Thanks for Everything with Soaring Hummingbirds by April Antonio

If you’ve been wanting to try the Block Print Soaring Hummingbird from Birch Press Design — consider this your sign. This die set is one of those that looks incredibly intricate but is so satisfying to put together once you understand how all the pieces work. Pair it with the Block Print Mod Branches and you’ve got a card that feels lush, layered, and alive. Let me walk you through how this “Thanks for Everything” card came together!

Starting with the base

My card base is Neenah Solar White 110lb cardstock — my go-to for any card where I want the colors to really pop. White was the right call here because the color palette on this card is doing a lot of beautiful work and I didn’t want anything competing with it.

Building the branches

Before the hummingbirds even come into play, the Block Print Mod Branches die sets the whole scene. I die cut the branches from Birch Press Leaf Sprout cardstock — that bright, fresh lime green is such a perfect backdrop for everything that gets layered on top. The branches arc across the card and give the whole design that botanical, nature-forward feeling I was going for.

I added the leaves in Birch Press Pool Party and Deep Turquoise, and the little berry clusters in Cranberry. Before assembling everything I did some light ink blending on many of the individual pieces to add depth and dimension — it’s a small step that makes a big difference in how finished and rich the final card looks.

Die cutting the hummingbirds

Now for the stars of the show. The Block Print Soaring Hummingbird die produces the most beautifully detailed little birds — the layered wing feathers, the delicate tail, the sweet little beak. I made two hummingbirds for this card, which felt right for the branching composition — one perched toward the top and one hovering near the bottom, both facing inward toward the center of the card.

For the coloring I used a mix of Birch Press cardstock — Cranberry and Cherry Red for the wing feathers and tail detail, Pool Party and Deep Turquoise for the body and larger wing layers. The contrast between the deep cranberry reds and those cool aqua blues is what gives this card its energy. Both hummingbirds are foam mounted onto the branch for a lovely dimensional lift — that little bit of elevation really makes them feel like they’re in motion.

Adding the sentiment

For the sentiment I used the Vintage Everyday Greetings stamp set. The phrase “thanks for everything” stamped directly onto the card base in black dye ink — clean and simple, which felt right given how much is happening visually with the birds and branches. Because of the space available in the lower right corner, I stamped “thanks” on one line and “for everything” just below it, which actually turned into a really nice little layout moment.

A little sneak peek for the curious

I’ll be honest — this die set has a lot of pieces, and figuring out the layering order is half the fun. I’ve been working on cut maps for my Birch Press dies to help me keep track of exactly how everything goes together, and I made one for the Block Print Soaring Hummingbird. I’m not going to say too much about it just yet — but if you look closely at the photo below, you might get a little preview of what’s coming. 😉

Stay tuned — there’s more to come on this one.

The finished card

The end result is a card that feels like a little piece of botanical art. The white card base lets all those rich, saturated colors breathe, the two hummingbirds bring movement and life to the design, and the Mod Branches tie everything together into one cohesive scene. It’s one of my favorite cards I’ve made with these dies so far — and I have a feeling it won’t be the last version of this one.