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Stationery is one of those gifts that people can always use, but it can be a little “run-of-the-mill”. This tutorial will show you how to make handmade stationery by carving your own stamp, and then heat embossing the name to create a raised and metallic effect. The result is a gift that was clearly handmade with love, and certainly one-of-a-kind.

Materials

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– heat embossing tool (at any craft store)
– embossing powders (I chose metallic)
– stamp carving block
– stamp or linocut carving tool (at most craft stores)
– clear embossing ink
– pencil
– card stock
– envelopes
– scissors
– craft knife
– sheet of paper

Start by cutting off a piece of your carving block for the size of the stamp that you will need. Make sure your card stock is also cut to the size of the stationery that you want.

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If you feel confident enough to hand-draw your letters directly onto the carving block with pencil, start with that. Remember to write your name and letters backwards, as the stamp image will be reversed when printed.

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Carve out the space around your letters, leaving the lettering raised. When using a carving tool, you can change out the blade for different sizes depending on which part of the stamp you are carving.

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Now you’re ready to start stamping. You might want to do a couple test stamps to make sure there are no errors in your stamp. If everything looks good, stamp your name block in the clear embossing ink.

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Sprinkle the stamped name with your embossing powder, and shake off onto a sheet of paper to pour excess powder back into the jar (just like any glittering project).

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Turn on your heat embosser. Hold the tool about six inches from the embossing powder to start, moving closer if the powder isn’t melting. In a few seconds, the powders will begin to melt and blend together. Keep the embosser heating the letters for just a few more seconds to make sure everything is melted sufficiently, but don’t heat it for too long, as the card stock will begin to warp, and possibly get burnt marks!

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Let your stationery cool. Once cooled, feel for yourself the raised effect. Repeat this process for as many sheets of stationery you would like to create. Put it in a lovely stationery box for gift giving, or tie it together with pretty baker’s twine for a stationery stocking stuffer.

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