Hey there, crafty friends! I’m so excited to have you here for Day 8 of the Spooky & Sweet Halloween Series! Today’s projects are all about creating hauntingly awesome Halloween cards using vibrant ink blending, stenciling, and some fun Halloween-themed stamps. If you love adding depth and color to your cards, this one’s for you! I’m diving into two unique designs featuring the Spooky Sightings Stamp Set and Jack of All Faces Stamp Set from The Rabbit Hole Designs, and trust me—these cards are as fun to make as they are spooky!
Create a Hauntingly Awesome Halloween Card:
Making the Most of Ink Blending
Let’s start with the foundation of these cards—an ink-blended background. I don’t know about you, but I find ink blending to be one of the most satisfying parts of cardmaking. There’s just something about watching the colors melt into each other that feels magical.
For these cards, I masked off the edges of my panels using 1” Mint Tape. This creates a perfect frame around the ink blending and gives the card a clean, polished look when the tape is removed. I used Hammermill Smooth 100 lb Cardstock for my panels—it’s my go-to for blending because it’s so smooth and takes ink beautifully.
Pro Tip: When blending, always work in layers. I used Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet, and Villainous Potion Distress Inks, and I blended twice to get that rich, smooth look. If you ever feel like your colors aren’t blending the way you want, don’t be afraid to go back over them—it’s all about patience and layering!
Once the colors were laid down, I couldn’t resist adding some texture with stencils. For one card, I used the Connected by the Stars stencil and for the other, the Overlapping Circles stencil. Using the same Distress Ink colors over the stencils added depth without introducing new shades, keeping everything cohesive.
Stamping for Spooky Effects
Next up, the stamping! I wanted both cards to have that spooky-but-sweet Halloween feel, and the Spooky Sightings Stamp Set delivered. The floral image with the spider web is the perfect balance of eerie and elegant. For the first card, I removed the Mint Tape before stamping the image, which gave the design an airy, open look. On the second card, I stamped before removing the tape, which created a sharp, crisp edge to the design.
Here’s a little trick for you—when you’re stamping on an ink-blended background, I find that Distress Oxide Inks work so much better than regular Distress Inks. Oxides have a more opaque, chalky finish, which means your stamped images will really stand out. I used the same three colors (Picked Raspberry, Wilted Violet, and Villainous Potion) in the Oxide versions for stamping, and the result was rich, vibrant, and spooky in all the right ways!
Pro Tip: Always test your inks on a scrap piece of cardstock before stamping onto your project. This helps ensure the colors will show up exactly how you want them to, especially when working on darker or heavily inked backgrounds.
Adding Those Halloween Details
Of course, no Halloween card is complete without a playful, spooky focal point. For these cards, I stamped the pumpkin house with the witch hat from the Spooky Sightings Stamp Set using Intense Black Ink. This ink is perfect when you’re using alcohol markers, which is exactly what I did to color the images. I used my OLO Markers for the pumpkin house and Ohuhu Brush Markers for the floral image. The combination of markers really brought the images to life!
Fussy cutting might not be everyone’s favorite task, but I personally love it—there’s something about cutting out those detailed images that makes me feel like I’m really getting hands-on with my crafting. After cutting out the images, I attached them to the card fronts for a fun, dimensional look.
Pro Tip: When fussy cutting, move the paper, not the scissors. This gives you more control and helps you get those smooth edges, even around intricate designs.
Inside the Cards: Keeping It Fun
I always like to add a little something special to the inside of my cards, and these Halloween designs were no exception. For the first card, I stamped a row of potion bottles at the bottom of the inside panel using Villainous Potion Distress Oxide Ink. It’s a fun little detail that ties back to the theme without taking too much attention away from the front of the card.
For the second card, I did a two-tone floral stamping in the corners using Wilted Violet and Picked Raspberry Distress Oxides. I also stamped the spider hanging from the web (from the Spooky Sightings Stamp Set) in Intense Black Ink hanging from the top floral. It’s a small touch, but I think it really adds to the overall look and feel of the card. I love when the inside of the card is just as pretty as the outside—it’s like a little surprise for whoever opens it!
Bringing It All Together: Matting and Assembly
To finish off these spooky cards, I added mat layers using Hammermill Smooth Cardstock. Here’s the trick—rather than ink blending the entire mat, I only ink blended around the edges where the die-cut holes from the You’ve Been Framed dies would show. This saves time and ink, but still gives you that gorgeous pop of color around the edges. I also stamped my "Happy Halloween" sentiment (from the Jack of All Faces Stamp Set) in Intense Black Ink on each card front.
When it came time to assemble the cards, I decided to play around with the placement of the inked panels on the mats. For one card, I lined up the colors so they matched, and for the second, I flipped the mat so the darker color (Villainous Potion) was at the top. This small shift in orientation added an extra bit of intrigue to the overall design.
To finish off the cards, I attached my stamped and colored images, added a few white gel pen highlights for extra dimension, and popped on a few Magic Rocks Rhinestones for that perfect touch of sparkle.
Final Thoughts on Day 8: Try It Yourself!
These cards were an absolute blast to make! I love how the stencils and ink blending came together to create two completely different but cohesive designs. If you’re a fan of vibrant color and a little bit of spooky elegance, I definitely recommend giving these techniques a try.
As always, I hope you found some inspiration here today! Halloween cards are such a fun way to get creative, and with a few simple techniques, you can create something really special. Don’t forget to check out the video tutorial to see the process in action—and stay tuned for Day 9 of the Spooky & Sweet Halloween Series! You won’t want to miss what I’ve got in store for you next!
Video Tutorial:
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(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!
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Happy crafting, and I’ll see you next time!
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
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