Gnome Birthday card featuring an easy way to line up images for masked scenes

,
, ,

Alexandra

Affiliate Links are used throughout this post. If you purchase anything using these links I earn a small commission.

Disclaimer: Gifted. Some of the products featured in this post were sent to me free of cost in exchange for my sharing my projects.

Do you even struggle to get images lined up just how you want them when you are creating masked scenes?

I do! But I came up with this simple template idea to make it easier to get all your images lined up right where you want them! Keep reading for step by step instructions plus a video!

I absolutely love the look of layering stamps together to customize a scene by using masking paper but it can be a bit tricky!

For those not familiar with the technique, basically it is when you stamp the image you want to be in front first then cover it up with masking paper cut to that stamps exact shape. After the first image is covered, you stamp a second image overlapping with the first and when you remove the mask it looks like the first image is in front of the second one you stamped.

I know this sounds complicated and if you aren’t sure what I’m talking about I would recommend looking up some tutorials on YouTube because it is a technique that is much easier shown than explained! Or scroll down to watch the Reel I filmed showing my process for creating this gnome scene!

For this card I knew I wanted the gnomes to be holding a few balloons in front of them. Since I wanted the balloons to be in front, this means I have to stamp the balloons first. But here is the thing, without having the gnomes stamped I couldn’t see where I wanted the balloons to be!

So after some fiddling, I discovered a method that worked well for me and I hope it can help you too!

STEP BY STEP INSTRUCTIONS

  1. Start by creating a template. Cut a piece of scrap paper to the same size as the cardstock you want to do your masking on. I cut mine to 4.25 x 5.5 inch so it was the same as my A2 cardstock panel.
  2. Start by stamping the main image onto the template. This is going to be the image you use to line up all the other stamps.
  3. Next line up the other stamps you want to use on the template. Don’t worry about masking yet, this is just the template.
  4. Stamp the other images onto the template.
  5. Optional step: Use a white gel pen to colour over any of the lines that are inside the images you want to be in front. This can make it easier to see if you like the layout how it is or if you want to change anything.
  6. If you are happy with how everything looks, it is time to move on to stamping on the cardstock. If want to make changes to the layout – go back to step one.
  7. Place your cardstock panel in a stamping tool like the MISTI and place the template on top. Since we cut the scrap paper for the template to the same size, they should line up exactly.
  8. Take the stamps that you want to appear in front and line them up with where they are stamped on the template. Then pick them up with the door of your stamp tool.
  9. Remove the template. Ink up and stamp the images onto the cardstock panel.
  10. Mask off the images you just stamped. I used the No-Fuss Instant Masks from Whimsy Stamps for this project which made it much faster to create. But if you don’t have them, just stamp the images onto masking paper and fussy cut them out. Make sure you cut right against the stamped line.
  11. Place the template back over top of your cardstock panel and line up the next stamp with it. This will be the image that appears to be BEHIND the images we just stamped and masked off.
  12. Remove the template and stamp the image onto the cardstock.
  13. Repeat as needed for your design.
  14. Remove the masks to reveal your finished design!

I hope you found this helpful! If you found it confusing to read please scroll down to the bottom of this post to watch the Reel I filmed showing how I did it. It will probably make more sense after you have watched me do all the steps instead of just telling you about them!

After I was finished with creating the design, I coloured all the images with my Ohuhu alcohol markers. When I was finished colouring, I decided I wanted to add some stencilling to the background so I put the masks back over all the images.

I used the Starfield stencil with a rainbow of inks to ink blend behind the gnomes, and I added a cobblestone floor with the Stone Wall stencil underneath the gnomes.

Then all I had to do was remove the masks, stamp a sentiment and this card was finished!

Watch the Reel

You can watch the reel I filmed demonstrating all these steps below. If you are on Instagram I would love it if you also gave me a follow there! I share cardmaking tutorials regularly and I post on Instagram more often then I blog.

Supplies