A: There are 2 ways you can dry emboss with stencils. If you just want to use one section of the stencil, you can dry emboss with it the old fashioned way, with a light pad (or a sunlit window) and stylus. Lay down the stencil on the light source, then place the paper or cardstock on top. Use a stylus to press the paper into the stencil openings just where you want the design to appear. If you want to emboss the full stencil design, you can use your die cutting machine. You'll need a silicone pad for this. Lay down the pad first, then the paper, with the stencil on top. Place a cutting pad over the sandwich (or shims as needed), and run it through your die cutting machine.

A: I tried a couple of different ways that worked... I have a spray bottle filled with a 1:1 mixture of acrylic glaze and water (I used 3D Crystal Lacquer), and that worked well with results that were a little more raised. If you're working on paper that will allow for water to sit on the surface instead of absorbing quickly (like watercolor paper), water is a great medium. I tried it with a mister bottle, which gives a finer spread to the powder. My favorite results were from dipping my fingers into clean water and flicking the water onto watercolor paper. Larger water spots take a little longer to dry with the heat gun, so it's easy to overheat the powder - it takes a little practice, but it does work! It's a fun random effect for a metallic splatter, or with clear powder for an interesting resist (think snow or galaxy backgrounds!).

A: Hello there! This has come up in the forums several times - HERE is a recent conversation that has a couple of other links mentioned as well. The issue is usually a little too much pressure from the machine, pressing the edge of the die into the paper as well as the cutting lines. I would try the suggestion of running the cut piece back through the machine without the die, or using a bone folder to smooth the edges down. If you're able to adjust the thickness of your sandwich using shims instead of one of the plates, that should help to reduce the pressure too.

A: From the USPS site: "To qualify for mailing at the First-Class Mail postcard price, [your mailpiece] must be rectangular, at least 3-1/2 inches high x 5 inches long x 0.007 inch thick, and no more than 4-1/4 inches high x 6 inches long x 0.016 inches thick....Some mailers want to attach stickers, magnets, or other items to their postcards. However, an attachment may disqualify the mailpiece for mailing at the First-Class Mail postcard price—or even make it nonmailable." I don't know thicknesses, so I found a chart that converted those to gsm for me - .007" is 151 gsm (equivalent to about 56 lb. cover weight or 100 lb. text weight), and .016" is 347 gsm (equivalent to about 128 lb. cover weight or 234 lb. text weight). Avoid any embellishments and just stick to stamped images and inked backgrounds. Best of luck with your move!

A: I think most patterned paper sheets are about the right weight for envelopes. Standard letter envelopes seem to be around 24# text weight paper (regular printer paper is usually 20# to 22#, just for reference). While I was verifying my answer, I found this "Paper Weights Demystified" chart which is very helpful for comparing the weights of different types of paper (text, bond, cover, etc.). I'm definitely bookmarking that!