Author: birch press

  • Elegant Clip | by Jennifer Svare

    Elegant Clip | by Jennifer Svare

    Hello! Today I’m sharing how I made a magnetized clip or book mark using the gorgeous Frilly Triangle Layer Set.

    I started off with a 3-1/8″ x 3-1/8″ square piece of kraft card stock, and scored it down the middle. The extra 1/8″ accounts for the 1/8″ score line.

    I then used the die set to cut each layer. The middle layer and solid base layer (cut from outlining the triangle) was made using distress oxide inks.

    I then adhered the assembled triangle to one of the kraft base halves. Next, I put the magnets on the other side, leaving enough room to comfortably glue the magnets in, so they were not placed directly at the top. It’s easy to line up the magnets by placing them back-to-back before adhering. This way, the magnets are stuck together and so placement is perfect alignment.

    The next step was to place a blank piece of kraft triangle over the backing to hide the magnet. I cut a 3″ x 3″ piece of kraft card stock and cut it down the middle. I didn’t need the extra eighth of an inch here because I didn’t need to fold anything.

    I then flipped the clip over to reveal the inside. The magnet showing in the photo below is on the backside of the decorated piece. The magnets I have are very thin, which is what I wanted for a bookmark-type clip. Because of this, the strength of the magnet would not work through all the layers. The magnet will be shown from the inside when opened up so I was careful to only glue the center to adhere it. Once I glued it, I closed the clip to let it all dry in place. The second magnet is hidden in the plain kraft layer and both magnets are stuck to each other through the sheet of paper in the photo below.

    I made sure to let the glue dry completely before opening the clip. This is such an easy, beautiful gift that would be great for Father’s Day! Have a wonderful day and thank you for stopping by the blog today!


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  • 6 card ideas for Epiphany Layered Dies set | by Ardyth Percy-Robb

    6 card ideas for Epiphany Layered Dies set | by Ardyth Percy-Robb

    Let’s face it. Big layered die sets like Epiphany are an investment in your craft room. And when you make an investment, you want to be sure to get value, right?

    Each plate is really 3 in 1 – you get a circle, a ‘wreath’ and the rectangle outline. Multiply that by 3 plates and that’s like getting 9 dies. You can mix and match, stack or use single layers.

    Start adding in different colours and specialty cardstocks like glitter or mirror and the possibilities are really endless.

    Sometimes, you don’t have to have the die cuts on your card at all! I used die cuts as stencils to create a layered look on a flat piece of cardstock. Check out that ‘dimension’!

    And by inkblending over the die cuts, I ended up with more pieces to use on cards:

    Using black instead of white gives an intense, dramatic contrast!

    For a completely different look I used the top layer of the smallest piece to create the look of stained glass.

    Here’s a video showing how I used Epiphany to make 6 different cards.

    I hope you’re inspired to try some of these, or find other looks of your own!

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  • Dimension and Texture – String Art Frame Die! | By Desiree Kuemmerle

    Dimension and Texture – String Art Frame Die! | By Desiree Kuemmerle

    Hello Everyone and Welcome Back!

    For today’s project, I used the String Art Frame Die to add dimension and texture to our card’s backgrounds!

    As before we start out by getting our die cuts ready and cutting our pattern paper down to the size of our card front which is 4 ¼ in x 5 ½ in!

    We will then trace a line from the center of the die cut to our pattern paper and use a slightly larger circle die to cut out our shape from our pattern paper.

    Let the gluing begin, using our liquid adhesive we will attached out die cut front to our pattern paper. By the way we cut our circle shapes from our paper we will create different focal areas for our sentiments!

    Our sentiment is stamped on the center cut out from our die plate and then placed onto our circle cut out from the pattern paper earlier!

    As always, I hope you enjoyed today’s project… and if you want to see more details just click on the video below and see how these projects come together step by step!

    Make sure you stay tuned for more wonderful projects coming soon! Have a great day and always remember… Be Creative!


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  • Masculine Encouragement Card

    Masculine Encouragement Card

    Hello everyone. Creative Team Member Amanda with you today sharing a fun card that’s got a bit of a masculine feel. Those cards can be very difficult to create so I am excited to share this with you.

    I started with an A2 size panel and my bold stripes stencil. I used peacock feathers distress oxide ink and a blending brush and spritzed it with water.

    After not falling in love with the stripes for this design, I turned my stencil and tried adding scattered straw distress ink of a plaid look. Not a good combo…so I added stormy sky over the top of the scattered straw and loved the look it gave. (Lesson here…if you don’t like something at first, keep trying and definitely walk away for a while before you trash it. This has saved me many a time!)

    Next, I put it in my splatter box and flicked some watered down black acrylic paint all over it.

    Next, I pulled out the hello topper set and die cut it from black and the words from a gray-ish blue that matches the inks I blended with. I did not like how dark the bottom of the card was so I tried switching it out for white.

    Ahhh, much better. Next, I die cut 3 more hellos and glued them all together. I pushed them into my embossing ink pad, covered the whole word with clear embossing powder and heated it up. I added 3 layers of that for a rounded glossy look and glued the words in place.

    Last, I stamped a small sentiment from the lovely butterflies stamp set below the hello die cuts.

    I think this card has great texture and awesome colors. It would be great for anyone and you could easily change the whole look with different colors of ink.

    I hope you found some inspiration to try create something wonderful. I appreciate you sharing your time with me. Have a fabulous day.

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  • Birch Press Designs Stitched Dahlia Heart Cards | By Leigh Houston

    Birch Press Designs Stitched Dahlia Heart Cards | By Leigh Houston

    Hello, crafty friends! I am so happy to be here today sharing two stitched cards I created with Birch Press Designs’s Dahlia Heart die. I had so much fun making these cards!

    I created these cards using Dahlia Heart Layer A. I started my first card by die cutting the heart with a scrap piece of cardstock. I then used this scrap piece as a stencil, coloring in the segments with alcohol markers. I then cut a fresh piece of the heart shape with clean cardstock and affixed it over the colored base with strong liquid adhesive. After the glue dried, it was time to stitch! I poked holes along the inner edges of each segment then used a simple backstitch in coordinating thread.

    After the stitching was complete, I trimmed around the perimeter of the heart. I affixed it to a cardstock base I made with Birch Press’s Amour Layer A die. I die cut my sentiment from gold foil cardstock using Birch Press’s Hugs Sugar Script die.

    My second card takes the stitching to another level. I started my card in the exact same way as the first, coloring in the segments using the stencil then affixing a clean heart over top. I then filled in the flower segments using a brick stitch. This stitch is another simple backstitch in rows, with each row staggered. This was the perfect project for a night of watching bad TV! LOL To finish this card, I embossed a white cardstock base using Birch Press’s Ring Tile Stencil and added a stitched coral cardstock strip behind the heart. The gold Sugar Script Smile sentiment finished the card off perfectly!

    I hope you enjoyed these projects as much as I loved making them! Links to the products I used are below. I’ll see you soon with more card projects!


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  • Using Thick Embossing  Plates | by Tracey McNeely

    Using Thick Embossing Plates | by Tracey McNeely

    Hi there, it’s Tracey back this week with another post using fabulous Birch Press Design along with the fun 3D Embossing Folders from Memory Box Open Source.

    I started off by embossing a piece of Bristol Smooth cardstock using the Memory Box Open Source Crysanthemum Fields Embossing Folder. I have never used these thick embossing folders before and I was a big perplexed as to what sandwich to use in my Gemini Jr. die cutting machine. Through a bit of Internet research and a bit of trial and error I found a sandwich that worked in both my Gemini Jr. and my Big Shot! These amazing 3D Embossing Folders work with the same sandwich! Today I used the panel embossed with the Gemini Jr. die cutting machine using this sandwich:
    1. Bottom plate
    2. Magnetic sheet
    3. Embossing folder with paper inside (no top plate!)

    I ran it through the machine and got a gorgeous embossed/debossed impression.

    I chose to use the embossed side of the panel and used blending brushes to lightly add colour over the raised images. I set the panel aside while I worked on the other elements for my card. Using another piece of Bristol Smooth cardstock and I ink blended the Distress Oxide inks a little more heavily to create a solid panel to co-ordinate for the bottom of my card. I flicked some white gold pigment watercolor onto the bottom panel.

    I trimmed the embossed panel down to 5 1/4″ x 4″ and then adhered it to a white card base using tape runner. Once the other ink blended panel was dry I used the Hello Topper die to cut across the top. Then I cut the word die ‘hello’ from white cardstock and added in into place with liquid glue.

    The sentiment ‘crafty friend’ from the Just Because stamp set was white embossed direct to the panel underneath the word hello. The whole ink blended panel was trimmed down to 1 1/2″ high, not including the bump up for the word hello. I was added to the bottom of the card with with foam tape for dimension.

    Thank you so much for stopping in today to craft along with me. I hope you are staying well and that I have inspired you to make something beautiful today.

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  • A Rainbow of Mandalas | by Crystal Komara

    A Rainbow of Mandalas | by Crystal Komara

    Hello crafty readers! This is Crystal here with you and today’s post is all about coloring the beautiful Thankful Mandala stamp set. If you love to color, then these cards will be perfect for you to try. And, well, if you don’t love to color so much then you can simply admire the beauty of someone else’s coloring!

    I will be the first to admit that I have a love/hate relationship with coloring. There are times when I find it peaceful and soothing, yet there are also days when I find it can be simply dreadful! So, listen to how YOU feel. If you feel like coloring today, then go for it! If you’d rather sit back and eat a hot fudge sundae, you certainly won’t find me judging you! : )

    For this yellow mandala I used Copic marker numbers V17, R27, Y02 and YR68.

    For the green mandala I used Copic markers numbers YG06, G21, G05 and BG13.

    For the purple mandala I used Copic markers number RV19, RV55, RV66, V9 and BV02.

    Each of these cards begins the same way. I stamped the large Thankful Mandala on a 5 1/2″ x 3 1/4″ piece of Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock in Memento Tuxedo black ink. Then I selected 3-4 colors of Copic markers in complimentary hues and color away. There is no rhyme or reason to my madness! In all honesty, each mandala took me about half an hour to color and then I adhered various colored rhinestones for added sparkle.

    I found a complimentary colored cardstock base for each color and added two strips of die cut glitter paper down each side of the mandala.

    For the blue mandala I used Copic marker numbers B02, B24, B52 and B12.

    I hope you have enjoyed these cards and will maybe try coloring some too! Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day.

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  • Triple Hello | By Seeka

    Triple Hello | By Seeka

    Hi there, Seeka here and today I’m sharing a card that combines an ink-blended background with a stenciled overlay.

    I started with a 4.25″ x 5.5″ piece of Strathmore Bristol Smooth cardstock. Using Post-It tape, I masked off the borders and then used foam blending tools to blend Mustard Seed, Carved Pumpkin, and Abandoned Coral Distress Inks over the exposed area.

    I let the panel dry for a few minutes and then removed the Post-It tape and replaced it with fresh tape. Next, I placed the Midnight Mandala stencil over the panel and used washi tape to hold it in place. Using a clean foam blending tool and tamping motion, I applied Hero Arts Unicorn white pigment ink over the stencil and onto the background. To keep my white ink pad pristine, I smooshed some ink onto my glass work surface and then picked it up from there with the blending tool.

    I removed the stencil and the Post-it tape and set the panel aside to dry.

    Next I used the Big Hello Sugar Script die set to die cut “hello” six times from white cardstock. I stacked two and adhered two layers together to end up with three sentiments. I adhered each to the shadow layer of the sentiment which I cut from vellum.

    To assemble the card, I adhered the three hellos to the background with foam tape, and then adhered the card front to a card base.

    Thank you so much for visiting!


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  • Making Small Gifts Special | by Jennifer Svare

    Making Small Gifts Special | by Jennifer Svare

    This card has been created to hold a small gift. It’s a great way to present “a little something” extra inside a card such as a tea with a packet of honey, or a package of seeds, necklace, small pen, or notepad – anything that is about 1/4″ thick.

    Today I’m going to show how each section of the gorgeous Enchantment Plate can be used to carry the design all the way from the outer sleeve to the inside of the card as it is opened by the recipient. Be sure to check out the video below to see this card in action. I’ve also prepared a written/photo tutorial below for those who prefer to read instructions.

    I used silver for the background, watercolor wash for the middle layer, and white for the top layer. The Enchantment Plate design looks good in any orientation.

    The main exterior of this card is actually a sleeve that holds an inner card. The design’s sections have been distributed between the outer sleeve, the inner notecard, and the inside of the notecard.

    Here is a photo of what the sleeve looks like with no notecard inside. I love the patterned paper background made from Memory Box Springtime Bouquet – so pretty!

    Here’s a link to a step-by-step video of how I made this card. For a photo and written tutorial, please scroll below the video. If you don’t see the video below, it can be viewed by clicking here. All products used are also linked below. Have a great day!

    TUTORIAL:
    First off, each plate from this set die cuts 3 “sections.” This offers enormous possibilities with mixing colors.

    Base layer is Silver, Middle Layer is Watercolored, Top Layer is White

    As we go along, I’ll refer to each of these sections as outlined in the below photo: Section 1, Section 2, and Section 3.

    When looking at this card straight-on, the entire design is visible.

    When the recipient pulls it out of the sleeve, Sections 2 and 3 are attached to the notecard. When the notecard is opened, only the small section 3 shows, and still gives a nice design when the card is opened.

    See the wonderful depth this creates between the card sleeve, the card, and the inside of the card when something bulky is inside?

    The sleeve and notecard are cut from two pieces of white card stock. The first measures 9-3/8″ x 6-1/8″. The second is a standard-sized A2 card base, which measures 8-1/2″ x 5-1/2″ (scored down the middle for a normal side-folding notecard).

    As shown in the photo below, I needed a quick wash of color for the middle layer. I used the new watercolor paper (available here at Birch Press Design) which is a beautiful, thick, 140-lb. paper. It holds all the water needed to create beautifully blended backgrounds. I wasn’t too particular, and this took no time at all.

    While the watercolor background dried, it was time to score the outer sleeve that will hold the notecard. Using the larger piece, I scored 1/4″ all the way around.

    Once it was scored all the way around, with the longer edge against the top of the scoreboard, I needed to score right in between two of the grooves of my scoreboard, which isn’t possible. To get around this, I made a tick-mark at the non-scorable section between 4-1/2″ and 4-5/8″ as shown in the below photo:

    Then I bumped the mark over to the next groove on the right so I could score it there. I then scored two spaces over (1/4″).

    Once all the scoring was done, I laid the piece out so one of the short edges (6-1/8″ side) was on top. To make the space for the design of Section 2 to show through, I made a template from a spare Section 1 and placed it where it will be on the card. Once placed, I traced where the half-circle needed to be. (I used a circle die that happened to fit perfectly from a nested circle set in my stash. This could also be done by hand with scissors.) Notice below that the top of the template only goes to the scored line; not to the top of the card. The very top will be folded under for extra reinforcement, so that’s not going to count.

    Time to do the same thing with the notecard. Since the notecard will open up to the smallest section of the Enchantment Plate, I included the base plus Section 2 of the plate. This served as my template to mark where the smaller half circle needed to be cut.

    That was all that was needed for the notecard – easy! Now, getting back to the larger outer shell, I creased all folds and cut the flaps as shown below:

    I then glued each flap of the outer sleeve to form a very skinny box. Notice how the flaps fold from the top toward the back so there are no glued edges showing?

    As can be seen in the photo above, the top flap is glued to the base on the inside for extra strength of the top rim. Left alone, it is a visible seam when the card is removed from the sleeve. To hide this and also provide a pretty backing, I chose a piece of patterned paper from the Memory Box Springtime Bouquet 6 x 6 pad, cut it to just a hair under 4-1/4″ x 5-1/2″ and glued that down.

    After gluing each of the layers together, I adhered them to where they needed to be on the sleeve, outside of the notecard, and inside of the notecard. This would be a great project to make several of to have on hand for those quick “need a little something to give” cards.

    I hope you enjoy this project! It is a very simple way to give a wonderful gift. It’s fast, and it’s fun!


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  • Ombre Stripes | by Kimberly Wiener

    Ombre Stripes | by Kimberly Wiener

    Hello Birch Press fans. Sometimes I really want to experiment with backgrounds and really get inky. Today I am using the Bold Stripes Stencil to make a colorful background.

    I have chosen some lovely blue shades and brush blended atop Open Studio watercolor paper.

    I am highlighting the super gorgeous Memory Box Birthday Rose Corner Clear Stamp and Die Set.

    Using watercolor brush pens I colored and then die cut the stunning rose and foliage image.

    I added sentiments from the You are Awesome clear stamp set and the Best Friend clear stamp set.

    I hope that you do some experimenting as well and share with us on social media. I can’t wait to see what you create!


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