Today I am going to show you two quick and easy Halloween projects using the adorable Monster Mash stamps from Lawn Fawn. First I will show you how to make a great last-minute card that uses a very simple, but elegant looking inking technique for the background. And then a super fast and easy item to decorate your craft room – or anywhere else that needs a few monsters to perk it up.
Please note that I am not affiliated with Lawn Fawn in any way, I just adore their products.
I stamped a bunch of the cute little monsters and a couple of the party hats using Memento Tuxedo Black ink on Neenah “Crystal Crest” white card. This is my go-to combination for any thing I will colour with alcohol markers. The coloured marks you can see here are where I began testing colour blends, I often do this on the tiny spaces between pictures.
I had fun colouring the little monsters with Copic, Spectrum Noir and Promarker alcohol markers. I mix and match my pens depending on what colours I want, they all seem to blend with each other just fine. The “purple bat” monster and the “pink eyeball” monster both have a mottled skin. I made this by dotting a blender pen on after the ink had dried. I rather like this effect.
The first project is a Halloween card, though it would work just as well as a birthday card, or even for a party invite.
I used a standard A6 side folding card made from 300gsm Sheena Stamping Card. I laid it on my craft mat and stuck masking tape around all four sides. Because this is cheap masking tape, not proper papercrafting removable tape, I stuck it on my trouser leg a few times before using it, to remove some of the stickyness. Otherwise it might rip the surface of the card when I remove it. I added a second strip of tape to the bottom of the card (on the right of the picture here).
I cut a wavy line down a scrap piece of packaging card and laid one half on my masked card front, over the bottom. I used an Ink Duster from Inkylickious and brushed Salty Ocean Distress Ink on to the card front. I load the brush with some ink, then place the bristles on to the scrap card, then flick it off on to the card front. It takes a little while to build up some colour, but I always work from bottom to top. This way the colour is lighter at the top, and I wanted this gradient effect.
Here is what it looks like when I have finished and removed the scrap card.
Now I took the other half of my scrap card and linked it up over the top of the inked area so only the uninked end is exposed. I brushed Peeled Paint Distress Ink on this side, using the same technique as before. I used the same end of my inkduster as the previous blue paint was just mixed in with the green.
And here is how it looks when I remove the scrap card. Not really very exciting yet, but…
When I carefully peel away the masking tape it leaves a rather neat rectangle of colour. I just stamped the “Eye think you’re neat” sentiment underneath using Tuxedo Black ink. Now you see why I wanted more of the bottom masked than the top.
Finally I added two of the “eye monsters” using sticky foam pads. Then I glued on their party hats with tacky glue. Just as soon as I find my Glossy Accents, I will add some to the eyeballs to make them shiny!
Now to use the rest of my little monsters. I wanted to make something to decorate my (very tiny) craft studio.
First I cut out 4 orange and 4 purple triangular banners from lightweight cardboard using the Sizzix “Banners, Oval and Triangular Scallop” Sizzlits die no 657402. I paired up the orange middles with the purple outside bits, and vice versa. Then I stuck the edges to the inner bits, on the back, using tiny bits of sticky tape.
And then I stuck my remaining monsters on the top with sticky foam pads. The other two “eye monsters” get to share a pennant.
Finally I stuck some green and white baker’s twine to the reverse and hung up my monster banner in my craft studio. Happy little monsters to inspire me whilst I work.
