Frightfully Fun: Crafting a Colorful Zombie Graveyard for Halloween | Featuring Taylored Expressions

Since it’s Friday the 13th, I couldn’t resist making a Halloween card to celebrate! I’ve always been drawn to bright, bold colors, and Halloween is no exception. For this card, I opted for a fun and unique color palette of pink, orange, purple, and black, giving it a playful twist on the usual spooky theme. I’ve been loving all the Halloween decor featuring these vibrant shades. It really brings me joy!

I started my card by working on the background. I used Distress Oxide Inks in Spun Sugar, Picked Raspberry, Dried Marigold, Carved Pumpkin, and Black Soot. Initially, I hadn’t planned on adding purple, but as the pink blended with the black, it created a purple hue, so I decided to embrace it!

Next, I made a stencil from a 4.5” x 5.5” piece of cardstock, die-cutting a circle near the top. After placing the stencil over a piece of Bristol Smooth Cardstock, I taped it down to my workspace. I filled in the circle shape (my moon) with Dried Marigold, then added Carved Pumpkin around the edges to give it more dimension.

Next, I removed the stencil and placed the die-cut circle over the moon I created, temporarily adhering it to the cardstock. I began blending Spun Sugar around the moon, followed by Picked Raspberry, and then Black Soot. Achieving a smooth blend took some time as I went back and forth between the colors. It was during this process that I noticed a purple hue forming between the Picked Raspberry and Black Soot, which inspired me to officially add purple to my color palette. After removing the circle die cut, I used the leftover ink from the Dried Marigold blending tool to smooth out the edges of the moon, blending between the Carved Pumpkin and Spun Sugar.

Once the Distress Oxide Ink was dry, I used the Bare Trees Background Stamp from Taylored Expressions to enhance the eerie scene. I inked up the stamp with Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink and stamped it multiple times over my background panel. To ensure the black ink was smooth and not blotchy, I applied TE's Clear Fine Detail Embossing Powder over the stamped tree trunks and branches, then heat set it for a shiny, polished finish.

(RETIRED)

Next, I die-cut a graveyard scene from Taylored Expressions' Black Licorice Cardstock using the TE Graveyard Shift Die Set. I also cut some grass using Lawn Fawn’s Simple Grassy Hillsides Die Set to add to my spooky background. After adhering the grass to the graveyard scene, I die-cut and layered tombstones from TE's Black Licorice and Poppy Seed Cardstocks using TE’s Tombstone Trio Die Set. One of the tombstones was stamped with the 'RIP' sentiment from TE's Tomb Sweet Tomb Stamp Set, using Versafine Clair Nocturne Ink and heat set with Lawn Fawn's Glow-in-the-Dark Embossing Powder.

(NO LONGER AVAILABLE UNTIL RELEASED)

I attached the completed tombstones to the grass and graveyard background using foam tape to create a striking, dimensional effect. Next, I die-cut an additional grass border from Taylored Expressions' Black Licorice Cardstock with Lawn Fawn’s Grassy Border Die and layered it in front of the tombstones, adding foam tape for enhanced depth and a more dynamic look.

To finalize my scene, I stamped and die-cut the three zombies from Taylored Expressions’ Zombies Stamp Set, then brought them to life with vibrant pink, orange, purple, and gray COPIC markers. I also stamped and colored a pumpkin and spider from the All Together - Halloween Stamp Set by TE. The spider was carefully positioned among the tree branches, while the cat zombie was popped up on the opposite side for added dimension. I placed the pumpkin prominently in front of the RIP tombstone, and added the two zombie characters to the left and center of the card, each mounted on foam tape to enhance the scene’s depth and drama.

(ZOMBIES STAMP SET - RETIRED)

For the sentiment, I used 'Happy Halloween' from the Taylored Expressions' Mini Strips - Halloween Stamp Set and die-cut it with the TE's Asymmetrical Mini Strips Die Set. I popped it up at the bottom of the card to complete the front.

To finish the card, I attached the completed scene to a top-folding card base made from Neenah Solar White 110# Cardstock. Inside, I stamped the sentiment 'Wouldn’t be caught dead without wishing you a Happy Halloween’ from the Zombies Stamp Set.

And there you have it—a spooky yet playful Halloween card that brings a whimsical twist to the holiday with a vibrant color palette and fun details! I hope you enjoyed the process as much as I did and that this card inspires you to experiment with unconventional colors and elements in your Halloween crafting. Don’t forget to share your creations and tag me @stellarcraftsbypam; I’d love to see how you bring your spooky scenes to life.