Some of the prettiest cards start with nothing but a pen and a doodle. No stamps, no stencils, just a steady hand and an Emboss It Pen. If you've ever wanted that raised, glossy look on a hand-drawn design but weren't sure where to start, this one's for you.
Here's how to turn a simple doodle into a finished card using an Emboss It Pen, embossing powder and a heat tool.
What you'll need
- Emboss It Pen (bullet tip, clear ink)
- Embossing powder in two colors
- A heat tool
- A card base
- Heavier cardstock for mounting
- Adhesive
Step 1: Doodle your design with the bullet tip pen
Start with the bullet tip Emboss It Pen. Clear ink is the easiest one to work with since it goes down smooth and won't compete with whatever powder color you choose later. The bullet tip gives you good control for both tracing and freehand doodling, so it works whether you're sketching a flower or filling in a border.
For this card, we will draw flowers. There's no stamp involved here so the flowers will be drawn right on the card.. Just doodle them wherever you want them to land.
Step 2: Emboss the flowers
Once a flower is drawn, pour embossing powder over the top of it while the ink is still wet. Tip the card to let the loose powder fall off, and pour what didn't stick back into the jar.
Heat the powder with your heat gun until it melts into that smooth, raised finish.
Step 3: Work your way around the border
Repeat the same process around the edge of the card: doodle a flower, pour on powder, tip off the excess, heat it. One flower at a time, until you've built a full border of embossed flowers framing the card.
Doing it this way, flower by flower, keeps the ink from drying out before the powder has a chance to stick, and it gives you a clean edge on each one before you move to the next.
Step 4: Add a second color for more depth
Once your border is set, go back in with the pen and doodle a few more details into the design, then emboss those with a different powder color. One color gives you the outline. A second one is what makes it feel finished.
Step 5: Mount your card
Use double-sided tape or glue to add the card panel to a larger, black cardstock.
A hand-drawn border, two colors of powder and a heat tool. That's the whole card.
To watch the whole process in motion, check out Doodling with Emboss It Pens, where Patti Behan doodles this exact card from start to finish.
Ready to try it for yourself? Pick out a couple of embossing powders in colors you love and browse the full embossing collection for pens, inks and tools to get started.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a stamp to use an Emboss It Pen?
Not at all. You can skip stamping entirely and doodle your design straight onto the card with the pen.
Which tip should I use, bullet or brush?
Bullet gives you more control for flowers, borders and small details. Brush is better suited to broader strokes, but bullet is what you want for clean, consistent lines.
Why pour the powder over the design instead of dabbing it on?
It covers the wet area evenly in one pass, which matters when the design is small or detailed like a flower. Tipping the leftover powder back into the jar afterward means none of it goes to waste.
Do I need to heat each flower separately, or can I wait until the whole border is done?
Heat each one as you go. The ink dries faster than you'd think, and trying to powder a whole border at once before heating any of it is a good way to lose your tack.
What if I want to add more color after the design is already embossed?
Go right ahead. Doodle in the new details with the pen and emboss with a different powder, same as you did the first time around.
