Hello, friends, Goth Adrienne here. Pastel Shabby Chic Adrienne is...sleeping. And I've taken over Social Media Adrienne's duties as her fingers are...incapacitated at the moment.

I'm channeling my inner Wednesday Addams for these next few projects. Because I don't do cheery and delightful. I only prefer doom and gloom. A girl's gotta have standards.

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I was given the arduous task of giving my gothic treatment to the latest whimsical collection designed by Catherine Pooler for Sizzix. Whimsy. That word alone makes me ill. Social Media Adrienne says that I must tell you how I assembled this card. So here it goes. 

Cut a piece of Sizzix bone white smooth cardstock big enough to fit two of the largest circles from Border Party Circle side-by-side. Unfortunately, there was no coffin shaped die cut in this collection. So a circle will have to do. Being forced to use a circle has made me contemplate on the meaning of them. I now like to think they represent endless suffering, something that actually makes my cold, dead heart skip a beat.⁠

Fold that piece of smooth white cardstock in half and lay the circle die over the paper, allowing a small portion of it to fall over the edge of the fold. This will create a shaped card base. Send this through your die cut machine. I recommend the Black Big Shot Switch as it matches my aesthetic. But the bone white one will also do.

Then die cut the circle again from some darker gray from the Sizzix Neutrals Surfacez Cardstock Pack. The only cardstock pack I like from them other than the smooth bone white cardstock. Glue this gray circle onto the white card base with dotted adhesive.

Then die cut some of the Whimsy Bloom 2 flowers from various grays, black and white. Dead flowers are the best flowers and these are fully dead in these hues. My mother has tried to make me like "frilly" black things, so I added a little black lace, sandwiched between two white layers of the larger flower. Normally I like cold, but a hot glue gun really helps add lace to projects without fuss. And I hate fuss. 

Place the die cut leaves on to a sticky mat, such as the GripMate, and use a small blending brush to apply Distress Oxide in Black Soot to the edges. Black is my favorite color because it represents the endless void of despair. 

Then load your round flowers and leaves into your Sizzix Stencil and Stamp Tool, pressing them into your Sticky Grid. Line up the matching stamps from the Whimsy Bloom 1 and stamp the flower centers in Black Soot Distress Oxide and the leaves in Picket Fence Distress Ink. I had to stamp several times for good coverage. The Picket Fence ink will look semi-transparent until it dries, when it becomes more opaque. Social Media Adrienne told me to tell you that so you don't worry. But I don't actually care if you are worried. I can't believe you don't trust me...well, maybe I can. 

Glue the layers of your flowers together using Sizzix Express Glue. The word "Express," I hope indicates that this will make it go faster, not that it will help you emote more. Emotions are a messy business--and I do not like messes.

Die cut the spider web and spider from Vault Fright Night from white and black cardstock from the Neutrals pack. Then glue the web to the card front with Express Glue. Trim any overhang from the web off with scissors. I recommend titanium blade scissors as they are sharp as daggers. Then use black foam strips of various thickness to add the flowers to the card base. Foam pops up the flowers and makes it look a little more realistic, which I hope scares you a bit. 

Cut the strand of web from the spider using a sharp craft knife. Stamp a gothic sentiment onto a piece of the bone white smooth cardstock. I used a stamp from the 13 Days of Craftoween Advent box I received earlier this month. But I'm sure you card makers have plenty of options to chose from in your own stash. Trim the sentiment into a little banner and slide it under the flowers with some foam adhesive. Pop the spider on with more foam adhesive. 

Then use the gloss Black Pops of Color to add dimension to the spider's body. I've learned from Pastel Shabby Chic Adrienne that if you pick your project up and drop it on your work surface several times it will help level the Pops of Color. So I let my card drop like it was falling off a cliff multiple times. 

Add on some gems. I usually hate the sparkle of "bling," but these were Ice and Onyx. I love cold and dead, so I will make an exception for these. Once the spider is dry, add a single red gem to its back. This is the only time I will accept a color other than white, black and the in between shades of gray. Besides, black widows are my favorite spider. The females kill the males after they mate and eat them. I couldn't think of a more befitting fate for the majority of men.  

At this point, Social Media Adrienne would wish you inspiration and crafty bliss. But I will do no such thing. I will not wish you happy crafting. No, I only wish that you join the dark side; so stay spooky, my ghoul-friends.

Kisses and Daggers,

Goth Adrienne

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