Author: birch press

  • Colorful Eucalyptus Stem & Berries | By Natasha Vacca

    Hello Birch Press friends – it is Natasha here and I am excited to be up on the blog today! Today I am using the beautiful Eucalyptus Stem and Berries Contour Layers die set! I love this set and had so much fun creating colorful leaves and berries on today’s card! So let’s get started!

    I started by creating colorful backgrounds using dye based pigment powders. You can create a similar look by using powders, inks, watercolors, whatever you have in your stash! I always work in layers to create texture within my backgrounds! Once I had my backgrounds created, it was time to do the die cutting! I love the Eucalyptus Stem and Berries set and this set was perfect to create some colorful leaves/berries! I die cut 4 leaf stems and 3 berry stems! On the berries I also die cut the “add on” berry layer. I love the added texture this provided! I adhered these to my berry stems using liquid adhesive! I set my leaves and berries aside to work on the background panel of my card!

    Next I looked through my gel print stash! I found a light colored gel print, as well as a page from a book. I used both of these to create a background. I tore the section of the book panel gel print and adhered this to the other gel print. Next I die cut a piece of white card stock using the Viola Plate die set. I chose to use Layer A. I love these layered sets, as you can use all 3, as well as choose only 1 layer for a beautiful look as well! They are truly versatile!

    I glued Layer A of the Viola Plate (White card stock) on top of my gel print backgrounds! I love the subtle touch of texture this provides, as well as the softness of the beautiful die cut!

    Next I adhered the background panel onto an A2 card base. I then decided on the placement of the leaves and berries. Then I adhered them to the card front using both liquid glue and foam tape. I love the added dimension on the leaves and berries!

    To complete my card I chose the Hugs Sugar Script Hot Foil Plate and die set. I foiled the hugs sentiment using a pink foil from my stash and then die cut the sentiment using the included die in the set! I added a few Fairy Drops to complete my card!

    Thanks so much for stopping by today! I had a lot of fun! I hope today’s card inspires you to create! I will be back soon!


    Supplies


    56128 Viola Plate Layer Set
    BPF513 Hugs Sugar Script Hot Foil Plate and Die Set
    57496 Eucalyptus Stem and Berries Contour Layers
  • Watercolor Meets Hot Foil | by Crystal Komara

    Watercolor Meets Hot Foil | by Crystal Komara

    Hello crafty readers! This is Design Team member Crystal Komara here with you today. I’m excited to be sharing the first two cards I created using the new String Art Frame Hot Foil plate. Now, if I’m being completely honest, these are actually the first two cards I have ever made using hot foil!! Heat foiling is very on-trend right now in the craft industry, so I succumbed to the peer pressure and bought the Gemini Foil Press (because it works with my Gemini, Jr. die cutting machine). Heat foiling is a magical process where heat and pressure are applied to a special foil to imprint on paper. Unlike heat embossing where the image is raised when Versamark ink and embossing powder are heated with an embossing gun, in heat foiling, the image is imprinted or pressed into the paper when heat and pressure are applied.

    I created two cards that are nearly identical, I simply swapped out the color combination and sentiment to achieve two unique looks. Keep reading for all the details:

    Card details:

    The base of this A2 sized card was made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. I cut a 5 1/4″ x 4″ piece of purple cardstock from the 6″ x 6″ Twilight cardstock pack. On a 5″ x 3 3/4″ sheet of white cardstock, I heat foiled the String Art Frame hot foil plate on my Gemini Foilpress machine with purple Foilpress foil.

    On a separate sheet of watercolor cardstock, I stamped the large floral image from the Memory Box (a sister company to BPD) All the Happiness stamp set in Versamark ink and heat embossed it with gold embossing powder. I colored the image using Zig Real Color Watercolor Brush markers. Once the image dried, I used the coordinating All the Happiness dies to cut the image out. I adhered the flowers to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. I stamped the sentiment in Versamark ink and heat embossed it with gold embossing powder. This sentiment is from the Kind Hearts clear stamp set. I adhered the sentiment to the card also using 3M foam adhesive tape. Lastly, I added a light coat of clear Wink of Stella to the flowers for added sparkle. *Be careful with Wink of Stella on watercolor though, because it will bleed as it is water-on-water based.

    For this second card, I used identical products as the first card, I simply swapped out the purple foil for a teal foil and I colored the flowers with teal or turquoise hued Zig Real Color Brush markers.

    Alright, so since I admitted this was my first go-round with hot foiling, I’ll also admit that I did my initial foiling wrong and ended up heat foiling the plate itself and not the paper. Note to self, read the instructions first! They do exist for a reason!! : ) But, all-in-all I was quite pleased with how my first heat foiled cards turned out and I look forward to experimenting more!

    Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

    Supplies

    BPF510 String Art Frame Hot Foil Plate and Die Set

    SP1008 Twilight Purple 6×6 pack

    SP1005 Ocean Blue 6×6 pack

    CL5265-D All the Happiness clear stamp and die set

  • Wispy Fireworks

    Wispy Fireworks

    Hello, Birch Press Friends, and Happy 4th of July! Allison here, and today I’m sharing this festive card featuring the Wispy Blooms Contour Layers die set. I love finding new ways to use my supplies, so why not make fireworks out of flowers?

    I started my card with an A2 panel of blue card stock, which I embossed with the Ringadings 3D embossing folder. I then adhered that to a blue A2 card base.

    I cut the two wispy shapes from the die set out of white and red card stock. These extra wispy shapes are not part of the layering flowers, but they might be my favorite part of the die set. I have used them before as background texture, and I think it was back then that I got this idea to make them into fireworks. I adhered these shapes around the card panel. For some of the fireworks, I layered one of the smaller pieces onto the larger one.

    For the sentiment, I used the Let’s Party Sugar Script die. I cut the shadow out of white card stock, and the words out of red card stock. I doubled up both the shadow and the word for dimension and then glued these onto the panel at an angle.

    To finish up the card, I scattered some clear fairy jewels all around the design.

    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


    57506 Wispy Blooms Contour Layers
    57430 Let’s Party Sugar Script
    SP1001 Berry Red 6×6 pack
    SP1005 Ocean Blue 6×6 pack

    Supplies


    EF1015 Ringadings 3D Embossing Folder
    JWL001 Clear Jewels
  • Summer Florals | by April Antonio

    Summer Florals | by April Antonio

    Hello and happy Saturday! Welcome back to the Birch Press Design blog. April here sharing a new card project. I am really excited about today’s post because I have been struggling with incorporating more color when I use the layering dies and finally made a card that I feel matches what I saw in my head.

    Today’s card started with some inspiration from a color palette I found online that I really liked. I like to save color palettes I like to a folder on my phone, and then look them up when I need some crafting inspiration.

    The photo above is the color palette that I found. I just love the teal and pinks. Now, it’s not an exact match, but close enough for me.

    I started by pulling the Flora Plate Layer die set, and choosing three of the above colors that I thought would layer well together.

    From what I know about color (which isn’t much!) I thought the lighter colors would be best on top, and the darker colors on the bottom.

    So I purposely cut the top layer from the light blue, the bottom layer from the darker teal, and added the fuschia color in the middle of the sandwich to break up the blue colors.

    Next, I grabbed that same teal color from the bottom layer and decided I wanted to highlight it on top by using it with the Big Thanks Sugar Script. I cut the ‘thanks’ in the teal and the shadow from white in order to anchor the thanks better to the page.

    Lastly, I grabbed my Christmas Fairy Jewels pack and placed some of the teal jewels across the top and bottom rows of the card.

    That is the finished card! I really love the pierced details on this top layer, and how dynamic the fuchsia color looks as it peeks from behind the layers.

    Supplies

    57437 Flora Plate Layer Set

    57142 Big Thanks Sugar Script

    Supplies

    jwl005 Christmas Fairy Jewels

  • Golden Thanks and Soothing Florals | by April Antonio

    Golden Thanks and Soothing Florals | by April Antonio

    Welcome back to the Birch Press Design blog! April here sharing a slimline card project using the Tropical Hibiscus Contour Layers die set and the new Thanks Sugar Script hot foil plate and die set.

    I started this card off with a piece of the white woodgrain cardstock by cutting it to be slightly smaller than a 4″ x 9″ slimline card base. I love the white woodgrain cardstock because it adds some subtle texture to the design.

    Next, I used some really pretty blues from the Ocean Blue cardstock collection to cut the flower layers multiple times and colors from the Lush Green collection to cut the leaf bases out. For some reason I was compelled to cut the top part of the leaves and the flower stamen from white cardstock and ink blend them orange and green — I think I was just in the mood to ink blend!

    Next, I assembled each flower and leaf using the layers I cut out and the instructions that accompanied the die set. Then I arranged them on the card front making sure to leave space for the hot foil thanks that was foiled onto white cardstock. The hot foil is so pretty and the photos just don’t do it justice!

    Once everything was in the a place I felt comfortable with, I folded the ends of the flowers up so they curved a bit. Then I glued the flowers and leaves down using liquid glue. I made sure with the flowers to only glue the center, leaving space for the curved corners to add some dimension to the card.

    I adhered the thanks with some thin pieces of foam tape, and added a few clear dots around the card to be the ‘water droplets’.

    I really like this new Tropical Hibiscus die set, and how easily I could layer the pieces together. Also, whether you are using multiple cardstock colors, or just ink blending white pieces, the results will look beautiful.

    I hope this post has inspired you to go play with your supplies and check out all the wonderful layering dies that Birch Press has to offer.

    Supplies

    57486 Tropical Hibiscus Contour Layers

    bpf515 Thanks Sugar Script Hot Foil Plate and Die Set

    sp1003 Lush Green 6×6 pack

    sp1005 Ocean Blue 6×6 pack

    sh44001 White Woodgrain Paper

  • Bright Berries | By Seeka

    Bright Berries | By Seeka

    Hello and welcome! Seeka here and today I’m sharing a fresh bunch of golden berries on this clean and simple card. For this card, I combined berries from the Eucalyptus Stem and Berries die set with leaves from the Fuddled Leaf Branches die set.

    To start, I cut two sets of the large Fuddled Leaf branches as well as two sets of the berry stems from green cardstock. Then I cut two sets of berries from a deep yellow cardstock (check the Lush Green and Sunny Orange 6×6 cardstock packs for great color options). I glued the berries to their stems and then set the die cut pieces aside.

    Next, I cut the hello sentiment (from the Hello Topper die set) once from the same yellow cardstock as I used for the berries, and twice from heavy white cardstock. I stacked and glued the three pieces together, with the yellow piece on top, and then I glued the sentiment to the shadow layer which I cut from white cardstock.

    Next, I used the Pinpoint Radial Plate to cut a piece of white cardstock. I used a rounded rectangle die on both this panel as well as the hello sentiment and then used foam tape to adhere them together.

    To assemble the rest of the card, I tucked the foliage and berries behind the sentiment and selectively added glue to hold them to the background at just a few spots, letting some of the leaves and berries lift away from the background panel. I finished by using foam tape to adhere the card front to a 4.25″ x 5.5″ card base.

    Thank you so much for visiting!

    Supplies

     

     

    57500 Fuddled Leaf Branches Contour Layers

     

     

    57496 Eucalyptus Stem and Berries Contour Layers

     

     

    57313 Hello Topper

     

     

    57384 Pinpoint Radial Plate

     

     

    57490 Simple Butterfly Contour Layers

     

     

    SP1002 Sunny Orange 6×6 pack

     

     

    SP1003 Lush Green 6×6 pack

     

  • Arista Layers | By Seeka

    Arista Layers | By Seeka

    Hello and welcome! Seeka here and today I have a card featuring the Arista Layers die set. I consistently come back to this set, it’s one of my favorites from Birch Press Design!

    I started off by selecting four shades of teal cardstock (the colors in the Fresh Aqua 6×6 cardstock pad are a good option). I cut each of the three Arista layers from the three lightest shades of teal and then cut a solid circle from the darkest shade of teal. I layered and glued the three die cut pieces together and then glued the solid circle to the bottom.

    Next, I created the sentiment by cutting the detail layer of the Handwritten Hello and Outline die set from mirror cardstock (check out the Vintage Pastel Mirror 6×6 cardstock pad for good options). Then, I adhered it to the shadow layer which I cut from vellum. I glued the two layers together and then glued the sentiment to the Arista medallion.

    For the background, I dropped a few drops of several shades of teal acrylic paint onto a craft mat. I spritzed the paint with clean water and then dragged several 4.25″ x 5.5″ panels of white cardstock through the paint. By the third panel, only a few drops of paint remained on the craft mat and instead of dragging the panel through the paint, I used it to blot up the drops which created this splattered look. I used this panel for the card, saving the other two for future projects.

    To assemble the card, I trimmed a quarter inch off each end of the background and then used foam tape to adhere it to a cardbase. Last, I adhered the medallion and sentiment.

    Thank you so much for visiting!


    Supplies


  • Add New Life to Your Stamps! | By Desiree Kuemmerle

    Add New Life to Your Stamps! | By Desiree Kuemmerle

    Hello Everyone and Welcome Back!

    Today I am going to show everyone how you can add new life and create a new look to your stamp sets!  Simply we can add new lines and details easily…

    I will be using the Crystal Lingo Stamp Set…  This is a great geometric design and is the perfect size for a slimline card!

    Let’s start by stamping our image onto some watercolor paper.  I chose water color paper as I will be using watercolor paints to fill in my sections.  You can use ANY coloring medium you have in your stash!

    I grabbed an archival black ink pen and added curved  and rounded lines to each intersection of the stamp…  Take your time with this and enjoy this process!  It can be very meditative and relaxing…

    After these areas are dry I added watercolor into each of the sections, no rhyme or reason, just have fun adding the color to your image!

    Once it was dry I matted my panel onto a black card stock mat and a sentiment in the bottom right hand corner!

    Hope you enjoyed today’s project!

    Make sure you stay tuned for more wonderful projects coming soon!


    Supplies


    CL8155 Crystal Lingo clear stamp set
  • Summer Roseby Jeanne Jachna

    Summer Rose
    by Jeanne Jachna

    I hope your summer is off to a good start! I’m loving all the color I see everywhere as bold blooms capture all my attention!

    Living in the Midwest, Summer is usually decked out in shades of red, white and blue – American Flags line Main Street, and are the inspiration for the color scheme of this card. I started with the Winsome Rose in shades of red.

    I cut the leaves from shades of blue and tucked in some Eucalyptus berries. To fill out the background some Tiny Tuft Flowers in red. The foliage is adhered flat to the card base and all the florals are lifted with adhesive foam tape.

    I didn’t want the background to compete with the florals so I added Tumbled Glass Distress Ink to a Pinpoint Radial Plate. I splattered it with water, and some watered down Salty Ocean and Blueprint Sketch.

    A simple Handwritten Hello sentiment cut from gold keeps the focus on the florals.
    I hope this inspires you to experiment with your color schemes. I wasn’t sure how well the blue foliage would work, but I’m really delighted with the unexpected color.

    Finished Size 4.25 x 5.5″

    Supplies

     

     

    57501 Tiny Tuft Flowers and Leaves Contour Layers

     

     

    57497 Winsome Rose and Leaves Contour Layers

     

     

    57333 Handwritten Hello and Outline

     

     

    57384 Pinpoint Radial Plate

     

     

    57496 Eucalyptus Stem and Berries Contour Layers

     

     

    GEM102 Winter Fantasy Fairy Gemstones

     

     

    SP1001 Berry Red 6×6 pack

     

     

    SP1005 Ocean Blue 6×6 pack

     

     

    FP1001 Polished Foil Pad pack

     

  • Simple Floral Wreath | by Toni M Maddox

    Simple Floral Wreath | by Toni M Maddox

    Hello, Birch Press fans! Toni here with you today sharing a card that I would call any occasion. Honestly this is among my favorite type of card to make as I can use it for about anything: sympathy, friendship, encouragement, you name it.

    I started the card by using the Epiphany Plate Layer A with a rubber mat to emboss/impress the card front. The texture is amazing but really hard to capture in a photo.

    Next I cut out the Mandala Card Frame, using the circle as a wreath. I sponged it lightly with Distress Oxide Vintage Photo for a tiny bit of contrast against that white base. Notice now the circle fits perfectly in the Epiphany Plate center?!

    To decorate the wreath, I watercolored the Star Flowers Contour Layers blossoms with Zigs and adhered them along with a few Tiny Tuft Flowers and Leaves Contour Layers cut from Memory Box Lush Green 6×6 cardstock.

    I nestled the Big Hugs Sugar Script diecut amongst the foliage. So pretty!

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

    Supplies

    Big Hugs Sugar Script

    Mandala Card Frame

    57250 Epiphany Plate Layer A

    56098 Epiphany Plate Layer Set

    57501 Tiny Tuft Flowers and Leaves Contour Layers

    57505 Star Flowers Contour Layers

    SP1003 Lush Green 6×6 pack