There’s something about a card featuring a sweet scene that just warms the heart, isn’t there? When I saw the Charles Stamp Set from C. C. Designs’ March 2024 release, I knew I had to create a cozy little scene with Charles and his faithful pup. This set is so charming and full of personality — it’s the kind of set you’ll want to reach for again and again when you’re creating cards for friends and family.
Building scene cards has always been one of my favorite things to do. It’s like building a miniature world where every piece fits together just right. The trick is figuring out how to layer everything so it creates depth and interest without overwhelming the design — and that’s exactly what I focused on with this card. Let me walk you through how it all came together!
Cold Nose Warm Heart:
Creating the Focal Images
I started by stamping one of the Charles images and the adorable Snoopy sitting on his doghouse onto a piece of Hammermill Smooth Cardstock using Memento Tuxedo Black Ink. This ink is my go-to for alcohol marker coloring because it doesn’t smear or bleed.
When it comes to coloring, I reached for my OLO Markers. These markers are so smooth and blend beautifully — plus, they have such a great range of colors. I kept the tones soft and warm to match the cozy theme I had in mind. After coloring, I fussy cut both images with my snips. I know fussy cutting isn’t everyone’s favorite thing, but sometimes you just can’t beat the clean edge and the extra pop you get from cutting it yourself. A good pair of precision snips makes all the difference here!
Pro Tip: If you’re not a fan of fussy cutting, you can try leaving a thin white border around the edge — it helps cover any imperfections and makes the image pop more against a busy background.
Building the Background
To create the scene, I wanted a layered look with soft clouds and grassy hills. I pulled out my Puffy Clouds Border Dies and Grassy Hillside Border Dies (both from Lawn Fawn) to get started. I cut two cloud borders from white cardstock and two hills — one from green cardstock and another from a green patterned paper from the Bouquet Pattern Paper Pad (from SBC).
Here’s where things get fun — adding color to the clouds! I used Spun Sugar, Craved Pumpkin, and Mustard Seed Distress Oxide Inks to blend soft sunset hues along the top edges of the clouds. This creates a subtle glow that makes the whole scene feel like it’s lit by the early morning sun.
Pro Tip: When blending on white cardstock, use a light hand and build up the color slowly. It’s easier to add more color than to take it away!
Once the clouds and hills were ready, I started layering them onto a piece of ombré cardstock from the Ombre Patterned Cardstock Paper Pad (from SBC). The ombré background adds a soft gradient effect, which helps tie all the other elements together.
Framing the Scene
To give the scene a finished look, I used the first stitched die from the Scallops & Dots Die Set (from Catherine Pooler Designs) to cut down the background panel. I also die cut a rainbow-striped patterned paper from the Bouquet Pattern Paper Pad using the largest scalloped rectangle die from the same set. The pop of color from the striped frame really makes the scene feel playful without overpowering it.
I adhered the background panel to a top-folding A2 card base and then added the scalloped frame over it using foam adhesive. This extra dimension helps separate the frame from the background and gives the card that polished, professional feel.
Adding the Sentiment and Final Touches
For the sentiment, I wanted to keep it simple and clean. I stamped "Cold Nose Warm Heart" at the top of the scene using Versafine Onyx Black Ink. This ink gives such a crisp impression — perfect for sentiments.
Next, I added Charles and Snoopy into the scene with foam adhesive to give them a little lift off the background. This helps them stand out and creates that layered look that makes a scene feel more dynamic.
To finish things off, I added some white gel pen highlights to the stamped images — a little dot on the cheeks and a few lines to accentuate the hair and fur. It’s a small touch, but it really brings the characters to life. Finally, I scattered a few Crystal Clear Shaker Embellishments around the sentiment for a touch of sparkle.
Why This Card Works
What I love about this card is how all the layers work together to create a cohesive scene. The soft sunset glow, the playful striped frame, and the pop of dimension from the foam adhesive all combine to make the card feel balanced and finished. The Charles Stamp Set is just so charming — it’s hard not to smile when you see these two sweet characters together!
Scene cards can feel intimidating at first, but once you break it down into steps — stamping, coloring, building the background, and assembling — it all starts to come together. Plus, mixing different patterned papers and die cuts is a great way to use up scraps and add variety to your designs.
Final Thoughts
This card came together so beautifully, and I love how the sunrise glow adds warmth to the whole design. The Charles Stamp Set from C. C. Designs’ March 2024 release is such a versatile set — you could easily swap out the colors and background for a completely different look. If you’ve been looking for a fun, layered scene card idea, I hope this gives you some inspiration!
Let me know if you give this design a try — I’d love to see how you bring Charles and Snoopy to life in your own cards.
Thanks for dropping by today I hope that you found a little spark of creative inspiration with my project today. Wondering what I used in this project? Everything is linked to multiple sources in the thumbnails in the Materials Used section, or in the text below. Compensated affiliate links used when possible.
Materials Used:
Here you will find the list of supplies that I used to create today's card. All supplies are linked to supply sources below. Compensated affiliate links may be used at no cost to you.
Happy Stampin'
Rick Adkins
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