Enter If You Dare...

Hello everyone and welcome to a brand new Simon Says Stamp Monday Challenge where this week the team are showcasing Memory Box products and our theme is all about Halloween! Now, you don't have to use Memory Box to enter this challenge but we can't wait to see all of your spooktacular makes...so what are you waiting for, it's time to get crafting!

For my project this week, I chose to combine Tim Holtz's Twisted Edge die, the gorgeous new Regions Beyond stamps with a couple of Memory Box dies to create a spine chilling invitation ready for all those Halloween parties!

...and here's how I created this invitation...

To begin with I cut a panel of black card, 20 x 15cm. I then placed the twisted edge die across the top section of the card and ran it through my die cutting machine. Snip away the waste section of the die cut to reveal a beautiful on the edge design which will now become the front section of your invitation.

Cut a second piece of black card, 15 x 15cm, measure 2.5cm from the top edge of the card panel and score horizontally across the card. Fold to create a hinge and then attach this hinged section of the card onto the back of your decorative edged card, aligning the bottom edges of both, to create a freestanding card blank.

Now to create that beautiful embossed section and for this, I used the twisted edge die to die cut a second piece of black card and then dabbed the die cut with some clear embossing ink and sprinkled a mixture of Liquid Platinum and clear embossing powder over the top. Tap away the excess powder and then heat emboss until molten. As you can see from the photo below, it creates this beautiful two toned effect, where the platinum and the clear meet the black card.

Run this die cut section through a Xyron machine or if you haven't got one, then just apply glue to the back and attach to the decorative die cut edge on the front of your card. By it this way, I found it creates a much stronger and robust edging to the card and it won't be flimsy and collapse when it's standing upright.

For the background, I applied some Brushed Pewter, Black Soot, Hickory Smoke and Vintage Photo Distress Stains to my craft sheet, spritzed the stain with water and then swiped watercolor card through the inks, picking up all the colour. If you want to build the intensity of colour, then just keep swiping the card through the remaining inks until you have mopped them all up. Heat dry thoroughly..

I then inked around the edges with Ground Espresso and Black Soot ink before inking up the Web Background stamp from Tim Holtz with Jet Black Archival Ink and stamping the web directly onto the centre of the card. Add splatters of gesso across the surface of the card and once thoroughly dry, machine stitch around the edge.

Matt onto a piece of brown kraft core'dinations card and then mount the matted layers onto the front of your card blank.

For the central section of the invitation, I began by using the largest Memory Box Stitched Oval die to die cut a piece of black soot kraft core'dinations card and used foam pads to attach this section to the front of my card, placing it over the top of the stamped webs.

Use the second largest oval die, die cut a piece of silver mirror board. Use a combination of Mushroom, Gold Mixative and Pitch Black Alcohol ink to ink the surface of the card.

With the third largest die, die cut an oval from linen card. Ink the surface of the card with Old Paper Distress Ink and then ink around the edges with Ground Espresso. Stamp the web over the surface of the die cut oval using Jet Black Archival Ink.

Apply smears of gesso over the top the stamped webs and also apply small splatters over the surface. Heat dry the card stock and then attach to the larger metal oval.

Mount the die cut ovals onto the front of your card, attaching them with another layer of foam and placing them over the top of the largest black oval die cut.

Stamp the image of the skull and crossbones onto a separate sheet of white card and colour in the image to create shadows on the skull. Fussy cut around the outline of the stamp and then place in the centre of the oval.

Add spiders from the Gothic Remnant Rubs and the number 01031 above the skull.

Stamp the word Toxique in red, stamping onto white card inked with Hickory Smoke Distress Ink. Cut around the outline of the wording and matt onto silver mirror board.

For the final touch, I wanted to create the look of branches and for this I used the memory Box, Woodland Branch die to die cut a few branches form kraft coredinations card.

Sandpaper over the top of the die cut branches and then arrange them to fan out across the bottom section of the oval.

Using foam pads, attach the Toxique wording in the centre of the arranged branches. 

You now have a party invite which is all ready to send out...just remember to warn the recipients that they must only open if they dare!!

So, I really hope you've enjoyed the creative process behind this invite and I hope that some of the ideas will inspire you to create some of your own. As always if you do need any further inspiration, then you need look no further than our blog to see all the wonderful creations from all the very talented Design Team members and every week, one lucky random participant has the chance to win a $50 gift voucher from Simon Says Stamp. You have until Monday 8am Ohio time. 1pm UK time, 2 pm CET to join in and good luck....

Recipe for project:

Memory Box Dies: Stitched Oval Layers, Woodland Branch
Tim Holtz Dies: Twisted Edge
Tim Holtz Stamps: Regions Beyond, Webs
Distress Ink: Black Soot, Ground Espresso, Old Paper
Distress Stains: Brushed Pewter, Black Soot, Hickory Smoke and Vintage Photo

Idea-ology: Gothic Remnant Rubs, 
Surfaces: Mirror Board, Black Card, Watercolor Card, Kraft Core'Dinations card

Mediums: Red Carnation Archival Ink, Jet Black Archival Ink, Ranger Ink Liquid Platinum Embossing Powder, Clear Embossing Powder, Versamark Clear Ink, Gesso

Alcohol Ink: Mushroom, Pitch Black, Gold Mixative

Alcohol Ink Applicator

Distress Ink Applicator

Ranger Craft Sheet

Xyron Machine

Heat Gun 

Linen Card from my own stash