“Halloween HAUNTS: Zombies, Goblins, Witches… OH MY!”.

 I'm really excited to be sharing a piece for an upcoming challenge via DecoArt Inc. - details will go live from October 1st 2015 so keep an eye open on Face Book and other social media.

Amazing prizes to be won. Winners to be decided by Andy Skinner!

I don't 'celebrate' Halloween and I know it's still September but I love creating pieces for this time of year! I've altered a book box which I bought many moons ago and put to one side. All paints and mediums used are from the DecoArt Media range which can be viewed here. Here's what I've created to inspire your Halloween makes:

Lots of layers incorporating paints, mediums, embellishments, die cuts, stencils and even some altered paper flowers! 

This is the inside of the book box and the outside looked very similar before I covered it with gesso. 

The spine of the book is covered with some plasterboard tape to add texture and some stencilled modelling paste is being added. 

Found objects and other embellishments are added to the stencilled book box cover. The back is kept with just a stencilled image to keep it flat and avoid damage. 

Additional texture is added with this product which makes wonderful faux buttons/rivets. Die cuts can be seen in the left corner of this image. These are glued over the dry modelling paste and painted with gesso. 

Various mediums are used both before and after the application of colour to achieve the finished results. Click the image to see the product names more clearly.

At this point, I chose a number of colours from the DecoArt Media range of fluid acrylics and started adding layers until I was happy. This would have involved far too many individual photos so I thought I would share an image of the paints I used and comment on other products as necessary. If you have any questions about any part of this piece, please don't hesitate to email me.

The colours shown are used on the front and back of the book box to create the finished piece. Click the photo to see the product colours more clearly.

The back view. This surface had to be kept relatively flat and serviceable as it would often be placed down on various surfaces. Two stencils have been used. The skull is stencilled using paint followed by dry brushing, Crackle Glaze and antiquing. Modelling paste is used for the second stencil followed by layers of paint and dry brushing.

Detail shot of back view.

Die cuts are used to add details. Layers of paint, crackle glaze, antiquing and dry brushing alter the die cuts to suit.

Layers of paint clearly visible.

Detail shot to show paint effects around eyes.

Various embellishments are combined to create a central element of the design. Lots of layers of colour and dry brushing complete the piece. Also visible in the background is crackle paste which creates additional texture, along with small watch parts.

On a number of flat areas of the cover, skulls are stencilled with fluid acrylics then antiqued with crackle glaze and antiquing cream.

The main image is a large skull stencilled using modelling paste. Various layers of fluid acrylics are followed by dry brushing to make subtle alterations.

Detail image showing eye on the main skull image.

Altered mulberry paper flowers.

Detail shot showing layers of colour and dry brushing.

The edges of the book are painted with black gesso followed by dry brushing with gold metallic fluid acrylic.

Detail shot.

Detail shot showing crackle paste and those tiny watch parts.

I hope you've enjoyed seeing the details of my Halloween Book Box! Keep watching for more details from DecoArt about their Halloween HAUNTS challenge!!

Thanks so much for visiting and spending time looking at my post.