Harold Gnome peeking in

Would you like to experiment with a design like this? You'll find a supply list below, including a link to the stencil I used from A Colorful Life Designs . Follow the link and use discount code ChrisFan10 to save 10% on your entire order! (Master Creator Bundles are excluded as they already have a 20% discount built in.)

Let’s Get Started:

Card Base: 5.5 x 8.5, scored and folded at 4.25

Border: 5.5 x 4.

Card Face:5.5 x 3.5

Small Scrap of Cardstock for Sentiment

Card Face:

• I secured the stencil to the card face with Mint Tape, grabbed my blending brush for red inks and set to work.

• I applied the ink with a heavy hand on the left, allowing it to fade to almost nothing as I moved to the right.

• Leaving the stencil in place, I sprayed it lightly with water and then blotted it. This provided some lovely texture, but I wanted just a bit more so I added silver metallic watercolour spatter.

• Using my score board I created a line 1/8" in from the right hand edge. I folded this back and forth several times to break down the fibres, and then tore it off leaving a ragged edge.
  

Other:

• I stamped the gnome in black pigment ink and coloured him using alcohol markers.

• I created a score line on the red cardstock 1/4" in from the right hand edge, and tore it off in the same manner as described above.

• I looked through my ready-to-go binder and found a fun tree, created earlier and saved for just such a need. I also found a sentiment that worked well with this design. Bonus!

Assembly:

• I glued the red cardstock to the card base, aligning flush on the left hand side.

• I glued the card face to the red layer, leaving a 1/8" strip of red visible on the left.

• I glued the gnome and the tree in place on the card front, positioning so that the gnome is peeking out from behind the tree.

• I added a small red star to the top of the tree - it added just enough to add a bit of sparkle to the card front without distracting from the design.

• I glued the sentiment in place as shown.

  Stretch Your Pennies:

  my card bases are typically white or cream. When I want a different coloured base ,or a narrow border, I'll simply apply a layer in the appropriate colour, but will often cut a rectangle from the center or use a piece that has already had something cut out of it. I find this to be a more economical way to make cards and no one will ever know as it is sandwiched between the card base and the card face.

Final thoughts:

I love this combination - Harold the Gnome, the tree and the stencil just seem to fit together perfectly to send a Christmas message to someone dear.

Supplies: (and links where possible)

I have listed which products I have used, and where they were purchased. It's a huge marketplace and in most instances there are multiple sources and many alternatives to choose from.

Stencil: Mid-century shadow , A Colorful Life Designs

Stamps:

Harold Gnome, by Frogs Whiskers, Ecstasy Crafts

Die cut tree and sentiment: both by Stampin' Up!., both retired

Ink:

Dye Based: Stampin' Up!

Pigment: Memento: Stampin' Up!

Mint Tape: Scrapbook.com

Blending Brushes: Stampin' Up!

Alcohol Markers:

Stampin' Blends, Stampin' Up!

Copic Markers: DeSerres

Adhesive:Tombo Aqua, Michaels

Red Cardstock: Stampin Up!

Card Base: Accent 100 lb., Amazon

Card Face:Accent 80 lb., Amazon

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