorary!) enjoying a day out at the park...

I used the powders to cover die cut letters and the arrow, jigsaw pieces (from an incomplete car boot sale jigsaw) and the edges of the Tim Holtz Adage ticket. I added the date using the Alphabet and Months stamp set embossed with Fluorescent Green and used a WOW embossing pen to circle the number 2 on the bingo sheet and embossed with Fluorescent Blue.

I hope my post shows you how versatile these fluorescent powders really are. 

 

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"In the Pink" - Mother's Day Necklace and Gift Box Present.

Hi, Christine Saunders here again with an idea for a  Mother's Day present.    Iv'e made a decorated gift box which includes a necklace inside - all made using WoW Flourescent Embossing Powders.

Iv'e stamped a Butterfly onto Black cardstock and and embossed it with Flourescent "Tickled Pink" powder. I then re-embossed it with "Clear Sparkle" powders then 3 layers of "Ultra High Clear Gloss". This gave the Butterfly depth so that I could attach a jump ring and chain to the top to make the Butterfly into a necklace.
The antennae and legs of the Butterfly were made with two Eye Pins which I shaped with round nosed pliars.

I embossed a small round gift box with "Flourescent Pink" Regular powder and added a stamped  ribbon and adhesive black gems around the base. The lid was decorated with embossed  leaves and flowers using a variety of WoW Flower Stamps. I added adhesive gems to the centres of each flower to finish the gift box. 

Powders used: Flourescent Pink Regular             Stamps used:   Fauna
                       Flourescent Tickled Pink                                       With Love

                       Flourescent Cerise                                                How does your garden grow

                       Flourescent Magenta                                            Happy Birthday Flower

                       Clear Gloss Ultra High

                       Clear Hologram Sparkle

You can find all the Embossing Powders used on this project in the online shop at  http://www.wowembossingpowder.co.uk/

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Choosing the right embossing powder

Hi - Neil Burley from the Wow! Design Team here... I thought I'd just share some tips on choosing the right 'grade' of embossing powder for your projects. Wow! currently supply three grades of powder, which more or less determines the size of the powder granule. The three grades are known as:

• Super Fine - ideal for detail work
• Regular - an all-purpose grade
• Ultra High - a large granule powder ideal for thick layers or triple embossing

Here's a few snapshots of the different grades in action. I'm using a Penny Black stamp (Letters and Flowers 4035K) as it has fine detail:

SUPER FINE

 

Firstly, Wow! Super Fine Gold Rich - this is a very fine powder which shows up all the detail. On the close up, you can't see much height to the embossing. The very fine powder can leave a nice 'halo' effect if you choose not to brush down your card stock round the image before heat setting the powder.

REGULAR

 

Next, the Wow! Regular Gold Rich - to be honest, there isn't much difference between this and the Super Fine, except may be a little of the detail has disappeared and the lines are a little thicker. There's no halo effect with this grade of powder. The close up shows that there is a little more height and there's more 'fill in' on the larger areas as the granules have melted into one another more.

ULTRA HIGH

 

Spot the big difference! The Wow! Ultra High Gold Rich has the largest granule size available from Wow! and as a result none of the detail is kept. On the close up, you can see how much higher the eventual embossed layer is. It's so tactile that a clear version is available for Braille dots! The granules blend with one another, covering small gaps that the other two granule sizes wouldn't. So this is great for getting thick, even layers of embossing, whether for covering items with a clear 'varnish' or 'resin' layer, or for layering and then triple embossing.

I hope this mini-tutorial helps you choose the right grade of embossing powder for your projects. Not all powders are available in all grades: when you go to the Wow! Embossing Powder shop and choose your colour, if there is a choice of grade, it will be in a drop down box under the size of jar that you'd like. I'd normally have all three grades in at least a black, a white and a clear powder, as well as gold and silver metallics.

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Love'in Art

Hi

Today I'm going to show you a scrap canvas.  I love doing these, both as commissions and for family and friends.  They are sooo personal and can look fantastic on a wall or shelf as a 3d photo instead of a picture in a frame.  If you start off with the photo, then either work with the colours in the photo, favouriate colours of the receiver of the gift or if the photo is of a trip to a foreign place, say America, use the colours of the flag, adding favoriate embellishments, sayings, and all types of mixed media.  You'll be surprised what goes together.  Have fun.

My theme was L.O.V.E.  As you can see the photo does not have to be large.  Look out for offers on canvases or watercolour canvases in places like Hobbycraft, The Range, Home Bargins or the Pound Shop.  There are offers and sales on all the time and I tend to keep a few in stock and only buy them when they are.  Also look out at car boot sales (If you've not already gathered, I'm a sucker for them)as again you can pick up unwanted canvases and paints at low prices. 

Here's how I achieved my look:

Materials used:

• A4 canvas
• Spellbinders, Heartfelt Creations, Memory Box and Marianne Designs dies
• Pink and red buttons
• Ribbons
• Distress inks in worn lipstick, victorian velvet, tattered rose, fired brick, barn door
• Memento london fog ink
• Clear embossing pad
• Quote from the Internet: In our life there is a single colour, as on an artist's palette, which provides the meaning of life and art.  It is the colour of Love. Chagall
• Copyright  free picture from the Internet of wedding couple
• A piece of plastic/paper (to use as a mask) with holes in it
• Love heart mask. I used Creative expressions.
• Antistatic bag.
• Background papers
• Lace
• Creative Expressions cosmic shimmer glue
• WOW pomegranate regular earth tone embossing powder
• WOW sherbert regular primary embossing powder
• WOW platinum regular metallic embossing powder
• WOW pastel pink regular, pastel opaque embossing powder
• WOW clear gloss super fine embossing powder
• WOW 'gratitude' stamp set
• WOW 'call me' stamp set
• WOW 'with love' stamp set

1. Start off with the canvas.  Take tattered rose distress ink and put some on a craft mat and dilute with water.  With a brush put it around the edges of the canvas and pull into the middle of the canvas, leaving white areas.  Do the same with victorian velvet which makes the background into a wash with a light tinge of pink/red. Lightly heat dry. You could achieve the same look with diluted water colour paints or acrylic paints
2. Sponge some 'london fog' through the mask with holes in leaving dots in strategic places on your canvas.  Do not be particular about this, just let your creativity flow.  You can always add more later.Dry off with heat or leave to air dry.  Take an antistatic bag and brush lightly over the canvas.
3.  I used the antistatic bag because I didn't want the embossing powder sticking to the distress ink washed background
4. With the love heart mask, sponge clear embossing ink through some of the mask in the top right hand corner. Sprinkle pastel pink embossing powder over the hearts and heat set.
5. Take the scalloped edge die and halve the circle once cut out.  Use over the wrought ironwork die on the right and under the lace on the left.
6.  Print off the saying on white vellum and pour clear embossing powder over the words to raise them.. Heat set.
7. 
   Place a piece of ribbon down the right hand side of the canvas.  On this I placed a flower made up of 9 hearts from the gratitude set.  I used pomegranate embossing powder.
8. I then placed 4 pieces of thin lace around the canvas.  I love using cosmic shimmer glue as it is very strong and will dry clear.
9. On top of the lace I places two iron book binder posts one on each side.  Again I covered these in pomegranate embossing powder.
10. I then embossed the call me words frame onto pink vellum with london fog ink and clear embossing powder, then cut it out.
11. The two leave scrolls are from a memory box die in different coloured vellum.
12. The love hearts are Marianne designs and here I have sprinkled different red and pink embossing powders on them to get the effects.
13. 
    The 'with love' ticket is from the gratitude set, then the 'with love' stamp is from the 'with love' set and is stamped separate onto card using sherbert embossing powder then cut to fit over the front of the ticket masking out the original word 'gratitude'.  I then coloured with distress ink and distressed it slightly with black distress ink.
14. The lock is spellbinders and I lightly went over this in 'london fog'
15. The frame around the couple and the buttons are pure white card made from spellbinders dies. 

Chic Chick...

This week I got sent a set of the fluorescent embossing powders and I decided to tie this up with Easter as being a happy, vibrant time.  I have to say the set is very vibrant, and once I had a play with the different colours, I was very happy with the results and from where I'm standing, I think it works, I don't know how but it does..........  

Materials Used:

• Spellbinders scallop and plan circle dies
• Sizzix baby bird die
• Plan white and light brown card stock.
• Background paper
• Spiced marmalade distress ink
• WOW clear gloss embossing powder
• WOW fluorescent yellow, tickled pink and green embossing powder
• WOW pearlescent gold satin regular embossing powder
• WOW primary ebony embossing powder
• WOW paprika regular earth tone embossing powder
• WOW 'build a butterfly' stamp set
• WOW 'is it a bird' stamp set
• WOW 'brocade' background stamp (temporarily out of stock)

1. Die cut 2 x scallop circles and 2 x plain circles and use clear embossing pad to stamp the top of the circle tree from it is a bird stamp set.  Sprinkle green fluorescent powder on and heat set.  Use the spiced marmalade distress ink to go around the edges of the scallop and the embossed circle.
2. Stamp out the whole butterfly onto some preferred background paper and emboss with black ebony powder
3. Stamp the body of the butterfly onto acetate clear embossing ink then sprinkle tickled pink embossing powder over the top of the butterfly. ,Heat set and cut out.
4. The die cut baby bird we are going to triple emboss.  a) put embossing ink all over the bird and wing.  Place yellow embossing powder in the middle of the cut out dies and quickly tip off. Put excess away  Then put black embossing powder on the top, underside, beak and tail of the bird and tip off.  Put excess away.  Now heat up.  Repeat this process 3 times.  I have over heated on the last layer in order to get a rough looking top coat to represent feathers. Its legs are also black.
5. The stand is made out of a triangle shape with the scallop circle attached to the front.  Try to make it a chunky triangle so it will stand up.  I have used clear embossing ink with the brocade background stamp and split the embossing into 2 parts.  On one side is paprika the other gold.  My thoughts were to make it like a tree trunk
6. Because of the weight of the card I have used silicone glue throughout and let it dry flat overnight.   

A Pat on the back....

Well it is approaching St Patricks day so here's my contribution.....

Materials Used:

• Ribbon
• White and green card stock
• Corner punch
• Green metal sticker nail heads
• Sentiment printed in a Word document
• Shabby shutters distress ink 
• Clear embossing pad 
• WOW clear gloss embossing powder
• WOW evergreen super fine primary embossing powder
• WOW olive regular earth tone embossing powder
• WOW 'call me' stamp set
• WOW 'gratitude' stamp set
• WOW 'How does your garden grow' stamp set

1. Use clear embossing ink and stamp out at the bottom of the card lots of the silhouette flowers from how does your garden grow.  Use the stems also.  Sprinkle clear embossing powder over this and heat set.  This will become a glossy watermark effect at the bottom of the card.
2. Take a piece of light green card 7cm x 7cm and stamp in clear embossing ink just the words from the  the call me stamp set.  Stamp them at an angle and heat set.  Again this will turn out like a dull watermark. Use your conrner punches to add interest. 

3. On a separate piece of the same coloured card stock stamp out 3 times the 4 petal flower.  Cut these out.  On two of them cut opposing  petals off making 2 x 3 leaf clover and 1 x 4 leaf clover.  Stick them onto the 7cm x 7cm card as a bunch.  Stick onto darker green card as a matt.
4. On the computer type out some words re St Patricks day onto white card, print and cut out and distress with shabby shutters ink.  Cut out a matt in the same dark green shade as the main picture.
5. Put a small width of ribbon both top and bottom of the card and line the nail head jewels on the bottom ribbon. You could use stickers, stickles, or brads.
6. Place the main picture on the card with the sentiment. 

Mother knows best...

Fast approaching Mothers Day and wondering what to do on a card.  If you are anything like me you try to make it perfect, because its your mum, when really, because you made it, that says it all, and they love you for it, but to top it all, my husband usually wants one for his mum as well!!  When you start to make your own cards this is now expected each year  - A shop bought one just will not do........

Materials Used:

• Brown and white card stock
• M.U.M letters cut out.  You can use either die cutting machine, stamps or make your own templates
• Ribbon
• WOW embossing pen
• WOW gold satin pearl regular embossing powder
• WOW ebony embossing powder
• WOW paprika regular earth tome embossing powder
• WOW 'gratitude' stamp set.
• WOW 'brocade' background stamp(temporarily out of stock)

1. Cut out 3 - 6cm x 6cm white card squares and stamp in clear embossing ink the brocade background stamp.  Sprinkle with paprika powder and heat set
2. On white card stock cut out M.U.M and stamp in clear embossing ink the different stamps from the gratitude set.  Sprinkle gold embossing powder and heat set.  Go around the edge of the letters with an embossing pen and sprinkle with ebony embossing powder.  Heat set.
3. Tie ribbon around the letters and stick to the background squares.  Mat onto light brown card stock.
4. These 3 squares should just fit along a landscape A5 card. Adjust up and down the letters like I have. making sure the U is at the top folded edge of the A5 folded card
5. Score above the 2 x M 's and repeat on the back of the card.  Cut downwards on each side of the U to the top of the M square.
6. This then allows you to concertina fold above both Ms to make the card stable.
7. Put another background paper underneath the U covering the base card.
8. Stamp out the gratitude ticket in gold and cut into the ticket sides so that ribbon can go through.  Stick onto the card.

Well I think I've done enough inspirational writing for now, abianto, have fun, until next time..........

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