Poe's Party Hat by Cathy N

 Hello, all Cathy here with a semi-Halloween card for you. I have been in the Halloween mood for the last week or so and I just had to make something for it.

                                                                    Stamped Used:

                                                                       19900 Poe

                                                                      17545 grunge writing background

                                                                      19991 Alis Volat Proprits

I started out with some orange distress ink and stamped grunge writing background randomly around the edges of my card base. I then took some brown ink and inked around the edges and splattered some water around to give it a grunge look.

 

I had made this background earlier with some white paste that I added some black ink to it, and it mad it gray. I tore the edges and edged it with some gray ink. 

Next, I stamped Poe and cut him out. After that I stamped the wings from Alis Volat Proprits in the same orange ink I used for the background and cut them out. I found a top hat in my digital collage images and cut it out so Poe could where it. I added the wings to the hat and then the hat to Poe and I added foam tape so it would stick to the texture of the background. 

 

Halloween wall hanger - Is pumpkin spice a carb?

Hey everyone,

it's time for a new project. This time I went for something different and created a Halloween themed and hexagon shaped wall hanger.

1. Preparation
To start my HDF panel, I had to prepare the surface and add a little texture, too. So I added the following with a quick dry between each layer:
- 4 thin layers of gesso, two with a baby wipe and two with a brush
- 1 layer of crackle paste
- 2 thin layers of aqua ground

2. Background
I sprayed and splattered a few Lindy's Gang sprays to the panel. To create some depth, I dried between each layer and sometimes dabbed away a little of the color before it was completely dry. I just love the look of that. This took me a while as I added lots of layers until I was happy with the result.
I added some background stamping with the plus signs and row of numbers. To finish the background, I inked the edges in black.

3. Focal points
To create some clusters, I chose the following elements:
- Poe stamped onto some gelli printed paper, cut out and edges inked with a marker
- Pumpkin row stamped onto white cardstock, cut out and edges inked with a marker
- Pumpkin spice quote stamped onto watercolor paper and torn to size
- a few Halloween die cuts, cut from white cardstock. The twisted edge one does not cut the top completely, so I tore that for a grungy look.

Here's how everything looked when I tried to figure out how I want to arrange all the elements:

4. Finishing touches
I heat embossed the twig with three different colors. I even added embossing powder to the bag as I planned to glue only the top to the panel.
To make the ghosts and the spider web less bright white, I dragged them through some oxide ink.
Then I assembled everything with foam tape and gel medium, added some wire to the two holes at the top and that's it - my wall hanger is ready to decorate my house a little for Halloween.

Here are a few more detail photos:

 

 

 

 

 

 

Stamps used:
Row Of Numbers (20170)
Plus Sign Background (20571)
Poe (19900)
Row Of Pumpkins (20560)
Is Pumpkin Spice A Carb? (20555)


Other material:
- HDF hexagon panel
- gesso
- aqua gound
- crackle paste
- gel medium
- foam tape
- Archival Ink (jet black)
- Lindys Gang sprays (blazing black, screamin' banshee black, hag's wart orange)
- Tim Holtz dies (twisted edge, spider web, frightful things)
- Lindy's Gang embossing powder (tannenbaum gold green, midnight ruby, midnight emerald)
- Oxide Ink (pumice stone)

See you soon!

 

Quote the Raven Nevermore

Hello again. I'm back with another Halloween journal page for you.

Back in Sept. Retro cafe art gallery on their facebook page posted a free Halloween collage sheet, and of course a challenge. To use at least one item from the collage in your art piece. I did a journal page in my little Straphmore Visual Mix Media art journal.  chose to use 3 of the collage images and of Course a couple of VLVS! stamps! :)

I printed the collage sheet and right then cut out the Poe image. I did a gel medium transfer with it. After i cut the image out. i put some good amount of Gel Medium on the picture. I then placed it on the Journal page. I burnished it to make sure I get a good transfer. Or as close as a good transfer I can get. these transfers can be  little temperamental. After sitting on the page for a few seconds, I lifted the picture off. 

as you can see I got a pretty good transfer. Though he is missing part of his stash.:P After it dried i painted the page with purple water color paint.I used some Screamin Banchee Black Lindy's stamp gang starburst spray with some punchenllia and some Golden Doubloons Moon shadow mist. 

I then cut out the raven and wings from the collage sheet. I glued the raven down with the gel medium since I still had it by me. When that was drying I stamped the Wheel lady on white cardstock. Colored her with markers. Cut her out and then glued the wings to her.Before glueing her down. I put some drips of water down craft paint. Was trying to get a dark look to the page. I then stamped "Nevermore" on a piece white cardstock Sponged Seedless Preserves Distress ink on it, Cut it out and glued it on the page. For the title I wrote the it on a scrap of black cardstock with a silver pen. Last step I distressed the edges of the page and used black soot distress ink pad.

Stamps used

Wheeled Lady

Nevermore

Items used

Straphmore Visual Journal Mix media

Retro art Cafe art gallery Collage sheet

Artist Loft Water Colors

Punchenllia

Water down black craft paint

sprays

gel medium

markers

Black Memento ink pad

Black card stock

silver gel pen

My Poe-st (pun intended)

I was introduced to Edgar AllanPoe and The Raven in Junior High School. I still remember how we acted out the poem in class. Naturally, I was the star - the Raven. I only had one line but it was the most important of the entire poem, “Nevermore.” I didn’t receive a standing ovation for my performance but a few classmates applauded, and for a moment in time I actually considered acting as a career path.

I still love the unparalleled literary master of the macabre. Poe believed that visual art should not make a clear statement, but rather suggest and evoke emotions and stimulate the mind. I hope my interpretation of The Raven does just that.

After leaving his home in China, Mr. Crow aka Mr.Raven flew to my local Dollar Tree. He is now residing on a slightly crushed eye-medicine box that I retrieved from the Friday garbage.

I don't find it a bit odd that Mr.Raven is wearing a party hat with a
purple pom-pom. Do you?

SUPPLIES
Black Bird
Recycled Box
Scrapbook Paper
Page from an Old Book
Pom-Pom
Ribbon or Paper Trim for hat/scarf
4 Wooden Feet
Glue Gun
Stickles
Moss
Chipboard Clock
Black Ink

VLVS
NEVERMORE STAMP
MIRACLE TAPE

I kept this craft simple because I wanted to highlight the ornate Nevermore stamp from Viva Las Vegas Stamps. The whole project took around an hour and was easy peasy.

DIRECTIONS
1. Cut scrapbook paper to fit box and using Miracle Tape attach to bottom, top and sides of the box.
2. Cover the 4 wooden feet with Stickles. When dry attach to bottom of the box using your glue gun.
3. Make hat for Mr. Raven by rolling up book paper and attach trim and a pom-pom. Dress Mr. Raven in his hat and scarf using Miracle Tape. Bling optional.
5. Attach Mr. Raven to box and then cover the empty area of the top of the box with Miracle Tape. Cover with moss.
6. Make a banner out of plain paper and stamp NEVERMORE. Attach to box. Add your chipboard clock.
7. Mr. Raven is ready to party!!

Poe died on October 7, 1849 at the age of forty. It seems fitting that the cause of Poe’s death remains a mystery. Your thoughts on Edgar Allan Poe? Or Halloween Parties?