Ghostly Greetings

Halloween is the time of the year when the veil is the thinnest and people seek out spooky experiences. Here’s a card with NO stamping that uses both the old and new VersaFine Clair Inks with stencils and die-cuts!

Imagine Crafts Supplies:

Sand Dune, Cheerful, Grass Green, Strawberry, Summertime, Purple Delight, Monarch, Bali Blue, and Lilac Bloom VersaFine Clair Inks  *

Wheat VersaMagic Dew Drop Ink

Moonlight White and Starlite Silver Brilliance Inks

Pumpkin StazOn Ink 

Sponge Daubers

Fantastix

Tear It! Tape

On Point Glue

Craft Mat

Other Supplies:

Bristol Paper by Strathmore

Avalanche Textured Cardstock by Bazzill Basics

Ouija Board 6x6 Stencil by Strumpet Stencils

Woodgrain Stencil by Prima Marketing

Dynamic Stencil by Lavinia Stamps *

Skeletal Hand Cutting Die Source Unknown

Large Ouija Board Planchette by Retro Cafe Art

Halloween Idea-ology Remnant Rubs by Tim Holtz for Advantus

Low-Tack Tape

Post-It Notes by 3M

Please Note: The products marked with an asterisk ( * ) can be found at Topflight Stamps.

Instructions:

Step 1:

Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Sand Dune VersaFine Clair ink to a piece of white cardstock.

Step 2:

Use low-tack tape to secure the inked cardstock to the back of a wood-grain stencil. Use a sponge dauber to apply Sand Dune VersaFine Clair over the stencil onto the cardstock to create a subtle wood grained look. Remove the stencil and heat set the cardstock.

Steps 3A through 3E:

Use low-tack tape to secure the image panel to the back of the Ouija Board Stencil. Different colors of VersaFine Clair Inks and Moonlight White Brilliance ink will be applied to various areas of the stencil. I ended up adding Starlite Silver over the Moonlight White to add more contrast. Sorry there’s no photo.

Place Post-It Notes to protect areas of the stencil and keep a paper towel at hand to wipe excess ink off of the stencil to avoid unwanted ink transfer.

Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Cheerful VersaFine Clair to the sun area of the stencil. Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Moonlight White Brilliance Ink to the moon and the clouds area of the stencil (3A).

Use Sponge Daubers to apply Grass Green and Strawberry VersaFine Clair Inks to the “Yes” and “No” words on the stencil (3B)

Use Sponge Daubers to apply Purple Delight and Monarch VersaFine Clair Inks to the the alphabet on the stencil (3C). Remember to use a paper towel to wipe away excess ink.

Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Summertime VersaFine Clair Ink to the numbers on the stencil (3D).

Use Fantastix to apply Lilac Bloom, Bali Blue, Summertime, and Cheerful VersaFine Inks to the stars on the stencil (3E)

Remove the stencil and thoroughly heat set the image panel.

Step 4:

Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Lilac Bloom VersaFine Clair Ink to a piece of Mixed Media paper to create the background panel. Heat set.

Steps 5A and 5B:

Use low-tack tape to secure the Lilac Bloom inked paper to the back of the Dynamic Stencil.

Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Purple Delight VersaFine Clair Ink randomly over the stencil (5A) onto the background panel. Use a separate Sponge Dauber to apply Monarch VersaFine Clair Ink over the the rest of the stencil (5B) onto the background panel.  Remove the stencil and heat set the panel. 

Step 6:

Use the skeletal hand cutting die to cut three hands from white cardstock.

Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Wheat VersaMagic Ink to the edges of the hands, fingers, and wrist bones. You can use the pointed edge of the DewDrop Inkpad to reach between the fingers! When the bones are aged to your liking, heat set all three hands then set them aside.

Step 7:

Cut a piece of white cardstock to 5.25” x 3.875”. Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Summertime VersaFine Clair Ink to the outer .5” of the panel. Heat set. Use this panel to mat the Ouija Board Panel, then adhere the matted Ouija Board panel to the stenciled background panel. 

Steps 8A and B:

Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Bali Blue VersaFine Clair Ink to a sentiment sticker (8A). Heat set.

Use a Flag Die to cut white cardstock. Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Lilac Bloom VersaFine Clair Ink to the die-cut. Heat set.

Adhere the sticker onto the die-cut flag. Set aside.

Step 9:

Press the plastic planchette facedown onto the Pumpkin StazOn Inkpad. Smoosh it around.Carefully remove and allow to dry.

Steps 10A and 10B:

Place dimensional foam adhesive to the back of all three skeletal hands. Fold all the fingers, except the index fingers, backwards at the second joint, and press them onto the adhesive foam. You can add a piece of Tear It! Tape over them to keep them in place. Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Sand Dune VersaFine Clair Ink to the backs of the fingers and the joints to further “age” them (10A).

Use On Point Glue to attach the Planchette so that it’s pointing at the “H” for Halloween. Apply On Point Glue to the back of index fingertips, remove the tape backing, and adhere the skeletal hands as shown (10B).

Step 11: 

Create a 5” x 7” card from white textured cardstock. Use a Sponge Dauber to apply Monarch VersaFine Clair Ink to the outer .5” of the card. Heat set.

Step 12:

Use Tear It! Tape to adhere the layers of the card.

Here's the finished card!

Thank you for visiting today!

Tempus Fugit -- A Mixed Media Tag

It's the end of August. Days are growing shorter, leaves are beginning to fall, and Autumn will soon be here, which means it's time to turn my attention to all things Halloween! I started to prepare for this season by casting a batch of skulls using FastCast™Urethane Casting Resin and the Finnabair® Imaginarium Wings and Bones Mould by Prima Marketing.

Here's the first project created with one of these skulls. It's a mixed media tag made with the Eldaro Greyboard Kit by Andy Skinner for Tando Creative, Ltd..

Products Used:

FastCast™Urethane Casting Resin by Environmental Technologiy, Inc.

Imaginarium Wings and Bones Mould by Finnabair® for  Prima® Marketing

Eldaro Greyboard Kit by Andy Skinner for Tando Creative, Ltd.

Media® Black Gesso by DecoArt®

Silver, Pthalo Blue, Ultra Marine Blue, Quinacridone Violet,  Cobalt Teal Hue, Quinacridone Red, and Quinacridone Magenta Media® Fluid Acrylic Paints by DecoArt®

Caramel and Buff Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylic Paints by PaperArtsy

Ink and the Dog #26 Mini Cling Rubber Stamp by PaperArtsy

Watch Stencil by Stamperia

Jet Black Archival™ Ink by Ranger Ink

Inkssentials™ Cut 'N' Dry™ Stamping Foam by Ranger Ink

Fuschia Netty stuff from my stash

Strong glue

Steel wool

Instructions and Notes:

Part 1: Casting your skulls

1. Cover your work surface with newspaper. Be smart (unlike me) and wear a pair of latex gloves. 
2. Follow the instructions on the FastCast box to mix the two components to make the resin.
3. Quickly pour the resin into the moulds. 
4. Wait patiently (unlike me) until the resin turns white and cools off a bit.
5. Unmold each skull, trim the edges with scissors, and press onto a hard surface to flatten. 
6. Peel out any detritus from the moulds.
7. Repeat Steps #2 until you have a nice quantity for your stash.
8. Pop downstairs and loudly proclaim that dinner will have to wait until you're done casting and trimming your skulls. 
9. Watch the reaction to your announcement.

Notes: 

• I found that making smaller batches of the resin works best because the resin changes viscosity quickly. and becomes less pourable. Waste not, want not!
• Try not to overfill the moulds to make a flatter backed skull and remove the trimming the skulls with scissors step.
• Wear gloves and be sure to clean all surfaces quickly. Removing the resin from skin takes a while and some skin as well. 

Instructions: Part 2

1. Free all of the greyboard components from their backing. Save the backing because it's lovely thick greyboard and/or can be used as a stencil.
2. Paint the tag, both sets of Industrial Wings, and the heart with Silver Media Fluid Acrylic Paint.
3. Apply drops of Pthalo Blue, Ultra Marine Blue, Quinacridone Violet,  Cobalt Teal Hue to a piece of Inkssentials foam. 
4. Pounce the foam onto a craft mat to mix the drops.
5. Pounce the foam onto the tag and small Industrial Wings, repeating Steps #3 and #4 as needed to attain the coverage you want.
6. Sponge of Quinacridone Red, and Quinacridone Magenta Media Fluid Acrylic Paints to another piece of foam.
7. Pounce the foam onto a craft mat to mix the drops.
8. Pounce the foam onto the large Industrial Wings and the heart, repeating Steps #6 and #7 as needed.
9. Heat set all painted greyboard.
10. Sponge or brush Jet Black Archival ink over the time stencil onto the tag. Heat set.
11. Edge the tag with Jet Black Archival ink and heat set.
12. Use steel wool to apply specks and dots of Jet Black Archival ink to the tag and the tags components. Heat set.
13. Use Jet Black Archival Ink to stamp the text from the Ink and the Dog #26 Mini Cling Rubber Stamp onto the heart. Heat set.
14. Use strong liquid glue to assemble the tag.
15. Use a fine tip Sharpie pen to color the nose and eye holes of the skull.
16. Use Buff and Caramel Fresco Finish Acrylic Paints to age the skull.
17. Use steel wool to apply specks and dots of Jet Black Archival ink to the skull. Heat set.
18. Adhere the skull to the heart with strong liquid adhesive.
19. Add fiber stuff through the hole of the tag.

Notes:

• When you apply color paint onto a silver painted surface, you end up with a lovely shimmery colored surface that will please your inner magpie.
• Trim a small piece of steel wool with ink to use to apply dots and speckles to your project. Toss the steel wool when you're done. 

Thanks for visiting today!

I shall enter this tag into the following challenges:

• Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenges: Glimmer and Sparkle

• Creative Artiste Mixed Media Challenges: Anything Goes

• Mixed Media Lovers: Challenge #4 - Anything Goes