The Charm Embossing Kit is an accessory to the Wizard, and  is used for embossing.  Yes, the Wizard already comes with all the mats you need to cut and emboss Spellbinder’s dies and our competitor’s dies.  The Charm Embossing Kit is used for embossing thicker things you have around your home and in your craft supply.   The kit includes 1 hard mat and 2 soft pads.  The Blue mat is thinner than the standard White mats and is used in place of one of the white mats in an embossing sandwich.  The Tan Embossing pad is the same pad you got with your Wizard.  Now you will have 2 of them, and that’s a good thing.  The Black Embossing pad is a different thickness and density than the tan pad.

Let me first start this discussion by saying that embossing non-flat items have a lot of variables, and the results will depend on what you are trying to emboss and the material you are embossing into.  Often there is experimentation involved. Thin craft foils, paper and cardstock are some common materials to emboss.

Lets start with a few tried and true items:

Fiskars Texture Plates provide a wide variety of textures for use in crafting.  These plates fit perfectly in the Wizard when you use the Charm Embossing Kit.  The sandwich is: Blue Mat, Fiskars plate with desired texture side up, material to emboss, Tan Embossing pad, and White Mat.

Cuttlebug Embossing Folders.  Yeah, you heard me.  You don’t need their machine to use their dies and accessories.  I think these work better in the Wizard anyway!  The sandwich is: Blue Mat, Cuttlebug Embossing Folder with material to emboss inside of it, Tan Embossing pad, White Mat.

Metal Charms, coins and other non-flat items can be reproduced for scrapbook pages, cards and altered crafts. Don’t use up your supply, reproduce them!  Emboss charms in the Wizard, fill the back side with glue so they keep their shape and use the reproduction on your project.  This concept works great for a large amount of cards or when an object’s weight or the cost of postage is an issue.  Because the size and depth of charms can vary, be sure to test them before using up your last piece of good paper or metal.

The Charm sandwich is Blue Mat, (I usually put a piece of scrap paper on it), charm/coin, material to emboss (good side up!) tan or black mat (or both if needed), White Mat.  While your sandwich might pass through the Wizard with ease, it does emboss.  If your sandwich is not feeding, remove some bulk and try again.  Do not try to force embossing sandwiches.  Also remember the Wizard exerts 3000lbs of pressure, and while some plastic items are great for embossing, a tight sandwich could break fragile items.

A few pointers for embossing items with dimension:

• Mist paper lightly with water or Paper Glide to loosen fibers
• Don’t try to cut a die with both the spacer plate and embossing pad in the sandwich
• To add bulk to a loose sandwich, shim with cardstock
• Use one or both embossing mats
• The black mat is more dense and may work better for more detailed items like coins.

Embellish your embossed items with chalk, ink, paint, etc, or for a distressed look, sand it!

Happy Embossing!

Beth (who apologizes for the funky spacing on this post!  I’m trying to get the hang of this software!)