Author: birch press

  • Butterflies In Flight | Using Die Negatives | by Ashlea Cornell

    Butterflies In Flight | Using Die Negatives | by Ashlea Cornell

    Hello again! I’m so glad to be back today showcasing a different way to use your dies that utilizes your scraps and turns them into treasure. Let’s get started with this video tutorial featured on my YouTube channel:

    I love being able to use my scraps, and when I can do it in a way that the scraps are the focus of the project, that’s even better. The Butterfly Garden Die Plate set is one of the most versatile sets that I’ve seen from Birch Press. Plate “C” can be used alone as it offers such great detail in those stitched swirls and details, but also the butterfly cuts can be used in such beautiful ways in other cards and with other products as well. I decided to use the largest and smallest size butterfly dies in my project today.


    I decided to use patterned paper for my “A” plate, but you could definitely use a solid color, or make your own watercolor panel and use that! For my “C” plate, I used vellum and then adhered the smaller butterflies to the larger ones just in the center and then curled the smaller wings to give dimension and interest. I thought this added a lot of whimsy to the card, almost like the butterflies were in flight.

    It’s tough to see, but I added score lines every half an inch to my card front to add a little more interest without adding color or too much detail as I wanted the butterflies and the Big Friend Sugar Script die to be the focus of the card.

    I hope that you’ve enjoyed learning a bit about how I used my scraps to create this beautifully simple card for any occasion. I’d love to know ways that you use your scraps from Birch Press dies as well! Comment below to give me more ideas. -ha! I’ll see you again very soon!


    Supplies


    CL8143 Lingo Thanks

    Supplies


    57177 Big Friend Sugar Script

    Supplies


    Butterfly Garden Plate Layer Set
  • Pastel Egg | by Jeanne Jachna

    Pastel Egg | by Jeanne Jachna

    Hi and thanks for stopping by! My hands down favorite technique is color block. I love the clean lines and bold graphic design you can achieve with this effect.

    Today I’m sharing a pastel egg design that looks complicated but is very easy.

    I started by creating a background with the Tall Triangle dies set. My 4.25 x 5.5″ card base is topped with a slightly smaller panel of dark teal card stock. Next I cut the second largest Tall Triangle twice with a medium teal, and three times with a light teal. I assembled the triangles on their reverse side with washi tape, and trimmed the panel to my card size.

    I cut the largest Stitched Egg from the assembled Tall Triangle panel and adhered it to my card base. The pastel eggs are created by cutting the two Stitched Egg dies at the same time. I have a magnetic cutting plate that holds the dies in place for me, but you could also tape the die cuts in place before running them through your die cut machine.

    Cutting the Tall Triangle panel with the Stitched Egg left a stitched outline around the die cut opening. The remaining eggs were inserted and adhered inside the egg shaped opening.

    The Simple Joy sentiment makes a clean greeting when paired with the Joy and Peace clear stamp set. I love that I’m repurposing a holiday stamp set so I get more value from it.

    Wishing you a wonderful day with time to do what you love best!

    Finished Size 4.25 x 5.5″

    Supplies

     

    Stitched Egg Set
    57218 Simple Joy
    57216 Tall Triangle Set
    CL8131 Joy and Peace clear stamp set

  • St. Patrick’s Day Wishes | by Tracey McNeely

    Hi it’s Tracey here today and I have a card to share with you for St. Patrick’s Day which is coming up this weekend!

    Here are the dies that I used for today’s card…

    My card used the Dahlia Mini Frame Set and I chose some gold sparkle cardstock to use for my top layer and to add a bit of luck to the recipient.

    I was away at a stamping retreat last weekend and I was introduced to 4 bar cards. Such a cute, tiny canvas and the Dahlia Mini Frame fits perfectly onto it. So today’s card is a 4 bar card which is 4 7/8″ x 3.5″. I started off by cutting Layer A of the Dahlia Mini Frame from gold sparkle cardstock, then layers B and C from two different shades of green cardstock. The layers were adhered together using liquid glue. Once it as dry it was adhered to the 4 bar card base.

    To create my tiny clover I die cut three tiny hearts from the Simple Hearts die set and arranged them in the shape of a clover and I hand cut a tiny stem–all from the same green I used for layer C of my frame cuts.

    The little handmade clover sits perfectly inside the bottom right of the frame and is all you need to convey the message that this you are sending the Luck of the Irish!

    The Dahlia Mini Frame set can be used for so many occasions throughout the year just by switching up the colours, the sentiments and even the additions, just like the closer I created here today. You just need to use a little imagination. Thanks for stopping by today and come back on Friday for some more inspiration!

    Supplies

    57232 Dahlia Mini Frame Layer A
    57233 Dahlia Mini Frame Layer B
    57234 Dahlia Mini Frame Layer C
    57045 Simple Hearts
  • Rectangle Dot Layers | by Alicia Havranek

    Rectangle Dot Layers | by Alicia Havranek

    Hello! Today I am featuring the Rectangle Dot Layer Dies to create this very simple thank you card. I just love the dots on these dies. They kind of remind me of bubbles!

    This die set come with 4 dies. I cut out each die with card stock from my stash. I then stacked them and adhered them to my card panel.

    For my sentiment I used the Big Lingo Type Thanks die and the Lingo Thanks stamp set.

    I adhered my sentiment with some foam tape for dimension.

    Supplies

  • Fun Clean and Simple Cards | Ashlea Cornell

    Fun Clean and Simple Cards | Ashlea Cornell

    Hello, there crafters! Ashlea here. I’m thrilled to be on the blog today sharing some of my favorite tips for jazzing up a clean and simple card. I love creating CAS cards, but I often find myself wishing there was something I could add to help it be a little more elevated. Check out my YouTube video below to see how I created this fun yet clean and simple card:

    Before adhering my Kaleidoscope Heart layers A, B and C, I created score lines into my card front cut at 4″ x 5 1/4″. This is one of my favorite tricks for adding interest to a clean and simple card. It brings such detail without adding too much texture or any color at all. I then adhered my layers, C first, then B, and finally A to my card front. I used the sentiment “You Mean The World To Me” from the Lingo Thanks stamp set and embossed it in white embossing powder on a black piece of card stock.

    This is another great way to add some interest and contrast to a CAS card. Finally, after adhering my card front to my A2 sized base (4 1/4″ x 5 1/2″) I used iridescent gems on each of the small circle cut outs in the center portion of the heart. I love the sparkle this added to the card and love that it adds a small amount of color based upon how the light hits the card.

    I hope that you’ve enjoyed learning a bit about how I created this card and my favorite tips for elevating a CAS style. Thank you so much for stopping by today and I’ll see you again very soon!




    Supplies


    CL8143 Lingo Thanks


  • Rainbow Triangles by Jeanne Jachna

    Rainbow Triangles
    by Jeanne Jachna

    Hi and thanks for stopping by! Today I’m sharing a card I made for my son. He is 23 and loves bold graphic designs. I knew the Prismatic Triangle set would be perfect!

    Whenever I use a layered die set I like to cut the first layer into the card base. This makes it easier to line up the die cuts because the first layer is going to fit right inside the die cut opening.

    I inlaid all the colored die cut pieces in the bottom layer. Where the color intersect I added a color that was a combination of the two. Just as an example, between the green and yellow triangle (where they overlap) I inserted a touch of lime.

    The Prismatic Layer B is cut from gold glitter paper, and I’ve added a gold matt to frame the cover panel. The Big Lingo Type Hugs is cut from white and purple card stock colors. The letters are removable so you can insert whatever colors you like.

    The Prismatic Triangles are beautiful and look amazing in any color combination you can imagine!

    Finished Size 4.25 x 5.5″

    Supplies

    56091 Prismatic Triangle Layer Set
    57227 Big Lingo Type Hugs
    CL8143 Lingo Thanks
  • Dahlia Mini Frame | Creating Shaker Cards with Thin Dies | by Alicia Havranek

    Dahlia Mini Frame | Creating Shaker Cards with Thin Dies | by Alicia Havranek

    Hello!  Today I will be featuring the lovely Dahlia Mini Frame Layering Die.  This is a thin delicate die that looks great on its own, but I wanted to create a shaker card with this die.  Thin dies can sometimes be difficult or impossible to create shaker cards with, but I will show you how with this die.

    I first cut out each layer with 3 coordinating pieces of cardstock.  Layer A is to the far right, layer B is in the middle and layer C is to the far left.

    I then glued each layer together.  Next, I took my card panel and traced the dahlia frame onto my card panel.  I carefully cut out the center of the card panel.  After cutting the center piece out, I added acetate to my card panel, then adhered my dahlia layers onto the acetate.

    By doing this, I now have the space to add my foam adhesive to my card panel.  Add your favorite sequins.

    For the back of my panel, or what will be showing through the shaker piece I ink blended some Spun Sugar Distress Oxide Ink.  I peeled off my foam backing and adhered the backing to my panel.  I then glued my panel to my white card base.

    I used the Big Hello Sugar Script Die for my sentiment.  I seriously can’t get enough of these Big Sugar Script dies!  They are awesome and make mass producing so easy!

    I hope you enjoyed this card and it got the wheels turning on how you can create shaker cards using these gorgeous thin dies.

     

     

     

    Supplies

     

  • Line Fade Day vs. Night! | By Desiree Kuemmerle

    Line Fade Day vs. Night! | By Desiree Kuemmerle


    Hello Everyone!

    I am back with another project!  This one will play tricks on your eyes…  For today’s project we will be using the Line Fade Stamp and Die Set.

    We want to start our project off by creating to blended backgrounds. I chose to use my distress oxides on white card stock. Using a blending tool, I created two rainbow pattern panels. You do not need to go for a perfect blend but you just want to make sure there are no white spaces between the colors you chose.

    After your panels are blended you need to make sure they are dry before our next step. Now remember if you use Distress Oxides these are a pigment/ dye mix so they take time. I used my heat gun and time to allow them to dry completely. You can use your embossing powder to make sure they are ready.

    Chose your stamps for your panel and grab your ink you use for your embossing. When you stamp your images you want to stagger the placement so you get all spectrums of the blended background.

    After they are stamped you are ready to apply your embossing powder, I started with my white and then my other panel I used my black. A fine detail powder will work best for these because these lines are pretty detailed on the stamp set! Heat set your images.

    Once they are all set, now we get to die cut our images. Grab the dies that coordinate with your image and run them through your die cutting machine. You see the visible differences between the to sets even though we used the same blended background! It’s the embossing powder that is creating this illusion! Cool right?

    With our pieces die cut we can now set them up on our Standard A2 size card bases.

    I used liquid adhesive and double-sided foam tape to give my strips dimension. I also made sure that the colors showing were flipped around from each other.

    Now there is always a space you have after you design your card, so we can just add that to the inside of the card!

    For my sentiment I chose the Big Lingo Type Thanks Die. I cut one in white and the other in black but only using the background piece. Our white sentiment was applied on the outside of our card.

    The black sentiment I placed inside the card to add to the dramatic look and feel of this card.

    It will be great surprise when the card is open and they see that bold pop of color!

    If you want to see more details just click on the video below and see our project come together step by step!

    As always, I hope you enjoyed today’s project… Make sure you stay tuned for more wonderful projects coming soon! Have a great day and always remember… Be Creative!

    Supplies

     

    CL8137 Line Fade
    58137 Line Fade die set
    57228 Big Lingo Type Thanks
  • Wishing Mandala Texture Paste By Dave Brethauer

    Wishing Mandala Texture Paste
    By Dave Brethauer

    Hello crafters! Our Wishing Mandala Stencils can be used to create some remarkable backgrounds – from simple to complex, they can be used individually or layered to create really unique images.I created a simple background using a single stencil to highlight a word image at the center of the card – some clear glittery embossing paste created a raised textured burst effect that is eye catching!

    You can use any type of embossing paste with these stencils – and during the month of February they are on sale as our Item of the Month! In fact they are bundled with the Wishing Mandala Stamp Set at a special price!

    Check it out today!

  • Versatile Adora Layer Set
    by Jeanne Jachna

    Thanks for stopping by!  I hope you’re having a great day!  Today I’m playing with the new Adora Layer set!  I love the versatility and many different looks you can achieve with this die set.
    You can change the look by stacking the colors of the layers, but you can also remove the center circle design too!
    I started by cutting a colored card stock panel slightly smaller than my card base.  Next I die cut the Adora die from the panel before adhering it to the card base.  This creates a clean window to insert the die into.
    I adhered the layer C die into the open negative space and then adhered the Layers B and A over it creating a neat stack.  Make sure you insert the center circle as you go – don’t save them for last.  The dies are easier to assemble one layer at a time, vs. inserting the assembled circle stack in the center later.
    I added a Big Lingo Type Thanks and a few gold glitter hearts as accents.  I cut the hearts with the Adora dies.
    I cut each die layer twice with a total of 6 different colors of card stock and then just swapped the centers to add more interest.  Who doesn’t love a rainbow of color?
    The new Lingo Type word dies are easy to work with.. each set includes a background die as well as an outline word die.  The center of the letters on the outline die are removeable so you can use them on other projects or to create personalized messages if you like.
    You’re going to love the many ways and fun different looks you’ll achieve with these beautiful stackable dies!
    Finished Size 4.25 x 5.5″

    Supplies

     

    56093 Adora Layer Set
    57228 Big Lingo Type Thanks
    57229 Big Lingo Type Hello