Instructions 

I remember the first time I saw heat embossing demonstrated in a rubber stamp store: it was jaw-droppingly impressive. Several decades have gone by since then, and there have been a lot of changes, but the way that embossing powder enhances stamped images is still a magical thing!

Step 1: Gather supplies: Ranger Embossing Powders in Marigold, Bubbly, Terra Cotta and Love Letter; Emboss It Clear Embossing Ink Pad; Ranger Heat It Craft Tool; White Distress Heavystock and Dina Wakley Kraft Paper; Wendy Vecchi MAKE ART Bases and Frames Chippies; Simon Hurley create. Funky Chevron Background Stamp; Simon Hurley create. Sentimental Flowers Photopolymer Clear Stamp Set.

Step 2: Stamp the three flowers from Simon Hurley create. Sentimental Flowers stamp set on White Distress Heavystock in Emboss it Clear Embossing Ink. Sprinkle the largest flower with Love Letter Embossing Powder, sprinkle the medium flower with Marigold Embossing Powder, and use Terra Cotta Embossing Powder on the smallest flower. Melt the powder using Ranger's Heat It Craft Tool and let the images cool completely, then cut out neatly with scissors. On a small piece of Dina Wakley Kraft Cardstock, stamp "Hello Friend" and the two largest leaves in clear ink and emboss with Bubbly Embossing Powder. Cut out the leaves and trim the sentiment into a neat flag. 

Step 3: Apply Clear Emboss It Ink to the Funky Chevron background stamp and firmly press a 5.25" square of white Distress Heavystock into it. Place the stamped image on a heat-proof surface and, starting at the top, sprinkle neat horizontal lines of Bubbly, Marigold, Terra Cotta and Love Letter Embossing Powders until the surface is completely covered. Tap the image lightly from beneath to spread the powder around, discarding the excess into a small container and NOT back into the originals jars, since the colors will have mixed and you don't want to contaminate the separate shades. Use the Heat It tool to melt the powder.

Step 4: Re-ink the Funky Chevron stamp with clear Emboss It ink and press a 4 x 4.25" piece of Dina Wakley Kraft Cardstock firmly into the stamp. Set the stamped cardstock on a heat-proof surface, and this time roughly follow the triangle shapes as you sprinkle on Terra Cotta, Marigold and Love Letter embossing powders, using a single shade for each row of chevrons. If you have trouble seeing the image when stamped in Clear, Grey-tinted Emboss It Ink can be substituted. Note that there will of course be some mingling of the various powders, but this will add to the unique beauty of the piece. Tap the image lightly from beneath to ensure that the entire image is covered, then discard the excess powders into the same container from Step 3.

Step 5: Re-ink the Funky Chevron background one more time in clear, and press the smallest rectangle from from Wendy Vecchi‘s Bases and Frames Chippies set face down onto the stamp. Set the inked Chippie on a heat-proof surface and sprinkle with Bubbly Embossing Powder. Tap off the excess and melt the powder with the Heat It tool.

Step 6: (Optional!) Use the mingled embossing powders from Steps 3 and 4 to create additional funky chevron patterns on a variety of backgrounds. Notice that the more you mix the powders together, the more homogenous the embossed pattern becomes, but there will still be little patches of the individual colors, making each impression unique. Experiment with light and dark shades of cardstock and notice the way different backgrounds vary the effect. Leave the resulting panels plain, or add Archival Inks on top for even more variety. Set these panels aside to use as quick backgrounds, mats or diecuts on future cards.

Step 7: Assembly: Scribe a  4" circle onto the back of the kraft cardstock panel from Step 4 and cut out. Affix the circle to the white embossed chevron panel with Wendy Vecchi MAKE ART Perfect Card Adhesive. Add the embossed Chippie on top of the circle, placing it slightly offset and to the right. Mat the sentiment flag on marigold yellow cardstock and affix on top of the Chippie. Adhere the flowers with small pieces of Letter It White Foam Roll Tape and tuck the leaves around the flowers. Add the entire design panel to a 5.5" square card made from Simon Hurley create. Stark White Cardstock.

Step 8: Write a message inside the card, grab an envelope, and send it to a special friend without waiting for any particular occasion; you will make their day!