Is it time for Halloween yet? Spooky card with Josefine.

Halloween! My favorite time of the year for card making. While I'm waiting for the new Halloween stamps (from Plate 1504) to arrive at home, I wanted to get a head start with my Halloween crafts using some older Halloween stamps.

I started with a slightly different idea. I wanted to create a shining moon for the Bats over Moon stamp, so I started with ink blending a light color onto some watercolor paper.

But the moonlight ended up being a much larger area. I just rolled with it because I wanted to know where it takes me.

To add some initial texture, I sued some simple bubble wrap and stamped the same inks all over the background. Before stamping, I misted the bubble wrap with some water.

Then I added a variety of mark-making stamps to the background - again, using the same colors that I used for the initial ink blending.

Here you can see the finished background (waiting for the water to dry ;) ).

Now I stamped the bats.

I also stamped the Halloween labels onto a piece of cardstock and decorated it with some of the stamps that I used for the background. I then cut them out and distressed the edges.

I wanted to mount the card onto a separate piece of black cardstock to make it stand out a bit more. To give that background piece some texture, I stamped the Beware Of stamp using white ink. You don't see much of it at the end - mainly that awesome font.

After I adhered the pieces together, I added a bit of ribbon and a trinket - and voila, the first Halloween card of the year is done.

Wit a lot of fun texture :)

When my husband saw the card, he was reminded of the movie Suicide Squad... the colors match it pretty nicely.

Stamps used:

Plate 1504

Bats over Moon

Mercurial Ointment

Beware Of

Rows of Numbers

Carved Xs

Row of Distressed Lines

Thanks so much for stopping by :)

The Cat | Sue Plumb

Happy Halloween everyone!
Sue Plumb here with my latest design team project for you. In keeping with the Hallowen spirit, today I have a creepy mixed media scrapbook layout to share using some of the recently released Halloween stamps and a snap of our family cat. Unfortunately our furry boy has a bit of a reputation for giving my daughter a scratch or a nip, so I made this page especially for her. (She instantly proclaimed it to be her favourite page I have ever made and it is already framed and up in her room! haha)

I went with a different size for this layout - opting for an 8.5x11" size page, instead of the usual 12x12" I usually create. I started with a piece of white cardstock, and added some Dina Wakley acrylic paints to the background. First 'Elephant', followed by 'Umber', 'Black' and then 'Cheddar'. I alternated between using a brush and brayer to apply the layers; finishing off with 'Buff' applied to the area where my photo was going to go.

Once the paint was dry it was time to add some stamping! I began with the Cross Marks Background, stamping it randomly around my page using Staz On ink. I also added some larger marks using the Carved Xs stamp.

Once I had the marks down on the background, I added some feature images - the new Raven Looking Up in the bottom right corner; and the Ext Witch Hazel label a few times around the page. I also added the Beware Of: list, using the Set of Vampire Teeth to frame it at the top and bottom.

I couldn't create a page like this without any "blood", right?! I used Colour Blast 'Sunburnt' Colour Artist Ink and applied it by dripping it onto the page using the dropper, and also by splattering it using a small brush.

I then added my photo (I had pre-cut around the silhouette and attached some cardboard to the back); adding a small paper doily and some frayed gauze underneath it before securing it to the page. I altered my photo to give it some extra "creepiness" by rubbing a little red paint around his eyes and using a fine tip white Sharpie to white out his eyes.

I used a handmade DIY chevron embellishment from Charms Creations and altered it by stamping directly onto the fabric using the Row of Distressed Lines stamp. I then attached it to my page using Helmar 450 adhesive.

I stamped the May Contain Human Flesh quote onto some white cardstock, then fussy cut around it and stuck some cardboard underneath to pop it up from the background.

To complete my "list" and also to provide a title for my page, I added the words the cat using some old Sassafras Lass alpha stickers.

Thanks so much for stopping by today, I hope I have inspired you to get inky and create something creepy too!

Stamps used:
- Cross Marks Background
- Carved Xs
- Raven Looking Up
- Ext Witch Hazel
- Beware Of:
- Set of Vampire Teeth
- Row of Distressed Lines
- May Contain Human Flesh

Other materials:
- cardstock
- Dina Wakley acrylic paints (Elephant, Umber, Black, Cheddar, Buff)
- Tsukineko Staz On ink
- Colour Blast Colour Artist Ink (Sunburnt)
- fine tip white Sharpie
- paper doily, gauze
- Miracle Tape
- Charms Creations chevron
- Helmar 450 adhesive

Trick or Treat | Sue Plumb

Hi everyone!

Sue Plumb here with my latest design team project for you. Today I have a Halloween themed mixed media scrapbook layout to share featuring some of the recently released Halloween stamps. Halloween isn't as big here in Australia as it is the US, but it is steadily growing in popularity each year. (My kids think any occasion where you get to collect candy from the neighbours is a great idea, and I am happy to hand out treats to kids who have made an effort to dress up.)

I started this page with a sheet of Bazzill Marshmallow cardstock and some Dina Wakley acrylic paints. I used the colours Lime, Sedona, Tangerine, Lemon and Cheddar. I used several methods of applying my paint - starting with a brush, then a brayer and finally, my fingers! Once I had all the colours down, I went back over it with some white acrylic and my brayer where I wanted to place my photos.

Once my background was dry it was time to pull out my stamps. I started with the awesome Spider Web in Tree Branches and stamped it several times on my page. I followed that with the Bats Over Moon at the top of my page. (I repeated the smallest bat a few times to increase the "battiness".)

I then added the Jack O'Lantern on the right side of my page, before adding the Beware Of: list in the bottom left corner. 

I love the way the black images pop against the warm colours of the paint!

With all the stamps in place, the main structure of my page was all mapped out and it was simply a matter of filling the blanks between them. 

I wanted to add an extra layer behind my photos, and reached for one of my favourite items - some paint sample cards from the hardware store. I love using these! Not only are they easy to coordinate with whatever colours you are using, but they are also free! I stamped them with the Evidence Label for some extra detail before adding them to my page.

Now it was time for some texture! I added some pieces of torn printed tissue paper; a paper doily; some small pieces of punchinella; and frayed gauze to my page and then secured it with staples.

Next, I added some small red ink splatters randomly around my page using Colour Blast 'Sunburnt' Colour Artist Ink and a small brush.

To finish off, I added some cardboard to the back of my photos to mount them up, before sticking them down on the page.

I then added some handwritten journaling with a felt pen and my page was done!

I was really happy with how this page turned out and can't wait to take some more Halloween photos this year to use these stamps again. (First I need to convince my kids to dress a little creepier this year!)

Thanks for stopping by so I could share this with you. I hope I have inspired you to get inky too! 

Stamps used:

- Spider Web in Tree Branches

- Bats Over Moon

- Jack O'Lantern

- Beware Of:

- Evidence Label

Other materials:

- Bazzill cardstock

- Dina Wakley acrylic paints

- Tsukineko Staz On ink

- Paint sample cards

- Collage materials (tissue paper, paper doily, punchinella, gauze)

- Colour Blast Colour Artist Ink

- Felt pen, staples