Fears! What spooks you?

Good morning,

It is a lovely spring morning here, the birds are tweeting, the golden sun is streaming low through the trees and I’m wishing that the school holidays were starting today! Unfortunately, we have one more week until I don’t have to set the alarm clock and will have the freedom to scrap every day if I feel like it. Who am I kidding, scrapping will be happening every day?

Anyhow, this layout share is about something completely different, no spring and no holidays. What I’m sharing is based on what I fear, with all the Halloween collections out now and the spooky paraphernalia in the stores, it got me thinking about spooks. For me, it is always the little creepy crawlies which do surprise attacks! For example, the other day I was outside enjoying and admiring the garden, the citrus trees are in blossom and hubby has been working on re fencing the orchard. I come back inside and I feel that creepy sensation of little feet crawling across the back of my neck! I do what any sensible adult does, I freeze. Then, I bravely try and flick the offender off my neck…really hoping that it is not a spider. Flicking success I think until I realise it’s on my arm! By now my heart is racing, I’m starting to panic, I’m telling it sternly to get off, it’s not doing that! Next, I’m screaming…it’s a baby pray mantis! I’m going to leave the story there, I’m pretty sure that you have an image in your head of what happens next, you know…the dancing and screaming!

So, back to scrapping. This layout is more like a story page, I have no images of the many times I have done the critter dance but I do have many stories I can tell about this insane reaction of mine to tiny insects (um…sometimes they are as big as my palm). I have left journal space to type up my story and add it in later, I may even add a tag/s with several stories and slip them behind the journal mount.

Creating this layout gave me a great excuse to get messy with mix media and get out my favourite stamps from Tim Holtz, the Stampers Anonymous, Entomology set (CMS328). Ok, so now you will think I’m nuts, yep I said favourite. I love any papers, embellishments, dies and stamps which have insects, in fact, I kinda collect them. And…I have pet stick insects which I dote on, big suckers!

Let’s get down to the important stuff, scrapping. I started off creating my background using white cardstock and building up layers of Tim Holtz oxide distress ink. I’m trying to develop a grungy feel to my background, after all, I’m after spooky.

Next, some stencilling using a Kaisercraft 12×12 brick stencil. I’m going for a connection with house and home, so this was a perfect choice.

More stencilling, this stencil came in one of the Uniquely Creative kits. It creates a gritty, sandy, water like texture.

Now to add some details, I love this house plan stencil. It is quite intricate, including fine lines and text, so if you purchase it be gentle when applying the ink.

Next, some splodges! Nothing says grunge like paint splodges. I used a Kaisercraft stamp set and some purple oxide ink, purple speaks spooky to me and the Dusty Concord oxide ink has a lovely mottled, chalky effect. I overlapped the splodges to get more runs down the page.

Step 6! Wow, this background is taking some time. What spooky layout doesn’t need cobwebs? Another amazing stamp set from Tim Holtz, Stampers Anonymous, Tangled Web set (CMS346). This stamps beautifully, creating very fine, detailed lines.

The last step, grunging it up with a baby wipe. I mixed some texture gesso with some black Stazon ink (refill bottle), you could use any brand of black ink, I just grabbed what was handy on my desk. Use the baby wipe to smear on the gesso and wipe away excess. I love how this worked and had to stop myself from overdoing it.

After I dried off and ironed my background paper, I pulled out some patterned paper scraps to create embellishments. I had some AB Studio paper with text quotes which I cut apart to fit my fear theme. The quotes were actually about positives, never give up, fly high type of inspiration. I then used my new WRMK Clear Cut 2″ hexagon punch and punched a heap of PP hexagons. I distressed the edges of each but took ages adhering them to the page. I didn’t want to cover my lovely grunge which I had created…should I, shouldn’t I? In the end, most of it was covered.

I also pulled out some large Jillibean alphas (Farmhouse Stew collection), I love these, they are very versatile. It’s great to see that using large alphas and fonts is coming back in fashion, have you seen the gorgeous Ali Edwards ones? Devine. With these alphas, I inked the edges brown before foam adhering them in place.

I needed a subtitle but didn’t want it too big or too small. I ended up using white glitter alpha Thickers which is on my bash (use it list), I am not really a glitter girl but seem to have a large collection of glitter Thickers. The white was too bright, so I applied some ink to tone them done to a subtle grey.

Here come the critters!  Stamped, smudged with some distress ink and fussy cut (after I couldn’t find my matching die set which I own…grrr). I also stamped some critters straight onto my background.

Next, the final assembly adhering everything in place with double-sided tape, fun foam and tacky glue, adding my journal spots, quotes and critters. I love the end result, it was a lot of work, about 6hrs but it’s good for the soul messing around with ink and stamps. I do not usually spend this much time on a layout, it was a Friday night and I was home alone and just wanted to play with my supplies. No photos or sketches for inspiration, just all my creativity!

Happy upcoming Halloween for those of you who celebrate it. I hope you are all creating Halloween pieces and layouts for the season, it looks so fun. For the rest of us who don’t celebrate, perhaps look at making a page about what you fear, it could help reduce the fear or phobia.

I would love to see what other spooky things you all create and welcome you to share your link in the comments. Remember if you are on the home page that you need to click on the title of the post to open the posting page to comment.

Keep on scrapping 🙂