Heat Embossing and Ghosting

I have been talking a great deal recently about Operation Write Home. OWH is a great organization that coordinates the distribution of handmade cards to deployed troops in order for them to have cards to mail home to their loved ones. You can find out more here. On the site, you will find a link to a wonderful blog called Operation Write Home Stars and Stamps. This site contains all kinds of sketch challenges, tutorials and information about Operation Write Home. This is a recent sketch challenge posted on the site.

This is a great sketch! To complete my card, I used a technique called "Ghosting." About a year ago, I highlighted this technique in a scrapbook page that I made. You can find my "ghosted" Eiffel Tower on my side bar in the Paris Scrapbook. For this card, I "ghosted" a serene lake scene that is in the Close To My Heart My Acrylix Stamp Set called Beautiful Things.

Ghosted is very simple and provides your cards with a unique look. Follow these easy steps to ghost an image...

1. Heat emboss your selected image in clear embossing powder.

2. When the embossed image is cool, sponge the image with your selected inks. For this image, I sponged both Desert Sand and Sorbet inks.

3. You could stop now and have a lovely textured image, but for the "ghosting" there is one more step. Pull out your iron....yes, I know, an iron. "Iron" is a 4 letter word, but for this, it is worth it! :o) Set the iron to a medium heat as you do not want to scorch your paper. Use a piece of scrap cardstock and place it over the embossed and sponged image. Iron over both layers of cardstock remembering to keep the iron moving. This will remelt the embossing powder and the scrap cardstock will pick up the residue of the embossing powder. When the embossing powder has melted, you are left with the "ghosted" image created by sponging.


If you look closely, you will see the texture of the sponging around the previously embossed image. I purposely did little embellishment on this card, because I wanted to keep the "ghosted" image the primary focal point. All products used for this card are Close To My Heart and they include Crystal Blue, Sorbet and Colonial White Cardstock. B/T Duo Pattern Paper from the Caboodle paper packet and Sorbet ribbon.

"Ghosting" is a fun and easy technique to give your cards a artistic feel. Give it a try and feel free to email me with any questions you may have completing it or about Close To My Heart. For Now, Happy Crafting!