Author: birch press

  • Adornment Oak Leaf | by Crystal Komara

    Adornment Oak Leaf | by Crystal Komara

    Hello friends! Welcome back from the long weekend, I hope you all enjoyed your holiday weekend celebrating the official end to summer. I’m so ready for fall, my favorite season of the year here in New England. This is Design Team member Crystal Komara here today sharing a card that I made using the new Adornment Oak Leaf. This card also marks my first foray into the mixed media world and honestly, I’m still not sure what I think! I mean I like (kinda sorta) how this card came out, but I wouldn’t say I love the process of how I got there. One very messy step at a time and a lot of self doubt. So, I’ll preserve judgement until I play around a little bit more to see if mixed media will “be my thing.”

    Card details:

    The base of this A6 (6 1/4″ x 4 1/2″) is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. The background paper was leftover in my scrap bin, but it had the perfect fall colors I wanted, so I cut it to 6″ x 4 1/4″ and then splattered black ink and gold metallic spray all over the paper before adhering it directly to the card base.

    Using the Adornment Oak Leaf die, I die cut three different colored leaves in a rust colored cardstock, a yellow cardstock and a cherry red cardstock. I then cut the overlapping detail element from gold glitter paper. I adhered the gold glitter paper over each leaf and then splattered the leaves with black ink and gold metallic spray. I adhered the leaves to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

    Using the Big Sugar Script Thanks Die, I die cut the shadow layer from white cardstock and the thinner layer from rust colored glitter cardstock. I adhered both layers together with a fine-tip liquid glue and then I adhered the entire sentiment to the card with 3M foam adhesive.

    I love the colors of this card, but will I try mixed media again? Yes, in small doses, when I am fully prepared to be splattered by my own ink flicking!

    Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

     

    Supplies

     

     

    57484 Adornment Oak Leaf

     

     

    SP1002 Sunny Orange 6×6 pack

     

     

    SP1001 Berry Red 6×6 pack

     

     

    GP1007 Glitzy Glitter Pad

     

     

    57148 Thanks Sugar Script

     

  • Sending a Caring Thoughts Card | by Colleen Balija

    Sending a Caring Thoughts Card | by Colleen Balija

    Hi friends!

    I don’t know about you, but I never seem to have enough sympathy or thinking of you cards for my friends who may be struggling in life, so I wanted to create one with you today! Colors play a huge role in the message you send in a card, and I’ll be sharing more about that in my post. I’ll be using Grace Contour Layering dies, Kind Hearts stamp, Forest Leaf & Berries Contour Layering die, Rose Bunch Contour Layering die, and Fairy Gemstones. All of these products will be linked at the end of my post.

    I knew right away that I wanted to use the bold and beautiful Sending Caring Thoughts sentiment from Kind Hearts stamp, so the next step would be to determine my color scheme to coordinate with that sentiment. As I mentioned earlier, color plays a huge role in the message you convey to the recipient of your card. You wouldn’t want to send a sympathy card in bright red or a congrats card in all black, right? What kind of message would that convey? So, color is important to coordinate with the sentiment of your choosing. Here, I’ve got yellow, teal, and black. The yellow conveys a happy and hopeful message, while teal and black are more subdued. I felt that the balance of yellow with the more subdued colors would convey a thoughtful message of caring and hope that coordinates with my sentiment. If this was a sympathy card, I would likely use flowers in shades of blue rather than yellow.

    Now that colors and sentiment have been chosen, it was time to create the background and stamp the sentiment. In the photo above, you can see all the detail in the black background with the white sentiment that seems to pop off the page! Using Grace Contour Layering dies, I die cut each layer in black and adhered them together over a black card base. I die cut just the circle outline from the set, stamped the sentiment using embossing ink, and then embossed it in bright white powder. The sentiment was added with foam tape.

    Next, I worked on the flowers and leaves. I wanted ones that would frame the sentiment, so I chose the Rose Bunch Contour Layering dies and the NEW Forest Leaf & Berries Contour Layering dies to tuck in behind the roses! These leafy dies will be PERFECT in your stash!!! I die cut everything and adhered the layers together. Then I used Hero Arts Metallic spray over the flowers and leaves to give a shimmery, bold effect! You can see how vibrant the colors are in the photo below, as well as the details in the BPD dies! Their dies are hands down the best!!!

    Once I completed the flowers and leaves, I staged them around the sentiment on the background panel and adhered everything once I was satisfied with placement. One of the flowers was put on foam tape to add a little dimension. I finished with Gemstones over each of the flowers!

    I love how much the flowers and leaves pop against that gorgeous black. And the details in the background stand out despite the fact that they are done in one color! I think this card will provide a hug to someone that needs it. Thanks so much for stopping by!

     

    Supplies

     

    56080 Grace Layer Set

     

    57514 Forest Leaf and Berries Contour Layers

     

    CL8163 Kind Hearts clear stamp set
     

    57495 Rose Bunch Contour Layers

     

    GEM101 Treasure Chest Fairy Gemstones

     

  • forever grateful | by Rosemary Dennis

    forever grateful | by Rosemary Dennis

    Hi everyone! Rosemary here on the blog today. August is almost gone and that means that fall is right around the corner! I love fall in the Pacific Northwest. We can have beautiful clear blue-sky days that are slightly crisp, soggy wet ones and things in-between! Today I’m sharing a card that invokes the beautiful fall colors of oak leaves that are so fun to walk through on a crisp fall morning. Take a look.

    If you don’t know yet, Birch Press has a new release in the shop and it is full of beautiful dies that will help you create lovely fall and Christmas inspired projects. Today I’m using the new Adornment Oak Leaf and Hillside Branch and Bramble Contour Layers dies from the release along with a sentiment from the Brushed Sentiments set. A few weeks ago I created a few mixed media type panels using Memory Box mirror cardstock and alcohol inks. One of the panels I created used a piece of orange mirror cardstock from the Rainbow Reflections 6×6 pad. The resulting panel had a very subtle look to it. I was able to die cut something else from it and then used what was left over to die cut the outline of the Adornment Oak Leaf.

    The solid oak leaf was die cut from a piece of watercolor cardstock I had sprayed with several different distress mica sprays in fall colors. I also die cut the bare branches from the Hillside Branch and Bramble Contour Layers die set from the same piece. I adhered the outline leaf to the solid leaf and then arranged and adhered the bare branches. The photo below shows some of the shine and layering of colors from the distress sprays and the alcohol inks.

    I used Memory Box woodgrain cardstock in kraft for the background and die cut it with the second largest die from the Memory Box Curved Cap Pinpoint layers die set. A piece of off white cardstock was die cut with a rectangle die, adhered to my card base and then I layered on the woodgrain panel. I adhered the oak leaf with thin foam squares and added the little twine bow.

    I stamped the sentiment from Brushed Sentiments using a brown ink on off white cardstock, die cut it with the smallest Curved Cap Pinpoint die and adhered it to the panel. I finished off the card with some fall colored fairy jewels from the Autumn pack. I placed three under the sentiment and then scattered a few on the bare branches.

    I hope my card inspired you to get out your fall themed Birch Press Design dies and get going on those fall themed cards! Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!

    Supplies

    57524 Hillside Branch and Bramble Contour Layers

    57484 Adornment Oak Leaf

    CL8158 Brush Sentiments clear stamp set

    FP1003 Rainbow Reflections Mirror Pad

    94646 Curved Cap Pinpoint Layers

    jwl004 Autumn Fairy Jewels

    sh44003 Kraft Woodgrain Paper Pack

  • Autumn Leaves Bouquet | by Toni M Maddox

    Autumn Leaves Bouquet | by Toni M Maddox

    Hello, Birch Press fans! Toni here with you today all geared up for fall, my favorite season when the nights are cool, the days warm and the leaves are changing.

    I cut out and impressed the new Adornment Oak Leaf from a sturdy white cardstock which I sponged with Distress Oxide Mustard Seed and Lumberjack Plaid. Check out the detail on those leaves–just amazing!

    I spattered the leaves with water and Distress Oxide Festive Berries, Vintage Photo and Carved Pumpkin sprays.

    I arranged the leaves on the Memory Box Cream Woodgrain card front, tucking in a few Hillside Branches. I used a bow leftover from last year’s holiday cards (look at me using up leftovers!).

    The sentiment is from the Memory Box Gracious Floral set stamped in Versafine Vintage Sepia.

    I hope you enjoyed today’s card and have a great rest of your week!

    Supplies

    57484 Adornment Oak Leaf

    57524 Hillside Branch and Bramble Contour Layers

    CL5280 Gracious Floral Clear Stamp Set

    SH44002 Cream Woodgrain Paper Pack

  • Forest Berry Note | By Seeka

    Forest Berry Note | By Seeka

    Hello and welcome! Seeka here and today’s card features the Forest Leaf and Berries Contour Layers die set.

    I doubled up on the berries, die cutting two sets, one out of red tones and one out of fuchsia tones. I also made two sets of leaves and two sets of stems. I glued the layers together and then arranged and adhered them, using foam tape, to a circle of white cardstock. I glued this to a slightly larger vellum circle to create a subtle frame.

    To finish, I used foam tape to adhere the berry piece to a white panel cut with the Pinpoint Contour Plate and then added a matte gold sentiment made with the Handwritten Just A Note And Outline die set.

    Thank you so much for visiting!


    Supplies


    57514 Forest Leaf and Berries Contour Layers
    57511 Pinpoint Contour Plate
    57334 Handwritten Just a Note and Outline
  • Fall Gratitude | By Seeka

    Fall Gratitude | By Seeka

    Hello and welcome! Seeka here and today I’m sharing a fall-themed card featuring the the Adornment Pumpkin.

    I started by die cutting the pumpkin from three different shades of orange cardstock (the Sunny Orange 6×6 cardstock pack is a good option). Then I cut the leaves and stem from shades of green and brown cardstock. I used a blending brush and orange, green, and brown inks to add shading to die cut pieces and then glued them all together.

    For the background, I used the Forest Canopy Layer C frame die to cut a peace of green cardstock. I glued the piece to a panel of white cardstock and then used foam tape to adhere the pumpkin, leaves, and stem. To finish, I added a sentiment from my stash and glued the card front to a card base.

    Thank you so much for visiting!


    Supplies


    57481 Adornment Pumpkin
    57534 Forest Canopy Layer Set
    SP1002 Sunny Orange 6×6 pack
  • Pink Adornment Pumpkin | by Crystal Komara

    Pink Adornment Pumpkin | by Crystal Komara

    Hello friends and happy Friday! I hope you have fun things planned for the weekend ahead! This is Design Team member Crystal Komara here with you today sharing a card made using the new Adornment Pumpkin dies.

    I looooooove how this card came out, if I do say so myself! While the pink alcohol ink pumpkin is a little more vibrant than I had initially intended, it works. That’s the thing with alcohol ink, you never quite know what you’re going to get and they can be a bit unpredictable in how they move and dry as you blow them around.

    Card details:

    *Please note, a full list of supplies is located at the end of this post.

    The base of this A2 sized card was made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth alcohol ink. Using Layer Plate A (the top layer) of the Herbarium Plate Layering Set, I die cut this from white cardstock and then mounted a sheet of magneta cardstock behind it before adhering it directly to the card base. I die cut the solid pumpkin from a scrap piece of an alcohol ink background I had in my craft bin and then die cut the frame using pink glitter cardstock from the 6″ x 6″ Glitzy Glitter paper pack. I adhered the two layers together with a fine tip liquid glue.

    I created a pumpkin stem from espresso brown cardstock and leaves from both green cardstock and green glitter cardstock. There was a lot of piece work here using these smaller contour dies. Next, using the new Oval Leaf Branches Contour Layers, I die cut leaves from pink glitter cardstock, espresso brown carsdstock and the same green and green glitter cardstock used on the leaves. Then I pieces all the layers of the leaves together (again, a little bit time consuming here to do all these small details, but SO worth it in the end). Then it was just a matter of adhering all the small branches and leaves into a pattern that was pleasing to the eye.

    I stamped the sentiment “forever grateful” in magenta ink on white cardstock and used oval punch to punch it over before adhering it to the pumpkin with 3M foam adhesive. This sentiment is from the Brush Sentiments clear stamp set.

    I love using non-traditional colors to create holiday or seasonal cards. Pink is perfect in lieu of traditional orange pumpkins.

    Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

    Supplies

    57481 Adornment Pumpkin

    57525 Oval Leaf Branches Contour Layers

    CL8158 Brush Sentiments clear stamp set

    GP1007 Glitzy Glitter Pad

    SP1003 Lush Green 6×6 pack

    SP1007 Vibrant Violet 6×6 pack

    57458 Herbarium Plate Layer Set

  • Autumn Thanks | by Sandhya Iyer

    Autumn Thanks | by Sandhya Iyer

    Hello Birch Press friends! This is Sandhya and I am super thrilled to be a part of the Birch Press design team and look forward to sharing my ideas and creations with all of you. I will start off with a couple of ‘thank you’ cards using the gorgeous new Adornment Wreath die set. It was fun playing with the delicate leaves as well as filling them up with leftover die-cuts.

    I started by trimming a piece of copper cardstock from the Memory box Glitzy Glitter Pad to a 4.25″x5.5″ panel. Then, I centered the detailed part of the Adornment Wreath die right in the middle of that panel and die-cut the wreath. I made sure to save the loose leaves that fell out of the die-cut wreath. Next, I used the Big Thanks Sugar Script die to cut out my sentiment from the same glitter panel and set it aside.

    Then, I trimmed a panel out of white cardstock to measure 4″x5.25″ and gently ink-blended around its edges with Antique linen Distress ink. I die-cut the wreath shadow layer out of white cardstock and ink blended over it with orange, yellow, and green inks and smaller-sized blending brushes.

    Now that I have all the bits and bobs ready, I assembled my card using glue and foam tape. First, I aligned the delicate glitter wreath over the ink-blended shadow and filled some of the gaps with solid leaf die-cuts. I didn’t add much glue towards the outer edges and gently lifted the glitter cardstock for added dimension. I adhered this down on the ink-blended panel and added the thanks sentiment using thin foam tape. Finally, I matted this panel with the glitter panel I used for diecutting and adhered it to an A2 card base.

    As I was creating this card, I had another idea to use the solid leaves to fill out the wreath a bit more. So I ended up creating another fun card to give this a try. For this card, I cut the wreath out of gold cardstock from the Memory Box Rainbow Reflection Mirror pad. I cut the solid shadow layer out of white cardstock and set them aside.

    Next, I stamped my sentiment from the Classic Sentimental Wreath stamp set on white cardstock and heat-embossed it in gold. I added a gold mat for my sentiment strip for added glam. Then, I went to play with a piece of watercolor paper and ink smooshing with Distress Oxide inks in fall colors – Crackling Campfire, Mustard Seed, and Mowed Lawn.

    I inked around the edges in orange and popped the watercolor panel on an A2 card base with foam tape. Next, I aligned the gold wreath imperfectly over the white solid layer and adhered it to the inky panel with foam tape. I went on to tuck the solid golden leaves to fill out the wreath. I just fell in love with this look and might just create this look in different colors now. Anyways, I went on to add the sentiment strip and finish this card. I would love to know your thoughts on my cards and if you will give any of these a try. Thank you so much for stopping by today.

    Supplies:

    57485 Adornment Wreath
    57142 Big Thanks Sugar Script
    8157 Classic Sentimental Wreath stamp and die set
    GP1007 Glitzy Glitter Pad
    FP1003 Rainbow Reflections Mirror Pad
  • Warm Wishes | by Allison Frazier

    Warm Wishes | by Allison Frazier

    Hello, Birch Press friends! Today, I am sharing a mini slimline card featuring the new Hillside Branch and Bramble Contour Layers set. I used some cool, frosty colors for the branches to turn this into a holiday card. And while the cool colors may be in sharp contrast to the sentiment itself, I love the color palette.

    I started by choosing three different colors of blue card stock. I used the medium blue for the base of my card panel, which measures 6″ x 3.25″. I then used the main branch die (the one that has both the leaves and berries) to cut the lightest color of blue. I cut berries out of two colors of red card stock and adhered those on top of the light blue layer. I cut the top layer for that branch out of white card stock and adhered that onto the light blue layer, as well.

    Next, I played around with the arrangement of my three branches on the card panel. Once I was happy with the basic arrangement, I cut two pieces of the darkest blue card stock to match the curves in the branches. I adhered these two pieces on top of the medium blue card panel, making sure to cut off any excess that was hanging off the edges. I then used the secondary branches die from the set to cut both the medium and dark blue card stock. This gave me three branches each for each color. I glued those along the curves that I had created, making sure to glue the dark blue branches on top of the dark blue parts and the medium blue pieces onto the medium blue parts of the panel. This gives some tone on tone texture. I glued the finished branches on top of these, following the curves that I had created.

    I used the new Warm Wishes Vintage Sentiment die set, which I love. I cut both the bottom and detail layers out of red card stock and adhered those together. I then adhered a white detail layer on top. I cut one more branch out of white card stock to fill in a bit of empty space on the top left. To finish the card, I added some clear fairy jewels.

    I hope this card puts a smile on your face and inspires you! Thank you so much for joining us today.


    Supplies


    57524 Hillside Branch and Bramble Contour Layers
    57539 Warm Wishes Vintage Sentiment
    sp1006 Stormy Blue 6×6 pack
    sp1001 Berry Red 6×6 pack

    Supplies


    jwl001 Clear Jewels
  • A Fall Thank You | By Natasha Vacca

    A Fall Thank You | By Natasha Vacca

    Hello Birch Press friends, it is Natasha here and I am excited to be back with you today! Today I created a fall thank you card using the new Oak Leaf die set. I am a summer girl at heart, however I do love the colors of Fall! So let’s get started!

    I started by creating 2 panels using mixed media paper and my Distress Mica Stains. I chose 3 colors to use today to create the panels. The panels will be used to die cut my leaves. I spritzed the colors onto my paper one at a time, heat set them with my heat tool, added water droplets, and picked up the color with a paper towel. I continued this process until I had the colors and texture I was looking for. I set the panels aside to completely dry as I worked on my background.

    Next I chose a piece of kraft paper from my stash and dry embossed the panel using the Memory Box Geometric Crystals embossing folder. I then used a sanding tool to distress the dry embossed panel in various sections. To add a bit more texture and dimension to the panel I applied Distress Oxide inks to the panel in 3 of the corners.

    Next I trimmed the panel using my Deckle Trimmer and distressed the edges using Distress Ink. I added splatters to the panel using black and gold splatter. I set the panel aside to completely dry.

    Next I took my 2 panels I created using the Distress Mica Stains and die cut 2 leaves using the new Oak Leaf Die set. I also die cut the top layer using white card stock. I then ink blended the top layer of the leaves using oxides and once dry added Foundry Wax for added shine. I then adhered both layers of the leaves together using liquid adhesive.

    To complete my card, I adhered the dry embossed panel onto an A2 card base using liquid adhesive. I adhered the leaves with foam tape. I chose the sentiment from Handwritten Thanks and Outline die set. I die cut the script Thanks 3 times, using black card stock, as well as from the Rainbow Reflections Mirror Pad. I adhered the layers together using liquid glue and added this to my card front. I chose a sub sentiment from my stash and completed the card with a few gems from Autumn Fairy Jewels. Thanks so much for stopping by today! I will be back soon!


    Supplies


    57484 Adornment Oak Leaf
    57420 Handwritten Thanks and Outline

    Supplies


    FP1003 Rainbow Reflections Mirror Pad
    EF1016 Geometric Crystals 3D Embossing Folder
    jwl004 Autumn Fairy Jewels