Perfecting Techniques: Embossing, gluing and using very thin frames

I love Halloween. I'm not against the spooky stuff as long as it isn't done to unsuspecting people who don't like it or young kids who might be traumatized. What I really, really like though is the cute Halloween stuff.

When I saw the card that Darlene DeVries made here on her blog I had to try it too. She has an accompanying YouTube video that was helpful.

Here is my recreation of her card:

Not bad, especially without comparing mine to hers, but there is room for improvement. 

The cat, slime and spider stamps are all part of a set called Trick or Treat by Simon Says Stamp. The word Halloween is from a die set called Halloween, and the narrow green frame is a wafer thin die from a set called This is the Life, both from Simon Says Stamp. 

The first time I attempt a new project or recipe, I try to follow the directions exactly. Now I know what I will try differently the next time, and will share what didn't work well for me. First off, the very narrow green frame made me a little nuttier than normal! The die was placed on the Sizzix magnetic platform onto a piece of white card stock cut to the specified size. Once cut, I had the inner rectangle where the stamping is done, the tiny border and the white frame. Because they are all cut from one piece of card stock, they should go back together snugly, like a puzzle. As you can see in this photo, some black (the card base) shows between the green frame and the inner white rectangle. I like that frame but the next time I try this, I will color it and adhere it to a piece of card stock the size of the overall rectangle. I can always use the frame and inner rectangle elsewhere. Then again, maybe I will draw the rectangle with a fluorescent green Copic maker.

The green color used on the frame and slime is Radiant Neon Pigment Ink in Electric Green. Per directions, I used UTEE (ultra thick embossing enamel) on the green areas and used the heat gun to get a shiny, thick surface. Well I tried to anyway. I went over both the frame and the slime image with a Versamarker and more UTEE but really don't feel my result came anywhere close to Darlene's. I will definitely practice this again because thick, shiny slime is a technique I need in my bag of tricks! 

In order to look like Darlene's card, the cat should have been stamped further up from the bottom of the rectangular cut, but the only downside of my position is the word Halloween isn't quite as prominent in appearance this way.

About that word Halloween....wow! Wow happens to be the name of the black glitter embossing powder that was used. I think I want it in every color! Unfortunately my photo doesn't show how nice this glittered word looks. Here's another angle that gives a slightly better view of the sparkle.

I mentioned glue in this entry's title. I use a variety of adhesives. My go-to stick-um is most often Scotch brand's Adhesive Dot Roller. I sometimes use Tombow Multi (used by Darlene), sometimes Sakura's Quickie Glue (it looks like a pen), and when I want something strong that I know will stay put through anything, I use Scor Tape by Sookwang.

The stamp set used includes a dog that is semi-wrapped as a mummy and the die set includes shapes for cutting out both the cat and dog. I have an idea brewing that I hope to get to in a few days. We don't really need to have meals or clean laundry while I'm in the mood for this, do we?