I know, I know, it's a bit early for Halloween, but if we can have "Christmas in July" sales, TV shows, and all sorts of other promos, what's keeping us from doing "Halloween in July"?! 
Well . . . nothing's stopping me! I hope you enjoy this month's spooky release, and that it gives you plenty of time to plan for our next big cookie holiday! Below, I also introduce a new (to me, anyway) technique that I'll dub either "double-stenciling" or "over-stenciling" (I haven't quite decided which yet), so do read on!
Here's what this month's release looks like in a nutshell . . .
And here's where you can find the stencils behind each of the photos above:
- Boo to You Dynamic Duos™ Background Set (upper left),
- Boo to You Dynamic Duos™ Message and Frame Set (combined with the Duos™ background set; upper right),
- My partner Confection Couture's Haunted House Accent Stencil (lower right), and . . .
- Along Came a Spider Dynamic Duos™ Bundled Set (my very popular Halloween offering from 2018).
My logo in the picture above obscures some of the stencil designed by my partner, so here it is in full view:
How fun, right?! The little windows (lower left) are intended to be used as an overlay on the haunted house silhouette in the upper right!
Now, as always, my Stencil of the Month Club members get a super special deal, which, this month, consists of both my Boo to YouDynamic Duos™ Background Set and Confection Couture's Haunted House Accent Stencil, as pictured here:
This specially curated bundle is worth $22.99, but Club members get it for only $14.99! Plus, they also get 15% off anything else on the Confection Couture site, as long as their membership stays in effect! If you're not yet a member, you're missing out on savings like this each month of every year, so I encourage you to consider joining (here).
Before we get into discussing what's in both the background and message and frame sets, let me just say that I'll be releasing a video that demonstrates these sets in great detail, so I'll only touch on their high points here. Please stay tuned for that video, coming in a couple of months, closer to Halloween! Now, onto that background set! Here's what it contains:
Boo to You Dynamic DuosTM Background Set (8 pieces)
And here are just a few of the many cookie variations you can make with it . . .
The over-stenciling (or double-stenciling) technique to which I referred earlier comes into play on the ghost and moon in the photo above. Basically, both the ghost and the moon were stenciled first (or created using the help of a stenciled guide) and then were stenciled again on top to make it appear as if they are floating between trees and clouds. But, my video will cover this technique in greater depth, so let's move on to a closer view of the photo above . . .
I think you'll see that over-stenciling adds some interesting depth. It can also be done in various ways with this same set. For instance, the ghosts on the far left and right cookies (below) are flying through trees, whereas the one to the bottom left on the center cookie is gliding between a tombstone and a tree!
I also want to point out how small differences in airbrush shading can add interest to a set. Above, you can (hopefully) see purple, orange, and electric green shading playing out in different ways on different parts of each cookie. The center one has purple shading primarily on its edge; the one to the left has purple and orange shading; and the one to the right has orange shading throughout its center.
Now, let's touch on the complementary message and frame set!
Boo to You Dynamic DuosTM Message and Frame Set (7 pieces)
As always, you can apply these elements in myriad ways. Below, you'll see the "Eat, Drink & Be Scary" message applied directly to the cookie with orange shading, whereas the message on the bottom cookie is stenciled onto a separate fondant plaque shaded with purple. The latter approach adds more dimension, but both methods have their rightful place in cookie decorating!
A closer view, where, once again, I've double-stenciled the moon . . .
As you may have noticed, I often use white for my stenciled cookie backgrounds. But, frankly, I do this for little other reason than stenciled patterns really pop against white, which makes for better website marketing photos. These stencils also look great on backgrounds of other colors; they just take on a different quality. Below, the same sets are applied to grey backgrounds, leading to a softer, possibly more spooky or mysterious look!
And, on that note, I'll leave you with one closer view and a recap of key links directly below. 'Til next release, happy stenciling! Please also keep an eye out for the video related to this set!
- To purchase my Dynamic Duos™ sets, click here.
- To join my Stencil of the Month Club, click here.
- To see my entire stencil line, including my Prettier Plaques™ sets, click here.
- To view my videos that show how to create layered looks with my stencil sets, click here.
If you have any technical questions about these stencils, just email me at sweetlife@juliausher.com or leave a comment below. Please, however, direct all ordering and Club questions to my stencil partner, Confection Couture Stencils, at service@confectioncouturestencils.com. Thank you!
**** ADDENDUM - OCTOBER 1, 2019 ****
And here, at long last, is the how-to video related to this set! Enjoy, and don't forget to check out the section that explains my new double-stenciling (aka over-stenciling) technique! It starts at about 8:20 in the video.
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