Hello friends, and thank you so much for joining me today! I’m excited to be hopping along with Simon Says Stamp as we celebrate the exclusive coordinating dies for the latest Tim Holtz Halloween collection. If you’re hopping along, you’re in for a real treat because there is so much amazing inspiration waiting for you.
If you know me, you probably know that Halloween is one of my favorite times of the year. I love creating cards with the cute and whimsical side of Halloween—adorable monsters, playful ghosts, and smiling pumpkins—but I’m just as drawn to the darker, creepy side of the season. Classic horror movies, haunted houses, eerie graveyards…I love it all! And yes, I’m absolutely that person who starts decorating for Halloween in August just so I can soak up the spooky season for as long as possible.
For today’s card, I reached for the Monster Reunion stamp set. One of my favorite things about Tim Holtz’s illustrations is the wonderfully loose, sketch-like artwork. Instead of trying to color every tiny detail perfectly, I was able to relax and let my alcohol markers do the work. The sketch lines naturally create shadows and texture, making it easy to build depth while still keeping that hand-drawn look. It’s the kind of coloring that feels more like playing than carefully staying inside the lines.
Once everything was colored, I lined up the new coordinating dies and ran everything through my die-cutting machine. Coordinating dies are always a favorite of mine because they instantly give stamped images so much more life and personality. Being able to pop them up with foam adhesive creates little pockets of dimension that make the entire scene feel more interactive.
One small detail I added is to run a gray alcohol marker around the edges of my die cuts. It hides that bright white edge and helps the images blend seamlessly into the scene. The only pieces I left with the white outline were the moon and the bats. Those little pops of white help them stand out against the dark background and almost give them a soft moonlit glow.
Speaking of the moon…I had so much fun creating it! I first stamped it using Simon Says Stamp Honey Ink, which gives it a warm harvest moon feeling that’s perfect for Halloween. The coordinating die set includes two dies—one cuts the entire moon into a full circle, while the second cuts only the center image. That opens up some really fun possibilities. You can cut a plain white circle, ink blend your own moon, and then layer the stamped center right on top for added depth and dimension. It’s such a clever design and really lets the moon become a focal point of the card.
To bring a little more nighttime magic into the scene, I also stamped the bats from the Scarecrow stamp set. Unlike the other images, I intentionally left their white borders intact. Against the dark sky, those crisp outlines almost make them look like they’re fluttering through the moonlight, adding just the right amount of playful spookiness.
For the background, I kept things wonderfully simple with a piece of black cardstock. Sometimes the best backdrop for Halloween is simply letting the darkness do the work. The black makes every colorful image pop while creating that perfect eerie nighttime atmosphere.
I adhered the moon and bats with liquid glue, then added the headstone and zombie girl with thin foam squares to create dimension and a little extra storytelling within the scene. It almost feels like she’s coming up from the grave under the glow of a full moon—spooky and totally creepy!
I finished everything off with a sentiment, completing this fun Halloween scene. It’s amazing how much personality coordinating dies add to stamped images. A little dimension, a little layering, and suddenly your card feels like a tiny spooky story unfolding right before your eyes.
Thanks so much for stopping by today! Be sure to continue along the blog hop for even more inspiration featuring these fantastic exclusive coordinating dies. I hope this card inspires you to embrace your spooky side, pull out your favorite Halloween supplies, and start creating a little Halloween magic of your own.
BLOG HOP
Your next stop is Stacy Hutchinson
- Simon Says Stamp Blog
- Nina-Marie Trapani
- Heather Hoffman
- Nichol Spohr
- Cathy Zielske
- Emma Williams
- Barbara Tarayao
- Kath Stewart
- Mindy Eggen ** YOU ARE HERE **
- Stacy Hutchinson
- Jean Doeringsfeld
- Tami Bastiaans
- Barb Engler
SUPPLIES
So fun! Makes me want to color!
Love the colors you chose and the depth you achieved.
Really cute card, Mindy! Love the colors you chose!
Absolutely a fun card! She is fabulous.
This card is hilarious! Her hourglass figure just cracked me up. Your card is quite entertaining, and I appreciate all the techniques you did to create it. Thanks for sharing.
Wow! love that dress! So dimensional.
Yes, I agree with you….coordinating dies are the best! The colors and the card came out great! Thank you for showing us what you used!
Absolutely love the simplicity of the black background.
I would never have thought to do that…but love it!
It makes EVERYTHING POP!
Adorable card- love how the colors work together!
You always knock it out of the park!