Halloween - Right as Rain

Brewing Up Halloween

Hello! Since Halloween is such a short cardmaking season, I’m trying to be mindful about buying products I’ll only use for a few weeks. I purchased nothing this year to make this card.

I pulled out a set of stacking teacup dies from Taylored Expressions that I’ve had for almost a decade and gave it a Halloween makeover with seasonal colors. I added the steam from a Penny Black die set. Once assembled, I added the teacups to a dry-embossed panel with a bat motif (TE Fright Night Flight) and framed it. I used two Taylored Expressions die sets (a rectangle set and an Inside Out Scallop set) to create the frame. I went through my extensive patterned paper collection for a spider-patterned background. I did not purchase any additional Halloween-themed patterned paper this year. I created the sentiment on my computer and cut it with a banner die.

Because I recently reorganized my embossing folders, I could easily locate the Halloween-themed one I used on this card.

It’s a good reminder to look at what you already own and think about how you can change it up for the season. A little creative mixing and matching can give older supplies a whole new life!

Halloween Trunk or Treat Scene

Hello! One thing I am currently enjoying is putting together my own “kit” from supplies I already own. For this Trunk or Treat card, I pulled dies from several different sets and mixed and matched the pieces to create the scene. If you don’t know, Trunk or Treat is a Halloween tradition where families gather in a parking lot, and children go from decorated car to decorated car to collect treats instead of going door to door. The decorated trunks can be surprisingly creative, and I had fun translating that idea into a card by combining dies from several different sets to build the scene.

I used the Spellbinders Truckin’ Through the Seasons die set to create the vehicle for my Trunk or Treat scene, where the Halloween decorations are displayed in the truck bed.

After making this card, I discovered another die set (Envelope of Wonder Halloween) that would be perfect for creating a Trunk or Treat scene, especially the candy pieces! I used that set on a card for the Spellbinders blog HERE.

Taylored Expressions dies: Skinny Mini Halloween Borders, Little Bits – Ghosts, Little Bits – Halloween Confetti, The Witch Is In

Spellbinders dies: Truckin’ Through the Seasons (October 2018 Large Die of the Month), Boo Crew, Open House Boo!, Open House Halloween, Spooky Boo

Taylored Expressions cardstock: Candy Corn, Poppy Seed, Jelly Donut, Black Licorice

Spellbinders cardstock: Waterfall, Rainforest, Brushed Metallic Silver, Black Glitter foam

Taylored Expressions Brick embossing folder

Halloween Cardmaking with Dies I Already Own

Hello! This Halloween card combines Taylored Expressions dies and a spooky tree background stamp. For the buildings, I used Halloween-themed dies, the Ghost Town Border and the Haunted Cutting Plate, creatively cutting them apart rather than using them as intended. The exercise stretched my design skills and encouraged me to revisit supplies in my collection. Often, themed products offer less play value than more versatile ones. For example, the Build-A-House die set I used HERE can be used for a variety of occasions and seasons.

I began my design process by creating a look book of my previous Halloween cards. Having a visual reference gives me a helpful starting point. I search my blog using keywords (for example, “Taylored Expressions Halloween”), then copy each card photo and its URL into a Word document. I include the URL so I can easily refer back to the original post and identify the products I used.

I enjoy the challenge of using what I own and finding new possibilities in supplies already in my collection.

Taylored Expressions Dies: Haunted Cutting Plate, Ghost Town Border, BOO, Little Bits – Ghost

Taylored Expressions Stamps: Bare Trees Background
Taylored Expressions Cardstock: Eggplant, Jelly Donut, Candy Corn, Black Licorice, Poppy Seed, Sweet Potato Pie, Pineapple
My Favorite Things Frame die

Hero Arts | Playful Ghost Birthday Card

Hello! For an October birthday, I wanted to create something festive with a hint of Halloween fun. Using several Hero Arts products, I put together a playful card featuring a ghost holding a bundle of bright balloons. The background is full of color, and the simple “boo” sentiment ties it all together. What’s great about this design is its flexibility—you can easily change the balloon colors to suit any season or celebration, and in this case, the ghost adds a perfect nod to the time of year.

- Cover a 5″ x 7″ card base with a patterned paper panel.
- Cut the balloons and strings with the Balloon Bunch die set and assemble. (I previously used the balloon die HERE.)
- Cut the ghost with dies in the Boo to You set and assemble.
- Stamp the Season’s Creepings sentiment and cut with the coordinating die.
- Add balloons, ghost, and sentiment to prepared base with dot and foam adhesive.

Spellbinders | Charming Halloween Card

Hello! Today, I’m sharing a playful Halloween card created with the Small Die of the Month for September from Spellbinders. A black cat peeks out from a pumpkin while friendly ghosts float nearby, surrounded by colorful flowers. This combination of classic Halloween icons with soft floral details makes for a card that’s charming and spooky.

- Dry-emboss Waterfall cardstock with the Tiny Dots folder and add to an A2-size card base.
- Cut Bristol paper with the Small Die set and color with Distress Oxide inks. Assemble.
- Stamp and cut the sentiment with the September Stamp & Die of the Month.
- Add assembled items to prepared card base with glue and foam adhesive.