I can’t quite believe I am writing this…
A month ago I was asked to make some samples with the new seasonal products by Tim Holtz! As a bit of a “fangirl” you can imagine my reaction when my box of goodies arrived from the North Pole! So with dizzy excitement let me share my first sample with you.
Using the really cool new Sizzix Vampire thinlits die by Tim Holtz, allow me to introduce you to Count Frightful, don’t come too close though… he bites!
Cut a piece of core-dinations kraft core and paper from the new regions beyond paper stash. Distress and ink the edges.
Layer the papers and stitch.
Run a generous line of glossy accents along the back of the layered papers and place onto an idea-ology 6″x 8″ burlap panel and set aside to dry.
Cut a frame from grungeboard with the Sizzix postage stamp frame and rectangles movers and shapers dies.
Cover with black soot distress paint and allow to dry. Using the sanding block, gently sand portions of the frame and swipe vintage photo distress ink over the top with a blending tool.
Dab a little mushroom and espresso alcohol ink onto border strips from the new gothic industrious stickers with a cotton bud. Trim to fit inside the grungeboard frame.
Once dry attach with a line of glossy accents.
Die cut “frightful” from coredinations kraft core with the new Sizzix Halloween Words: Block thinlits dies.
Cover a manila tag with foil tape and coat with red pepper alcohol ink directly from the bottle.
Once dry, cut to size and mount underneath the “frightful” die cut.
Lay out the Tim Holtz Sizzix Vampire thinlits die.
Die cut from mixed media cardstock and core-dinations kraft core.
Fold the head down the center and gently crease the cheeks following the score lines. Cover the top of the head in brushed pewter distress paint to give a streak of silver to the hair, (this isn’t necessary). Cover the lips and blood drip die cuts with festive berries distress marker and assemble the head. There are lightly scored lines which show you where everything goes, so clever!
Assemble the body as per the step-by-step, (there are score lines to show you), but do not attach the head yet.
Lay the grungeboard frame and vampire die on top of the burlap canvas but do not adhere. Once happy with the position, use a pokey tool to mark the position of both eyes, pushing through the back board, (no vampires were hurt in the making of this canvas)!
Using the poked holes as a guide, cut the backing die with a craft knife being careful to only cut behind the eye area.
Again, using the poked holes as guides, drill 2 holes into the canvas and use a lighter or match to burn away any frayed strands of burlap.
Cover a piece of shrink plastic with red pepper alcohol ink and adhere over the holes with glossy accents.
Hot glue a battery operated lightbulb to the inside top of the canvas allowing the canvas to still lay flush against a wall. You could use battery operated LED’s or fairy lights too.
The darker it gets, the more frightful he becomes!
BOO!
To make a vial of blood to hang from the canvas, gather together the frightful ephemera pack, curiosities remnant rubs, a tiny glass vial bottle and some idea-ology findings.
Cover the cork from the tiny vial with glue n’ seal to make it water resistant. Unscrew the spray nozzle from the fired brick distress spray and drip into the tiny vial until about half full. Put the cork into the vial and seal around the join with a layer of hot glue. Push a screw eye into the cork and hang from idea-ology chain. Cut up remnant rubs from the curiosities pack and make a label.
Thanks for stopping by my blog and thank you so much to Mario, Paula and Tim for inviting me to the best party ever! You can see all the new Halloween dies on Tim’s blog and be sure to check out Tim’s social media and blog all month long for a chance to win some of the incredible new products. Have a great weekend.
Spooktacular!!! Love that the eye light up and all the great details are awesome. Thanks for the inspiration.
Thanks so much to YOU for the inspiration Richele! Your blog is filled with creative eye candy. 🙂
Zoe, your Count Frightful is AWESOME!!! I love that the eyes light up! You have packed so many amazing details into this spooky piece! Thanks for the great Halloween inspiration!!!
Thanks so much Bobbi. I absolutely love “The Undertaker” it was an honor to be blog buddies. You’ve given me some awesome inspiration too! 🙂
This is just wonderful Zoe and Count Frightul looks amazing! I LOVE how his eyes light up, such a clever touch and all the little details are what make this such a fabulous project!! xx
Thanks so much Emma! You set the bar high with your Monsters Laboratory, which I utterly love! Thanks for your inspiration and friendship. 🙂
Beyond blown away!!!! Love it all. The colour created for ‘frightful’. Amazing. !!
Thanks so much Diana! The ‘frightful’ deserved some colour bling. 😉
Oh girl this is awesome!! I must make this!!
Thanks a lot Chary. I hope you do make one. Make sure you share your creepy creation. 🙂
fsntadtic piece, love how it lights up and the dimension on the face. Your piece of art is brilliant and the details are fantastic. Tracy x
Thanks so much Tracy! 🙂
WOW … eyes light up and everything !! Such fun details … great tutorial and loads of inspiration !!
Thanks for your comment Rosann! 🙂
I love, love, love this!!! Must make this!!!
Thanks Deb! I hope you do. Make sure you share what you make. 🙂
Wow, he looks very creepy! Your project is just ‘to die for’!
LOL Thanks Susan. 😉
wow wow wow I’m terrified…what a fabulous project Zoe xxx
Thanks Kath! He’s a loveable rogue really. 😉
Oh my, Count Frightful is pretty darn scary! Amazing piece Zoe!
Thanks a lot for taking the time to comment Deb. 🙂
Spooktacular! Amazing really. Your attention to detail really brings our vampire friend to life.
Thanks so much Sharon. 🙂
What a fabulous Count Frightful you have created! He already looked amazing but I just love how you lit him up – fabulous work!! I so want this die set!! xx
Thanks so much Anne! It’s so cool how 3 dimensional he is. I can’t wait to see what you do with him. 🙂
Like how you created this & it is wonderfully frightful lit up.
Melissa
“Sunshine HoneyBee”
Thanks Melissa!
It’s too beautiful to be spooky. This is just awesome
Thanks Luci! Watch out… he bites! 😉
Oh my gosh I just wanted to squeel. I just love your project. It is fabulous! I love that imagination you have and how you put it to use..Fabulous and exciting project..!
Thank you so much for your lovely comment Susan. I’m so pleased he made you want to squeel. It was a really fun die to play with. 🙂
Count Frightful is delightful with his light up eyes and blood dripping mouth! What has he been doing?
Judging from the tiny vial of ‘o neg’, I imagine he’s been up to no good at all! 😉
You rocked it! this is awesome and I love that the eyes light up!
Thank you so much Kat. It was a really fun project to make.
Zoe , your project is totally gorgeous! love love love this! Barbarayaya
Thanks my friend. 😉
wow Zoe marvelous and so frighten at the same time ! Love it !!! J’adore !
Thanks Martine! He’s sat across the room looking at me with his red eyes! :O
Hello Zoë,
your idea for the eyes is awesome ! Not only the lights, but how you burned the holes with the red acrylic on top.
I wish halloween was celebrated more here in Belgium !
Inge
Thanks so much Inge! Halloween isn’t very celebrated in Switzerland either, so it’s especially fun to make my home decor very frightfully festive. Perhaps we can bring Halloween to Europe. 😉
This is insanely cool — I love it! Time-consuming, but so worth the end result.
Thanks a lot Laura. It is actually surprisingly quick to make, deciding what to do took WAY longer! LOL 😉
Totally freaky! Thanks for sharing the “how to” with us!
Thanks Les! 🙂
Funtastic! and sooo scary.
Thanks Linda!
What an amazing project,love it!!! Awesome job creating this vampire. Thanks for sharing how you made it.
Thanks for the lovely comment JudyB!
LOVE LOVE LOVE! I cannot believe it lights up…so cool! Love the whole design!!! Congrats to you too!
Thanks Anita. That’s a big compliment coming from you! 🙂
Zoe you did it again girl! Another amazing artwork, xx
Thanks a lot Denise. 🙂
Love this! So spooky!
Thanks Muddy!
Wow…I was just following along and then BAM…the light-up eyes just blew me away! Very clever girl!
Thanks so much Debbie. 😉
Absolutely fabulous. So very creative. I really love your vampire. Marvelous!
Thanks Susan!
Amazing creation! Love the lighted eyes. Frightfully fabulous!
Thanks Annette, that’s so kind! 🙂
Wow…I love this…if these dies ever come out in time…I can’t wait to try it! Great tutorial and thanks for sharing! 🙂
Thanks Roxanne! They are available for pre-order, shipping end of August! Plenty of time for creepy creating! 😉
I’M certainly not surprised that you were asked to make items for T¡m’s new line! Everything you DO is just SUPER! This frightful dude is proof of that very thing! Your directions were done as wonderfully as your work, as well!!! You are an awesome source of inspiration, Ms. Zoe!!! Thank you!
WOW! Thank you so much Mel! That’s incredibly kind of you to say. I’m really pleased you liked it. 🙂
What a great tutorial! The idea for the eyes is genius my friend! Thanks for joining us on the journey! p
Thanks millions for inviting me on this journey my friend! It’s the most you can have with your clothes on! 😉
OMG so freaking cool! I am so totally gonna have to buy that die. Amazing!! xx
Thanks Judy! You NEED this die! 😉
love the glowing eyes!!!
Thanks Lisa! He’s a creepy dude indeed! 😉
Frightfully delightful!
Thanks Jan!
Oh my! I had no idea that the new die created a 3D creature! That’s fantastic! And the glowing eyes! Just Wow!
It brings them to life donna! *shudders* 😉
Just fantastic – from the lighted eyes to the dangling blood
Thanks so much Lisa. 🙂
that’s absolutely brilliant. you’re so talented
Thanks Ann. I really appreciate you leaving a comment. 🙂
Oh, the hair on the back of my neck is standing straight up! How frightening in a great way! Huge congratulations to you, and oh, so well deserved to get to join in this party! You rocked it, girl! I am NOT a fan of vampires, but you created this with such class and finesse, that I can’t help but fall in love with your guy! He actually looks as if he’s been carved from a wood block! And those eyes! I was totally taken back by this, what a wonderful surprise! Your panel is so inspiring! Thank you for sharing it with us!
Hey girl, how exciting to see you creating for Tim. I am sure you were absolutely thrilled to get a box of goodies from him. Love your vampire! I am just so happy for you. Congrats!
The count is so darling…and scary, of course. Thanks for the inspiration and tutorial.
Oh my gosh, this is amazing and brilliant idea to light him up,spooktacular!
I’m here FINALLY! OMG your project and tutorial is AMAZING! I am SOOOOOO proud and happy for you. You really rock this!
This is so spooky!! The light was a brilliant idea, it made him superspooky. Wonderful tutorial!
TOTALLY AWESOME!! Thank you! Love the lit up eyes and vial of blood! Bwwwaawwww