Instructions

Hi everyone, it’s Audrey, and I’m so excited that my favorite season is here, Halloween crafting season. Today I have a spooky-fun Halloween card to share featuring the Sizzix Tim Holtz Colorize Skull die set mixed with the fabulous Distress color, Crackling Campfire.

I am obsessed with creating an old-world “venetian plaster” type of finish on my cards and craft projects using Ranger’s Crackle Texture Paste, and I did that again today by combining the paste with Distress Ink, Oxide Ink, Oxide Spray, and of course a great Tim Holtz layering stencil. The technique is easy and fun and I’ll show you how to do it in this step-by-step tutorial. So let’s take a closer look.

Step 1: To begin, create a 5x5 card base. Cut a 5x5 square of Black Out kraft stock cardstock. Sand the edges of the paper. Adhere the black cardstock to the card base. Cut two smaller squares of Dapper cardstock to layer with. Ink the edges of the papers with Black Soot Distress Ink using an Ink Blending Tool.

Step 2: Place a layering stencil down onto the smallest paper, holding it in place with some low-tac tape. Ink the stencil using a mixture of Black Soot Distress Ink and Crackling Campfire Distress Oxide. Move the stencil, as needed, to cover the entire piece of paper.

Step 3: Spray the inked paper with Crackling Campfire Distress Spray Stain and Vintage Photo Oxide Spray. Allow the ink to dry.

Step 4: Using your fingertip, spread Distress Crackle Texture Paste all around the edges of the inked paper. The paste will pick up some of the color from the inks below it, but go ahead and spray a little more Crackling Campfire Spray Stain onto the corners, and work the color in with your finger. Set the paper aside to dry.

Step 5: Add a few drops of Crackling Campfire Distress Paint to your media mat, and then spray the paint with a bit of water using a Distress Sprayer. Cut a 12” strip of mummy cloth. Dab and swipe the trim through the paint until it is fully covered. Set the trim aside to dry. Adhere the two patterned papers together, and machine stitch around the edge, if desired. Once the trim is dry, wrap it around the bottom of the paper, trimming off the excess. Wrap the excess cloth into loops, and tie it into the bow. The paint acts like a fabric stiffener, and allows you to shape and manipulate the bow.

Step 6: Die cut the pieces to the Colorize Skull die set from a mixture of sanded kraft stock cardstock and Watercolor Cardstock. To get a nice range of neutral colors, ink a scrap of Watercolor Cardstock with Antique Linen Distress Ink to use in the second lightest layer. Use straight Watercolor Cardstock for the lightest layer. And use Watercolor Cardstock sprayed with Vintage Photo Distress Oxide Spray as the base of the skull.

Step 7: Ink the edges of all the die cut pieces with Black Soot Distress Ink, and then assemble and glue the skull. Dab Distress Crackle Texture Paste onto the skull using your finger tip. Allow the paste to dry, and then ink over the paste with Black Soot Distress Ink.

Step 8: Add Foam Adhesive to the back of the skull, and attach it to the card above the trim. Add Foam Adhesive behind the skull panel, and adhere it to the card base. Adhere a Halloween Clipping Sticker to the jaw using Matte Multi Medium adhesive. Spray a trio of Bouquet Flowers with Crackling Campfire Spray Stain. Allow the stain to dry. Add a dab of Matte Multi Medium adhesive in the center of the flowers, and use your fingertip to spread it around the entire flower. Dip the flowers into Clear Rock Candy Distress Glitter.

Step 9: Tuck the cluster of flowers into the bow, and adhere them in place with Matte Multi Medium Matte. Ink the edges of some Petaloo paper leaves with Black Soot Distress Ink, and then adhere them to the card using Matte Multi Medium.

Happy Haunting, everyone!