Halloween Extravaganza - Day 7

This is a Halloween card I created for a recent swap with the Sun City Stampers.  It features the Dark and Dreary stamp set from the holiday mini, as well as the Teahouse background stamp from the IBC.  When I saw that stamp, it just reminded me of "creepy" wallpaper in a haunted mansion! :o)

I also used some black waffle paper and the Raven lace trim - also from the holiday mini.  I cut several layers of the waffle paper (at one time) using the new Scallop Squares Duo Bigz die (yep, also in the holiday mini). ;o) 

For the main image on the front, before stamping my image in basic black, I created a gradient of color (to mimic a haunting sunset) with my sponge daubers and ink pads.  I started at the bottom with the lightest color (Daffodil Delight) and then blended in the rest moving upward (Peach Parfait, Cajun Craze and Concord Crush).  The key to creating a smooth gradient is to not use too much ink and to lightly and gently swirls your sponge on the paper.  Remember... you can always add more ink if needed, but you can't take it away if you put too much! :o)