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)

Halloween Cabinet

Happy Saturday, everyone! Connie here with a Halloween version of one of my absolute favorite projects to work with – a miniature display cabinet made from a GSL China Cabinet 1 to 12. It was fun finding and making spooky little objects to put in the display. Let me show you how it was done.

Here are the cabinet pieces laid out. The cabinet also comes with upper and lower doors but I wanted this to be an open cabinet so I set those aside for some future use.

Once it was assembled with tacky glue, I painted the walls and exterior with black acrylic paint.

For the back interior wall, I used two different papers – an orange dot from DCWV and Graphic 45's An Eerie Tale floral which I fussy cut for the middle shelf.

To make the stand up ghosts I cut apart a scrapbook border I had in my stash and glued them to small wood blocks that were painted white.

I had a Haunted Mansion Madame Leota miniature game that a friend made me and I wanted to include, which gave me the idea of making a Madame Leota crystal ball. It's made from a Idea-Ology snowglobe, a printed image and some teal roving.

I embossed the word 'Boo!' from the GSL Spooky Shape Set and glued it in place. I added a few printed heads in jars, a trick or treat bucket, a doll's eye and a vial of poison made from a Christmas light bulb dipped in red paint and set inside a mini glass bottle.

Madame Leota was joined by a Hagen-Renaker porcelain frog and a plastic spider web. That darling GSL Miniature Ouija Board is available over at Alpha Stamps.

Those little ghosts went in one of the bottom cubbies, along with the Madame Leota game and a miniature skull.

The cabinet was finished with a bat sticker from Jolee's Boutique 3D Halloween Embellishments - Animal Skeletons.

Thanks for stopping by!

GSL Products Used

China Cabinet 1 to 12

Spooky Shape Set

Miniature Ouija Board

Other Supplies Used

Tacky glue

Acrylic paint

Graphic 45's An Eerie Tale

Glittery orange dot paper from DCWV

Printed images

Jolee's Boutique 3D Halloween Embellishments - Animal Skeletons

Ghost scrapbook border

Wood blocks

Miniature snow globe

Miniature skull

Roving

 

 

 

 

Embossing technique with suede

Hi everyone!

Myry again and this time I gonna show you a embossing technique with suede.

Maybe you've heard of this technique or used it before but for me it has been the discovery of the year! 

So I'm going to use the Jack-O-Lantern Mini Album and a piece of thin suede of an indescribable pumpkin color.

Take one piece and draw the outline with a 5mm margin on a two pieces of cardboard.

Equalize the edges with the help of the nail file. When you're done use this piece as a template for the cardstock.

Before continuing, if you want to make a notebook I advise you to use one of these pieces to draw its contour on paper, in my case, I'll use colored paper folded in half.

Lump together in two groups of three the pieces of the pumpkin (in one you must have the two smiley pieces an another empty one).

Use one of the smiley pieces as a template for the empty piece.

Now glue the pieces of each group one on top of the other.

We need this thickness to get the embossing effect.

Then glue them on top of the cardboard (remember the orientation of the covers so as not to glue the back cover upside down).

And now we're going to start to see how this embossing technique works!

We move forward little by little starting by putting glue on the eyels and the mouth (the "less raised" parts). Make sure the glue you use doesn't get transfer.

Extend the suede over the piece and sink the fabric with your finger until you start to see the relief.

You can also use a paper bending tool to help you with the corners.

Once dry (and not before) put glue on one half of the pumpkin and smooth the suede well.

Use a brush to spread the glue on the edge of the piece.

Do the same with the other half and let it dry for a few hours.

Once dry you can finish the covers.

By the way, remember that before gluing the cardstock behind the covers you must make the binding the closure.

So what did you think of this technique? I leave to your imagination how to use it but I'll show you how my work ended. I was in doubt whether to make a book binding (for which I would have to separate the colored sheets) or make a sewn binding with the sheets folded in half. 

I hope you liked it and are encouraged to put it into practice with some of Gypsy's chipboards!

Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts items used:

Jack-O-Lantern Mini Album

Other items used:

Cardboard 5mm

Suede

Cardstock and paper

Glue, cutter and scissors

Paperaper bending tool, brush, nail file and paper clips

Altered Relations-A Peek-a-Boo Project

I’m one of many who love finding old pictures at antique stores, online, or if we are lucky maybe our family’s attic. These often have no known name and become adopted as our “Found Relatives”. These are the inspirations for this instillation with a Halloween Twist.

1.  Start by making Photocopies of “Found Relatives” and Transparency of Halloween Masks.

 

 

2.  Alter Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Lace Frames using Embossing Ink with a Roller Applicator and Allure Oil Rubbed Bronze and Hammered Metal Embossing Powders, Curing with a Heating Tool.

 

3.  Once Cooled Add Patina Using Acrylic Paint-Copper, Black, Quinacridone Nickle Azo Gold with a Paintbrush.

 

4.   Place Halloween Masks Over “Found Relatives” transforming them into “Altered Relations”. For this first go around, I taped them to photocopies and printed again.

 

5.  I traced around inner circle of GSLC Lace Frames and glued “Altered Relations” to back before gluing down to red cardstock using Weldbond.

 

6.  I dried them flat and was very surprised and disappointed when I looked at them the next day. The glue had bled the photocopies and they were no longer useful.

7.  So, the mother of invention, out of necessity, I had to come up with a second plan.
8.  With new photocopies of “Found Relatives” and new transparency masks, I used Glossy Accents to attach the masks.

9.  Once dry I used a sharpie to trace the new “Altered Relations” and glued them to the center of the GSLC Lace Frames.
10.                Once they were dried flat, I added a layer of Glossy Accent to make it appear as if the GSLC Lace Frames has a Glass Insert.
11.                Final step was to fussy cut GSLC Lace Frames from the Red Card stock.

Some Final Thoughts.
Some projects turn out just as we planned them, others are happy surprises, this one was neither. I am still not thrilled with the outcome but leave it here as a reminder to “walk away and look at it again through fresh eyes.” I think the process and technique has great potential and I am proud of myself for persevering. Much like our genetic families and found families we must take the bad with the good, the easy with the hard. I by far know that I am not perfect and have many idiosyncrasies that some may find annoying, but I am thankful for those who show me grace and companionship. In this season of wearing masks and pretending to be something we are not may we find solace and solitude in those we have chosen to love and those who walk beside us.
“If we wear a mask for too long, there will come a time when you cannot remove it without removing your face.”
-Matshona Dhilwayo

 

 

 

Supplies:  Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts-Lace Frame, Photocopies of “Found Relatives”. Transparency of Halloween Masks, Pencil, Red Card-stock, Scissors, Embossing Ink with a Roller Applicator, Allure Oil Rubbed Bronze and Hammered Metal Embossing Powder, Heating Tool, Acrylic Paint-Copper, Black, Quinacridone Nickle Azo Gold, Paintbrush, Weldbond, Glossy Accent, Sharpie
I cannot wait to see your interpretation of this project. Share it on the Gypsy Soul Laser Cuts Craft Group Page on Facebook. I would love to see what new creations you are working on!