the raven...

It is that time of year again.... You walk into stores and see isles of candy, flashing lights, and spider webs draped on everything. As you pass, some creepy motion sensor thing starts cackling or playing some other eerie noise.... Yup, Halloween is right around the corner. (Ok, so we still have a ways to go, but you have to start early with crafts...)

So, in honor of all the Halloween decor I saw in my local craft store today, I decided to make a treat bag. =)

Paper: SEI

Stamps: Inkadinkado

Ink: Archival, Stazon, Distress, Versamark, Mark-it, Alcohol inks

Die cut: Nestablilites "Label Six"

Other: embossing powder, ribbon, metal tag, Tim Holtz Tiny Attatcher, small bag

I ran the largest "Label Six" die through my Cuttlebug. I then folded the die cut in half. This forms the base of my topper. I embossed the spider web in the corner using a clear embossing powder that has glitter in it. I stamped the raven in Archival.

I inked the edges with Wild Honey, and Rusty Hinge distress inks. I love the soft look you get when you use the blending foam and distress inks. I then used an edge distressing tool to tatter the edges. To cover up the white edges left from that, I brushed on some Walnut Stain distress ink. (Notice how the spiderweb stands out because I embossed it before I inked. This acts as a resist, making the image pop.) I doodled dots around the edges with a Mark-it pen just for fun....

We all know that I like my ribbon to match, so I use a lot of white ribbon that has been altered. So.... This too was a white ribbon. I dyed it using Peeled Paint Distress reinker. I put a single drop on my non-stick craft sheet (a little goes a long way!!!). I then added water until I had a nice puddle of green goodness. I let the ribbon sit in the puddle and soak up the color. I then let it blow dry in the wind. (my neighbors probably think I'm weird always dancing around outside holding ribbons....oh well...LOL!)

The metal tag and staples seemed too stark, so I colored them with a little Alcohol ink... I also brushed some Stazon ink on the tag to highlight the letters as well as distress the edges.

To put it all together, I filled the bag with chocolate covered sunflower seeds (a current addiction of mine... SO YUMMY!). I then put a piece of Tacky Tape on both sides of the top of the bag. I then slid it into the folded topper. Now, you can stop there, but I like to add staples as a decorative touch.

Once you have the basic design figured out, these are really quick to make, and they make such fun little gifts. =)

Ok... I'm off to get stuff done.... I'll be back tomorrow!

~Kassi