Templates are one of my favorite tools in the craft room. Whether you’re brand new to cardmaking or you’ve been stamping for years, a good template takes the guesswork out of designing a card.
Today I’m sharing a simple layout I call Dashes & Dots — a versatile card template that uses long layered strips paired with three focal elements. Once you understand the basic design, you can easily customize it using whatever stamps, paper, or embellishments you already have on hand.
That’s the beauty of templates: they give you a starting point while still leaving plenty of room for creativity.
Watch the Full Tutorial
In this video, I walk through the template step-by-step and show you several different ways to adapt the design.
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The Dashes & Dots Template
This layout is built around two main design elements:
Dashes – the long vertical strips that create structure and visual movement.
Dots – three focal elements layered together, typically circles but easily swapped for other shapes.
For the card I demonstrate in the video, I used three circles of varying sizes layered over designer series paper. The result is a clean, balanced design that comes together quickly.
The sentiment and image were stamped using the Cutest Crew stamp set, one of the recent Online Exclusives from Stampin’ Up!. I also used colors pulled directly from the designer series paper to keep everything cohesive.
If you’d like to recreate this card, the complete measurements (both imperial and metric) are included in the Inspiration Sheet that goes with this tutorial.
Right now, those inspiration sheets are available inside my Inspiration Library for email subscribers.
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Changing Up the Design
One of the things I love most about templates is how easily you can change them to create a completely different look.
In the first card, I cut the circles from cardstock and embossed one for added texture. Here I’ve flipped the design concept by embossing the center “dash” layer instead and cutting circles from patterned paper.
Both cards follow the exact same layout — the only difference is how the materials are used.
This is a great reminder that you don’t need brand new supplies to create something fresh. Sometimes simply changing which elements you emboss, stamp, or cut from designer paper can make a design feel completely different.
Swapping Circles for Other Shapes
Another easy way to stretch this template is by replacing the circles altogether.
In this example, I stamped and die-cut floral images to replace two of the circles. You still have the same three focal points layered together, but the card now feels more dimensional and detailed.
Here I swapped the circles for squares and turned them on the diagonal to create diamond-shaped focal layers.
Templates are meant to inspire, not restrict your creativity.
Turning the Layout Landscape
You can even rotate the design and create a landscape card.
The same basic concept works perfectly when the orientation changes. In this version, I used die-cut shapes and added stamping and embossing for additional interest.
Once you recognize the structure of the layout, you can adapt it in countless ways.
Craft with What You Have
One of my favorite things about using templates like this is that they encourage you to shop your own craft room first.
Pull out your favorite designer papers, stamps, punches, or dies and see how many variations you can create using the same basic layout.
And if you’re looking to add new supplies to your collection, you can always shop my Stampin’ Up! store here to see the latest products and Online Exclusives.
Want More Card Templates?
Each week I create new tutorials along with coordinating inspiration sheets that include measurements, layout diagrams, and additional project ideas.
Right now these resources live inside my Inspiration Library, which is available to my email subscribers.
If you’d like access to the full library — along with weekly creative inspiration — you can join my email list here.
Join the Crafty Crew and access the Inspiration Library
Templates are one of the easiest ways to spark creativity and make the most of your crafting supplies.
I hope this Dashes & Dots layout inspires you to pull out your paper, stamps, and dies and start creating.