It’s Independence Day here in the USA! Most of us have been lucky to enjoy a long weekend .. maybe you’re having a cookout and going to see some fireworks later in the evening! I thought I’d give the Peony Bloom Layer Dies a Patriotic makeover!
I started with a color block base of ombre blues. I selected three different shades of blue, trimmed panels in different widths, taped them together on their reverse and then trimmed the panel to fit my A2 (4.25 x 5.5″) card base.
Next I cut the Peony Bloom dies in three shades of red using the darkest for Layer A. The bright red makes me think of summer geraniums!
The “thank you” sentiment is from the new Make A Statement Clear Stamp set. Matching dies make it easy to cut out each of the sentiments making them so versatile!
A special thank you to all of you who left a comment on Angel’s post last Tuesday! Birch Press Design was the sponsor of the Summer Coffee Lover’s Blog Hop and offered up winners choice of any one cover plate die from the store on the June 27 post. Random Number Generator selected a winner for us… Kris! Congratulations Kris! Thanks for your lovely comments!
Hi all! Angel here with a cup o’ Joe for you this morning! Birch Press is one of the Coffee Lover’s Blog Hop Sponsors! And if you don’t know what that is Please go check out Amy Tsuruta’s Blog Hop HERE (she’s the hostess of this fab blog hop!). We will also be giving away a prize here on the Birch Press Blog – scroll down for more info!
My card looks like I slaved over it but that’s how Birch Press Design dies work – effortless beauty! I am in love with this Fiori Plate Layer C! I cut it out of some primitive white card stock then layered it with foam adhesive over a kraft card base. I cut out this super fun coffee cup from the Morning Cup Poppy Stamps die. I did cut it out twice so I could layer the larger, middle part of the cup, just for dimension.
The sentiment is from the Dragonfly Greetings stamp set. And yes, I think coffee is the greatest. 🙂
We will be giving away one of our Cover Plate Dies (winner gets to choose which one!)!!!!! All you have to do is comment on this post by 2 July. The winner will be posted on 4 July.
Have you had a chance to use the new Peony Blooms Stackable Dies yet? Watercolouring has become my new favourite colouring medium to use in crafting. Today I am going to use Peerless Watercolors in dilute washes for the layers of my peonies to create a monochromatic flower with lots of dimension.
To begin I cut one each of the Peony Blooms Stackable dies–Layer A, Layer B and Layer C using 140 lb cold press watercolour paper.
I started by cutting small pieces of the watercolor films from the Peerless Watercolor book that I was going to use for the flower and foliage. I colours I used were Royal Scarlet, Royal Crimson, Carnation Pink, Light Green and Brilliant Yellow. Put each piece of cut film into a different tray of a watercolour palette. Add a small bit of water to each of the trays to dissolve the colour from the film and tint the water, then remove the film from the trays with a pair of tweezers. ETA: Carnation Pink was added to the palette after photographing.
Starting with Layer C I applied a generous amount of water to the die cut flower and then I painted the flower with the full strength of my dilute Royal Scarlet wash. I set it aside to dry.
Next I did the same with Layer B using the Royal Crimson dilute. After the first layer of colour dried a bit I went back and added some darker highlights to the edges of the flower in the same colour but directly from the film in the book. I set that layer aside to dry.
For Layer A I painted the Carnation Pink dilute directly to the dry die cut and then set it aside to dry.
For the leaves I painted Layer C in Brilliant Yellow and added Light Green to the centre. For the leaves in Layer B I mixed some of the Brilliant Yellow and Light Green together in last available palette in my tray to make a yellow/green then I painted the Layer B leaves with it. I added more water to the custom yellow/green dilute to lighten the colour a bit more and painted the last leaves from Layer A.
Once all papers were dry I assembled the Peony and leaves onto a white card base, isn’t the dimension achieved from the monochromtic watercolouring amazing? Finally the thank you sentiment from Dragonfly Greeting clear stamp set was die cut using the die from the Dragonfly Greetings die set and adhered to the card.
I hope you enjoyed today’s tutorial on watercolouring in a monochromatic colour scheme and see how well it works with the lovely detailed dies from Birch Press Design. See you again next Tuesday for more Design Team inspiration.
Happy Tuesday! Today I’m sharing a quick and easy way to create a sentiment frame. This simple technique can be used on almost any card!
First, I have to say that the new Peony Bloom layering die set is one of the prettiest that I have seen! As soon as I saw it I was smitten! While playing around with it I started thinking about different ways to add sentiments. I didn’t want to cover up any of the flowers so I came up with the idea of stamping around the edges.
The Dragonfly Greetings stamp set is full of sentiments that are perfect for this technique! I chose to use the Thank You sentiment. I started by lightly penciling in lines 1/4″ from the edges on all four sides. I then stamped the sentiment repeatedly, using the pencil marks as a guideline to stamp. Don’t worry if your sentiment goes off of the page at the corners as this will be covered up with the layering dies.
One tip that can save you some time and frustration is to make sure your ink is completely dry before going on to the next step. Trust me. Ha!
After the ink was dry, I erased all of the pencil marks using a high quality eraser.
After assembling the three Peony Bloom layers (I used all three on my card), I adhered it to the white sentiment stamped layer. For embellishment, I added some decorative jewels to the center of the flowers.
Hello everyone and welcome! I am sharing a video today that features the Peony Bloom Stackable Dies – this set is so versatile and the layers create a beautiful three dimensional effect.
I am showing a basic card using different shades and textures of cardstock – and then taking it to the next level in the video by using Peerless Watercolors to shade each layer and create a completely different look. You’ll love the results!
There are three layers in the Peony Bloom Set – Layers A,B and C – and they are designed to work together. When I was working with them, I liked to use the lightest shade of paper on Layer A (this is the top layer) and then work my way towards darker shades as the layers went down.
Here is a look at Layer A by itself – this could be used on its own to make a striking card. Just add a sentiment and it is ready to go!
And here is what the layers look like when used together! I used three shades of pink and three shades of green cardstock to make this look – and I really wanted to use texture on the card so that there was a lot to look at visually. Positioning the leaves is fun -it seems like there isn’t a bad place to put them!
The layers create a raised appearance that is quite striking – very sculptural and it makes you want to run your fingers over it. I loved the pink and green together, but I wanted to try another color combination in a more subdued palette.
This stunning combination of greens and browns gives the card a completely different feel! I used lots of texture again – for a rich look. Notice that the lighter colors are on top and then it gets deeper towards the bottom – you might try the opposite. There are no rules here!
I love how the shapes overlap so well – here are some dramatic close-ups of the blooms. The way the light catches the cutouts and adds extra shadow makes it look even better!
Oh, did I mention how versatile these are? You don’t have to keep the flowers in the frame! Just assemble the layers, cut the peony blooms off of the frame and they can be used to embellish a card on their own!
Here I placed the blooms onto some notecards and stamped some phrases from the Make A Statement Clear Stamp Set. I just used my MISTI to stamp and emboss the phrases with some white embossing powder – and then tucked those beautiful blooms into the corners!
Here’s a plain version where I stamped directly onto the paper…
…and here is an updated version where I embossed the sentiment separately and then die cut it with the matching Make A Statement die set. I like both – but that extra pop you get by cutting out the words with the die set is probably my favorite!
I stuck to the original pink and green color scheme and then just arranged the leaves so that they would border the card and leave plenty of space for the sentiment.
I tried a simpler idea too – no leaves and just some gentle sponging with Distress Oxide Ink in Worn Lipstick and Peeled Paint. The sponged ink makes the white “hello” stand out and I used black dye ink for the “sending a happy”. This was pretty quick and I am going to give a set of these to a friend for a gift!
I had so much fun looking at the cards when I was done – and then got to thinking that it would be really cool if I could get shading on the petals. So I die cut the layers using 140 lb. hot press watercolor paper and got out my Peerless Watercolors and got to painting!
I painted the bottom layer and top layer as evenly as possible (check out the video for some tips on how to do this) and then concentrated my shading on the middle layer. The Peerless Watercolors have 40 colors in the pack, so I had plenty of shades to work from. The colors I used for the bloom were:
Layer A Chrome Yellow
Layer B Chrome Orange
Layer C Scarlet Vermillion
I wanted the color scheme to be really intense – so I painted several layers of color to really build up the bottom shades.
You can see how the middle color changes on the petals from light to dark, enhancing the dimensional quality of the layers. It was so wonderful watching the flower come to life!
For the leaves, the colors I used were:
Chrome Yellow
Grass Green
Chrome Green
I loved how it turned out, but then couldn’t wait to try a pastel version!
So I used the following colors of watercolor to create something softer looking:
Flower
Alizarine Red
Amethyst
Leaves and Background
Myrtle Green
Hunter Green
The main tip here is to use lots of water!
For Layer C (the bottom layer) I used lots of water and just a little Alizarine Red – this gave me a nice pink base to wrk with.
Then when I painted Layer B, I used lots of water and just a little Alizarine Red – and then I barely added some amethyst along the edges of the petals. I wasn’t too careful when adding them – I wanted there to be light areas and dark areas, just like you might see in the folds of the petal.
Layer A was just plain – no paint added at all so that there is a nice bright outline on top!
I painted the background with a soft wash of green – and then when it was dry I simply splattered it with some of the green paint.
I think you’ll love both techniques – if you decide to use cardstock the project will go quickly (the hardest part will be deciding what colors of cardstock to try!). Watercolor takes some time but it is really worth it – you’ll want to frame your creation when you are done!
I hope you’re having a great day! Tuesdays are dedicated to the craft section of the Birch Press Design Store! Have you had a chance to see the new Peony Bloom and Fiori Plate Layer Dies? Today I’m sharing a card made with the Fiori set!
There are three stackable dies for each collection that you can use individually or together as a set. It’s fun mixing paper colors for unique designs. I love to add a layer of glitter paper for some sparkle and shine.
Today I wanted to share some of my favorite things to have on hand when working with these intricate dies. First I would recommend a steel shim / adapter plate for your die cut machine. You can find them where you purchased your machine under “accessories” . Several die manufactures also carry them like Memory Box.
There’s lots of ways to add adhesive to the back of your designs – my favorite is a precision needle tip applicator that reduces glue mishaps. A large acrylic stamping block provides just the right amount of weight to keep your design flat while each layer dries.
I always cut the final panel (in this case the orange) that’s attached to my white card stock base slightly smaller than the die cut background so it doesn’t peek out the edges.
The layered backgrounds are all so beautiful that you will want to keep your sentiment’s simple so those intricate background patterns steal the show. This sentiment is from the Make A Statement Stamp Set.
If you visited during our giveaway last week I want to thank you for all your wonderful comments! You make us all so happy! There are three winners to announce – all selected with random number generator. Congratulations!
Hi friends! We have one final post to share with you featuring the brand new May Release! Today, I’m a project featuring the new Dragonfly Greetings stamp set. Make sure to leave a comment on this post for a chance to win your very own Dragonfly Greetings stamp set!
Red and aqua are two of my favorite colors!
I really wanted to feature that gorgeous flower from the Dragonfly Greetings stamp set. I embossed them on red cardstock, die cut them out, and then adhered them in a cluster of three on my card.
And that dragonfly…isn’t it beautiful?!
To create my card, I started by gathering supplies needed for my background. I used the Peacock Feathers Distress Ink pad (any water soluble ink pad will work), a heavyweight piece of white cardstock, a large acrylic block, and a water spritz bottle.
I started by rubbing my ink pad all over the acrylic block. I didn’t completely fill it with ink as I wanted there to be some white space.
I then spritzed the acrylic block so that the ink was very wet.
I then put the cardstock down on the acrylic block, pressed it down a bit, and then carefully pull it up. You can set your paper aside to dry or you can speed it up with a heat tool.
For the flowers, I embossed them in white on red cardstock.
To add a little more depth to the flowers, I did some light shading with a colored pencil. I then die cut them out using the coordinating Dragonfly Greetings Die Set.
For the dragonfly, I embossed it in white onto white cardstock. It’s hard to see in the photo, but trust me…it’s there! 🙂 I then started to add some color using a few colored pencils.
After I had it colored , I die cut it out. I really love the open dies as it makes it easy to line up the stamped image with the die!
For the final step, I embossed the sentiment in black on a small strip of white cardstock.
Want to win this lovely new stamp set? Just leave a comment on this post to be entered to win! We use random number generator to select winners from comments. You have until midnight US EST June 4th to leave a comment, a winner will announced on this blog on June 6. Good Luck!
Hi all! Angel here with a card using some newly released goodies! I love these new Peony Bloom layered dies! And guess what!? I’m giving away the Peony Bloom Layer B!!! Be sure to leave a comment on this post and we’ll announce a winner in a few days!
To start my card, I watercolored my background, keeping the color where the die (Peony Bloom layer A) would cut out the flower petals.
As you see here, the watercoloring lines up with the die. I used the same watercoloring technique for the leaves, which you’ll see on the finished card.
I then used the die to cut out plain white card stock and also the watercolored paper. I adhered the plain white die cut paper to a scrap piece of paper, then began the task of filling in the petals with the watercolored pieces. Try it some time, it’s quite therapeutic. 🙂
I used the new Make a Statement stamp set and dies for the sentiment. I used washi tape to adhere the dies to some scrap paper, then sponged ink onto the middle of the sentiments. Once I cut out the word dies, I then used black ink to stamp the actual words onto what I had previously sponged.
I adhered the leaves to the back of the sentiments then layered them with foam adhesive onto the card.
Thanks for stopping by! Don’t forget to comment for your chance to win a Peony Bloom Layer B die!
We are back again celebrating the May release with a Blog Blitz. Today I am using a few of the newly released products for a card.
The base layer of my card was created with the new Fiori Plate B which is part of another fabulous trio of stackable plates. These incredible plates can be used on their own or layered on top of one another. I started out by preparing an A2 sized card panel using watercolour paper and Distress Oxide inks.
I smooshed the two colours of ink on to a craft mat and then generously spritzed it with water. Then the watercolour panel was dropped onto the ink puddle and then lifted up. The panel was dried with a heat gun and then I dipped the panel back into the ink where I felt it needed a bit more colour and then dried once again. The key to layering the Distress Oxide inks without getting a muddied look is to dry the panel in between each layer. Once dry I die cut the panel using the Fiori Plate B.
Next a couple of dragonflies from the newly released Dragonfly Greetings clear stamp set were stamped and clear embossed using Versamark first, then Versafine inks and then die cut with the Dragonfly Greetings Die Set on watercolour paper. These were coloured with watercolour markers. The ‘sending a happy’ sentiment from Make a Statement clear stamp set was stamped and heat embossed in white on black cardstock. The ‘hello’ sentiment from Make a Statement was stamped and die cut with the Make a Statement Die Set.
The Fiori panel was adhered with spray adhesive as described in teammate Laurie Schmidlin’s tutorial last week. The black sentiment was adhered directed to the panel and pieces of foam tape were added to the backs of the dragonfly bodies and the hello die cuts before being adhered to the panel.
Another look at the card.
Now would you like a chance to win the Fiori Plate B die? We use random number generator to select winners from comments. You have until midnight US EST June 4th to leave a comment, a winner will announced on this blog on June 6. Good Luck! The lucky winner from last week’s giveaway on Jeanne Jachna’s post is Teresa Doyle–congratulations!
Oh happy day! We’re celebrating the new May release with a give away! We’ve added two new stamp sets with coordinating dies as well as two sets of stackable dies to the store!
Today I’m playing with the Peony Bloom Layer A die. This is just one of the three Peony Bloom layer dies that are stackable. You can use them individually like I did here today, or together for lots of added dimension!
I’m so happy that the leaves are separate from the flower so you can cut them from a different color card stock if you like. For my design today I cut everything from white card stock.
Next I adhered the die cut to a panel covered in double sided tape.
I carefully added glitter to the sheet. Just press the glitter into the sticky tape. I used three shades of red for the flowers starting with light in the center and adding a slightly darker shade as I moved further away from the flower center. You want to be careful along the edges so the red doesn’t spill into areas where you don’t want it. If some accidentally spills over you can use a pick or needle to scrape out the color. This is a quick fix for small areas, I would start over for a large spill. If you don’t want to work with colorful ink you can color the background panel with markers or distress ink, adhere the double sided tape, and then sprinkle on crystal glitter.
I adhered the leaves to a separate panel covered in double sided tape, glittered them and then fussy cut them before adding them to my card. Dave Brethauer, the creator of these beautiful designs made a video for this technique that you can watch here on You Tube.
The sentiment is from the new Make A Statement stamp set. I used the coordinating die set to cleanly cut the “thanks” sentiment.
Now the part you’ve been waiting for .. the prize! Want a chance to win the Peony Bloom Layer A? Just leave me a comment!
We use random number generator to select winners from comments. You have until midnight US EST May 30 to leave a comment, a winner will announced on this blog on June 1. Good Luck!
