Halloween Ghost Card Tutorial

Hello there, Michelle Short here to share a step-by-step tutorial with you using the new Halloween City Holiday Decorations Etched Dies from the Yana Smakula Halloween City Holiday Collection. This collection is made to work with the City Holiday Etched Dies to decorate the apartment building, but I wanted to show you that you can use them on their own too!

DIE CUTTING + ASSEMBLING THE GHOSTS

Die cut the ghost dies from Halloween City Holiday Decorations Etched Dies:

NOTE: The dies are shown in the photo facing upwards, so that you can see which die is cut from which cardstock. When die cutting, you need to have the cut side facing down onto the cardstock.

1. Place ghosts onto Classic White ColorWheel Cardstock and hold in place with Best Ever Craft Tape.
2. Place small circle die onto Raven ColorWheel Cardstock and hold in place with Best Ever Craft Tape.

3. Run through Platinum Six Die Cutting Machine using the following sandwich (bottom to top):

• A Platform Base
• B Platform Top
• C Cutting Plate
• Cardstock with die on top
• C Cutting Plate

4. Repeat the process as above to die cut another of the little circle dies.

5. Using a Precision Tool, pop out the negative pieces (chads) from the ghosts.

6. Turn ghosts over and add small dabs of Bearly Art Glue on the back, around the openings.

7. Place black circle die cuts on top.

If any glue is oozing out the front, remove it with the Precision Tool.

CREATING THE BACKGROUND

1. Cut a piece of masking paper to 4.25” x 5.5”.
2. Place the 9^th smallest die from Everlasting Circles Etched Dies at the top in the middle.
3. Hold in place with Best Ever Craft Tape.
4. Run through die-cutting machine using the same process as in step 1.

5. Remove backing off masking paper.

6. Apply to a 4.25” x 5.5” panel of Classic White ColorWheel Cardstock.

TIP: The easiest way to do this is to line the masking paper up against the cardstock panel on one edge and then let the rest fall onto the panel. Don’t worry too much if it does not line up perfectly; just try and get the circle centred as much as possible.

7. Place panel onto sticky mat.
8. If masking paper does not go all the way to the edges of the panel, mask them off with tape to prevent ink from getting on them.
9. Place the cloud edge of Clouds and Grass Scenic Stencil on top, starting at the bottom of the circle. This is where the top of the first cloud will be.
10. Secure in place with Best Ever Craft Tape.

11. Apply Wilted Violet Distress Ink to a Blending Brush.
12. Blend ink over the top of the stencil. Start on the stencil material first and blend ink upwards onto cardstock using circular motions.
13. Remove stencil.

14. Move the stencil upwards to create the next cloud. Hold in place with the same tape.
15. Repeat the process with the ink blending.

TIP: The Best Ever Craft Tape can be reused multiple times. Simply wipe the ink off of it with a cloth.

16. Remove stencil and move upwards to create the next cloud. Hold stencil in place with tape and repeat ink blending as above.

17. Remove stencil and move upwards to create the last cloud. Hold stencil in place with tape and repeat ink blending as above. Make sure to add ink all the way to the edge of the circle at the top.

18. Remove stencil.
19. Using the same blending brush, apply ink around the edges of the circle.

20. Switch to a Mini Blending Brush and add ink around the edges, first with Villainous Potion Distress Ink, followed by Black Soot Distress Ink.

21. Carefully remove masking paper.

22. Apply tape runner adhesive on the back of the panel.
23. Adhere to A2-sized white card base.

HOT FOILING THE SENTIMENT

1. Plug Glimmer Hot Foil System in and switch on.
2. Cut small piece of Opaque Black Glimmer Hot Foil Roll and place shiny side up onto a piece of Classic White ColorWheel Cardstock.
3. Take ‘happy Halloween’ plate from Happy Halloween Sentiments and place the impression side down on top of the foil.
4. Hold foil and plate in place onto cardstock using Best Ever Craft Tape.

NOTE: There are different methods of hot foiling. It is not necessary to hold plates onto the foil and cardstock, but it does help to prevent shifting when running through the die-cutting machine.

5. When green ‘platform ready’ light shines green, place cardstock/foil/plate on top, plate side down.
6. Press timer button. This will flash green on and off while the plate is heating up.

7. Once light turns solid green, remove the platform from base and place shims on top.

8. Run through Platinum Six Die Cutting Machine.

9. Place platform back into base.
10. Remove shims.
11. Carefully remove cardstock/foil/plate.
12. Using the tape as a handle, lift foil and plate from cardstock. Place onto silicone mat to cool the plate.

If you have any over-foiling, carefully scrape away with a craft knife or sand eraser.

13. Place coordinating die over the sentiment.
14. Hold in place with Best Ever Craft Tape.
15. Run through Platinum Six Die Cutting Machine using the same process as in step 
16. Pop the sentiment out from the die.
17. Die cut another two of the sentiment die from Classic White ColorWheel Cardstock. Adhere these behind the foiled one so that they are stacked 3 high.

CARD ASSEMBLY

1. Apply foam squares to the back of the ghosts.
2. Remove backings off foam squares.

3. Adhere ghosts to card.
4. Adhere sentiment to card using Bearly Art Glue.

5. Using a white gel pen, draw dots and stars onto the clouds.

I love purple, and I think it works well for Halloween, but any colour would look good for the clouds! The design would also work well for the bat in the set too! I hope I have given you some ideas on how you can use the decorations without the apartment building. Thank you so much for stopping by the blog today. I hope you have a wonderful day!

Other Supplies

Wilted Violet Distress Ink, Villainous Potion Distress Ink, Black Soot Distress Ink, Sakura White Gelly Roll Pen.