Fireworks Fizzles

This week One Stop Craft Challenge wants cards that are inspired by fireworks.  I love the inspirational picture they posted.  

However, my card efforts weren't very successful.  I wanted to do emboss resist to have bright, colorful snowflake "bursts" and then ink over in black.  However, the techniques just didn't work out like I'd hoped.  

First I sponged Distress inks onto the card base using a "stencil" of the Stampin' Up! snowflake punch-negative space.  Then I used a VersaMark pen to trace the colored flakes so I could emboss with clear embossing powder.  Finally, I did direct to paper with Memento Tuxedo Black dye ink over the whole thing.  Wiping off the embossed areas to show the colors really just showed that the embossing wasn't good enough.  
Then I tried using the stamp with Distress inks and clear embossing powder.  This made much more delicate "bursts" and when I sponged on dark inks it didn't get as dark as I'd imagined.  
Then I tried sponging on the Distress Inks thru a punched out snowflake negative again.  After creating all the colored bursts, I laid the stencil over each one and sponged on Distress embossing ink.  I used iridescent embossing powder for this one, but again the dark ink just made it look messy.  If anyone has a good idea for how to stamp/ink/emboss bright firework bursts and get the background black, please let me know.  

The finished card uses the second try, and I added a sparkly sheer ribbon along with the sentiment.