A Welcoming Halloween Garden

The "Gate Keeper" dies from Sizzix/Tim Holtz are Halloween dies but I think they can be used year round. So when I cut out the gates in black, my initial thought was an entrance to a garden. It reminded me of a garden in Boston or London behind wrought iron fences. 

I started with a piece of Distress Mixed Media Heavy Stock paper which I cut to 4 1/4 x 5 1/2. I used Distress Sprays in Faded Jeans (both regular and Oxide) and dried the paper. I then decided to add some shimmer by spraying the new Mica Stain Spray in Empty Tomb and the Distress Spray Stain in Brushed Pewter. That gave it a hazy, mystical look to the panel. I die cut the moon and after adding a bit of Gathered Twigs to the edges, I thought it needed the bat.

That set the stage for me adding all the flowers and greenery. I have a box of leftover diecuts from other projects that I'm so happy to use on any new projects. Once I started adding them they looked like they were waiting at the gate, a bit spooky. The card needed a sentiment to finish it off, I have a package of Idea-ology Halloween Baseboards and thought "The Dead of Night" was the perfect sentiment. All of a sudden the card went from a happy garden to a cemetery entrance.

 I don't make many Halloween cards, I love Halloween, we decorate the outside of the house, but people don't generally send Halloween cards. But this card is so fun I'll probably just add it to my inspiration board.

Enjoy the season, the rest of the year is the best time for making cards! 

Follow me on Instagram @susanbcards where I post new cards almost daily.