Heat tools

Heat gun

At Vaessen Creative you can find various heat guns suitable for heating, shaping and melting all kinds of materials. Ideal for scrapbooking or card-making. With a heat gun or heat tool, it’s very easy to heat embossing powder. The advantage of a heat gun is that it heats effectively and blows very little air, so that the embossing powder stays in place on your creation. That’s why a hairdryer isn’t suitable for such a task.

Heat embossing is a technique that gives your creation texture. Usually you stamp with embossing ink (such as VersaMagic or Distress embossing ink) onto the cardstock or other paper, or write your text with an embossing marker (such as VersaMark marker pen). The embossing inks continue to be oily or wet for quite a long time, so they remain sticky. Alternatively, you can also use other wet inks, such as Distress ink. Sprinkle embossing powder over the design and heat it with an embossing heat tool. This creates texture on your design.

When heat embossing works well, the ink is completely covered by the embossing powder and you no longer see the color of the ink. But there are other tricks if you want to be sure of a great result. Combine transparent ink with colored embossing powder or colored ink with transparent embossing powder or glitter embossing powder (for a glossy effect).

A heat gun is hotter than a hairdryer, so make sure that the surface you’re working on can withstand heat. To prevent damage, you can use a glass cutting mat (Tonic Studios glass cutting mat) and/or the non-stick craft sheet.

Buying a wood burning tool

Would you like to buy a wood burning tool? With Vaessen Creative you’ve come to the right place. With the wood burning tool you can burn or engrave all types of wood. The wood burning tool is simple to use and is supplied with a handy holder to rest the wood burning tool on and 5 different tips for creating a variety of effects.

Use the wood burning tool to engrave names, texts, graceful drawings or figures, for example on breadboards. These make great presents to give on Father’s Day or Mother’s Day. At Vaessen Creative you can also find wooden symbols, numbers and letters.

Practice with the wood burning tool on a practice board first until you’ve mastered the technique. Engraving is easier if you run the wood burning tool lightly over the wood. Be aware that the result becomes darker, the longer you press the wood burning tool on the wood. Do you have an idea for something to engrave? Draw your design on the wood first with a pencil.

Fuse tool

With the We R Memory Keepers Fuse Tool you can divide plastic scrapbook sheets (plastic pockets) into separate compartments that you can fill with photos, little cards and/or embellishments. You can also use the Fuse Tool to make your own plastic pockets for scrapbook projects and home decoration projects. The heated tip of the fuse tool ensures that the two plastic layers fuse together.

The We R Memory Keepers Fuse Tool is supplied with 2 different tips. One is for creating compartments (fusing tip) and the other is for cutting (cutting tip). You’re also provided with a special ruler for making straight lines and a stand to prevent any burn marks on your table.

Vaessen Creative supplies spare tips, including 2 tips for making decorative edges. Another handy tool is the We R Memory Keepers silicone mat with holder. This silicone mat is heat-resistant to 200 degrees Centigrade; it’s super-flexible and has an anti-slip layer for smooth surfaces.

Buying a Minc machine

Would you like to buy a Minc machine? Then take a look at the Minc foil applicator & starter kit. The Minc foil machine can be compared to a laminator, because the machine quickly and easily covers your paper with a foil layer. Just as with a laminator, the opening is heated evenly over the entire width.

How does the Minc foil machine work? With a laser printer – not an inkjet printer – print a design on letter paper or photographic paper in high resolution. Next, put the letter paper or photographic paper into the Minc transfer sheet and cover it with a sheet of Minc foil. The Minc transfer sheet works in the same way as a laminating pouch and it’s reusable. You introduce this sheet into the Minc foil applicator with the closed end first. Guide the sheet at first, until the Minc foil applicator pulls the sheet through by itself. You then remove the letter paper or photographic paper with the Minc foil from the Minc transfer sheet. Carefully remove the Minc foil from the letter paper or photographic paper. You’ll see that the black letters and lines have been transformed into a colorful design.

The opening of the Minc foil applicator is available in two widths: 15 cm (for cards in A5 and A6 formats) and 30 cm (for cards in A4 format). The instructions will tell you which setting to use for which kind of paper. As well as the Minc foil applicator, the kit includes a Minc transfer sheet, 1 sheet of gold Minc foil and 3 starter tags. The Minc foil is available from Vaessen Creative in a variety of colors. You don’t have to worry about the sizes as you can cut the foil to the size you need. Use the Minc foil applicator for making cards, scrapbooking, home decoration and DIY projects. Or for decorative brush lettering projects. Here’s a fun idea: make copies from a negative coloring book where the pages are black with white lines instead of the other way around.   

Heatwave tool

The Heatwave Tool from We R Memory Keepers is ideal for writing on any kind of paper using hot foil printing. The advantage of the Heatwave Tool is that you can even add 3D effects to embellishments that don’t fit in the Minc machine. These could include wooden and papier mâché decorative figures. Because the Heatwave Tool Looks like a pen, you can even add very small foil effects, write texts with it or create your own shapes. The Heatwave Tool is lightweight, fits comfortably in your hand and is extremely easy to use, as it’s battery-powered so there’s no cable.  

How does the Heatwave Tool from We R Memory Keepers work? The Heatwave Tool works in the same way as a soldering iron. You charge the batteries, switch the Heatwave Tool on and wait until it has heated up. Lay Heatwave foil over your creation and draw whatever you want with the Heatwave Tool, using slow and steady movements. The heat transfers the foil to your creation and makes beautiful prints. Handy extras are the Heatwave stencils – templates that you can use to make all kinds of attractive prints. Lay the Heatwave stencil on the Heatwave foil and you can easily follow the outlines to make letters, numbers, texts or shapes. The templates have the following dimensions: 17.8 x 17.8 cm (7x7 inch).

There’s a handy light incorporated into the Heatwave tool so that you can more easily see what you’re working on. In addition to the battery-powered Heatwave tool, you’re supplied with 20 Heatwave foil sheets in the colors pink, gold, blue and silver in the following size: 10.2 x 15.2 cm. There’s also a protective cap for storing your tool safely. The tool cannot be switched on accidentally if the protective cap is on. Use the Heatwave tool for making cards, scrapbook pages, home decoration and DIY projects. You can also use other templates apart from the Heatwave stencils, as long as the tip of the Heatwave tool fits into the open spaces of the template, so that it makes contact with the surface.

Hotfix applicator

With the Hotfix applicator you can stick Hotfix stones (crystals), metal studs and Hotfix nailheads to various items of clothing as well as paper, wood and leather. In the case of leather, it’s a good idea to remove the top layer of the leather. The Hotfix stones, metal studs and Hotfix nailheads have an adhesive layer on the back that melts when you heat them up with the Hotfix applicator. When the adhesive layer cools, it hardens and the Hotfix decorations are stuck firmly. You can even put items with Hotfix stones in the washing machine. Do make sure to wash the clothes inside-out and no hotter than 40 degrees.

Use the Hotfix applicator to jazz up a bag or embellish boring bracelets, belts, shoes, jeans, diaries or photo frames. The possibilities are endless! The instructions tell you how to affix the Hotfix stones using the Hotfix applicator, which has a cable attached. The Hotfix applicator is supplied with various stick-on stones and a holder. Vaessen Creative also offers handy aids such as tweezers with which you can remove the Hotfix stones and place them in a new position. And with the Hotfix iron you can heat up and attach Hotfix stones of all sizes.  

There are 2 ways of attaching Hotfix decorations to your creation. One way is by using Hotfix transfer sheets and Hotfix deco stencils, for which you use an iron, and the other way is with a Hotfix applicator. With the Hotfix transfer sheets you make your own design and then iron it onto a shirt or other piece of clothing. The Hotfix deco stencils contain patterns on which you place the Hotfix stones and then iron over them. Be sure to lay a tea towel or some baking parchment over the stones to avoid damaging them.

Do you want to attach Hotfix stones to curved and delicate surfaces? Use the Hotfix heat tool with a soft handle.