Easy Gourd-Geous Clean & Simple Card Design!

Hey there, crafty friends! Fall is officially here, and I’ve been having so much fun playing around with festive, clean, and simple card designs. Today, I want to share a card that’s perfect for the season—whether you’re celebrating Halloween or just love the warm and cozy vibes of autumn. This project features a quirky mix of pumpkins and florals using the Jack of All Faces Stamp Set from The Rabbit Hole Designs. I love how this combination adds a unique twist to the traditional jack-o-lantern!

Let’s dive into the card details and some tips on how to make a simple, yet striking card design.

Easy Gourd-Geous Clean & Simple Card Design:

Mixing Whimsy and Fall: The Inspiration Behind the Card

One of my favorite things about fall card making is that it offers endless possibilities for fun, quirky designs. I was inspired by the idea of pairing florals with a traditional Halloween pumpkin. It’s such an unexpected twist, but I love how it turns the classic spooky jack-o-lantern into something whimsical and fresh!

When I first saw the Jack of All Faces Stamp Set, I knew I had to use that adorable jack-o-lantern with the flowers popping out of the top. It's a quirky design that's perfect for both fall and Halloween cards. Plus, who doesn’t love a stamp set that can easily transition from one holiday to another? That’s always a win in my book!

Coloring Brings Your Card to Life

For this card, I stamped the jack-o-lantern with Intense Black Ink from Hero Arts on Neenah Solar White 80 lbs Cardstock. If you're like me and enjoy adding bold outlines to your designs, this ink is a great choice because it’s perfect for alcohol markers and won’t smear. I reached for my Ohuhu Honolulu Brush Markers to color the pumpkin and flowers. These markers are fantastic for vibrant, smooth coloring without breaking the bank.

Pro Tip: When you’re working with alcohol markers, remember to layer your colors slowly. Start with lighter shades and build your way up to darker tones. This helps you achieve smooth blends and gives your images more depth without oversaturating the paper. For the pumpkin, I went with a mix of traditional oranges and added some muted tones to the flowers to give them that fall feel without overpowering the design.

Adding Subtle Dimension with Stencils

Now, I didn’t want my background to steal the show, but I still wanted something that framed the jack-o-lantern nicely. So, I grabbed the large rectangle stencil from the Background Basics Stencil set by Penny Black. This stencil is perfect for adding a bit of structure to your card while keeping things simple. It gives the design a nice, clean backdrop without overwhelming the focal point.

Then came the fun part—using the Build a Garden stencil to add a floral element behind the jack-o-lantern. This stencil is sadly retired, but don’t worry, I’ve linked to something similar below. I used my CottonTail Blending Brushes to blend Distress Inks over the stencil, which gave the card a soft, layered look that ties the whole scene together.

Pro Tip: If you find yourself loving a stencil that’s retired, don’t hesitate to look for alternatives! Many stencils can give you a similar effect, and you can often tweak designs to fit what you have on hand. It’s all about experimenting and making the most of your stash!

Bringing it All Together

Once the background was complete, it was time to finish off the card. I trimmed down the card front to give it a neat, polished look and then matted it on Pitch Black Cardstock from Hero Arts, cut 1/8" larger. This small black border makes the design pop without being too bold. Matting is such a simple technique, but it adds a professional finish that really elevates your cards.

Finally, I adhered the matted card front onto a top-folding A2 card base made from Neenah Solar White Ultra Thick Cardstock. This cardstock is one of my go-tos because of how sturdy it is. If you’re sending out cards in the mail, I can’t recommend this enough—it holds up beautifully through the postal system!

To add some final details, I pulled out my Uni-Ball Signo White Gel Pen to add a few highlights here and there. It’s a quick and easy way to give your images a bit of extra dimension, especially on darker areas like the pumpkin. For a touch of sparkle, I added a few Clear Sparkle Enamel Dots from The Rabbit Hole Designs. These little embellishments are subtle but add just the right amount of shimmer.

Final Thoughts

This card was such a joy to create! It’s clean and simple but still has plenty of personality thanks to the mix of florals and fall elements. Plus, it’s always fun to use a mix of coloring, stencils, and blending to achieve a layered look without over-complicating the design. If you’re looking for a quick, fun project that can easily be adapted with items from your stash, I think you’ll love giving this card a try!

And remember, don’t be afraid to get creative with your supplies—even if something is sold out or retired, there are always ways to tweak your designs or find similar products to make it work.

I’d love to see how you take this idea and run with it! Be sure to share your creations with me and let me know what fun fall projects you’re working on. Stay tuned for more seasonal inspiration coming your way soon!

Oahu Marker Color Combinations:

Here you will find my Oahu Marker Color Combinations using the Jack of All Faces Stamp Set.

• Jack-o-lantern - CG023, CG040, CG41 (under painting); YR394, YR492, Y4593 (color glaze)

• Jack-o-lantern Eyes - Y196, Y295, Y495

• Leaves - G536, G554

• Flowers - Y593, R586, YR493, RV777 (each flower is only colored with one of these colors each time)

Affiliate Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links, which means I may receive a small commission if you purchase through them, at no extra cost to you.

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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