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Writer's pictureRick Adkins

Adding a Spooky Glow! Spooky & Sweet Halloween Series Day 6 | Video Tutorial

Hello, crafty friends! Welcome back to Day 6 of my Spooky & Sweet Halloween Series! Today, I’ve got a fun project that’s all about adding a little spooky glow to your Halloween cards. We’re using the Witches Brew Stamp Set and Witches Brew Dies from Trinity Stamps to create a playful scene featuring a witch and her cat, surrounded by a magical glowing background.


I love finding ways to create that eerie, glowing effect in my cards, and Halloween is the perfect time to experiment with it! If you’ve been looking for a way to elevate your Halloween card designs, you’re going to love this one.


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Adding a Spooky Glow:

Creating the Characters: The Witch and Her Trusty Cat

To start off, I stamped the witch and her little cat buddy from the Witches Brew Stamp Set using Memento Tuxedo Black Ink. Whenever I’m working with characters that I plan to color, I like to stamp twice—once for the base and once for coloring. It helps me visualize the card’s layout while focusing on getting the coloring just right.


For this project, I used my trusty OLO Markers. The colors I chose really make the characters pop, and I’ll include a list of the exact shades below if you want to recreate this look. Coloring is one of my favorite parts of card making—it’s like bringing the whole scene to life, one stroke at a time.


Pro Tip: If you’re new to coloring, try starting with just a few shades in the same color family to blend shadows and highlights. It’s an easy way to build up your confidence before jumping into more complex blends.


Witches Brew Halloween Card by Rick Adkins

Adding the Spooky Glow: Distress Oxide Inks to the Rescue!

Now, let’s talk about the spooky glow. I wanted this card to feel like the witch was casting some magical green light around her, so I pulled out my Distress Oxide Inks in Twisted Citron, Peeled Paint, Mowed Lawn, and Rustic Wilderness. These colors are perfect for creating that eerie glow, and they blend together like a dream.


When blending Distress Oxide Inks, I always start light and build up the color gradually. Twisted Citron makes a great base, and adding Peeled Paint and Mowed Lawn gives the glow depth. Rustic Wilderness adds that final touch to really darken the edges and give the glow a sense of dimension.


I also wanted to balance the brightness of the glow with a rich, nighttime sky. For the sky, I went with Blueprint Sketch, Uncharted Mariner, Villainous Potion, and Black Soot. These inks create a beautiful, moody backdrop that’s perfect for Halloween cards.


Pro Tip: If you’re struggling to get smooth blends with Distress Oxides, try using a light hand and circular motion when applying the ink. It’s easier to add more ink than to take it away, so go slow and layer up the color.


Witches Brew Halloween Card by Rick Adkins Front View

Grounding the Scene: A Grassy Hill

After finishing the background, I felt like the witch needed a little something to stand on—otherwise, she’d just be floating in midair! I grabbed some scrap cardstock and my Cutter-Bee Scissors to create a simple grassy hill.


To tie everything together, I blended the same colors from the glow onto the hill, adding a touch of Black Soot around the edges for a little extra shading. It’s these small details that can really make a scene feel complete.


Story Time: I actually made this hill on a whim. I hadn’t planned for it originally, but sometimes when you step back and look at your card, you realize that one small addition can make all the difference. I always keep extra scraps of cardstock on hand for moments like these—you never know when inspiration will strike!


Witches Brew Halloween Card by Rick Adkins Side View

Adding Sparkle and Shimmer

Before adhering everything, I wanted to add a little sparkle to the night sky. I spritzed the background with Iridescent Shimmer Spray, which gives it a subtle, starry effect. Then, I added a few spritzes of Hocus Pocus and Flickering Candle Distress Mica Stains for some extra magic.


I love how these little touches of shimmer bring the whole card to life—it’s like the sky is twinkling with Halloween magic.


Assembling the Card: Bringing it All Together

With the background and characters ready, it was time to bring the card together. I mounted the blended background onto an A2 side-folding card base, then added the grassy hill using Instant Dimensional Foam Tape to give it some height.


Next came the witch and her cat, both of which I popped up with foam tape as well. Adding dimension to your elements is a great way to make your scene feel more dynamic—plus, who doesn’t love a little extra lift?


For the sentiment, I blended a scrap of white cardstock with Peeled Paint and stamped the sentiment using Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink. After die-cutting the sentiment, I colored in the white outlines with coordinating markers to blend everything together seamlessly.


Pro Tip: Coloring the white edges left by your die cuts is a quick way to make your images blend more naturally with the background. It’s one of those small tricks that makes a big difference in the final look.


Witches Brew Halloween Card by Rick Adkins OLO Color Combos

Finishing Touches: Bling and Highlights

To finish off the card, I added a few white gel pen highlights to the witch and cat to give them a little more definition. Finally, I couldn’t resist adding some Moon Rocks Rhinestones from Trinity Stamps for a little sparkle. These rhinestones are the perfect finishing touch—they add just the right amount of bling without overpowering the card.


Witches Brew Halloween Card by Rick Adkins Over Head View

Conclusion: Give It a Try!

And there you have it—my glowing witch and her cat are ready for a spooky night of magic! I had so much fun creating this card, and I hope it inspires you to add a little glow to your Halloween projects, too. If you try out this technique, I’d love to hear how it goes. Don’t forget to check out the video tutorial for a more in-depth look at the process!


Happy crafting, and I’ll see you in the next post of the Spooky & Sweet Halloween Series!


Add a Spooky Glow Video Tutorial:



If you have problems watching the video here on my blog you can always watch it on my YouTube Channel by Clicking here!


(Wondering what I used in this video? Everything is linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails at the end of this post, or in the text below. Compensated affiliate links used when possible). As always I appreciate your support of my videos!


Materials Used:

Here you will find the list of supplies that I used to create today's card. All supplies are linked to supply sources below. Compensated affiliate links may be used at no cost to you.

Happy Stampin'

Rick Adkins














Rick Adkins

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