Halloween Cats Scratching At The Window

 Hi Everyone, 

I have a spooky Halloween project for you today!

I am using two chipboard sets - Cat Shape Set D69B  and Dimensional Window Kit D174WD.

The Dimensional Window Kit comes with the four pieces shown below (two window frames, a mylar square and the back piece) but I am only using the two frames today and will find another use for the remaining pieces.

The cat shape set has six cat shapes and I will be using four of them for this project.

Here's my idea for the spooky window, showing the placement of the four cats.

First things first, let's paint the cats black because we can't have Halloween without some black cats!  I used black fluid acrylic paint to paint mine but any black paint will do.

Next I painted the frames.  I couldn't decide which colour to choose so I decided to paint one lime green and one purple, using metallic acrylic paints.

So the usual way of constructing this dimensional window is to use it to make a shaker style window and stack one frame on top of the other to make a deeper frame.  The way I am using this dimensional window is a little different.  :)

Here are some gel prints I made on deli paper a while ago.  They were not made for Halloween but they have the perfect Halloween colours so I wanted to use a piece of it in my window.  

I cut a square to fit my frame.  If you don't happen to have Halloween-coloured gel prints to hand, you can of course use any other paper, so long as there is some transparency to it ie deli paper, tissue paper, tracing paper, layout paper etc.  You can then paint or ink on it or leave it plain.

Next glue the deli paper square to the unpainted side of one of the frames, in my case, the green one.  Then repeat the process to sandwich the deli paper between the two frames but first add a little cord or ribbon in the middle which will allow you to hang it up later.

Once you have your frame complete and dried, add two of the cats to one side...

... and two of the cats to the other side, so that all four window panes have a cat in them.

Here is the finished project.  It looks cute don't you think?  Just two cute little cats playing in the window...

But if you hang it up in front of a window...

...the light shines through the deli paper and you can see their spooky little friends on the other side of the window, just waiting to come in!

I hope you enjoyed this little Halloween project and that you will try making your own spooky Halloween cat window!

Til next time,

Elle

Empire of the Cat


Project Recipe:

Cat Shape Set D69B  and Dimensional Window Kit D174WD.
black fluid acrylic paint
lime green and purple metallic acrylic paint
PVA glue
From stash:  gel printed deli paper (you can use any paper you can see through) paper cord (you can use any type of cord or ribbon)

Wicked Halloween Wall Art

Hi there, this is Elle (AKA Empire of the Cat) with my first post for Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts and I hope you like it!  This is a quick and easy to make Halloween decor item that would look great hanging on your wall for this and future Halloweens! I love Halloween, so of course my first post would have to be a Halloween project!

Here's how to do it:

 

You will need the following items from GSL:

31 Wall Art - Model D42A
Title - Wicked - Model BB5
Spiderweb Shape Set - Model C156B

 

How to - prep:

First of all, wipe down all the pieces, then cover your chipboard items in black gesso and leave them to dry (it dries very quickly).

Then using your favourite embossing ink, sponge it on to the front of each piece and while it is still wet, dust them all with embossing powder. It takes very little powder to cover all the pieces.

This particular powder has black and gold in it, but you can use whatever colour you want your finished piece to be.  Heat with a heat gun until it has melted and it will start to look like this:  

  Wait a few minutes for the embossing powder to cool before touching the pieces!

 How to - Assembly:

Use something pointy like an awl or a craft tool to poke two holes in the bottom of the "31" from front to back as it's neater that way.  This is where we will attach the "wicked" title so position them so that the holes will line up with loops in the letters where you will be able to tie the thread that links them together. Eyeballing it is fine, no need to measure anything.

Repeat the process with the medium sized web from the Spiderweb shapes set, making a hole above and below where the web will hang. I used silver metallic thread but you could use any kind of thread, invisible thread, thin wire etc. When you have everything positioned, tie the threads and secure the thread ends with a spot of glue.  Below I am using something heavy to hold them in place while they dry but it will only take a few minutes if you want to hold it in place instead. Once the glue has dried and is holding the thread in place, snip off the surplus.

 All that remains is to add some kind of hook to enable your lovely new Halloween wall art to be hung on the wall.  You could use anything for this, a loop of thread, a paperclip, or something recycled like this plastic piece from a paper pad which is intended for shop display, so why not reuse it as the hook for this display piece!  These "hooks" are quite commonly used in papercrafts so you are likely to have at least one stuck on a box somewhere.

Peel it carefully off the pad and then glue it on to the back of your piece where it will not be seen when it's on the wall and once the glue is dry - it's ready to go!

The Finished Project and close ups:

I hope you enjoyed this little tutorial and that you try making one of these cool Halloween decor items for your home. Or course if your house number happens to be 31 and you love cats, then this piece is perfect for you all year long!

Elle

Project Recipe:

GSL Cuts 31 Wall Art - Model D42A
GSL Cuts Title - Wicked - Model BB5
GSL Cuts Spiderweb Shape Set - Model C156B

Black gesso
Embossing Ink and Embossing Powder
Heat gun for melting embossing powder
Metallic thread
leftover packaging
PVA glue