You're Invited ~ Halloween Party Invitation Tutorial

Hello everyone!

Today, I'm sharing a fun Halloween project that I've created for the Tim Holtz Media Team. Halloween has to be one of my favourite times of the year and when I started thinking about what I wanted to create for today's post, I thought about all those Halloween parties and when it comes to parties, we all need invitations. So today, I'm sharing my invitation with a twist and I hope you love it, just as much as I loved creating it!!

I want to share the basic concept of how to create the card, after that it's up to you how much you want to decorate it and how elaborate you want to make it! You can make it as simple as you like, or you can go to town but whatever you choose, this basic card shape is wonderful for so many projects!

To begin with, and to create the frame, cut a piece of black cardstock, 6" x 8" in size and with the card placed in front of you and the longest side facing you, score the frame at 0.5", 1", 7" and 7.5" and fold along the scorelines.

To create the aperture in the centre, measure 1", 1.5", 4.5" and 5" from the second score line on the left hand side and score. Turn the card around 90˚ and then score again at 1", 1.5", 4.5" and 5" to create a square in the middle of your frame section of card. Cut diagonally from corner to corner of the scored square to create four triangular flaps in the centre. Create a mountain fold, followed by a valley fold along each of the scorelines to create your inset to your frame.

Mount the frame onto a piece of 6" square black card by applying tape onto the end tabs of the scored card to form a box.

Add adhesive to each of the flaps on your frame and attach them to the backing card.

Cut a further piece of black card, 10cm square and place the card in the centre of the box frame and attach with glue. You now have your basic frame. 

To create the cover for your card, cut a further piece of black card, 9" x 6" and score vertically at 2.25" and 2.75".

Cut four strips of textured cardstock, 0.75" x 5.75" and on two of the pieces cut away the corner section. Attach the cardstock to the front of your frame, sticking the uncut pieces onto the sides of your box and then attaching the cut strips to the top and bottom sections of your frame, layering them over the sides sections to give the appearance of a mitred corner.

Spritz the back and front of your cover and the front of your box with Brushed Pewter Distress Stain Spray and leave to dry.

Attach the cover by applying glue to the back section of card only and wrapping it around your shadowbox frame card.

For the front of the card, I cut a piece of Manila card, 5" square and swiped it through some Distress Stains that I had applied to my craft sheet and misted with water.

I then stamped the image of the witch and the message, both from the Carved Halloween stamp set directly onto the card and coloured it with Distress Marker pens.  

I matted the stamped image onto purple cardstock and machine stitched around the edge before attaching it onto the cover of my frame, using foam pads to create dimension.

For the inside of the cover, I used another piece of Manila cardstock, 5" square and used the same colours of Distress Stain applied to my craft sheet as I used for the background for the witch image. I then layered the Halloween Layering Stencil over the top and spritzed through the stencil using the Distress Marker Spritzer and Pumice Stone Distress Marker Pen. 

I matted the inked card onto grey cardstock and mounted it onto my inside cover. To decorate this section, I used the Candlelight Fright die and die cut the spider from Grungeboard and painted it with Black Soot and Brushed Pewter Distress Paint. At this point, I also added some machine stitching to my background.

Once the paint is dry, I added a layer of Glossy Accents over the top and applied Black Soot Distress Glitter to the spider.

Using the Cobweb Sizzlits Decorative die, die cut some black Core'dinations card and cut into sections.

Attach the webs to the background card on the inside cover, by applying small amounts of glue to just the very corner sections, leaving the rest of the cobweb free. Add the die cut glittered spider.

Ink up the Happy Halloween and event tickets from the Odds and Ends stamp set and stamp a few of these tickets onto inked cardstock. Cut out each of the tickets as these will act as the invite for your invitation. What's great is that you can add the name of the recipient, the event and where the party will be held onto the ticket.

 Tuck the tickets inside one of the die cut webs.

...and now, to decorate the shadowbox section of the frame.

To begin with, I used the gorgeous clock as my background and added Game Spinners to the dial, which I coloured with Peeled Paint Distress Paint and added the remaining cobweb die cuts. I then crackled some Corked Vials, which Tim explains how to do, on page 54 of Compendium of Curiosities Vol III and added alcohol ink and Vial Labels to each little bottle.

I placed the bottles along the shelf, together with some cheesecloth, die cut bats and some wishbones, which I cut up and placed on a bed of Antique Linen Distress Glitter sprinkled over the top of Glossy Accents to create a mound.

I even added a couple of bottles to the top of the box and attached another die cut bat to a piece of wire and wrapped it around the bottle to give the appearance of it flying.

Finally, and we're nearly there...I hand dyed some Crinkle Ribbon with Dusty Concord and Peeled Paint Distress Stains, attached this down the side of my invite. I attached an Enameled Tag to the bow, which I coloured using Seedless Preserves Distress Paint, added a Remnant Rub over the dried paint and attached it with a Ephemera piece to the bow, using a wire pin.

...and that's my party invite for Halloween!

Thank you so much for looking and for stopping by today ~ I really hope you've enjoyed this tutorial!

See you soon, Emma x

Supplies:

Surfaces: Ranger: Black Card, Manila Card. Black Soot Core'Dinations Card, Grungeboard, Grungepaper. Purple and Grey Cardstock.

Dies: Sizzix Alterations Candlelight Fright Bigz Die, Mini Bat and Skull Movers & Shapers, Cobwebs Sizzlits Decorative Strip Die

Stamps: Carved Halloween, Odds and Ends

Ink: Dusty Concord, Peeled Paint, Old Paper, Antiqued Bronze, Picket Fence and Pumice Stone Distress Stains. Pumice Stone Distress Ink. Brushed Pewter Distress Stain Spray. Various colours of Distress Marker Pens. Jet Black Archival Ink

Alcohol Ink: Red Pepper and Pitch Black

Mediums: Multi Medium, Glossy Accents

Glitter: Black Soot Distress Glitter, Antique Linen Distress Glitter

Paint: Rock Candy Distress Crackle Paint, Black Soot Distress Paint, Peeled Paint, Seedless Preserves and Brushed Pewter

Embellishments: Halloween Apothecary Remnant Rubs, Wire Pins, Corked Vials, Wishbones, Game Spinners, Crinkle Ribbon, Expedition Ephemera Pack, Enameled Tag

Layering Stencil: Halloween

Tools: Vagabond, Ranger Craft Sheet, Watercolour Brush, Distress Marker Spritzer, Sanding Tool