Light-up Dracula Halloween Cards

For the last few years, I have been making extra spooky Halloween cards to send out to friends and family.  When the Monstrous stamp set from Tim Holtz/Stampers Anonymous debuted a few months ago, I found this year’s inspiration!  The vampire in the set is so dapper and is even wearing that classic horror movie cape! So I definitely wanted my card to have some stylish gothic-looking elements to it, and maybe an electrifying surprise too!

Once I had stamped and colored my Draculas, I built up the card design  with a stormy night background, and some die cuts that reminded me of abandoned rooms in a crumbling castle. Then I added a sentiment from the same stamp set.

Then, it was time for the special effects!

Want to see this card in action? Check out my Instagram post for a quick video!

I mean, how scary is a vampire with glowing red eyes?! To make this happen, I used the starter kit from Chibitronics, as well as some extra LED light stickers.  I really like the little activity booklet that comes the starter kit, because it guides you through creating different types of circuits–you get to practice before you start building your card. I wanted the card recipients to press on the “Wicked” from the sentiment on the front to light up Dracula’s eyes.

I cut openings into the various layers of the card for the lights to shine through, and marked the eye locations on the card base.  Then I assembled the front of the card, including slipping some red-colored acetate behind the vampire’s eye holes.

Because I was planning to mail these cards, I needed to figure out a way to get the lights to shine by pressing on the card, but not be too thick or fragile. I decided to place the battery in the center of the card, and build my circuit with a switch that got pressed at the bottom of the card.  I also made a basic foam backing from 3mm fun foam. I figured that eliminating the usual many pieces of foam tape might help the card not get bent or creased in the mail.I decorated the inside of the card too.  Figured I sent so much time on the card front, might as well give the interior special treatment as well.  I used a stencil and sponged some Deco mousse and then heat-embossed a sentiment from the Monstrous stamp set.

Whenever I mail out a thick card, I like to use a slightly bigger envelope. I just had to go a bit extra on the envelopes, so I stamped a ruined church on the address side, and used my eclipse stamps for a spooky full moon effect.  The four cards I sent out all arrived in great condition, and my recipients happily sent me videos and photos of Dracula’s eyes lighting up.  I’ll call that a Halloween win!

 

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