Author: birch press

  • Winsome Rose and Leaves | By Natasha Vacca

    Hello Birch Press friends, it is Natasha here and I am super excited to be back on the blog today! For today’s card I had a lot of fun creating a mixed media inspired card using the beautiful Winsome Rose and Leaves Contour layers dies! So let’s get started!

    I started by creating 2 water color panels using Canson XL card stock. I added powders to the papers to create my own backgrounds. I created 2 panels, one in purple tones and another in green tones. Once my panels were dry, I die cut the Winsome Rose and Leaves using my watercolor panels. I also die cut a set of roses using the Twilight Purple paper pad from Memory Box. I wanted to create dimension for my roses and once die cut adhered these to my watercolored rose die cuts. I adhered each layer using liquid glue. Once the roses were adhered, I set these aside.

    Next I die cut the leaves using the dies included in this set. Once they were die cut I added more texture to each leaf using dye inks from my stash. I applied the ink with an ink dauber to the edges of the leaves. On the top layer I added embossing powder for added texture. I then adhered the leaves together using liquid glue. I also embossed the center of the roses using a gold embossing powder.

    Next I started to work on my background. I looked through my gelli print stash and chose a print to coordinate with my flowers. I wanted to add a bit of texture to my gelli print using the Flora Plate die set. I chose to use layer C. Following the instructions with my die cutting machine I used the plate to dry emboss the background die onto my gelli print. Next I added a bit of distressing to the panel. I used my distress tool to “rip” the edges, applied distress ink, as well as some embossing powder to various sections of the panel. I added a gelli print strip to the center of the panel following the same distressing pattern. I then adhered the card panel to an A2 card base.

    Next I adhered the leaves and roses to the card front using both liquid glue and foam adhesive. I then chose a sentiment to to complete my card. I chose the Handwritten Thanks and Outline die set. I die cut the shadow layer using a piece of the same gelli print background. I then die cut the script thanks 3 times. For the top layer I added tape to the paper prior to die cutting, as I wanted to use a glitter powder on the top layer of the word die cut. I then adhered all the layers together using liquid glue. I adhered the sentiment using foam tape.

    I had so much fun creating today’s card! I hope it inspires you to create today!


    Supplies


    57420 Handwritten Thanks and Outline
    57497 Winsome Rose and Leaves Contour Layers
    57437 Flora Plate Layer Set
    SP1008 Twilight Purple 6×6 pack
  • Holiday Pop-Up Easel Cards / by Colleen Balija

    Holiday Pop-Up Easel Cards / by Colleen Balija

    Hi friends, I’m back on the blog today to share two Holiday Pop-up Easel cards using the new BPD Christmas Ornament Pop-Up Easel die!!!

    The Christmas Ornament Pop-Up Easel die is so easy to use and creates such a fun and interesting card design! I made 2 cards using Meridian Ornament and Flicker layering dies in two color combos to show you how unique each card looks just by changing a few design elements!

    The card featured in the photo above uses Flicker Ornament Layering dies. I started by choosing a color combo of deep blue, mirrored black, and yellow from my Memory Box Twinkling Jewel and Festive Glitter stash. Then I die cut each layer of the ornament using that paper and adhered the layers together according to the instructions. Then I placed the ornament over mirrored silver cardstock. I die cut the larger ornament-shaped die included in the Christmas Ornaments Pop Up Easel set using the yellow glitter paper and adhered the ornament over it. You can see in the photo below how the yellow peeks out from behind the finished ornament!

    Next, I die cut the Easel from the Christmas Ornament Pop-Up Easel set in mirrored white cardstock. The Easel die has 2 pre-made scoring lines, so all you need to do is fold at the scored lines and your easel will be ready to go! I folded the easel in half according to one of the scoring lines, and then folded the little lip facing upward according to the 2nd scoring line. I adhered the ornament to the little lip.

    Now all that was left was to support the ornament to stand upright with the help of the easel! To do this, I adhered one of the little snowflakes that was included in the Pop-Up Easel kit onto the card base at the very bottom. When I propped my ornament up onto that snowflake, it stood up quite easily! It also flattens nicely to fit into a standard A2 sized envelope! I finished with a sentiment on the inside of my card, the silver bow and ornament topper that comes with Easel set, and a few sequins!

    My 2nd card uses the Meridian Ornament Layered die set! This time I chose colors in deep teal, black, and ivory. I followed the same instructions as with card #1! Only this time I used gold embellishments.

    Below is another photo of both cards together so you can get a side-by-side comparison of how unique each card is just by changing up a few design elements!

    You can create entire holiday card sets using the Christmas Ornament Pop-Up Easel die set and your choice of BPD layering ornaments! And won’t these look beautiful sitting on your recipient’s fireplace mantle? Or you could make some as decorations for your own home!

    Thanks for stopping by today!

    Supplies

    57455 Christmas Ornament Pop Up Easel

    57470 Meridian Ornament Layer Set

    56117 Flicker Ornament Layer Set

    FP1003 Rainbow Reflections Mirror Pad 6×6 pack

    GP1008 Majestic Hues Glitter Pad

    GP1003 Twinkling Jewel Glitter Pad

    GP1006 Festive Glitter Pad

  • Santa Baby | by Toni M Maddox

    Santa Baby | by Toni M Maddox

    Hello, Birch Press fans! Toni here with you today sharing a simple holiday card using the BPD Adornment Santa. Isn’t he super cute?!

    I colored him up with Copic E00 and E11 and used a flocked red cardstock for his hat. Yes, I have flocked cardstock that’s been in my stash for years as I used it primarily at Christmas-time.

    I used the BPD Herbarium Plate A as an impression plate on the card base. You know I love adding texture this way–subtle but adds a lot of interest.

    I finished the card using the BPD Handwritten Merry Christmas & Outline. I was very pleased with how easy it was to line up the outline die with the stamped sentiment.

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

    Supplies

    57482 Adornment Santa

    57458 Herbarium Plate Layer Set

    57478 Handwritten Merry Christmas and Outline

  • Felicity Snowflakes | by Crystal Komara

    Felicity Snowflakes | by Crystal Komara

    Hello friends! This is Design Team member Crystal Komara here with you today. If there is one thing I love when it comes to cardmaking, it’s the alcohol. Ink, that is! ; ) Initially I never thought I would have enjoyed working with alcohol inks as much as I have because, well. . . they’re messy. They stain. They are a tad unpredictable in outcome and all that just terrifies me. Yet, somehow I learned to love them and now can’t feature them enough on my cards.

    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 Yupo (polysynthetic paper) and “ink blew” Ranger Adirondack alcohol ink in the color Stream over the Yupo paper. That’s it, just one ink color was all I used! As it moves around and dries, you get puddles of ink that look like other darker and lighter colors, but I assure you, I used just one color. Nice and easy!

    Using the Felicity Snowflakes dies, I cut the outer layer from vellum cardstock and the top thinner layer from white cardstock. I adhered the two layers together with liquid adhesive and then I adhered the snowflakes to the card with a small pop dot (which you can actually see through the vellum, it’s too hard to hide).

    Using the Contempo Christmas Greetings stamp set and coordinating die, I stamped the sentiment in Versamark ink on white cardstock and heat embossed it with turquoise embossing powder. I used the coordinating circle die to cut out the sentiment. I adhered the sentiment to the card with Scotch 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

    Now that I think about it, you could make this same card in ANY color! Red or green alcohol ink would be very traditional, but I’m also thinking pinks and purples for a pop of pizazz too!

    Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

  • Be Merry Wreath

    Be Merry Wreath

    Hello, Birch Press friends. Happy November! The holidays are getting closer and closer, and there is no better time to start making those holiday cards. Of course, I love making them all year round. The most recent release is full of holiday fun. But I wanted to show you how to use some non-holiday products and turn them into a festive card.

    I started my card by dry embossing Layer C of the Flora Plate die set onto the front of a Kraft A2 card base. This is one of my favorite ways to create unexpected texture for a background. I then looked through my collection of Contour Layers die sets for the perfect leaf to create a wreath with. There are many floral sets with great options, but I chose the leaf from the Tiny Tuft Flowers set.

    I chose four different colors of green card stock and die cut a bunch of leaves. I then began arranging them in a circle to get an idea of placement and size. I originally was going to use a word die for a sentiment, but I decided to use the round “be merry” stamp for the center of the wreath. I heat embossed it onto Kraft card stock with red embossing powder and cut it out with the matching circle die. I adhered it to the card panel, and this gave me the center point to build my wreath around.

    There are three sets of leaves that are attached to branches, and I started by glueing the full elements down to form the wreath shape. As my wreath got more full, I would snip individual leaves off to fill in as needed.

    For the berries, I used the Eucalyptus Stem and Berries die set, which is now retired. Again, these berries come attached to a branch (I believe there are seven berries on the branch), but I cut them into smaller bunches or even single berries as needed. When I was finished, I splattered the entire card with some white acrylic paint, making sure to cover the stamped sentiment with some washi tape first.

    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


    57501 Tiny Tuft Flowers and Leaves Contour Layers
    8162 Contempo Christmas Greetings clear stamp and die set
    57437 Flora Plate Layer Set
    sp1001 Berry Red 6×6 pack
    sp1003 Lush Green 6×6 pack
  • Autumn Viola Plate | By Seeka

    Autumn Viola Plate | By Seeka

    Hello and welcome! Seeka here and today I have a card featuring fall colors and the Viola Plate die set.

    I started by spraying a piece of heavy white cardstock with red, orange, and yellow Dylusions ink sprays. When the cardstock was dry, I cut it with the Viola Plate layer A die. Then I used the layer B and C dies to cut regular weight white cardstock. I glued the layers together and then glued the combined piece to a card base.

    Next, I cut the sentiment layer of the Big Hugs Sugar Script die set from a leftover piece of sprayed cardstock. I glued the sentiment to the shadow layer, cut from white cardstock, and then used foam tape to adhere the sentiment to the card front. To finish, I added a small sentiment from my stash.

    Thank you so much for visiting!

    Supplies

  • Non-Traditional Holiday Cards / by Colleen Balija

    Non-Traditional Holiday Cards / by Colleen Balija

    Today I want to share a non-traditional holiday card! I am a big fan of testing the waters on unique color schemes for my holiday cards. I think they keep things fresh and interesting! Let’s get started with today’s card, called Merry Christmas with Love!

    First step was to choose the colors for this holiday card. I wanted to use a lot of black and white with just a touch of bold color, so I chose a shade of teal green. Now, green is a holiday color, but teal green is a bit different than the traditional Forest or Mistletoe green! NOTE: You could also go with shades of pink or yellow or purple! Choose a color that you love, and your card will be amazing!

    Once my colors were selected, I chose my Birch Press Design elements, which were Herbarium Layering Plates, Contempo Christmas Greetings stamp and coordinating die, Merry Christmas Sugar Script die, and Memory Box Vintage Pastel paper. I wanted foliage on this card, so I also chose Eucalyptus Stem and Berries Contour dies! These foliage dies will be perfect on holiday cards!

    With my colors and design elements chosen, I started on the background piece. the background here is also a focal point, so I wanted it to pop! I chose black, teal green, and a shimmery white for the layers of the Herbarium Layering Plates. I die cut each layer and adhered them together using liquid glue, going from darkest color to lightest on top. I just love how that black and teal green shine through all the layers! Once my background was finished, I set it aside and started on my sentiment and foliage.

    I wanted the sentiment and foliage to be in the same colors as the background. This way everything is cohesive and is easy on the eyes! I die cut the Merry Christmas Sugar Script in black and teal green and adhered the 2 layers together. I also stamped a sentiment “with love” and adhered both to the lower third of the background card panel.

    Next, I die cut the foliage from Eucalyptus Stem & Berries Contour set in silver, teal green, and black. I adhered the layers together and tucked them behind the Merry Christmas sentiment. I finished with embellishments in teal green.

    I love how the colors blend beautifully together to create a lovely and unique Christmas card! This card has the holiday shine and shimmer, but the colors are unique and will stand out to your recipients! Thanks for stopping by!

    Supplies

    57458 Herbarium Plate Layer Set

    57496 Eucalyptus Stem and Berries Contour Layers

    CL8162 Contempo Christmas Greetings clear stamp set

    57471 Merry Christmas Sugar Script and Outline

    FP1002 Vintage Pastel Mirror Pad 6×6 pack

  • Floral Hello | By Dilay Nacar

    Floral Hello | By Dilay Nacar

    Happy Friday, crafty friends! Dee here today sharing this fresh floral card featuring the Star Flowers Contour Layers dies combined with a few other favorites!

    First, I created the background by die cutting the Pinpoint Radial Plate die and cutting it in half. Next, I embossed an A2-sized card base with the Memory Box Blooming 3D Embossing Folder, then adhered the partial Pinpoint background on top.

    Next, I cut the Star Flower Contour Layer dies twice in three shades of pink cardstock and die cut the centers in yellow cardstock, then adhered them together. I die cut leaves from the Dainty Rose and Leaves and Tiny Tuft Flowers and Leaves die sets in different shades of teal, and metallic cardstock, then adhered them, tucked in, behind the flowers. 

    To finish, I cut the hello from the Hello Topper in the same metallic cardstock and adhered it over the top. Thanks so much for joining me today!


    Supplies


    57501 Tiny Tuft Flowers and Leaves Contour Layers
    57384 Pinpoint Radial Plate
    57313 Hello Topper
    57499 Dainty Rose and Leaves Contour Layers
    57505 Star Flowers Contour Layers
    fp1003 Rainbow Reflections Mirror Pad 6×6 pack
    sp1004 Fresh Aqua 6×6 pack
    sp1001 Berry Red 6×6 pack
    ef1020 Blooming Sweet Pea 3D Embossing Folder
  • A Country Christmas / by Colleen Balija

    A Country Christmas / by Colleen Balija

    Hi everyone, this is my first blog post with Birch Press Designs, and I just couldn’t be any more excited! I hope that you will enjoy my cards and find inspiration to create your own version! This card reminds me of A Country Christmas with the ever-so popular black and white gingham and pastel colors. Let’s get started on how I was inspired to create this holiday delight!

    The first step was to choose my colors. I always choose colors first because it inspires the rest of the card when I take this first step. Recently I was shopping at a craft store and saw beautiful holiday table wear in black and white. I took a picture of it so that I would remember to use those colors on my next card, which turns out to be this one!

    Once my colors were selected, I chose my Birch Press Design elements to use, which were the Herbarium Layering Plates (A only) and the Holly Wreath Layering Plates. Since most of the card was going to be in black and white, I wanted the wreath to pop with a bit of color, so I used pastel shades of green, coral, and black from the Memory Box Vintage Pastel patterned paper pack. I also grabbed a black and white gingham ribbon that I had on hand and a few embellishments. Now that I had inspiration and all my design elements ready, it was time to put everything together!

    Step one was to create the background. Starting with a 5.5×4.25 white card panel, I die cut Layer A from Herbarium Layering Plates, punched out the positive pieces, and adhered it using liquid glue to a 5.5×4.25 white card base. NOTE: I use liquid glue because it gives me a little wiggle room to place my design element where I want it before it adheres permanently! When my background was finished, I set it aside to work on the wreath.

    Next step was to die the 3 layers from Holly Wreath Layering Plates using the pastel paper I had set aside earlier. The darkest color (black) was the bottom layer. I find that going from dark to light helps to add dimension because the darkest colors look furthest away from your eyes. When I was finished die cutting all 3 layers, I placed the die cuts over the images on the packaging to guide me in aligning all the layers properly. And once again, I used liquid glue to help me adhere each layer perfectly! Then I glued my finished holly wreath over the background panel I created earlier.

    Next, it was time to work on my sentiment. As you can see in the photo below, the word “Noel” is placed over the wreath! There’s a secret to helping these little guys stand out from the wreath – read on to find out!

    Using Mod Alphabet die set and Felicity Snowflake, I die cut the word Noel, minus the ‘o’, in black and pastel green. I did the same for one of the larger and rounder snowflakes. I adhered foam tape onto the back of each letter and snowflake to help it stand out from the wreath, and then I adhered it to the top of the wreath. And by the way, that’s my secret to helping the sentiment pop off the page! Foam tape is a miracle worker because it lifts the image off the page. Going back to the sentiment, the snowflake replaced the letter ‘o’ because it looks like an ‘o’. These are the details that take your card from average to WOW!

    Next, I added the Merry Christmas sentiment to the middle of the wreath using Contempo Christmas Greetings stamp and coordinating die set. I created a bow using the gingham black and white ribbon and adhered that to the bottom of the wreath, trimming the ends at an angle. I finished with embellishments that look like red berries!

    This card was so much fun to create, and I just adore the black and white touches to it! Black and white is a color combo that can never go wrong. Start with that and then add your pop of color to your own card! Thanks so much for joining me today!

    Supplies

    57453 Felicity Snowflakes

    57450 Holly Wreath Plate Layer Set

    8139 Mod Alphabet clear stamp and die set

    57458 Herbarium Plate Layer Set

    FP1003 Rainbow Reflections Mirror Pad 6×6 pack

  • Shimmery Delight | By Seeka

    Shimmery Delight | By Seeka

    Hello and welcome! Seeka here and today I’m sharing a subtly shimmery card featuring the Delight Layer die set.

    I started off by using a foam blending tool to blend Picked Raspberry, Saltwater Taffy, and Wild Honey Distress inks onto a panel of Bristol Smooth cardstock. I blended in a circle, concentrating Wild Honey in the center. Next, I sprinkled some Perfect Gold Perfect Pearl powder onto the panel and used a small paint brush to spread it around. To get even coverage, I then took a clean paper towel and buffed the powder across the panel. Then I repeated to create a second panel. The subtle Perfect Pearl shimmer is so pretty!

    Next, I used the Delight Layer C die to cut the ink-blended panels, centering the die over the blended circle. Then I used the Delight Layer A die to cut white cardstock twice and glued the white layers to the ink-blended layers, resulting in two assembled pieces.

    To create the card front, I glued the two pieces to a 3.75″ x 5″ panel of white cardstock. I trimmed off the areas hanging off of the panel and then glued them to the two open corners of the panel. I trimmed again and then used foam tape to adhere the finished card front to a pale blush card base. Last, I used foam tape to adhere a sentiment strip from my stash to the card.

    Thank you so much for visiting!

    Supplies

    57423 Delight Layer Set