Place your lace paper face down over your cardstock background and apply the entire pad of versamark over the surface in an up and down motion.  Be sure to go over the same areas more than once to make sure you are getting plenty of ink down on the card.  When you lift the lace, you should see the ink on the cardstock. In most cases, it will be a darker shade of the original cardstock colour. 

Sprinkle your embossing powder liberally over the entire surface of the cardstock.  You will most likely use clear powder like I have.  Make sure you have something underneath to catch all the excess powder because you recycle the powder next time you emboss!  Be sure it is a fairly non stick surface…a sheet of photocopy paper or a small craft mat usually will do the trick.  I generally pour the embossing powder back over the top and then tap it off again, just in case the powder missed a section the first time.

This is what it will look like – a dull layer of particles, stuck to the pattern of the ink.  Heating embossing powder can be done a number of ways but because I’m lazy, I quite often grab my toaster out and lay the paper over the top, just be careful it doesn’t burn!  You will see the crystals changing colour and melt, becoming a wet, shiny surface.  You can also use a heat gun for this process, but be sure the blower on it isn’t strong, you don’t want that powder to blow off and lose your pattern!

 You will end up with a lovely, shiny background, with the pattern of your lace paper embossed on it.

Embossing has other uses…. here I have used different coloured backgrounds and embossing powders but still used the lace cardstock.  Inking over the top of clear embossed areas gives a lovely effect, as does using some metallic powders.  Have  a play….. we’d love to see how you use your embossed backgrounds too!!!