Double the Mushrooms
by Savannah O’Gwynn 

Hello, sweet BPD friends and fans!

I am super excited to be back on the BPD blog sharing some creations I made recently using the two mushroom die sets by Birch Press Design.

I will be honest- #SAVfact: I am NOT a fan of eating mushrooms. I’m not even sure I’ve had one! I just know I don’t like them😉 However, the BPD mushroom die sets are tooooooo cute, and paper mushrooms are definitely a FAVORITE of mine now!

I had two different designs in my mind for these mushroom die cut images- one masculine and with a deep, fall color; and the other was full of color and whimsy. Let’s check out my masculine card first.

I love how this card turned out! I think it leans towards a masculine feel but honestly it could be for just about anyone!

To achieve a more masculine look, I chose a darker green cardstock and added more highlights/shading and dimension on the mushrooms.

Here are a few tips on how to add highlights/shading and dimension like I did:

TIP: I like to use black ink for highlights and shading if I don’t have a darker matching ink for my cardstock. I think dark ink adds that extra layer of shading that makes the die cut image pop!

TIP: I like to layer several hues of the same ink color when adding highlights or shading. I kind of think about adding ink like I’m coloring (I’m a newbie at coloring with alcohol inks, but essentially you add layers for more depth. I find that works for ink blending as well!).

Tip: Add splatters for even MORE dimension! BONUS: I like to mask my die cut images to help the splatter go only on certain parts of my image. For these mushrooms, I made an organic curve using a post-it note and scissors:)

You can see that the highlighting/shading and dimension really helps these mushrooms pop on this cardbase in the next photo!!!

If I liked eating mushrooms, I would say these look good enough to eat 🙃

For my second card, I wanted to use the other mushroom die set, and I wanted to make this card design very colorful! I pulled out my Memory Box cardstock and created a beautiful rainbow mushroom garden!

For these mushrooms, I only used the splatter technique. I wanted to keep this card whimsical and fun!

You might notice that I also used a few extra dies from other sets to finish the mushroom garden- I like to mix and match my dies (big and small) to make a custom design. I added leaves and flowers from two other die sets to finish this mushroom garden.

I hope that you have been inspired by my two mushroom card designs, as well as my tips!

Please remember to share what you create using these tips, tricks, and techniques or if you were inspired by my creation- I’d love to see what you make with this idea! 

I’ll be back with MORE soon! 

THANKS so much for stopping by! Happy crafting:) 

HUGS <3 Sav