Stylish Shapes Dies - The Maine Stamper

Gnome With Heart Card

January 25, 2023

Friendly Gnomes Card Class, Card 2

As my Friendly Gnomes Card Class continues, I am working with the gnome with a heart from the Friendly Gnomes Stamp Set. Did you miss the first card from my Gnomes Class? Click here to see it!

We are approaching Valentine’s Day, and hearts are on all of our minds right now.

But, I didn’t want this to be a red, pink or purple card…well, maybe a little purple. Instead of the traditional Valentine colors, I chose a different color palette altogether for my Friendly Gnomes card.

Brick Background

I love adding an embossed piece to the background of my card fronts. Embossing folders, like the Brick & Mortar 3D Embossing Folder I used on this Friendly Gnomes card, are an inexpensive way to add texture.

And, when you highlight the highs and lows left on the paper after embossing it with some ink, the most magical thing happens! Your card is now 100% unique. Even if you tried, you would not be able to add the same ink coverage on another card layer.

Watch my live demo for a comparison of the Large Blending Brushes and the brand new Small Blending Brushes! Get your 3 pack in my online store.

DESIGNER TIP: Use different color cardstock and ink to create a palette of bricks: White CS with Poppy Parade Ink; White CS with Sahara Sand Ink; Real Red CS with Cherry Cobbler Ink; or other combos in grays, reds, browns or more!

Butterfly Kisses Designer Series Paper

While I was looking for the perfect patterns to use on my Friendly Gnome cards, I knew I wanted bright and fun prints with flowers, hearts and butterflies. Perfect companions to friendly gnomes, wouldn’t you agree?

And the Butterfly Kisses Designer Series Paper was just what I needed! The splash of Calypso Coral flowers helped me draw on the color for my card base and brick embossed layer. And those adorable purple flowers in Fresh Freesia look a little like the purple hearts that I put on my card.

Speaking of hearts, there are even some built into the designer paper in the Butterfly Kisses pack. I chose one of those patterns for the Stylish Shapes stitched square die my gnome is placed on. Make sure you pay attention to this small print so you adhere it to your card front with the hearts going in the right direction.

A Gnome With Heart

This little gnome may be my favorite from the 3 different gnomes in the Friendly Gnome Stamp Set. Maybe it is his small stature (he is the shortest!), or the fact that his hat completely covers his face, other than his gnome nose! Perhaps it is that this gnome is holding a heart…

Regardless of his cuteness, this friendly gnome needed a little color after I die cut him using the coordinating Gnomes Dies. Just like the first card in my Friendly Gnomes Card Class, I pulled Stampin’ Blends in colors that complimented my cardstock and designer series paper.

Here is the color palette I used for my gnome:

HAT: Daffodil Delight (Light and Dark)

SKIN: SU 800

BEARD: SU 400

HEART: Fresh Freesia (Light and Dark)

SLEEVES/PANTS: Light Old Olive

SHOES: Dark Old Olive

Get Your Friendly Gnomes Card Class From ME

This is just one card in my featured class this week. If you would like to see the video from my online class, click this link . For more details on what is in this week’s class from Maine and how to get yours, click here.

I will be sharing more cards from the Friendly Gnomes Card Class, as well as my alternate cards and bonus cards, as this week goes on. Be sure to check back here or follow me, The Maine Stamper, on FaceBook for even more card making inspiration.

Gnome One Better Card

January 24, 2023

Gnome Card 1, using the Friendly Gnomes Stamp Set, gnome with flowers in his beard.

Friendly Gnomes Card Class, Card 1

Welcome to another weekly Card Class From ME! This time, I am featuring the Friendly Gnomes Stamp Set and Coordinating Gnomes Dies. I find it amazing that Stampin’ Up! was able to bring the Gnomes Dies back for another set of adorable gnome stamps!

In fact, I compared both stamp sets, the retired Kindest Gnomes (red rubber cling style), to the current Friendly Gnomes (photopolymer style) during my class. Watch the video here.

While there are 4 dies designed to cut out gnome shapes, there are only 3 gnome shapes in the current Friendly Gnomes Stamp Set. Each gnome has unique qualities (like our gnome with flowers in his beard!) and gives us a lot of cute options to work with.

Friendly Gnomes Stamp Set and Gnomes Dies.

Floating Eclipse Technique

While I like to pack my card kits with lots of cool elements for you, the Floating Eclipse Technique is something new to me. I thought these funky die cut circles would be the perfect backdrop for one of my gnome cards.

To begin, cut a piece of Vellum a little larger than your intended die cut. I used the biggest circle die from the Stylish Shapes Dies. I adore anything with a stitched edge!

Next, adhere strips of designer series paper, a half inch thick, to the Vellum. Be sure to leave a little space in between your dsp rows. Lastly, die cut your shape. This results in the look of “floating” dsp as the Vellum base fades into the background.

Get To Gnome Your Card Kit

Let’s break down what your first gnome card kit holds in store, besides the awesome eclipse die cut circles.

Flowers & More Host DSP

This isn’t the first card class I have used this fabulous designer series paper, Flowers & More, on (see my previous card class here). I thought the bright and fun patterns in this paper pack would be perfect for my gnome card. Purple and posies just felt right for this gnome with flowers in his beard.

Painted Texture Embossing Folder

I love adding an embossed piece to my card fronts. It is quick and easy, and provides great texture too. For this card from my Friendly Gnomes Card Class, I chose the Painted Texture 3D Embossing Folder. I didn’t want something too detailed or specific in pattern to compete with my flower dsp.

And by embossing with White Cardstock, it helps to provide a neutral spot for the background of what could quickly become a very busy card front.

The Star Of The Card, Our Friendly Gnome

With 3 different gnomes to choose from, how did I arrive at the gnome on this card? That was pretty easy! With my flower theme paper, I simply picked the gnome with flowers in his beard.

My favorite way to color stamped images, like this friendly gnome, is with Stampin’ Blends. Make sure you stamp you image in Memento Black Ink first, and add the color with a protected background behind it (like scrap paper), as the oil-based ink will bleed thru the paper.

Here is the color palette I used for my gnome:

HAT: Calypso Coral (Light and Dark)

SKIN: SU 800

BEARD: SU 200

FLOWERS: Light Daffodil Delight, Light Calypso Coral

SLEEVES: Dark Daffodil Delight

PANTS/SHOES: Dark Old Olive

Get Your Friendly Gnomes Card Class From ME

Something Fancy Thanks & Hello Cards

January 19, 2023

2 cards made with the Something Fancy Bundle.

Something Fancy To Say

It’s time for a couple more Something Fancy Cards! For the last card in my weekly Card Class From ME, I finished using the Something Fancy Bundle with 2 themes in mind. One is “hello”. The other is “thanks”. Both are great reasons to send a card!

If you missed the other awesome cards in this week’s Something Fancy class, click here to see one.

Double Duty Embossing Folders

The thanks and hello in the background of my cards are actually embossed. I did this courtesy of the Thanks & Hello Embossing Folder 2 pack. These folders are small in stature, measuring just over 6″ long and @3.5″ wide.

Due to the layout of the words “thanks” on one folder and “hello” on the other, all in multiple languages and fonts, you will want to use these embossing folders in the landscape orientation.

Very Fancy Background Layers

I embossed white cardstock with the Thanks & Hello Embossing Folders for my cards. This way, I was able to add some ink color with a Blending Brush to highlight some of the words. It also brought out the color scheme for each card as well.

I continued my use of the Flowers & More Host Designer Series Paper pack, similar to the first 2 cards from this class. For these cards using the Something Fancy Bundle, I chose 2 patterns in 2 completely different colors: Fresh Freesia and Pale Papaya.

Both my Stylish Shapes Dies cardstock circle and the Something Fancy Dies sentiment assembly reinforce my chosen colors in purple and peach.

Something Fancy To Finish With

Fancy Sentiments

There are so many great choices in the Something Fancy Dies, it really is easy to pick a couple to layer together for your sentiment. I decided to heat emboss each sentiment from the Something Fancy Stamp Set with White Embossing Powder on color cardstock.

Because my colors are soft and pastel in nature, white embossing isn’t the boldest choice. To adjust my sentiments so that they were easier to read, I added like-color ink to each die cut. The embossed sentiment resists the added ink, while the cardstock surrounding it deepens in color.

Fancy Embellishments

No card is complete without a little ribbon or bling. Since Fresh Freesia and Pale Papaya are both In Colors, there are matching styles of ribbon available in each color. I folded over my Open Weave Ribbon instead of creating a swoosh or a bow.

And lastly, I added something fancy in the way of Pearl Basic Jewels. The pearls made an appearance on each of my cards from this week’s Card Class From ME!

Get Your Something Fancy Card Class From ME

If you think my Something Fancy cards are amazing and would love to create these same cards at home, I have just the thing. My weekly card classes feature not only a live assembly demonstration (video replay available to watch anytime after!), I also offer card kits with PDF card recipes, mailed to you from ME.

You can learn more about how my weekly card classes are structured by clicking here. The order process to qualify for the FREE card kits (6 total, 2 each of 3 designs) closes at end of day on Fridays. Missed this class? Come back to see my next one, new every week!

Potted Geraniums Online Class

October 5, 2022

Potted Geraniums

No matter the season, online classes and flowers are timeless. I combined both in my latest class, which you can watch here. And as you can see from my collection of Potted Geraniums cards, not all geraniums have to be red or pink.

Potted Geraniums In Purples

I find that most papercrafters are passionate about the color purple. Which makes sense to me! With the Geraniums Dies, these flowers in shades of purple seem more like lilacs or even hydrangeas.

For my first card of the class, I did a lot of die cutting. This is always better than a lot of fussy cutting, so make sure you pick up matching dies whenever they are offered.

When you bundle the Potted Geraniums Stamp Set and Geraniums Dies together, you will automatically save 10%. I also used the Deckled Rectangle Dies as a backdrop for my floral bouquet.

Leaf die from Geraniums Dies — This mysterious looking die is actually the background portion of a leaf and stem assembly…not a caterpillar or funny cloud.

Potted Petal Pink Geraniums

When I created my second card for the Potted Geraniums class, I continued to use designer series paper from the Host Rewards selection, Design a Daydream. The Petal Pink papers were soft and sweet, and embossing cardstock with the Twigs & Sprigs Embossing Folder made my tone on tone stand out.

In this card, I did some 2-step stamping. With the photopolymer stamps in the Potted Geraniums Stamp Set, you will easily be able to line up your stamps as well. First, I stamped the full pot image in Crumb Cake. Next, I stamped the partial pot image over the full pot image using Cajun Craze.

Traditional Potted Geraniums

For the last card in my Potted Geraniums Online Class, I chose very traditional colors: red and green. The designer series paper pack, Lovely In Linen, gave me a beautiful Evening Evergreen base to work with.

I did a lot of stamping with this card! Some of it was ink on coordinating color cardstock. Some of it was ink on white cardstock. It is fun to switch up the ordinary to make things extraordinary! And speaking of over the top…this Soft Succulent Satin Ribbon is divine.

Get Your Card Kits From This Class!

With a qualifying order over $35 in my online store using the Host Code FX2V76SX from October 3-9, 2022, I will send you a set of card kits (1 of each design, 3 total) that you can use to recreate these cards at home. Whether you are using the Potted Geraniums Bundle or different stamps and dies, your cards will be easy to put together- I will do all the die cutting and embossing (but no stamping).

If you miss out on this online class, just look for another one coming soon! Join me on Monday evenings at 8pm (EST) for a live class on my FaceBook page, The Maine Stamper. Or watch for my YouTube videos posted shortly after, on The Maine Stamper channel. Hope to see you there!

Color swapping on cards — Who Wore It Better? Pool Party or Petal Pink? You decide!