Autumn Gnome Card Tutorial: Crafting and Enchanting Fall Scene

Hey everyone!

The Polkadoodles Challenge blog has started another new challenge today. I wanted to share my creation with you in an Autumn Gnome Card Tutorial. I was inspired by autumn, which gave me inspiration to work with this gnome and squirrel. 

In this tutorial, I will guide you through the creation process of the card using the “Autumn Wheelbarrow Halloween Gnome” digital stamp and the “Nuts About You” clear stamp set by Polkadoodles. 

We will start by creating a serene forest background and then bring the gnome and squirrel to life with alcohol markers. 

I will give you step-by-step instructions for adding magical details, whimsical sentiments, and final embellishments to make your card stand out. 

Additionally, I have listed all the Polkadoodles products used in this project at the end of the article, complete with links, so that you can easily find what you need to recreate the magic at home.

Are you ready to get creative together? Let’s dive into the world of Polkadoodles and embark on this crafting adventure.

Let’s gather all the materials we need before creating our wonderful card. Here is a list of the things we will need:

• Stamps: We will use the “Autumn Wheelbarrow Halloween Gnome” digital stamp and the beautiful ‘Nuts about you’ clear stamp set from Polkadoodles to create our charming gnome and his squirrel friend.
• Ink: Choose your favourite ink to make the background. You can use any ink you like. I used my chalk inks. 
• Colour mediums: You can use alcohol markers, pencils, watercolours, or any medium you prefer.
• Tools: Basic crafting tools like scissors, glue, a die-cutting machine (optional), and stencils (optional) are needed to make this card.
• Paper: We will need paper to print the digital stamp on and stamp the images on. We will also need paper for the card base, the background panel, and the grass layers.

Now that we have all the materials gathered, let’s start creating our card. In the following sections, we will create a magical forest background, meet our gnome, and squirrel friends, add colours and accents, and finally, assemble all the elements to create a beautiful autumn card. Let’s get started!

Creating an engaging background is the first step in making our autumn card. I guide you step-by-step through the process and give handy tips for when you don’t have the right supplies.

To begin, make sure you have the following materials ready:

• White cardstock for your card base.
• Stencil with tree patterns (If you don’t have a stencil, no problem! You can also achieve a similar effect by drawing trees freehand or using a tree stamp with masking techniques).

To begin, attach a white paper to your crafting surface. 

TIP: A helpful tip to do this is by taking a small piece of tape, folding it in half under the card, and sticking it to your workstation.

Now, use a stencil that has covered the trees and an open sky. This will help you create the sky while keeping the trees white. Use an ink tool to apply blue ink over the stencil. I used four different shades of blue for this. The stencil will keep the white colour and create the tree shapes against the blue sky.

Tip: If you don’t have a tree stencil, don’t worry. You can either draw the tree shapes by hand or use a tree stamp. When using a stamp, remember to mask the trees. This way, you can ink your sky without colouring the trees. 

Remove the stencil with care to reveal your beautiful forest of trees against the blue sky.

With your background complete, you’ve set the stage for the upcoming magic. Our autumn gnome and his squirrel friend will soon come to life in this enchanting forest backdrop. Let’s continue crafting our autumn wonderland!”

Now it’s time to bring our beloved gnome, squirrel and accompanying autumn elements to life. Now that our enchanting forest background is here, it’s time to start the colouring process. In this section, I will guide you through the process step-by-step and provide you with colour combinations and tips to make it easy and fun.

• Start by printing the ‘Autumn Wheelbarrow Halloween Gnome’ digital stamp on DCP paper. Carefully cut out the image to give you the freedom to determine its placement on your card later.
• For the squirrel, leaves, and acorns from the clear stamp set, use black ink that’s alcohol-marker friendly to stamp them onto DCP paper. This ensures that your ink won’t smudge when you start colouring.

For our gnome and squirrel, I used the following colour combinations:

Gnome:

• Skin: Peachy Blush, Salmon Pink, Barely Beige
• Hat: Cool Grey 5, Cool Grey 4, Cool Grey 1
• Beard: Cool Grey 5, Cool Grey 4, Cool Grey 1
• Wheelbarrow: Deep Olive Green, Dark Olive Green, Olive Green

Squirrel:

• Fur: Natural Oak, Burnt Sienna, Sand, Leather

For the leaves and acorns, I used these colours:

• Leaves: Dark Olive, Olive Green, Mustard, Dark Yellow
• Acorns: Deep Olive Green, Dark Green, Olive Green

After colouring, cut out your gnome, squirrel, leaves, acorns, and the two grass layers. This step allows you to arrange them exactly where you envision them on your card for the perfect composition.

With your coloured characters in hand, you’re ready to create the enchanting grass elements. In the upcoming section, I’ll guide you through creating the grass layers that will add depth and texture to your scene. Stay tuned!”

Now that we have the enchanted forest background and coloured characters ready, the next step is to create the grass elements that will add depth and texture to our scene.

To create the grassy foreground, we need two layers of grass. Start by cutting the grass shapes from white cardstock, either by using dies or by cutting them manually.

To make the grass layers look more realistic, we can use different shades of green ink. I used my chalk inks, but you can use any ink you like. 

After adding colour to the grass layers, we can position them on the card, one in front of the other, to create a sense of depth and perspective in our scene. We use adhesive to secure them in place.

With the grass elements in place, we are almost done. In the next section, we’ll add magical details to our scene, including white metallic paint splatters and highlighting for that extra touch of whimsy. 

Now that we have our enchanting forest backdrop, coloured characters, and vibrant grass layers, it’s time to add those final changes that will make our autumn card truly stand out.

To create a sense of whimsy and a touch of magic, use white metallic paint. Simply add some water with your metallic paint. Get paint on your brush and tap against your brush. This will create splatters scattered across your card. This adds a beautiful, ethereal quality to your scene.

To make our characters and elements pop, consider using a white gel pen to add highlights. Pay attention to areas like the gnome’s hat, the squirrel’s fur, and any other areas where a touch of highlight will bring out the details. 

With these final enchanting details in place, our autumn card is nearing completion. In the next section, we’ll explore the art of assembling all the elements to craft a truly magical card.

Now that we’ve brought our forest scene to life and added those enchanting details, it’s time to put everything together.

Begin with a basic card, either a ready-made one or make your own. If you prefer to make your own, take a 21 x 14.8 cm paper and score it at 10.5 cm. Apply a layer of brown paper (14.3 cm by 10 cm) on the base card, and then attach the created background panel on top of it.

Arrange the coloured gnome, squirrel, leaves, and acorns on the card. Play around with different placements until you’re satisfied with the composition.

Place the sentiments ‘Autumn’ and ‘I wheel-y think you’re great’ on your card to add a touch of warmth and charm.

Enhance the scene by placing a large acorn in the top left corner, the branch with two birds and three leaves on the right, and mushrooms and extra leaves around the gnome and squirrel.

With all the elements in place, the magical autumn card is complete! You have created a whimsical masterpiece that captures the spirit of the season.

Now that we have finished our card, I would like to invite you to join the challenge too.

Are you feeling inspired by the breathtaking autumn scenery? Why not put your crafting skills to the test and participate in our latest challenge on the Polkadoodles Challenge Blog? This is the perfect opportunity to display your talent, connect with fellow crafters and win fantastic prizes!

Happy crafting!

Affiliate Disclosure: This blog post contains affiliate links. When you purchase through these links, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. These commissions help support the creation of free, valuable content for you. I appreciate your support as it allows me to continue sharing crafting inspiration and tutorials.

Autumn Wheelbarrow Halloween gnome.

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Nuts about you clear stamp set

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Trick and treat Sentiment Set

Shop at Polkadoodles

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