FAQ’s – Marion Emberson answers your questions!
It states your powders are anti static, but I get bits sticking on my work?
All our powders are double treated for static. This doesn’t mean that they are anti moisture so if you handle your work, oils in your hands will transfer to the Cardstock, thus creating a base for the powder to stick to. Try to handle your cardstock from the sides. We also, strongly recommend that you don’t decant the powders as our jars are treated to be anti-static also.
I’ve found little white balls in my powder, what is this?
We add a couple of special products to our powders which make them perform better than the other powders on the market.The white balls are formed when they remove moisture from the powder.
This is nothing to worry about. It is perfectly normal. When you heat the product the white balls disappear and will not affect the finish.
Are your powders vegan friendly ?
We get asked this a lot and the simple answer is a resounding YES!! There are no animal bi-products in our powders nor are they tested on animals.
What are the different sizes of powder and how do I know what I’ve got?
On the jar you’ll see letters next to the product code, either an R, SF or UH, please see below their meanings, it’s worth noting that our regular grade powder is very much like a detail powder and works well on sentiments and fine lines, the exception is if they have glitter in them or other sizes mixed in.
Regular ( R ) – All our powders are available in this grade. The particles are made the correct size to suit most applications
Superfine ( SF ) – When the Regular grade powder overflows the edge of a line or a character a Superfine powder is required to give a crisp image. It will not give the highest raise but on a thin line it will feel just as high as the regular product.
Ultra High ( UH ) – This grade is a very chunky product. It is used for the Triple Embossing Technique and when a large area is to be embossed. It will give a high raise but can’t be used with regular or detailed stamps.
How do I know if my powder is Opaque?
On the jar you’ll see a letter alongside the product code, this is either a T, O or OM. Please see below their meanings.
We make our powders with either a translucent or a white raw material. The different bases have different properties which make it possible to achieve all the wonderful effects.
Translucent ( T ) – These powders will allow light through them and so the colour under them will affect the finished result.
Opaque ( O ) – These powders will not let light through and so when embossing they will not be affected by the colour under them.
Marbling ( M ) – These powders have a white base and so when moulding the white will appear and produce some fantastic marble effects
Mixture (X) – These products are blends of any Regular, Super Fine or Ultra High powder.
When I heat emboss my paper curls, how can I stop this?
This is caused by moisture from the paper and the ink pad. All you have to do is turn it over and heat from the other side. You will find this flattens it out but depending on the thickness of your card you may have to do this a couple of times.
Can I use Melt-It for embossing?
It would melt, but it will give a very flat effect. It would probably give a better result on one of our background design stamps.
Do I have to use an Embossing Ink pad when inking?
No, not at all but it is our preferred one. You can use any Pigment ink but we don’t recommend dye or alcohol based inks as these dry too quickly. You can also use or Refill Tool and Brush Tool.
How do I know when it’s done?
If you tip your head to the side you’ll be able to see it melting, as soon as you see it melt, move the heat tool and “chase” the melting powder until the whole design is done.
How far do I hold the heat tool away from the Cardstock?
Approximately 1.5″ is good. If you go further away it will take longer to melt and if you go closer you run the risk of burning the Cardstock. Remember it’s best to under do it and you can always go back and heat a bit more.
Can I use a hairdryer?
The simple answer is no…a hairdryer gives lots of blow and not a lot of heat and a heat tool gives lots of heat and not a lot of blow. The powder will blow off and not melt.
Can the glitter powders be used in a melt pot?
Absolutely, all our powders can be used in a melt pot and our very own WOW! Foil Cases
What does it mean when a powder is opaque?
If you go to the Technical Stuff area and click on Powder Info, you’ll see the letter abbreviations for the powder properties and their meanings. These codes are shown under their listings in the powder products pages.
How much powder should I add to Melt-It?
On average, one teaspoon of Melt -It would have 1/8th of a teaspoon of powder. You can vary this depending on the depth of colour you require, i.e. If it’s a translucent the less you put in, the more glassy it will look.
What is the best Cardstock for stamping and embossing on?
The smoother the better, a coated Cardstock is also recommended. We do a WOW Superior Smooth Bright White Card Stock that’s perfect for embossing on.
Is there a size between the 15ml jar and the 160ml jar?
There isn’t at present, but there may be one in the future.
Is there a tip to using the glitter embossing powders?
We recommend you always shake them before use incase the powder and glitter have separated but otherwise use them in the same way as the powders. We always recommend heating from underneath so the glitter can’t ‘blow away’.
Can you burn the powder?
Well, it’s not really burning, but it will liquify and soak into the card stock and go very flat, but you can burn the card stock if you hold it in one place for too long. Remember always under do it and then you can go back and heat a little more.
Should I heat from above or below the Cardstock?
If you heat from above you run the risk of blowing the powder off, you will get a smoother finish by heating from below, but this will depend on the media you are heating on i.e. A very thick chipboard would have to be heated from above. When heating from above hold the heat tool at least 1.5″ away. Our Dual Speed Heat Tool is powerful enough to heat through a medium weight chipboard (USA Version in the UK we know this at thick cardboard).
Should I re-ink each time when triple embossing?
It is always recommended that you re-ink to apply more powder for each layer, making sure the previous layer has cooled down, it is possible to do this technique without re-inking but you will have to work very quickly and on a fairly small surface area.
What does core colour mean?
This is the colour of powder inside the powder particle. Our opaque powders generally have a white core, this will make a difference when using these with Melt-It, as when melted they will give a ‘marbled’ effect and make the original colour much paler. Opaque powders work really well on darker card stocks.
What’s the difference between the thicknesses of the powders?
There are actually four grade sizes, visit our Technical Area to find out more.
Does WOW! have an Angel Policy?
We are happy for our Stamps to be used for commercial gain, as long as each image is hand stamped.