WORTHY OF MENTION: EMBOSSING POWDER CANDY STORE

The Embossing Powder Candy Store is the ultimate spot for embossing powders. It's all there...and all of it is better than the best.

Liquid Glass is the chunky stuff, and the array of colors is incredible. Melded Metallic is unlike any other powder you'll find. Then there's those gorgeous Pearl colors. True eye candy.

Foil & Flock is the 'sticky when melted' stuff. Use a quick hand when heating it; immediately stop heating as soon as the powder begins to shine. Too much heat eliminates the stick.

The Fine Line powders are the ones to use when thermal embossing highly detailed stamps. Transparent over a colored ink is the way I usually go.

A few embossing tips:

1. Keep your powder dry! Store powder in tightly closed containers or zip- plastic bags; place one or two silica packets from either vitamin bottles or shoe boxes in the container or bag.

2. Keep your paper dry! Paper is like a sponge and soaks up any moisture in the air (humidity, cooking, showers, etc.). Store paper in closed containers (drawers, plastic boxes, etc.) with some of those silica packets.

3. Keep your fingers off the paper! Handle paper by the edges as much as possible. Every finger or palm print is a powder-grabber thanks to the oil in your skin.

4. Inks containing either glycol or glycerin (pigment, embossing, etc.) dry slowly and are best used when thermal embossing.

5. After sprinkling the powder over the image, dump off the excess powder onto a piece of scrap vellum that has a creased fold line. Tap the excess powder into the fold, then into the storage container or bag. Set the vellum aside.

6. Turn the paper with the image sideways, and give the paper a good snap (third finger/thumb) on the back to get rid of any lingering EP. If you have a reasonably well-inked pad, and the image was evenly inked, there'll be plenty of EP on the image. If you are concerned, tip the paper toward the light...you'll be able to see the powder on the image.

7.  Turn on the gun and let it heat up for a few seconds before aiming it at an area of embossing powder.  Hold the gun four to six inches above the paper; DO NOT move the nozzle of the gun until the powder in that area has melted.  Slowly move the nozzle to an adjoining area,melting that powder.  Repeat until all powder is melted.

8. Don't overheat the powder. EP melts between 260 - 280 degrees; a blow torch isn't needed (neither is a paint stripper ). If the powder doesn't melt the way it should, chance are good that moisture, not the powder, is the culprit. Heat both sides of paper with a heat gun before stamping if you're having moisture problems.

Click WORTHY OF MENTION (above)  to see and savor the goodies at the Candy Store...