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Heated Impressions

By April Staker
Hot Rod Scrampers
Advanced Scramping Team Designer

You could make some amazing background papers doing this.  I fell in love with the look while I was tinkering.  I can't wait to try more color combinations!  You would never think ironing could be so enjoyable!  "Oh, Honey, I can't wait to iron again!"

Supplies

• Eclectic Background Stamp (TAC)
• Summer Princess Stamp Set (TAC)
• Under The Sea Stamp Set (TAC)
• Pueblo Chalk Ink Pad (TAC)
• Moondance Chalk Ink Pad (TAC)
• Versamark Ink Pad (Tsukineko ~TAC)
• Espresso Adirondack Embossing Powder (Ranger Ind.)
• Clay Adirondack Embossing Powder (Ranger Ind.)
• Ginger Adirondack Embossing Powder (Ranger Ind.)
• Blue Embossing Foil (Ranger Ind.)
• 5" x 7" Acrylic Handle/Block (TAC)
• 2" x 2" Acrylic Handle/Block (TAC)
• (3) Brown 12" x 12" Cardstock
• Dark Orange 12" x 12" Cardstock
• Cerulean Blue 12" x 12" Cardstock
• Yellow Ochre 12" x 12" Cardstock
• White 8 ½" x 11" Cardstock (TAC)
• Vellum 8 ½" x 11" (TAC)
• Spiral Clips (TAC)
• Trusty Iron (My Closet- brand unknown as we dropped it once and it broke off!)
• Computer Font Gragsie (downloaded off internet)
• Paper Trimmer (Fiskars ~ *TAC)
• Scrapbook Mounting Squares (3L)
• Zots Clear Adhesive Dots 3-D (Thermoweb)
• Rustic Brads (All My Memories ~ TAC)
• Dark Gold Brads (All My Memories ~ TAC)
• Heat Gun (Marvy ~ TAC)
• Sizzix (Provo Craft ~ TAC)
• Sizzlits, Tag Set, Small (Provo Craft)
• X-Static (TAC)
• Wax Paper (any brand will do)
• A Rag

Instructions

1.  Cut your cardstock to the following dimensions

        Brown Cardstock :
                Cut one strip 12" x ½" = Border Accent strip

        Dark Orange Cardstock:
                12" x 3" = Border Mat
                Die Cut one large Oval tag

        Cerulean Blue Cardstock:
                5½" x 8¼"= Photo Mat
                5" x 3½" = Journal Block Mat
                Die Cut one large Scalloped tag

        Yellow Ochre Cardstock:
                2¾" x 11½"= Border Overlay
                4 ¾" x 3 ¼" = Journal Block

        White 8 ½" x 11" Cardstock:
                Cut into 4 pieces measuring 5½" x 4¼"

        Vellum:
                Die cut one small oval tag
                Die cut one small scalloped tag

 **This is a note about the iron- If you have a craft iron say "oh, I am so lucky!".  If you don't, this could be a good way to "have" to get one.  Your iron doesn't have to get damaged to do this technique.  Mine didn't, but since cheap irons will work fine for this (and they are usually available for less than $10) you might consider getting one!

2.  Now then, heat your iron to the highest setting.  Take the following items with you to the ironing board... Your Eclectic Background Stamp and 5" x 7" Acrylic Block, Moondance Ink Pad, White Cardstock, Embossing Powders, Wax Paper, Rag and an extra piece or two of 8½" x 11" scrap paper.

The Technique:

* One little note- your Embossing Powder colors will be somewhat muted as a result of this technique.  So don't be afraid to go bold.  They probably won't stay as bold as they start out!

3.  Put your Scrap Paper down on the ironing board.  Put one piece of the White Cardstock on top of that.  Sprinkle the paper with Embossing Powder.  Randomly cover the paper until you like the amount of each color.  Do not overlap the colors too much.  Try not to leave any white areas.

4.  Cover this with a piece of Wax Paper.  Iron over the little stack you just made.  This will melt the Embossing Powder (while the Wax Paper should be protecting your iron).  Rub the iron around to blend the colors together as you like.  Don't blend too much or the colors will become muddy looking.

5. To remove the Wax Paper easily, you must iron it as you pull the Wax Paper off.  The Wax Paper will stick as soon as it begins to cool.  If it rips, just run the iron over the ripped spot and peel off. 

**You may need to wipe the iron across the rag to remove any Embossing Powder that may have gotten onto the iron while ironing!  In my experience, it just came right off onto the rag.  My iron is Teflon coated, which may have helped.

6.  You, also, may notice that the Embossing Powder sticks to the Wax Paper and not the cardstock when you go to peel it off.  Simply lay it back down and heat it longer before peeling it off.  The longer you heat it the more the powder soaks into the cardstock.  That is a good thing to a certain point.  Be careful not to make it completely soak in!  You will want a nice thick layer of Powder to press your stamp into.

7.  Save that wax paper when you peel it off (even if it ripped) you will re-use it in a minute.

8.  Ink your stamp and place it on the ironing board face up.  Lay your embossed cardstock over the stamp, embossed side down.  Iron the back of the cardstock.  Leave the cardstock on the stamp until it cools off.  Then peel your Cardstock off.  This makes a great texture.  The thicker your layer of powder the deeper the image.  I did notice that if I pulled the cardstock off too soon it let the powder stick to my stamp.  Be forewarned!  It is not fun to pick the powder back off!  So be patient while it cools!

9. Now lay another piece of the White Cardstock on the scrap paper.  Lay your used Wax Paper over the cardstock, embossed side down.  Iron this and you will be able to re-use some of that powder from the first piece.  It will not be as thick this time, but you may still be able to stamp into it.  You can also just leave it that way to stamp an image onto later.

10.  Repeat steps 3-9 until all of the White Cardstock has been Iron Embossed.

11. Die Cut one large and one small Oval tag, one large and one small Scalloped tag out of the embossed, stamped white cardstock.

12. Cut 3 squares 1¾" x 1¾" of the embossed, unstamped White Cardstock.

13.  Stamp the "Sun!" of the phrase stamp onto the Vellum Oval tag in Pueblo Ink.  Allow to dry or heat set with the heat gun.

14.  Ink only the feet and a portion of the pail of the little girl in Moondance ink.  Stamp onto the vellum Scalloped tag.  Allow to dry or heat set with the heat gun.

15.  Rub the X-static over each of the Embossed Squares.  They are slightly tacky and embossing powder will stick to them more than usual.

16.  Using Versamark ink, stamp one image onto each of the Embossed Squares and cover each of them in a different color of Embossing Powder.  Shake off the excess powder and heat until melted with the heat gun being careful not to melt the background with it!  Consider using tweezers to hold the paper.

17.  Print your journaling.  Try to remember more than just time, date and place.  Write something about what you were thinking or feeling that inspired the pictures to be taken.  Make it meaningful to someone who wasn't there that day so that they will know what you were feeling without you having to be there to tell them about it!

18.  Assemble all the pictures and mats as shown.  The 3-D dots were placed behind the tags to "pop" them.  The squares are stuck down with photo squares I felt like this gave them a sort of "black room - line drying" look when slipped into a spiral clip. 

If you would like to print this technique including a near-full size image of the layout, click here.  Once you've saved or printed the technique sheet, use your browser's back button to return.

Note: You will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to obtain this file.  If you do not have Adobe Acrobat, click here to download and install.