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Begin by spreading ink on your cardstock or glossy (coated) paper. Create an area slightly larger than the stamp you want to imprint. Prepare a stamp to be imprinted by inking it well. You don't want it to stick in the heated powder. If you don't want a color ink imprint, use clear embossing ink.

Pour on your first coat of powder. Shake off the excess and heat. While the powder is still hot, pour on a second layer. Repeat as often as you like. For backgrounds, use 1 - 3 layers. For imprinting a stamp, use 4+ layers. The larger the stamp, the more layers you will need.

When you have finished the last layer, wait 3 seconds and then press the INKED stamp into the hot powder. Press firmly and wait at least 20 seconds before carefully removing. The hot powder will not damage your stamp, but you may crack your image if you remove the stamp too fast.

Did your image crack? This may happen if you remove the stamp too fast, or if you don't glue / tape your image to a flat surface (like your card) quickly enough. Simply reheat to seal cracks, or restamp the piece. If you used clear embossing powder, no extra layers will be necessary to fix the image. If you used a colored or metallic ink, add another layer and restamp.

Foam stamps are simple to use. Begin by finding an interesting texture to mimic. I recommend beads, plants, fabrics, and even your shoes! You can also use stamps of bold images, or blocks of wood cut in shapes. Next, heat the foam stamp for about 10 seconds. The longer you heat it, the more detail it will pick up. But it is easy to overheat them, so make sure it isn't shrinking on you! Once it is heated, press it into the textured surface and hold it there for about 10 - 20 seconds. And it's done! These can be reheated a few times, but not more than 6 or 7. Try using the back as well as the front, and even the sides of the stamp. If you like an image, keep it! No need to reheat it. Clean the foam stamps with a damp rag.

This is primarily a background technique. Using the small Cat's Eye pigment pads, brush or tap ink lightly onto the surface of the cardstock. Combine different colors, and try brushing using different stokes. Combined, they will make beautiful background papers for any stamp. They usually look leafy or feathery when used correctly, but you can make them look like anything! Try stamping on top of them using metallic colors of ink.