Halloween Howl, Day 31

All good things must come to an end. It’s been a great month though. I’ve enjoyed swapping Halloween ATCs with Joy so much; we’ve agreed to do it again next year. I already have 10 cards done! The last card for October 2025 was created with stamped images and diecuts on a patterned paper background. A great finale to a fun swap! Thank you, Joy, for being my partner.

The card I sent to Joy depicts a very spooky night in a graveyard with a full moon in the sky. It is October 31st already. Time flies when you are having fun, they say. Now we can look forward to Halloween Howl 2026.

For a change, I was not the only one who dressed up for Halloween to go to work. First time in fifteen years someone else has come in costume. We look great, don’t we?

Halloween Howl, Day 30

Is the invisible man really there? I don’t see him. Oh right, he’s invisible! I sure hope he is friendly. The watercolour background is mostly hidden by the gauze but what I can see is really nice.

My ATC to Joy today has a not so friendly looking witch flying around on her broomstick. She is really anticipating tomorrow! I will be wearing a costume to work tomorrow, like I do every Halloween that is a work day. Nobody else has ever worn one but I still continue to do so.

Halloween Howl, Day 29

Today’s ATC from Joy has a background made from dyed mulberry paper. I had to Google that. Mulberry paper is a strong, durable, and versatile paper made from the fibrous bark of the mulberry tree. Its long, flexible fibers give it a soft feel while maintaining its strength, making it suitable for a variety of art, craft, and decorative uses. You learn something new every day. The lovely ladies were cut from black glitter paper and the stars from pink glitter paper. And yes, you need a little Hocus Pocus on Halloween.

My card to her today has the grim reaper standing by the tombstone of someone who had an unfortunate ending. The word stamp is from the Tim Holtz tiny text Halloween stamp set I purchased this year. I painted clear matte medium on the grim reaper to give him a grainy texture. It’s hard to believe that the swap is almost over…only two days to go.

Halloween Howl, Day 28

I applaud anyone that can fussy cut images with any kind of precision as Joy has cut out this skull and crossbones. I have not been able to do the same. Perhaps the arthritis in my hands prevents me from doing that intricate kind of work. Kudos to you if you can do it.

My ATC to her today has a pair of mischievous cats trying to pull the jack o’ lantern off of the high shelf. One is the lookout, the other one is reaching for it. I think they will be in big trouble with their owner if they manage to get it down. She probably thought it was up high enough that they would not be able to reach it.

Halloween Howl, Day 27

Joy used another background that I sent her for today’s ATC. That guy is pretty creepy looking and I would not want to run into him at the local pool or swimming hole. Another perfectly coloured stamped image with the braided trim at the top to finish it off.

The card that I sent to her for today has some silhouetted trick or treaters out for a night of fun! I have this die in two different sizes. One is a brand name die, the other was purchased from China. That is where I got a lot of my dies several years ago. I have so many dies now that I try real hard not to purchase any more. I am not always successful at that.

Halloween Howl, Day 26

That’s the way I like it; no tricks, all treats! These cuties look like they are having fun, don’t they! Joy used Brusho Crystals for the background. I will have to figure out what those are. So much for my goal to not purchase more craft supplies.

It turns out I did take a photo of this card to send to another friend before packaging it up and sending it off. These are the same two ghosts that Joy cut out in vellum on the Day 24 card. We have a lot of the same dies, it seems. They are definitely a frightful looking pair, aren’t they?

Halloween Howl, Day 25

Open if you dare! I’m not sure I’d want to open that door with a spooky ghost peeking out. What an adorable little trick or treater dressed as Little Red Riding Hood. Joy has some really nice stamps she can colour and she does such a fabulous job of it. I love the faux stitching around the perimeter. The little dots are sparkly too.

I forgot to scan the next three cards before sending them to Joy, so I asked her to take a photo to send me to use in the blog post. There was originally a fish in the fish bowl but I cut it out and replaced it with a ghost. I’m not sure that kitty wants anything to do with a ghost. I’m sure she was expecting a fish to be in there. Not this time. *smile*

Halloween Howl, Day 24

Can you see them? The vellum ghosts are creeping up behind you. Watercolour paints, bubble wrap and blended inks created this spooky background. The ghosts are camouflaged in plain sight. Very effective technique used. I love this one! Who am I kidding? I've loved them all!

My card to Joy today sports the other two dancing skeletons in the set of dies I’d never used before. The sentiments were stamped from a Tim Holtz Halloween sayings stamp set I purchased this year. Yes, I already have LOTS of Halloween stuff (paper, stamps, dies, etc.) but I just can’t help myself. If I see something I like, especially if it is on sale, I pick it up. I’m still not crazy for the gem eyes but as I said a couple of days ago, anyone who saw them before I sent them really liked them.

Halloween Howl, Day 23

Yes, it’s all fun and games until someone gets bitten. For sure I would stay out of this guy’s way! I’d sent Joy some backgrounds to create with and she used one of them for this ATC. This vampire was built with multiple pieces cut from dies. It must have been very meticulous work putting him together. A few stamped bats and a couple of gems finished it off.

The background on the ATC that I sent her today was one I thought would NEVER work for a Halloween themed card. It just seemed perfect for this though. Funny how some of the backgrounds I dislike the most are the most effective when used. This card reminded Joy of the many spooky movies with things creeping out of the ground that she’s seen.

Coincidental as it may seem, I recently purchased the Tim Holtz Costume Party dies to use next year. I’m looking forward to trying them out. Edit: It just occured to me that the mummy on the card I received for Day 8 is from this set too.

Halloween Howl, Day 22

This ATC is overloaded with cuteness! As I’ve mentioned before, I admire anyone that colours stamped images by hand. It is simply not my forte at all…not at this point anyway. For the background, Joy used her own hand print. What a unique idea! It reminds me of the finger painting I did as a child. This card definitely gives me a warm glow inside.

The card that Joy received today almost hit the trash bin. After putting the gems on the eyes, I got freaked out by the ‘dimension’. Everyone I showed it to thought it was wonderful though, so I sent it. I’m not sure why I have always been so particular about dimension on my ATCs but the cards I’m receiving this year are showing me that I don’t need to be afraid of a bit of depth. It actually makes them better.

Halloween Howl, Day 21

I love this sentiment! ‘You are never alone if you believe in monsters’. And that gigantic Frankenstein creature peering in the window is the perfect image for this. The ink blended background gives the ATC a very eerie effect. It is absolutely fabulous.

Who is that peering out of the window of the rickety haunted house on the ATC I sent to Joy today. Maybe it is one of those monsters. Do you want to go check it out? I'm not sure that I do. It would involve climbing stairs and I don't 'do' stairs anymore.

Halloween Howl, Day 20

Just send candy, all will be fine. Another great ATC was received from Joy today. All the tiny details are what make it special; the embossed stamping, the coloured images and the ribbon trim & bow. Colouring stamped images will never be something that I see myself doing but I sure appreciate the talented person who can do it.

My favourite Halloween candy is the molasses kisses. I’m not sure if you can get these in the U.S. My father always used to claim any that we brought home from trick or treating. He told us how awful they were and how much we’d hate them. I know now that he just wanted to claim them for himself.

I love putting together the multiple piece dies like the cat on the card I sent to Joy today. The squiggly border on the perimeter of the card was done with a Sharpie marker. It was something different I tried but not sure how much I like the effect. Anyone I showed the card to before sending it off thought it was good though.

Halloween Howl, Day 19

This card is definitely faBOOlous! The ghost on the right side is popped up on foam tape give it some dimension. The little finishing touches…the red & white paper scrap, the yellow banner, the tiny bow made with baker’s twine and the coloured pumpkins make it very special. I love it.

I got the idea for the ATC I made for today by going through cards that I received in the past and not copying one exactly but putting my own twist onto it. Cards that I’ve received in previous years have been a good source of inspiration for me. I like how this one turned out. The background is perfect for it.

Halloween Howl, Day 18

Whoo goes there? Owls, of course. And they are one of my favourite things. I am starting a gallery wall of owl pictures in my bedroom. It’s a gallery of one right now found at a thrift store. I continue looking for more. This ATC is fantastic! The patterned paper in the background with the diecut tree provides a great back drop for the two cute owls. Love it!

Somehow, I managed to mix up day 16 and 18 when I was putting them in the envelopes for Joy. So the one you saw two days ago was for today but this is the one she actually opened. A white picket fence, a large full moon, a raven and a bat are showcased on another of my gel plate backgrounds. I have so many backgrounds in my binder; I may not have to make more for a long time.

Halloween Howl, Day 17

The background on today’s card is very sparkly in the light. You might not be able to see it in the photo and I’m not sure how she got that effect. The words were a bit difficult to read until I got the card under a bright light. It says, ‘It’s Halloween. Visit the web.’ The words were stamped and embossed. The faux stitching around the outer edge finishes it off perfectly.

My card for Joy today was a bit of an experiment. I’d seen this string art before and wanted to give it a try so I could incorporate it in an ATC. I dug up a video from nine years ago that I’d saved for when I wanted to experiment with this technique. It kind of reminded me of a spider web so that is what it became. And scream I would if I saw a spider this big! Wouldn’t you?

Wait, it just occured to me that we both made cards with spiders for today! What a coincidence.

Halloween Howl, Day 16

What a cool witch on today’s card from Joy. Another die that I don’t have! The background is spectacular. The embossed words and little gems really finish the ATC off nicely. Love this one too. There is no way to pick a favourite from all the lovely cards I've received.

The ATC I created for today has a gel print background with the used dryer sheet added on top for texture. The raven is perched on top of the tombstone sitting on a bed of bunched up coffee dyed cheese cloth. I want to experiment next year with more fibres…cheese cloth, lace, and fabric. Stay tuned to see how that turns out.

Halloween Howl, Day 15

Today’s card from Joy is ‘so franken cute’! I’m sure that she has coloured this image, as well as others I have received so far. I have tried colouring stamped images, but I simply do not have the patience for it. I admire anybody that does.

The card that I created for today used more of that masterboard I made from various ripped papers and Tim Holtz collage tissue paper. I’d be running in the opposite direction is these guys were coming my way, for sure!

Good news today! The last four ATCs arrived to Joy today. They were caught up in the postal dispute in Canada. I’m very happy that they arrived in time.

Halloween Howl, Day 14

What a really wonderful background on today’s card from Joy. I will have to ask her how she created it. The combination of diecuts, stamping and embossing is fantastic! I love this ATC. It's one of my favourites.

The card I sent to her today starts off with a background I initially did not like but I added some stamping and decided to give it a chance. The Boo diecut is from black glitter paper and the ghosts are cut from white cardstock.

Halloween Howl, Day 13

What a lovely ATC I received today from Joy! The graduated purple distress ink background perfectly showcases the stamping and embossing on this card. Although the background looks grey in the pic, it IS actually purple. It is delightfully delicate and wonderful to behold.

The background on my card for today is definitely out of my usual norm. I created a masterboard with torn paper scraps with Tim Holtz collage paper on top. I added some tea dyed cheese cloth under the large diecut witch. Overall, I think it really works. I will have to use more of the backgrounds I have left for next year.

Halloween Howl, Day 12

Today is my birthday. Happy Birthday to me! A friend following along with my Halloween Howl journey on the blog commented on how lucky I was to have a little gift to open EVERY day of my birthday month. Yes, I am. *smile*

The little frog on today’s card is so cute. The background is amazing with stamping and distress inks. The stars really do make the frog look magical. He’s put a spell on me for sure.

Above is my ATC to Joy for October 12th. You will see a couple of ghosts and a pumpkin having some Halloween Fun. I rarely use brown craft paint for my backgrounds but I was experimenting a bit and I like how it turned out.

Halloween Howl, Day 11

This card is so cute! And yes, Our Friendship is Magic. Mr. Scarecrow looks quite dapper in his outfit and the wee kitty seems to approve. What you likely cannot see in the picture is that the stars, one leaf and little pumpkin are raised up giving the card some dimension. If you cut those teeny, tiny things out yourself, Joy, you have more patience than I do.

You can see the same witch on my card to her today that was on the #1 card she sent to me. My die is a bit smaller than hers though. I wanted to test the orange glitter paint on the background and I love how it turned out. It looks much better 'in person'.

Halloween Howl, Day 10

I love this poured paint background. The colours mix together so well; turquoise, black, purple and grey. The skeleton looks quite happy dancing around the tombstone. It would be quite a spine chilling sight to come across. The bats make it extra spooky.

Ghosts seem to be coming out of the woodwork on the card that I sent Joy for today. They seem determined to scare someone! The eerie sky in the background adds to the effect, doesn’t it?

Good news on the radio today. Canada Post employees will be back at work next week. There will still be rotating strikes but at least the mail will be moving again. Joy is still waiting for the last four cards from me to arrive.

Halloween Howl, Day 9

What a dark and gloomy card for today! Spiders are creepy and this one especially so. The white gel pen highlights make him stand out from the black web. The background paper is a little sparkly and she also added some silver gel pen stars. Nice touch!

The card that I made for Day 9 has a mischievous mummy threatening to stomp on the glitter pumpkin. Is he really going to do it? I hope not. Maybe the bat will scare him off. I love how some of my backgrounds came out, no two will ever be alike.