The Witching Hour 🦇

Hi everyone, well here we go again - having just finished the last page of my 2025 Lavinia calendar I’ve dived straight in and made a start on my 2026 one! Similarly to last year I’ve started with the month we are currently in, so I can make a scene that will be topical for current challenges. I mentioned in a previous post that I was very lucky recently to win a challenge over at Country View Crafts FB page, so I chose the blank calendar as part of my winnings. However I also selected a new witch stamp (Faba) and the spooky Hill House, with the primary objective of being able to make a Hallowe’en calendar page that is different from what I made for this year. Here it is.

…and a closeup view.

I cut a piece of stamping card 19.5cm x 14.5cm (I’m still not stamping directly onto the calendar page!) and started by stamping and masking the moon, then created the sky with blended Elements and Distress inks. I created some landscaping using a Mini Hill mask and blended Nocturne VFC, then stamped Faba, Hill House and the Fairy Path (which I masked then later coloured with Zig pens), then added more landscaping to ground the house. I stamped the Pixie Lanterns then coloured them plus Faba’s dress and the house windows with Wink of Stella coloured pens. I used Berry Branch stamp to create a fork of lightning over the house using Versamark embossed white, and coloured with white Posca pen (thanks to Jo Rice for this idea!). I then added some background wording, and foreground foliage. I stamped a couple of small dwellings on the left to balance things up, a large owl in flight over the moon and a few bats flitting around the house. Finally I added white Posca highlights and lots of sparkle to the moon with my Spectrum Noir sparkle pen. After I’d finished I decided it needed something else, so I added a tree on the right. I then realised that meant I had used 13 stamps on this project - spooky! 

This really is an uber sparkly project, so here is an angled pic.

Stamps: Lavinia Faba, Hill House, Fairy Path, Small Dwellings, Pixie Lanterns, Spring Trees, Berry Branch, Brodwin and Maylin, Moon, Field Grass, Bats, Slender Mushrooms Mini, Witching Hour;

Media: Lavinia Elements ink (Dark Denim); Tim Holtz Distress inks (Faded Jeans, Chipped Sapphire); Versafine Clair (Nocturne, Twilight, Morning Mist); Versamark; WOW Opaque Bright White ultra fine embossing powder; Kuretake Zig Clean Color watercolour pens; Wink of Stella pens (blue, gold); Sakura Stardust pen (yellow); Spectrum Noir sparkle pen (clear); Posca pen (white).

Challenges I would like to enter:

Alphabet Challenge - N is for Night

Country View Crafts FB Challenge (October) - Heavenly Bodies (3rd entry)

C.R.A.F.T. #766 - Hallowe’en - TOP 3

Craft Rocket #130 - Autumn/Hallowe’en (3rd entry)

Crafty Calendar (October) - Hallowe’en (2nd entry)

Crafty Gals #271 - Fill in the Blank - Spooky … (2nd entry)

(House on the hill)

Creatalicious #294 - Anything Goes with option Fall Colours or Hallowe’en

Creative Crafting Uncles #70 - Hallowe’en (2nd entry)

Creative Inspirations (October) - Autumn/Something Spooky! (2nd entry)

Creative Moments #275 - Things With Wings

Daisy Chain #101 - Autumn and/or Hallowe’en (3rd entry)

DL.Art Thankful Thursday #381 - Anything Goes with option Hallowe’en (2nd entry)

Dream Factory #144 - Hallowe’en (2nd entry)

Hand Stamped Sentiments #474 - Inspiration Photo

(I was inspired by the spooky house)

Heart’s Quest Fantasy Challenge #10 2025 - Anything Goes Fantasy (2nd entry)

If You Give a Crafter a Cookie #209 - Spooky Fun (2nd entry)

Inkspirational #352 - Seasonal (2nd entry) - TOP PICK

Lavinia Creative Challenge (October) - All Hallows’ Eve (2nd entry)

LeighSB Designs Hallowe’en Blog Hop 2025 - Hallowe’en (2nd entry)

Outlawz Anything Goes in a Card Free Zone (October) - Anything but a Card (2nd entry)

Outlawz Festive Friday (October) - Hallowe’en (3rd entry)

Paper Funday #81 - Anything Goes with option Cute or Creepy (2nd entry)

Papercraft #123 - Spooky Delights

Shopping Our Stash #558 - Hey Ghoulfriend (Hallowe’en) (2nd entry)

Simon Says (Monday) - Add Some Text

Two Old Bats Hallowe’en Challenge (October) - Anything Goes Hallowe’en (2nd entry)

Unicorn #114 - Autumn and/or Hallowe’en (3rd entry)

I don’t generally do Hallowe’en, but that’s 2 Hallowe’en themed projects in a row - I think that’s me all spooked out now!

Take care, and thanks for visiting.

Hugs,