Happy Spooky October!!!!!

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BOOOOOOO!!!!  Can you believe it's already October?!  I know!!!!!  I wanted to start the month off by sharing this fun spooky banner with you.  It was inspired by a banner posted by Kristine Burns on the Stampers' Showcase available to Stampin' Up! demonstrators.  Kristine was inspired by Sheila Thibault (both are Stampin' Up! demonstrators).

This banner is made from some retired and some current Stampin' Up! stamps and accessories, as well as a few other items.  Each square is 4" x 4" and is constructed around some compressed paper coasters I bought from my Yahoo bulk buy group a few months ago (click here for more information about the group) .

How much fun was this to make?!  Lots!!!  I got so wrapped up in making this that I totally blew off all the other things I was supposed to be doing for two whole evenings!  (Inconceivable!!!!) 

Following are closeup photos of the individual squares with a little more info about the supplies I used.

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Each coaster is 4" x 4"; I covered all of the coasters with Basic Black card stock trimmed the corners, and then traced around the edges with a black marker to keep the white coaster from peeking out.   The letters were all cut from Lucky Limeade and Perfect Plum card stock using the Serif Alphabet Bigz Dies (retired by Stampin' Up! earlier this year). 

For the "S" panel, I stamped the image (sorry, not a Stampin' Up! stamp), on a separate piece of Basic Black card stock and trimmed the edges with the Scallop Trim Border punch.  The ink is the new Illuminate Glimmer Watermark stampin' pad featured in the Holiday Catalog; I also sponged some of it around the edges of the piece before attaching it to the base.  The ribbon is 1/8" Taffeta (Basic Black).

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The "P" panel uses some of the Frightful Sight Designer Series Paper featured in last year's Holiday Mini Catalog.  The panel is finished off by threading some Always Artichoke Seam Binding Ribbon through a Brushed Bronze Designer Button (current Holiday Catalog), tying it in a knot, and then adhering it to the page with Crystal Effects (yes, in addition to making things shiny and wonderful, it's a GREAT permanent glue for this type of embellishment.

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OOOOOOOh my!  These sweet little pumpkins were made by cutting out 3 Os for each -- one from Cajun Craze, one from Tangerine Tango, and one from Pumpkin Pie card stock.  The three layers were glued together in the center at the top and bottom and fanned out to create the 3-D look.  A few leaves were added in the background (Old Olive card stock and Blossom Petals Builder punch), a small piece of cardstock for the stems, 1/8" Taffeta ribbon (Old Olive) for the vines, and finally a little bit of glitz -- a small self-adhesive Rhinestone Basic Jewel at the top and bottom of each.

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For the "K" panel, the witch's hat and boots were stamped, colored in with a Tangerine Tango marker, and then covered with Crystal Effects.  The broom was made from an orange toothpick I found in a party pack.  I then cut a small strip of So Saffron card stock (maybe 3/4" x 1-1/2"), cut slits close together all along one side, and then wrapped and glued it around the toothpick.  Finally I tied it all together with a small piece of Linen Thread.  It's attached to the base with Crystal Effects.

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The "Y" may be my favorite panel.  For this one, I cut a piece of Basic Gray cardstock, and attached a couple of large google eyes.  Then I just tore strips of Designer Series Paper and glued them across the card stock, partially covering the eyes, and wrapping it around to the back.  The ribbon around the "Y" is Perfect Plum 3/8" Taffeta.

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Halloween just isn't Halloween without a colony of bats!  The bats on this panel were cut from a retired Sizzlits die.  The eyeballs were dotted in with Cherry Cobbler and then the entire shape was covered with Crystal Effects.  The moon is a 2-1/2" cirle punched from So Saffron card stock.  The Basic Gray background was embossed with the Woodgrain embossing folder.

Notice the shimmer on the moon?  When I had finished putting this together, I used the Stampin' Spritzer to randomly spritzed the entire banner with Frost White Shimmer Paint mixed with 70% alcohol.  I also mixed some Platinum Shimmer Paint with some Pumpkin Pie refill ink and some 70% alcohol and then randomly splattered this solution onto the banner with an Aqua Painter.

Finally, the pieces were attached to each other by putting two small eyelets (no longer sold by Stampin' Up!) on each side of each panel, and then tying them together with some colored twine I found in my jewelry-making supplies.  You also could use the Baker's Twine sold by Stampin' Up! for this step.

Now . . . enough for Halloween . . . it's time to move on to the next holiday . . . .  (But don't be surprised if you see one or more fun things pop up here before the end of the month.  I think October is the most fun time . . . because to me Halloween marks the beginning of the fall/winter holiday season!!!)

Cath  ;D