How to Use UTEE

Ultra Thick Embossing Powder, also called UTEE, is just what the name implies. According to the Scrapjazz Glossary, embossing powder is "a fast melting powder that delivers rich colors and solid surface bonding (used in heat embossing); available in a large assortment of colors and granulations. It is sprinkled onto a wet, inked surface; the excess is shaken off, and the remaining powder is melted, creating a slightly raised design." Therefore, UTEE is a thicker version of regular embossing powder. In other words, the granules are larger. Regular embossing powder is meant to give a raised, embossed effect to a stamped ink image. It is mainly used with images where small detail is important. UTEE is meant to be used over larger surface areas and does not work well when embossing detailed images.

So, what can you do with UTEE? There are a lot of uses for UTEE. There are even special melting pots and tools that have been designed for use with UTEE. However, in this article, I will give you a couple of examples of how to use UTEE to embellish your scrapbook pages, and all you need is some UTEE and a heat embossing tool.

Stamping an Image into UTEE

Supplies

• Ultra Thick Embossing Powder in any opaque color, i.e., gold, copper, silver, black, etc.
  
  
• embossing ink such as VersaMark or Top Boss
  
  
• a not-too-detailed rubber stamp
  
  
• a heat embossing tool

(visit Scrapbook.com for Embossing Tools, Inks and Powders)

Before you get started, here are a few hints about using UTEE.

1. Safety first! Heated UTEE gets very hot and can cause bad skin burns. I know this from experience. Be careful not to touch any heated UTEE, and don't let it drip onto your skin.
   
   
2. Following the directions below, heat the UTEE from below whenever possible. Most heat embossing tools blow out air, and that can be enough to blow the UTEE granules off your project. If you heat from underneath the item covered with UTEE, you won't disturb the granules with moving air.
   
   
3. Don't overheat the UTEE. If you do, it starts to break down and becomes discolored from excess heat.
   
   
4. If the object you are covering with UTEE must be covered all the way to the edges, be sure to hold that object with long-handled tweezers.

This image shows a coffee cup image (Club Stamp) inked with black pigment ink (Colorbok) and stamped into hot, molten copper UTEE (Ranger).

1. First, decide how large you need to make the area to be covered with UTEE.
   
   
2. Next, using your embossing ink pad, swipe the pad over the area of your cardstock where you want the UTEE to stick and melt.
   
   
3. Sprinkle the wet embossing ink liberally with the UTEE. Shake off any excess UTEE.
   
   
4. Carefully using your heat embossing tool, heat your cardstock underneath the portion where the UTEE was sprinkled.
   
   
5. Repeat steps 2,3, and 4 two more times.
   
   
6. After the third application and heating of the UTEE, quickly stamp your rubber stamp into the molten UTEE. You must work quickly or the UTEE will cool and harden.
   
   
7. The rubber stamp you use may be first inked before you stamp into the hot UTEE, or you can stamp with a non-inked rubber stamp.
   
   
8. Leave the rubber stamp sitting in the heated UTEE until it has completely cooled. Believe it or not, the hot UTEE will not harm your rubber stamp in any way.
   
   
9. When the UTEE has cooled, peel the image away from the rubber stamp. Be careful, because hardened and cooled UTEE can crack.
   
   
10. Use the image you created as a fun embellishment for a special scrapbook page or other project.

UTEE Cracked Glass Technique

Another technique I love to do is to use clear UTEE to create a "cracked glass" effect.

Supplies

• Clear Ultra Thick Embossing Powder (UTEE)
  
  
• a heat embossing tool
  
  
• embossing ink such as VersaMark or Top Boss
  
  
• an image of your choice. Be sure not to use plastic-coated photo paper, because it bubbles from the heat embossing tool. (Again, I learned this the hard way!)

To create the cracked glass image as shown above, follow these steps:

1. Coat your chosen image with the embossing ink either by rubbing the ink pad over the image, or pressing the image face down into the ink pad.
   
   
2. Sprinkle the inked image with clear UTEE.
   
   
3. Heat the coated image from underneath with your heat embossing tool. Be sure to use long-handled tweezers to hold onto the image if the UTEE is going to cover the image to the edges.
   
   
4. Be careful not to tilt the image when the UTEE is molten. It can drip onto your skin and burn you.
   
   
5. Repeat steps 1, 2 and 3 two more times.
   
   
6. Immediately, take your UTEE-covered image and place it into your freezer.
   
   
7. Leave the image in the freezer for three to five minutes.
   
   
8. Immediately take the cold image from the freezer and begin bending the image in various places to make cracks in the UTEE. (This is the FUN part!)
   
   
9. You now have an image covered with UTEE that looks like it is covered with a piece of cracked glass. Use it as a unique embellishment in your scrapbook, or glue the image to a stiff piece of chipboard, add a pin back, and you have a fun artistic pin to wear.

Shop at the Scrapbook.com Superstore for all your Scrapbooking Supplies!
Enjoy 5-Star service, HUGE selection and LOW prices!
Click here to start shopping!