I've been swimming in the world of embossing powders and rubber stamps these days. Seeing that I'm designing a line of stamps soon, I thought it would be a great idea. So here is a little project I did with wood pieces and embossing powder. Thank you to Judy Ross from the Creative Quest for helping me!



Embossing is a technique often used in scrapbooking, altered arts and any other kind of paper arts you can think of.

Therefore, it's time to mix it up a bit and use it in jewelry. My inspiration this week comes from stamp queen Judy Ross of The Creative Quest in Glendale, who recently gave me a crash course in the various types of products. I've dabbled with embossing powders before, but more as an experimental exercise than a focused mission. This project is perfect for beginners because by using small wood pieces, you can play around with different colors and images and use them for a variety of purposes. If you make a mistake, it will have a weathered look and can still be used in your work. All items can be found at any craft or paper arts store.
Embossed Jewelry
Supplies:
Assorted small wood pieces
Assorted dobber-type paper inks
Embossing stamp pad
Assorted rubber stamps
Embossing powder
Embossing tool
Hand-held drill
Necklace chain or cording
Jump rings

Directions: Use the paper inks to color the wood pieces. Let dry. Dot the embossing pad over the surface of the rubber stamp until it is generously covered. Press in desired place on the wood piece - be careful not to smear. Pour embossing powder over the wet surface and tap off excess as much as possible. Heat with embossing tool until the powder dries to a shiny, raised look. Let cool. Repeat for other pieces. Drill holes where desired in order to connect the pieces or attach the cording or chain.





Variations: Use small wood pieces to make funky picture bracelets, or use letter stamps to spell out words or phrases. Instead of using as jewelry, make an assortment of the wood pieces and store them in a baggie for use on future craft projects.

Event of the week: Speaking of The Creative Quest, the Glendale paper arts store is hosting a weekend with artist Traci Bautista. Known for her vibrant collaged paper that she dyes, sews, scrapes, stencils and glazes, she will start Friday with a demo and trunk show, followed by a two-day workshop. Students will learn paper painting and doodle lettering and will complete an art journal from their work. Details: 6-8 p.m. Friday (demo and sale); 9:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Price for two-day class is $200. 7146 N. 57th Drive, Glendale. Call (623) 847-2215 to make a class reservation.

***
STORE * BOOK * T-SHIRTS * MY SPACE * FLICKR

* All content/photos copyright, Kathy Cano Murillo, 2006. Photos property and courtesy of Arizona Republic and AzCentral.com. For more artsy goodness, check out CraftyChica.com *

Labels: jewelry, wearable art