It’s not often that I get a chance to get out my precious Sheena stash and there’s no better time than Halloween! So what a treat… and today it is within the ‘trick or treat’ sense. So be afraid.. be very afraid!!

So here’s how:-

Step 1:-

Using Sheena card, die cut the church and steeple. Emboss using the brickwork folder and again along the bottom with the skulls folder. Then stamp randomly using the brick stamp and remove sections from the middle and the edges to create a ‘ruins’ look with a craft knife. Finally watercolour using the black, green and topaz Aqua pens. Its also a good idea to highlight the brickwork with a black liner pen.

Step 2:-

Using one of the banner mixed media dies cut a gravestone from mount board and emboss a pattern at the top using any folder of your choice. Then cover the die cut with crackle paste. You can also spread some on to the steeple and on the bottom of the church to add to that old stone look. When the paste is dry and has crackled colour with black and green pens and highlight the top of the grave stone with gilding wax.

Step 3:-

Die cut, stamp and colour three skeletons and two sets of arms. When colouring the skulls and bodies remember that two of them will be in silhouette so need to be very dark. Also die cut a large skull and set aside for later. Using drawing gum and Sheena card add a circle for the moon in the centre of the page. Using Aqua markers, foam and a little glycerine blend purples and reds gradually fading towards the bottom of the page. Rip some copy paper to create a mask and using black ink from the pen on a piece of foam lightly ink to create hills/mist.

Step 4:-

Remove the gum from the moon and colour with yellow ink. Flick some red across too. Stamp some trees along the edges and the bottom of the picture. Then taking the skull die cut using it as a stencil ink through with black ink on the left hand side of the sky.

Step 5:-

As the skeletons are bigger than the ruined church, some perspective is needed. So cut the church and steeple again from black card. Cut away the roof line and stick to a longer piece of black card. This achieves a taller structure. As before emboss using the brickwork folder and cut away some areas to give the impression of a crumbled building. Removing the middle section allows the moon to shine through.

Step 6:-

For the finishing touches edge everything with a little gilding wax to create that moonlight effect. Assemble the elements, raising the foreground and grave stone on foam pads. Stick small amounts of the web across the picture not forgetting the spider! Darken the edges of the picture with black ink and stick to mount board or a canvas. Finally stamp, ink and edge the sentiment and stick down with foam pads.

Hopefully your picture will be spooky enough to frighten the neighbours!

Top Crafty Tip

Use the glycerine and gilding wax very sparingly.

Supplies

Sheena Douglass Day of the Dead ‘Sugar skull’ and ‘Dancing skeleton’ dies;Sheena Douglass Mockingbird Hill ‘Village church’ die;Diesire mixed media ‘bunting trio’ die set;Sheena Douglass stamp sets;- Mockingbird Hill- ‘Rejoice’; Day of the Dead ‘Dancing Skeleton’;A little bit Scenic-‘Silhouette countrylane’; A little bit Sketchy-‘Dawn will break’

Embossing folders;-  Textures-‘brickwork’ and Day of the dead-‘skulls’

Mount board; Black card; Sheena stamping card;Spectrum Aqua pens;- topaz;red violet;wildflower;crimson;marigold;leafgreen;black -Fine liner pen- black;Pebeo gilding wax- empire gold;Pebeo drawing gum;Tacky glue;Collall glue gel;Foam pads.

Other materials

Versafine black ink;Spooky spider’s web;Glycerine;Crackle paste;Plastic spider

Crafty hugs!

Lisa xx