Embossing powders come in a huge variety of colours and textures and can easily be used by beginners and professional for card making ideas

Using embossing powders for your projects can create many different effects but you will need to purchase a few basic materials.

The main item you will need to be able to use your embossing powders is a heat gun, these can be found at most craft stores or stamp companies. Some heat guns are better than others, when you are purchasing a heat gun it is worth asking for recommendations from other experts that have used them for their card making ideas.

You will need to have an ink pad, ink pads come in many different colors I find it best to use the same colour ink pad as the embossing powder you are going to use, this will eliminate the ink showing through. You can always use a clear ink pad however if you are a beginner I would start with a color so you can see where you have stamped.

Stamps - a stamp is essential when using embossing powders as this is the foundation of the design, rubber stamps can be found at craft shops and there are simply millions that can be bought over the internet.

Of course you will need embossing powder, again these come in a huge variety of colours, try to math the colour with the theme of the stamp where possible.

To begin embossing it is advisable to wipe the area where you are going to stamp with an anti static bag, I also find a light dusting of bathroom talc works just as well.

Once the area is prepared it is time to ink your stamp. Choose your colour of ink preferably clear but if you are new to card making ideas then a matching color to your embossing powder will be fine. Always take your ink pad to the stamp rather than pressing the stamp into the ink pad, this will give the stamp an even coating.

Once you have inked your stamp you can then press it firmly onto your project, hold your hand flat over the stamp to ensure the entire image is printed, press firmly using the palm of your hand, lift the stamp carefully away from the project and make sure you are happy with the result.

Carefully undo the lid of the embossing powder and generously sprinkle over the stamped image, if you are using a tidy try all the excess embossing powder can be easily tipped back into the pot, I find a folded piece of paper works just as well.

Gently tap the back of the project or card making ideas to allow any excess embossing powder to come off if you can see any odd bits of embossing powder still in places it should not be use a small paint brush to gently remove it.

Use your heat gun to heat the image until it turns shiny, hold your heat gun approximately 6 inches from the paper sweeping backwards and forwards until you see the embossing powder melting. Do not over heat the image as you can cause the paper and embossing powder to burn.

Once you are happy that all the embossing powder had melted you are done. Step back and admire your finished project.