Author: birch press

  • Remember to Treasure | by Rosemary Dennis

    Remember to Treasure | by Rosemary Dennis

    Hello everyone! I have a soft pastel card to share today that I created with glitter papers from the Memory Box Delicate Pastel Glitter pad and many different Birch Press Design dies. Let’s get started!

    Birch Press Designs has so many wonderful layering dies and I just love going through them and finding ones that can also be used for embossing. As I was working on my idea for the card I flipped through my dies and came across the Arista layering set. I took one look at Layer B and knew immediately that I wanted to use it to emboss the background. I just love all the detail that is embossed into the background. (The embossing sandwich that works for me is my the diecutting platform, one cutting plate, a tan embossing mat, cardstock and die with the cutting side placed against the mat and a few cardstock shims.) I also knew that I wanted to use the Mixed Berry Contour Layers dies and the Simple Dragonfly Contour Layers. The Phlox Blooms and Leaves Contour Layers are so pretty and work wonderfully with the other dies.

    I die cut the flowers and leaves using white cardstock for the bases and then a sugary pink from the Delicate Pastel Glitter pad to the top layer. A pretty yellow from the pad was used for the flower centers. The glitter portion of the leaves were die cut from a light yellowy-green and layered on. I used yellow for the berry stems and a lighter pink for the berries. The above photo shows the general idea of the layout.

    The base of the dragonflies were die cut from white and the layers from glitter papers. Going to be honest and tell you that when I started to put the dragonflies I got confused as to what layers went where. I got a bit frustrated with myself, but eventually I got them put together correctly. I used pink glitter paper for the small dragonflies and the larger one is a pretty light peach color. I used a sentiment from the beautiful Kind Hearts stamp set. It was heat embossed on vellum using silver embossing powder so it was stand out against all that white.

    I cut the vellum into a strip and then wrapped part of it behind my panel and secured it with liquid adhesive. After that side had dried I secured the other side with liquid adhesive, as well. Then I started adding all the flowers, leaves and berry stems. The large flowers were popped up with thin foam squares. Everything else was adhered with liquid adhesive making it easy to tuck them into place. I finished with the dragonflies.

    If you have yet, I hope you will look through your Birch Press Design layering dies and find ones that can be used to emboss the background of your projects. I think you will just love the look! Thanks for stopping by!

    Supplies

    D2

    CL8163 Kind Hearts clear stamp set

    57507 Phlox Blooms and Leaves Contour Layers

    57418 Arista Layer Set

    57527 Mixed Berry Contour Layers

    57487 Simple Dragonfly Contour Layers

    GP1001 Delicate Pastel Glitter Pad

  • Masculine CAS | by Crystal Komara

    Masculine CAS | by Crystal Komara

    Hello crafty readers! This is Design Team member Crystal Komara here with you today sharing an idea for some CAS (Clean And Simple) quick and easy masculine cards. I don’t make masculine themed cards often, but it is always nice to have them on hand. By using a beautiful pack of paper and some shadow word dies, these five cards came together all in about half an hour!

    Card details:

    The base of these A2 cards is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. I cut 5 1’4″ x 4″ pieces of foil plaid paper and then cut 1/2 from the center of each card. I adhered the plaid paper to the top and bottom halves of each card leaving some white space in between for the sentiment. (*Side note – unfortunately this exact pack of paper I used from Memory Box Co. is no longer available, but you can view other beautiful packs of paper from the same company here). Memory Box Co. is a sister company of Birch Press Design.

    I used a variety of sentiments to make these cards work from all occasions like hello and thanks. This card is so simple and basic that you could use any style of patterned paper and any sentiments. Plus, they’re so quick and easy you’ll have a batch of cards in no time.

    Thanks for following along and have a wonderfully creative day!

    Supplies

    57310 Hello Honey Script

    57302 Thanks Honey Script

  • Kind Heart | by Toni M Maddox

    Kind Heart | by Toni M Maddox

    Hello, Birch Press fans! Toni here with you today sharing a simple thank you card using one of my favorite colors combos, aqua blue and kraft.

    I cut out the Wispy Blooms as well as the Sylvan Berries and Leaves Contour Layers in white and kraft.

    I then sponged the Wispy Blooms and the Simple Butterfly with just a touch of Distress Oxide Peacock Feathers (I think Salvaged Patina is a great substitute).

    I stamped the Kind Hearts sentiment in black then framed it with the greenery (blue-ery?).

    I added a few stems from the Sprouting Crocus Contour Layers in kraft to fill in a bit.

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

    Supplies

    57506 Wispy Blooms Contour Layers

    57503 Sylvan Berries and Leaves Contour Layers

    57523 Sprouting Crocus Contour Layers

    57490 Simple Butterfly Contour Layers

    CL8163 Kind Hearts clear stamp set

  • Sparkly Butterfly Greetings | By Natasha Vacca

    Hello Birch Press friends, it is Natasha here today to share a card with you using lots of color and sparkle! For today’s card I am using the Butterfly Basics die set! Let’s get started!

    I started by creating 2 colorful background panels using Distress Mica Stain. I used 3 different colors to create my backgrounds. I spritzed each panel, allowed them to dry, then picked up some color with water. I repeated this process until I was happy with each panel.

    Once each panel was dry, I die cut 2 butterflies using the Butterfly Basics die set. I love these large butterflies! I then die cut the antennae for each butterfly using the Memory Box Vintage Pastel Mirror Pad. I then adhered the antennae to the butterfly using liquid glue. I set these aside to work on my background.

    Next I ran a piece of white card stock through my die cutting machine with the Memory Box Geometric Crystals embossing folder. I then tore a section of the panel off for a distressed look. I trimmed the panel down and then chose a piece of coordinating pattern paper. I then adhered these to an A2 card base.

    To complete my card I added foam tape to the back of each butterfly then adhered them to my card front. I chose a sentiment from my stash and added a piece of pattern paper to compliment my design.

    I had so much fun creating today’s card! I will be back soon with more crafty inspiration!


    Supplies


    57403 Butterfly Basics

    Supplies


    fp1002 Vintage Pastel Mirror Pad
    ef1016 Geometric Crystals 3D Embossing Folder
  • Colorful Floral Cluster | by Allison Frazier

    Colorful Floral Cluster | by Allison Frazier

    Hello, Birch Press friends! Today, I am sharing this card featuring a cluster of layered florals. There are so many amazing floral dies in the Birch Press collection, and I used a lot of them today! I love using a dark background – I think it provides a really dramatic pop.

    I started my card by creating the layered roses first. For each of the roses, I chose three different shades of card stock for the layers. I used the Dainty Rose and Leaves Contour Layers set to create the yellow and orange roses. I used the Morning Rose and Triple Buds Contour Layers set to create the large pink rose. I used this same set and two shades of pink card stock for the buds and one shade of green card stock for the stems.

    For the orange flowers, I used the Star Flowers Contour Layers set. I used two shades of orange card stock, as well as yellow for the center of the flowers. For all of the leaves, I used two die sets – the Jovial Blooms and Leaves Contour Layers and the Tiny Tuft Flowers and Leaves Contour Layers. Once I had all of my dies cut, I assembled the layers with liquid glue and then started arranging everything onto a dark brown A2 card base.

    Once I was happy with the arrangement, I started glueing elements down, starting with the leaves and any other elements that were going to go behind something else, such as the smaller orange flowers and the pink buds. Once I got to the top elements, I used a couple different thicknesses of foam tape to adhere the orange and yellow roses. I heat embossed my sentiment with gold embossing powder. This sentiment comes from the Lingo Thanks Stamp Set. Before adhering my sentiment to the card, I splattered the whole thing with white acrylic paint.

    For a final touch, I added some fairy jewels to the center of the large, pink rose. I love how it all turned out! Thank you so much for joining us today. I hope this card inspires you and brings a smile to your face. 

    Wishing you a crafty day,
    Allison


    Supplies


    57493 Morning Rose and Triple Buds Contour Layers
    57499 Dainty Rose and Leaves Contour Layers
    57502 Jovial Blooms and Leaves Contour Layers
    57505 Star Flowers Contour Layers
    57501 Tiny Tuft Flowers and Leaves Contour Layers
    cl8143 Lingo Thanks clear stamp set
    sp1001 Berry Red 6×6 pack
    sp1002 Sunny Orange 6×6 pack
    sp1003 Lush Green 6×6 pack

    Supplies


    jwl004 Autumn Fairy Jewels
  • Best Wishes On Your Journey Together | by Crystal Komara

    Best Wishes On Your Journey Together | by Crystal Komara

    Hello friends and happy May! I feel like May is the unofficial start to summer, which also means that wedding season is upon us. This is Design Team member Crystal Komara here today to inspire you with a wedding/love themed card using a variety of product from Birch Press Design.

    Card details:

    The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock. This is my go-to white cardstock for e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! To create the background of this card I used Layer Plate C of the Flora Plate Layer set, and I die cut it from white cardstock. I mounted that die cut piece onto a piece of white cardstock for a white-on-white look and then mounted both pieces onto black cardstock before adhering it to the card base.

    For the largest heart I used the Flora Heart Layer C. I die cut Layer A and Layer B from red cardstock. I adhered the two layers together with a fine-tip liquid glue. Then I adhered those of a piece of white cardstock and fussy cut a heart shape background. I adhered this heart to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

    To create the two smaller hearts, I die cut Layer A of the Kinsley Heart Layer Set from white cardstock. I adhered this over a sheet of red cardstock and then fussy cut the individual hearts out.

    For the sentiment, I stamped the font in black ink on white cardstock. This sentiment is from the Kind Hearts clear stamp set. I then used a heart punch to punch the sentiment out. I adhered the sentiment too the card using 3M foam adhesive.

    I hope you have enjoyed today’s card. Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

    Supplies

    56120 Flora Heart Layer Set

    57437 Flora Plate Layer Set

    57402 Kinsley Heart Plate Layer Set

    CL8163 Kind Hearts clear stamp set

    SP1001 Berry Red 6×6 pack

  • Clean and Simple Spring Florals Part 2 | by Colleen Balija

    Clean and Simple Spring Florals Part 2 | by Colleen Balija

    Hi friends! I’m back for this month sharing another Clean and Simple card, similar to my blog post on April 10th! If you haven’t seen that post yet, head over there first to get the deets before reading this post, as this is a continuation!

    This month I’ve been focused on Clean and Simple lines in my cards. That’s a challenge for me, but I like a good challenge so decided to give this a try! I hope you like it! Clean and Simple cards can be very effective with just a few simple design ideas to add detail and interest to your card!

    The products I’m using for today’s card are Phlox Blooms & Leaves die, Sylvan Berries & Leaves die, Tropical Hibiscus Contour Layers die, Simple Butterfly die, and Rainbow Days stamp. All of these items will be linked at the bottom of my post!

    Similar to my other Clean and Simple card of April 10th, the first step was to decide on the arrangement of my flowers on the white card panel. Once that was decided upon, I die cut my flowers and leaves and then ink blended each in shades of coral and mint green. I explained in my first blog post why I die cut first and ink blend second. Basically, it allows me to get more depth of color with the flowers and leaves. You can see that in the photo above!

    Next, I wanted to add subtle detail to the white space, so I used a few of the die cuts from earlier as embossing tools. And unlike my first card, this time I inked up the die with black ink! To do this, I inked up just the tips of the dies, placed them carefully where I wanted them (once they are in place, don’t move them or you’ll get black ink all over your nice white card panel), taped them down to the card panel so they wouldn’t move, and ran them through my die cutting machine using an embossing pad. The embossing pad allows the die cut to embed an image without cutting all the way through (Each die cut machine is different in how it works, so refer to your brand of die cut machine for details.) The black ink adds another element of interest! You can see in the photo above and below the level of detail that this technique adds! The black ink is subtle, but effective! You could use any color of ink, too!

    Last step was to adhere the flowers and leaves to the card panel, placing the leaves offset from the embossed image so just a bit peeked out from behind! Then I added gold metallic splatters just around the flowers, being careful to leave most of the white card panel untouched. I placed the “It’s your day” sentiment next to the flowers and then finished with sequins over the leaves and flowers.

    Clean and Simple cards are really fun, and if you keep these helpful tips in mind, you just can’t go wrong!

    1. Emboss the white card panel with embossing folders or dies
    2. Use splatters sparingly to add interest without overwhelming the card panel
    3. Add detail to the focal point by ink blending to create depth and life to your florals
    4. Keep the sentiment simple and small
    5. Add sequins or a Nuvo Shimmer pen to add shine and shimmer to your focal point
    6. Keep one half to one quarter of the card panel white and untouched

    Thanks for stopping by!

     

    Supplies

     

     

    DRP101 Fairy Drops

     

     

     

    DDP101 Christmas Fairy Dewdrops

     

     

    57507 Phlox Blooms and Leaves Contour Layers

     

     

    57503 Sylvan Berries and Leaves Contour Layers

     

     

    57486 Tropical Hibiscus Contour Layers

     

     

    57490 Simple Butterfly Contour Layers

     

     

    CL8159 Rainbow Days Lingo Notes clear stamp set

     

  • Jovial Birthday Wishes | by Rosemary Dennis

    Jovial Birthday Wishes | by Rosemary Dennis

    Wow, can you believe it is already the end of April? Where is the time going?! Today I’m sharing a card that was inspired by my other favorite crafting pursuit: cross-stitching. Before I started paper crafting I was an avid cross-stitcher, but I injured my shoulder and stitching became hard to do so I gave it up. Last summer I was inspired to start stitching, again, and discovered that it didn’t bother me as much as it had… yay! And that leads me to the card I’m sharing today. I had started stitching a chart using a warm orange floss and that got me to thinking about the colors I wanted to use for a card I would be making using the new Jovial Blooms and Leaves Contour Layers dies. I know it is spring, but I just love warm autumnal colors and that is where we are going, lol

    I started by die cutting all the flowers that I thought I would need for the card. Once I had everything die cut I put washi tape on the back of the panels to keep the pieces in place and did some simple ink blending using distress inks in Spiced Marmalade, Wild Honey and Ripe Persimmon. The flowers with three layers I used all three colors and for the flowers with only two layers I used Ripe Persimmon and Spiced Marmalade. I also splattered on some water to give the pieces a bit of a distressed look. Then I adhered all the layers together. I was so intent on getting my flowers put together that I completely forgot to add the stamens! Oops!

    Once I had the flowers assembled I did a little bit more splattering using some black paint. At this point I pulled out the Birthday Wishes Sugar Script die set and die cut the top layer from Memory Box Open Studio glossy black cardstock. That cardstock is amazing! I love how thick and substantial it is. I die cut the shadow layers, inked them up with Wild Honey distress ink, and then splattered on water and black paint. I cut additional words out of scrap cardstock and adhered them to the glossy black words for additional dimension.

    Once I had all my elements assembled and ready to go I die cut a piece of Memory Box Open Studio cream woodgrain for the background. I played around with the layout for quite sometime before finally settling on the layout you see.

    I finished off the card with lots of little warm yellow and orange Open Studio fairy jewels. I did something I don’t normally do and created the card base from woodgrain cardstock. This time I used Memory Box Open Studio kraft woodgrain cardstock and I really like how it looks.

    I hope you are inspired by my little trip to autumn. Thanks for stopping by and enjoy your day!

    Supplies

    D2

    57502 Jovial Blooms and Leaves Contour Layers

    57438 Birthday Wishes Sugar Script

    SH44002 Cream Woodgrain Paper

    SH44003 Kraft Woodgrain Paper

    SH44004 Black Glossy Paper

  • Floral Hello | By Dilay Nacar

    Floral Hello | By Dilay Nacar

    Hello and welcome, friends! Dee here with you today! A few weeks ago, I shared a mini slimline card similar this card design, but this version is a bit cleaner and easier to recreate. 

    To start, I die-cut each of the Phlox Blooms Lovely Layers Dies in various colors. Next, I die-cut the Pinpoint Contour Plate in white, then adhered each of the flowers with  foam tape, cascading from the top in rainbow order.

    Next, I die-cut Big Hello Sugar Script in mirror gold cardstock and adhered it to the top. To finish, I added a few clear sequins in between the flowers. 


    Supplies


    57507 Phlox Blooms and Leaves Contour Layers
    sp1001 Berry Red 6×6 pack
    sp1003 Lush Green 6×6 pack
    sp1004 Fresh Aqua 6×6 pack
    sp1005 Ocean Blue 6×6 pack
    sp1002 Sunny Orange 6×6 pack
    sp1008 Twilight Purple 6×6 pack
    sp1007 Vibrant Violet 6×6 pack
    57201 Big Hello Sugar Script
  • Prime Peony Hello | by Crystal Komara

    Prime Peony Hello | by Crystal Komara

    Hello readers! Now that spring is officially here (oh but wait, is it??) Oh well, I declare spring IS here! Let’s celebrate with all things floral. This is Design Team member Crystal Komara here with you today sharing this hello card made using the Prime Peony Duo Contour Layers.

    Card details:

    The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. I cut a 5 1/4″ x 4″ piece of the same Neenah White cardstock and ran it through my Big Shot using the Blooming 3D embossing folder from Memory Box Co. (a sister company of Birch Press Design). I adhered this embossed background directly to the card base. Next, I die cut a large oval from white cardstock.

    To create all the peonies, I die cut the various layers of the Prime Peony from different colored pink cardstocks and then using the image provided, I was able to assemble them (with only limited curse words!) Trust me, I’m not proud of my less-than patience.

    After adhering all the peony pieces together I adhered them to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. Lastly, for the sentiment, I used the Big Hello Sugar Script die. I die cut just the top layer (not the shadow layer) from white cardstock. I cut this layer three times and them on top of each other before adding them to the card.

    I hope you have enjoyed this card! Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

    Supplies

    57504 Prime Peony Duo Contour Layers

    SP1001 Berry Red 6×6 pack

    57143 Hello Sugar Script