St. Patrick’s Day Gnome Card and Z-fold Birthday Card by Diane Mason

 Hello, and welcome back for Watercolor Weekend! 

Hello, my Ai watercolor friends and fans! I have two watercolor cards to share with you today. First up is a St. Patrick’s Day Gnome card. My bonus card is a sweet little Z-fold Birthday card.

St. Patrick’s Day Gnome Card:

I know not everyone celebrates St. Patrick’s Day, but I like to think everyone feels a little Irish on March 17th. Plus, it’s the perfect excuse to pull out one of my favorite sets (5785 – Gnomes Set) and create an adorable St. Patrick’s Day gnome. For this card, I’m also using the newly released 6158 – Story Tile Template Die.

For this painting, I started by preparing a piece of Canson XL watercolor paper. Using the Storybook Tile Template Die itself—not the die‑cut—I lightly traced the interior of each section with a pencil. This leaves a clean white border around each painted panel once everything is finished.

Next, I stamped each gnome into its section using a stamp platform and N79 ink. I sketched the pile of gold inside the planter pot with a pencil, then used a large oval die to trace a smooth curve for the rainbow rising from the pot of gold. I used Post-it tape to mask each section to maintain the white border around the paintings.

Section 1

• Gnome: 195, 177 (hat and clothing), 850, 942 (hands and nose), 977 (shoes), 933, 925 (beard). All gnomes will be painted with these same colors.
• Rainbow: 856, 933, 025, 195, 476, 606 (used also in Section 4)
• Sky: 555 (all sections)

Section 2

Mask the gnome and stamp leaf from 5795 – Berries in 177, and drooping flower from 5794 – Whimsical Flowers inked in 177 (stem), 025 (flowers).

• Gnome’s belt: 025
• Leaf and flower stem: 177, a touch of 195 for highlights
• Flower: 025
• Grass: 177 (4051 – WC Foliage Set 1, small grass)
• Tiny white flowers: Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleed Proof White

Section 3

Mask the gnome’s foot and stamp vine from 5794 in 177.

• Vine: 177, a touch of 195 for highlights
• Grass: 177 (4051 – WC Foliage Set 1, small grass)
• Tiny white flowers: Dr. Ph. Martin’s Bleed Proof White

Section 4

• Rainbow: same as Section 1
• Planter pot: N25
• Gold: Winsor Newton Ink 14ml – Gold Paint, Brown TwinTone marker
• Grass: 177 (4051 – WC Foliage Set 1, small grass)
• Tiny White Flowers: Dr. Ph Martin’s Bleed Proof White

Section 5

Ink vines (177), flower (933) from 5794 and stamp into section.

• Vines: 177, a touch of 195 for highlights
• Flower: 933 (petals), 025, 026 (center)

Section 6

Mask the gnome and stamp the mushroom inked in 969. Stamp vines from 5794 in 177.

• Gnome’s belt: 025
• Mushroom cap: 025, 026
• Dots on mushroom cap: Dr. Ph Martin’s Bleed Proof White, 565 for shading
• Underside of mushroom and stem: 977, Brown TwinTone marker
• Vines: 177, a touch of 195 for highlights
• Grass: 177 (4051 – WC Foliage Set 1, small grass)

Next, I die cut the frame (6158 – Story Tile Template Die) from patterned paper, erased the pencil lines and adhered the painting and frame onto an A2 card base.

I used fonts from my computer in coordinating shades of orange and green to create the sentiment for the inside of the card. To finish the interior panel, I adhered a half‑inch strip of patterned paper along the bottom edge of the white mat.

This card is ready to send to a friend to wish them a Happy St. Patrick’s Day! PSA – Don’t forget to wear green. Legend has it that wearing green on the holiday prevents a leprechaun’s pinch or from a pesky friend - lol!

Bonus Card: Z-fold Birthday Card

For this A2 fun fold birthday card, I chose a birthday cake image from the recently released 6178 – Birthday Wishes set. The set was designed to coordinate with the Story Tile Template Die, but all the images work great on their own too!

Frame for finished painting

5591 – Journal Rectangle Frames Die Set watercolor mat decorated with the Daisy Bunch stamp from 4052 – WC Flower Set 1 and the small vine from 4051 – WC Foliage Set 1

• Daisy bunches: 743 and 565
• Vines: 177
• Happy Birthday: 6039 – Just for Her Set, black ink
• Foam tape for mounting

Painting

The image was inked in N52.

• Cake: candles (403), flames (025, 933), candle glow (025) icing (743, Fuchsia TwinTone, Dr. Ph. Martin’s), cake (977, Brown TwinTone)
• Pedestal: 403 and 565 for shadows
• Planter: shaded with 565 and also for the stripes
• Flowers and foliage: 4051 small vine (177), 4052 daisy bunch (565), 5009 single flower (743, 177)
• Tiny white flowers: Dr. Ph Martin’s Bleed Proof White, Chrome Yellow TwinTone marker for centers.
• Grass: 177 (4051 – WC Foliage Set 1, small grass)
• Sky: 555

Purple Card Base

• 8 ½ x 5 ½, scored and folded at 2 ⅛ and 4 ¼
• Front panel strip: 2 x 5 ¼
• Interior sentiment inked in purple:  Dessert pedestal (6180 – Dear Friend), sentiment (5735 – Birthday Sentiment Set)

  

I hope you’ve enjoyed today’s cards and found a little inspiration along the way. That’s all for now—thank you so much for stopping by for Watercolor Weekend. Until next time, Happy Painting!