I’m wicked excited to be part of the Jenn Shurkus’ 20 Years of Blogging Inspiration Party! What an incredible milestone—20 years of sharing ideas, creativity, and inspiration in the papercrafting world we all love.

WICKED INSPIRATION

The Fall Halloween Curation by Stampers Anonymous is filled with classic Tim Holtz Halloween designs that continue to inspire fresh ideas year after year. This curated collection brings back some new to me (and maybe new to you too) stamps and stencils that are perfect additions to my Halloween crafting collection.

Halloween crafting is in full swing, and today I’m sharing a Haunted House Halloween card that’s full of moody layers, texture, and spooky vibes. I pulled out the Tim Holtz Fall & Halloween Curation Stamp Set along with some of his classic stencils to create an inky layered background that sets the perfect stage for this haunted house scene.


The best part about this project is that it’s all about building depth with layers. By combining stamping, stenciling, and inky blending, I was able to create a background that feels atmospheric and slightly eerie — just right for Halloween night.

If you’re looking to try out some mixed media techniques in your cardmaking, this project is a great place to start. I walk you through each step in my video tutorial, where I share tips on blending, layering, and keeping your background from getting muddy while still packing in the detail.

SUPPLIES & TECHNIQUES

I’m sharing a spooky Halloween card I created with the Fall Halloween Curation by Stampers Anonymous. If you’re new to Curations, they’re thoughtfully themed seasonal collections that bring together classic Tim Holtz stamps and stencils. Many of these designs were released years ago, and Stampers Anonymous has curated them into collections to remind us of their incredible artwork and inspire new ideas with them.HALLOWEEN BLUEPRINT

Eileen Hull has just released her latest collection with Sizzix, and I had the absolute pleasure of creating with some of the new products. One piece that immediately stole my heart is the Lacy Leaves 3D Embossing Folder—and it’s the star of the card I’m sharing today.

For a step-by-step look at the background technique I used with this embossing folder, be sure to check out my Gorgeous Grunge Techniques video HERE.

Although I used a very different color palette for this card, the coloring process is the same as in the video. The only variation is that I skipped the Luster Wax this time. If you’d like to add it, though, it would bring an extra layer of shimmer and interest!

FINDING INSPIRATION IN COLOR

The Distress Ink combo I used on this project was completely new to me. My inspiration came from the color palette selector created by Lyllack.art on Instagram. She put together a fun video featuring tons of three-color Distress palettes. The best part? You can pause the video at any moment, and whichever palette you land on becomes your “creative destiny” for the day!

CHECK OUT THE COLOR PALETTE SELECTOR HERE

I loved the idea so much that I took screenshots of several palettes to keep on hand for when I needed a spark of inspiration. When I sat down to work on this card, I flipped through my saved palettes—and the combination I landed on turned into something really special.

DISTRESS INK COLOR PALETTE

The Distress Ink colors I used are Dried Marigold, Seedless Preserves and Abandoned Coral.

For this card, I used:

• Dried Marigold – as the base for the background (step 1 in the video mentioned above)
• Seedless Preserves & Abandoned Coral – softly rubbed over the embossed design (step 2 in the video)

I then die cut butterflies, ink blended them with Seedless Preserves, and layered them with foam tape for added dimension. The leaves were blended with Dried Marigold.

To frame the focal point, I used the Tunnel Arches die set:

• Inner arch – cardstock ink blended with Abandoned Coral
• Outer arch – vellum cut with the next size up

I finished the card with a simple stamped sentiment and mounted everything onto a piece of white cardstock for a crisp, clean frame.


To finish off the card, I added a stamped sentiment and adhered the background to a piece of white cardstock to frame it.


Thanks so much for stopping by! I hope you are inspired to pull out your embossing folders and play AND to step outside your color comfort zone and try a new color combination! It just might end up being your new favorite!

SUPPLIES

Below you can find the supplies I used to create this card. When you shop through those links and whether you purchase that exact item or something else entirely, you’re supporting me at no extra cost to you. The commission I receive helps me cover the costs of my blog and other expenses, and allows me to continue to provide you with FREE inspiration and tutorials. If you want to learn more about what an affiliate link is, you can see my full affiliate and product disclosure statement here. Thank you so much for your love and support!