What Is "Parchment Crafting"?
Parchment Crafting is the art of etching (dry embossing) and piercing parchment paper or vellum. The paper is translucent and looks pale gray until it is etched, then it becomes an opaque white. In addition to etching, there are various painting and perforating techniques that can be applied to make a very elegant looking piece of artwork. With these techniques you can make cards, bookmarks, boxes, lamp shades, and other beautiful projects. Many people refer to Parchment Craft as Pergamano®, however Pergamano® is the registered trade name of a manufacturer of parchment craft supplies.
What is "Stamp Parch Craft" and how is it different from traditional Parchment Crafting?
"Stamp Parch Craft" is the term I use to differentiate my style of Parchment Crafting from the traditional form. The biggest difference with Stamp Parch Craft vs. traditional Parchment Craft is that you use a rubber stamp to get your pattern (instead of tracing onto your vellum with a pen), and you use detail embossing powder (instead of re-tracing your pattern for raised lines).
What Supplies Do I Need?
~ 36# Vellum
~ White Dye Ink - a thin ink that stays wet enough to emboss on vellum
~ Rubber Stamp - choose an image that has fine lines without shading....check out our selection of stamps for this technique
~ Fine Detail Embossing Powder - a detail powder will keep fine lines nice and thin
~ Heat Gun
~ Wax Paper - helps your stylus tips glide over the vellum
~ Embossing Stylus Tool - you'll need several size tips
~ Etching/ Embossing Mat - a soft topped, hard bottom blue mat with just the right give
~ Single Needle Piercing Tool - for use with any grid
~ 4-Split Needle Tool - for cutting out designs
~ Piercing/ Perforating Mat - a flexible, cushy black mat that self-heals needle piercings
~ Straight or Diagonal Grid - if you want to create embossed dots or pierced holes
~ Markers - waterbased fade-resistant are best
~ Dove Blender Pen - use with markers to achieve a soft, watercolor effectStep-by-Step Stamp Parch Craft
1. Stamp your image onto 36# vellum using White Memories dye ink.
2. Heat emboss with a fine detail embossing powder. {My favorites are Queen's Gold and White.}
3. Flip the image over and rub with waxed paper. {This helps the stylus tool glide over the vellum.}
4. Etch (dry emboss) with a stylus tool on the blue Etching/ Embossing Mat (working on the side you waxed).
5. Emboss dots with a Grid under your vellum, by using a stylus tool with the smallest ball that does not go through the holes on the grid. Apply some pressure and rub where you want the dots to appear. This is done on the waxed side also.
6. Color with markers (again on the back side) and use a Dove Blender Pen to pull the color out to create shading.
7. Place a Grid on top of the black Piercing/ Perforating Mat and your vellum RIGHT SIDE UP. Tape your project to the grid using removable tape. Pierce holes with a single or double needle tool, poking through the holes on the grid.
8. Perforate out your design by placing it on the black Piercing/ Perforating Mat RIGHT SIDE UP, and using the 4-split Needle Tool to go around the outside edges of your design. Make sure you pierce the 4-split tool fully into the mat, and place the first needle of the next piercing into the last hole pierced so you have a consecutively spaced perforation.