Triple embossing with UTEE for ATCs, Cardmaking

This is my way of doing embossing or enamelling. I like to create the effect of enamel or glass tiles both smooth and with rubber stamped images.

To make an enamelled picture, embellishment, photo etc., I print the image onto self adhesive paper. I use my own kits for most of these images as they are printed on special permanent adhesive paper. However, with a bit of care you can print your own. Cut out the image and stick it onto a piece of mountboard. Do not use ordinary card stock and this will curl up and bend after a few hours. Mountboard can be purchased in many different colours so can be co-ordinated with the image you are embossing. Cut round the image but please leave a border, this is to stop the image curling up at the edge and the UTEE will secure it to the mountboard giving a good clean surface. Cover the picture side of the mountboard with embossing ink and then dip the mountboard into some CLEAR UTEE - ultra thick embossing enamel. Heat the surface of the tile until it melts(remember to use a baking sheet, heat resistant sheet on top of your cutting mat or surface), as soon as the powder has melted put it straight back into the powder and coat the surface again, heat again with the heat gun and do this once more. The third coating should be enough. Heat the third surface until it looks like glass and is completely smooth. That should be enough. You can always do another layer if you wish or even melt it again later and put another layer on. I rarely do more than 3 layers. Leave the tile to cool and you now have a lovely little embellishment that looks like an enamelled tile. This can be used as jewellery, in scrapbooking, perfect on ATCs and of course as embellishments for cards. They can also be used to decorate boxes, books, in fact the possibilities are endless.

If you wish to use the UTEE to rubber stamp with then again, this is how I do it. Take a piece of mountboard, remember that if you use coloured mountboard and clear UTEE then that will be the colour of your finished image. No need to use coloured UTEE unless you really want to. Cover the coloured side of the mountboard with embossing ink, dip it into the powder and heat, as soon as it has melted dip it in the powder again, do it a third time and possibly for rubber stamping a fourth time. At the final melt have a rubber stamp ready and after 2 or 3 seconds press the rubber stamp into the melted powder. Leave it for a short while to cool and then take the stamp off. You should be left with an impression of the stamp. You can use all of a stamp, a small part of a stamp or whatever you wish. The mountboard can be cut into sections after heating so you can use a stamped image and then cut it into sections which is an interesting way to try. When the image is cool, I take some rub ons, metallic ones are good and rub over the surface of the raised image. This can give a stunning effect and of course you can co-ordinate to your own ATCdesigns. If you make little tiles or tag shapes from UTEE - if you want to put ribbon or cord through to hang them or embellish them, make sure that you make a hole through the mountboard BEFORE you heat it, that way you can have even more versatility. You can even put an eyelet through before heating.