Gnome Inspiration
Once in a while, a stamp set comes along which sparks a creative frenzy. For me, the Gnome for the Holidays stamp set on page 23 of the 2020 August-December Mini Catalogue is that set!
Repeatedly, I am drawn to those cute little gnomes, I want to create with them ALL THE TIME!!!
Now, if you’ve gnome me, oops, known me for a while, you know that I don’t usually create with “cute” stamps. My creating is often very vintage or quick and easy but these little guys have captured my attention. So far I’ve created 15 different projects with this set and I still have pages of ideas that I want to try! These little guys have even invaded my sleep, I dream about what I can make with them. For me, there is no escaping the call of the Gnome for the Holidays stamp set.(Obsessed ?)
Gnomes are NOT just for Christmas!
When I visited TK Maxx recently, guess what was on their Halloween display?
Yep, you guessed it…
Gnomes… Gnomes all decked out in Halloween colours. They were adorable! Some were even dressed as witches and ghosts. (I was so tempted to buy them but Steve was with me so I didn’t!)
So today, with Halloween only 11 sleeps away, I want to share one of my gnome “celebration” cards in Halloween or “Fall” colours.
Now, you may have seen this card at one of my classes or on Facebook, but what you didn’t see there is information on how to make it or the layout. Let’s have a chat about that now.
The Layout
This card is basically 7 squares and two rectangles (card base and sentiment). Here are the measurements for card stock, if you want to recreate this at home:
- Thick Very Vanilla A4 Cardstock –
- 5½” x 11″ or 14cm x 28cm – score at 5½” – this is the card base.
- Very Vanilla A4 Cardstock:
- 1 square – 4¼” x 4¼” – 11cm x 11xm – inside the card
- 4 squares each die-cut to approximately 2¹⁄8” or 5.5cm
- square die-cut to approximately 1¹/8” or 3cm
- enough to cut a banner from for the word “celebrate”
- Very Vanilla or Thick Very Vanilla scraps on which to stamp 4 gnomes
- Cajun Craze A4 Cardstock
- 2 squares of 4½” x 4½” or 11.5cm x 11.5cm- One for the front and one for the inside.
- scalloped square die-cut to approximately 1³⁄8” or 3.25cm
Pretty simple so far isn’t it. At the bottom of this post, you’ll see EVERYTHING that I used in this project – I used a lot of Stampin’ Blends.
Mirror Image Gnome
Did you notice on my card that the four Gnomes all have their hats facing outwards? “BUT, in the stamp set, there are only three different gnomes!” I hear you exclaim! That’s right.
What Halloween trickery is this?
No trickery at all! It’s a MAGIC technique called a reflection or mirror image technique. It looks and sounds hard but can be easily done with the Stamparatus (everyone’s favourite tool!) or another stamp positioning tool and a silicone craft sheet. (You can substitute a window sheet or a piece of acetate for the craft mat but they smudge easily.).
You can do this technique without a Stamparatus BUT it is more difficult to get great results. I will share a video to demonstrate this another day.
Speaking of videos
Here’s a speedy video demonstrating the making of this Gnome celebration card and the reflection technique. There is even a bit where things don’t go to plan and how I fixed it.
http://https://youtu.be/yToLkmG1vU0
Sorry about the music (I really need to expand my iMovie music library).
Dodgy music and editing aside, how easy was that technique? Gnome problem at all (Sorry couldn’t resist.)
I’ve lost count of the times that I have the “perfect” stamp for a project BUT it “faces the wrong way”… you probably have too. The mirror/reflection technique is an easy fix that means you will get more use out of the stamps in your stash.
Top Tip:
My top tip for this technique is to stamp the image onto the craft mat at least three or four times before transferring it to your cardstock to get a really dark image. If you only stamp it once or twice, your image will be less vibrant or pale. At times, a paler look might be what you’re looking for, but, when you make this card, you really want a darker image so it is consistent with the other images.
Tell me more about the Stamparatus.
What can I say other than it is one of the most used tools in my craft room, and in my humble opinion it is a MUST have?
Seriously if you want more info about this amazing tool, check out my previous blog post here or ask me for a demonstration.
When you buy your Stamparatus from me, you will receive my exclusive Mastering Your Stamparatus video series featuring a series of video techniques to help you get the most of your fabulous stamp positioning tool absolutely free! In this series, I cover the beginner’s basic techniques and work up to more advanced and playful techniques. Right now there are more than six hours of videos with more on the way AND you get lifetime access to the videos and the private Facebook group!
Hope you enjoyed today’s Gnome video and creation.
Reach out if you have any questions or need any more information on this project, Gnome for the Holidays ideas or the supplies used. Be sure to leave a comment below to let me know what you think.
Until next time… happy creating!
Chrissy
Products Used in this project
Click on the photos below to go to my online Stampin’ Up! store
