Quick & Easy Embossed Card

Today I have a very quick and easy yet stunning card to share with you today. This card incorporates an under utilized product which many of you have in your stash and I'll bet don't use often....Distress Embossing Powder. It really is a great product but for some reason after it's purchased it just sits on the shelf. So many people I talk to are reluctant to use it because it is so very different from regular embossing powders.

SOOOOOOO, today I thought I'd share a really fun card ~ you just need embossing ink (Distress Embossing Ink or other), 2 stamps (Flower - Autumn Leaves; Sentiment - Heidi Swapp), 2 colors of Distress Embossing Powder (Worn Lipstick & Shabby Shutters) and your cardstock! That's it! Told you it was

Instructions:

1. Stamp your main image with your favorite embossing ink three times. I like to stick with a triangle effect - it makes for a visually pleasing finished card.

2. Shake the jar of Dist. EP to ensure the release crystals are mixed evenly through out the powder.

3. Sprinkle Dist. EP over the images and shake off excess. Do NOT flick the paper...you'll end up knocking off too much powder in the process.

4. Heat to melt the powder. Now this is where people get leery...how long to heat! I usually heat it for around 1 minute to be sure it's all melted. After you've worked with it a while you will notice a slight color change. It's very subtle but it is there. If you're not comfortable with it simply heat for 2, 3 or more minutes. You can't burn it so it's no problem to heat it longer just to be sure.

5. LET IT COOL!! This is another area that causes problems. If you try to rub the release crystals off before it has cooled you'll not only rub the release crystals away you'll rub the embossing powder off as well!! To be safe I always let my images set for 1 minute before I mess with them.

6. Rub off the release crystals.

7. Stamp sentiment with embossing ink and repeat steps 2-6.

I love how the powders show up through each other...

See, I told you it was quick and easy!

Now, it's time to dig those Distress EP's out and play!!!!

You'll just love the results.