Sometimes a week doesn’t go exactly as planned!
Last week I had every intention of sharing all of my Frightfully Fun projects with you as I created them. Then I was getting ready for my trip to Michigan, traveling, attending a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator gathering, making swaps in my hotel room…and, well, you know how that goes. 😂
The cards got made.
The pictures got taken.
The blog posts? Not so much!
So today we’re fixing that with one BIG dose of Frightfully Fun Halloween card inspiration.
I have ghosts, bats, Halloween kitties, a card sketch, a peek inside one of my cards, and even a couple of Stampin’ Up! samples that gave me some ideas of my own.
Grab a cuppa something and settle in because we have some catching up to do!
A Frightfully Fun Halloween Card with Bats, a Moon & a Spooky Tree
Let’s start with a Halloween card that proves spooky doesn’t necessarily have to mean scary.
I love the combination of the gray background, black tree and bats with that bright moon peeking through. There’s plenty of Halloween personality here, but the color combination keeps it from feeling over-the-top.
And look at all that texture!
One of my favorite ways to add interest to a card is with an embossed background. You can keep your color palette fairly simple and let the texture do some of the work for you.
The little bats scattered across the card finish it off without needing a lot of extra embellishment.
Cardmaking tip: If a card feels like it needs “something,” don’t automatically reach for another piece of patterned paper. Try adding texture with an embossing folder, die cuts or a few small repeated elements instead.
One Card Sketch, Two Completely Different Halloween Cards
Now we need to talk about Sketching Thursdays with Joy!
This was Sketch #2, and I love this example because it shows exactly why I’ve started sharing card sketches with you.
A sketch isn’t a recipe that you have to follow exactly.
It’s a starting point.
You can change the colors, stamps, Designer Series Paper, shapes, orientation and even the entire theme.
And these next two cards are a perfect example.
Frightfully Fun Ghost Card
Here’s my Frightfully Fun interpretation of Sketch #2.
That big Pumpkin Pie circle immediately draws your eye to the ghost, while the smaller elements carry your eye across the rest of the card.
The strips of Frightfully fun Halloween Designer Series Paper add plenty of pattern without requiring a huge amount of paper—which you know I love!
And those little bats make another appearance.
But there’s a little more fun waiting inside…
I carried the theme to the inside with the designer series paper, the stampin’ blends markers and the sentiment:
“Happy Halloween!”
I love decorating the inside of a card just enough to make it feel finished while still leaving plenty of room to write a message.
And Here’s Where I Made It…
Welcome to the temporary Cards by Sandi Lee Michigan office! 😂
Yes, this was my hotel room.
And yes, I apparently can turn just about ANYWHERE into a craft room.
I was in Michigan for a demonstrator gathering and needed to finish my swaps, so out came the cardstock, markers, adhesive, dies, scissors and everything else I had packed.
Before long, my hotel desk looked remarkably similar to my craft space at home!
But those swaps got finished. 😂
Same Sketch — Totally Different Card!
Now look what happens when we take that same basic sketch and completely change the products.
Frankenstein!
This card uses products from a different suite, but you can still see the bones of Sketch #2 underneath the design.
And this is exactly why I love sketches.
You don’t need to own the same stamp set I own.
You don’t need the same Designer Series Paper.
You don’t even need to make the same type of card.
Look at the sketch, pull out what YOU already have and ask yourself:
“How can I make this mine?”
That’s what I want Sketching Thursdays with Joy to be about.
Save the sketches you like and build yourself a little library of layouts. Then, on one of those days when you sit down to create and your brain says, “Nope. I’ve got nothing,” pull out a sketch and let it get you started.
Two Frightfully Fun Halloween Kitty Cards
Okay, where are my cat people? 🐈⬛
Because apparently I was having a kitty moment with Frightfully Fun!
This card gives us that classic Halloween feeling with orange, black, and lots of adorable Halloween cats.
There’s quite a bit happening on this card, but I love the way the layers work together.
And that Designer Series Paper does a lot of the decorating for us.
That’s one of the things I love about a great patterned paper: sometimes you don’t need to do much to it. Let the paper be part of the design instead of covering it all up.
Halloween Doesn’t Have to Be Orange & Black
And then we go in a completely different direction!
Same Halloween season.
Same cute-and-spooky feeling.
Completely different personality.
I love the softer color combination on this one. The witchy kitty still tells you it’s Halloween, but the lighter colors make the card feel playful rather than spooky.
That’s something worth remembering if you’re someone who says:
“I’m just not really a Halloween person.”
You don’t have to use traditional Halloween colors.
Try pink.
Try Pool Party.
Try purple.
Try whatever colors make YOU happy.
That’s one of the best parts of handmade cards—there really aren’t rules.
Frightfully Fun Inspiration from Stampin’ Up!
I also wanted to include a couple of projects that caught my eye while looking through Stampin’ Up!’s Frightfully Fun samples.
These next two cards were created by Stampin’ Up!, not by me, but I think they’re great examples of how looking at other projects can spark an idea of your own.
A Wreath Made from Ghosts!
How clever is this?
Instead of using one ghost as the focal point, the ghosts are repeated around the circle to create a Halloween wreath.
THAT is the kind of idea I love.
It makes you look at a die differently.
Sometimes we’re so focused on what a die or stamp is “supposed” to do that we miss all the other possibilities.
The next time you’re creating, look at some of those little dies in your stash and ask yourself:
What would happen if I used this over and over?
Could it become a wreath?
A border?
A background?
A pattern?
You might surprise yourself.
A Witchy Kitty Without Designer Series Paper
Here’s another Stampin’ Up! sample that caught my attention.
One of the things I especially like about this card is the background.
You don’t always need Designer Series Paper to make an interesting card.
Stamped images can create your own patterned background, and it’s a great way to stretch your stamps and inks.
I love Designer Series Paper—you certainly don’t have to twist my arm to get me to use it! 😂—but sometimes it’s fun to challenge yourself to create the pattern instead.
The ghost wreath and witchy kitty projects shown in this section are Stampin’ Up! project samples and were not designed by me.
Where Do You Find Cardmaking Inspiration?
If there’s one thing I hope you take away from this giant Frightfully Fun catch-up, it’s this:
You don’t have to invent every card from scratch.
Inspiration can come from anywhere.
It can come from a card sketch.
It can come from Designer Series Paper.
It can come from a color combination.
It can come from a Stampin’ Up! sample.
It can even come from looking at a die and wondering, “What else could I do with this?”
Take the part that inspires you and then make it your own.
That’s what creating is all about.
That’s a Wrap on Frightfully Fun! 👻
WHEW!
I think we are officially caught up. 😂
Last week may have been a little crazy, but I had so much fun creating with these Frightfully Fun products—and apparently even a hotel room couldn’t stop me from crafting!
If one of these projects inspired you, save this post or pin your favorite card so you can find it again when you’re ready to create.
❤️ Ready to create your own Frightfully Fun projects?
When you shop with me, you’re not just placing an order—you’re helping support Cards by Sandi Lee and allowing me to keep creating and sharing new card ideas, sketches, tutorials and inspiration with you. And I truly appreciate every single order.
And now I want to know…
Which Frightfully Fun project from this big roundup was YOUR favorite?
Leave me a comment below—I always love hearing which ones catch your eye!
And with that…
I think we’re officially caught up! 😂
Tomorrow we’re starting fresh, and I might just have a few tricks AND treats up my sleeve. 😉🎃
