Birch Press Design

Category: Amanda Wilcox

  • Fall is in the Air | By Amanda Wilcox

    Fall is in the Air | By Amanda Wilcox

    Hello crafty friends! It’s Amanda from Twiddler’s Nook popping in with a festively, fun fall-themed card for you today. We got a little taste of fall at home this week and I’m so ready for pumpkins and leaves changing and all the things!

    I knew that I was using the awesome Autumn Breeze layering set so I started looking at what I wanted my layers to be. Since the bottom layer shows mostly leaves I did some ink smooshing on watercolor paper with a green tombow marker and lots of layering.

    Remember, if you heat your paper in bewteen layers, you will get those cool imperfections and lines. If it’s still wet, it just flows together smoothly. Both can be beautiful, it’s all about what you are trying to achieve.

    Then for my middle layer, I chose a plaid paper from the Memory Box Madras Plaid paper pad. I love the gold foil lines in this plaid paper. It’s just gorgeous!

    Next, I die cut the top layer from kraft cardstock and used a blending brush with brown dye ink to ink up all the pumpkin openings. It just gives it some depth and interest. I really love the effect it had on the whole card.

    Last, I pulled out the Pumpkin Lacework stamp set and stamped a sentiment on the same kraft cardstock with brown ink. Now it’s time to assemble everything!

    Sometime the watercolor paper can ripple so I heated up my laminator and ran it through a few times. This always helps flatten it out and makes it easier to adhere to other elements.

    I used liquid glue to adhere the layers together and to a white card base. Then I plopped a few acrylic blocks on top and left it to dry for a bit.

    Once they were dry, I added foam squares to the back of my sentiment and popped it in place on the lower right side. I really love these pumpkins so I chose a space that would cover up the least of those.

    I hope you enjoyed today’s card and found some inspiration to create something wonderful!

    I appreciate you sharing your time with me. Have a fabulous day!

    Supplies

    WP101 Watercolor Paper

    56130 Autumn Breeze Plate Layer Set

    8153 Pumpkin Lacework clear stamp and die set

    PP1013 Madras Plaid Coral and Green 6×6 pack

  • Sending Rainbow Wishes | By Amanda Wilcox

    Sending Rainbow Wishes | By Amanda Wilcox

    Happy Saturday everyone! It’s Amanda from Twiddler’s Nook popping in today. I hope your day is starting off splendidly! I have been itching to watercolor this gorgeous rainbow image since it released and I finally made it happen.

    To create my card today, I started by pulling my stamps out and playing around with images and sentiments. I found that the rainbow and clouds from Rainbow Days Lingo Notes worked fabulous with the extra large sentiments in the Happy Lingo set!

    I stamped and heat embossed the images on Bristol smooth cardstock with clear embossing powder. Then I watercolored them with Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers and a water brush pen.

    I used the coordinating dies to cut the images out and moved on to my background. For that I blended distress oxide ink in tumbled glass and mermaid lagoon on a white panel. I spritzed it with water and flicked some pearl watercolor on it.

    When I ink blend I tend to use a larger panel so I can choose how to cut it down. After everything was dry, I trimmed it down to A2 size and adhered it to a white card base.

    I added foam squares to the back of my rainbow and some clouds and adhered them to the background. Then I added the HUGS sentiment the same way. I adhered the clouds in the background with liquid glue next.

    At that point I thought there was something missing so I took a look at the sentiments in the Rainbow Days Lingo Notes and was so excited to see “sending rainbow wishes!” I stamped and heat embossed it on a strip of black cardstock and adhered it with a foam strip.

    I love adding general purpose cards to my stash and this one will be amazing for a huge variety of occasions, or just because, which is my very favorite to send!

    I appreciate you sharing your time with me. Have a fabulous day!

    Supplies

    8159 Rainbow Days Lingo Notes clear stamp and die set

    8156 Happy Lingo clear stamp and die set

  • The Best Things In Life | By Amanda Wilcox

    The Best Things In Life | By Amanda Wilcox

    Welcome everyone! It’s Amanda from Twiddler’s Nook stopping by today with this beautiful Arista Layering card featuring some simple ink blending to get a custom look.

    To start my card, I die cut all three layers from the Arista layering set from white cardstock. Then I chose 3 dye inks and the coordinating blending brushes to ink them up with.

    Next, I took a white panel measuring 4×5.25 inches and inked it up with different colors at an angle, from one corner fading out. Then I smooshed the ink pad on my glass mat, spritzed it with water and used a paintbrush to flick color across the panel. That wasn’t giving the amount of impact I wanted so I came back in with gold watercolor and boy am I glad I did! The shimmer and texture this gives is fabulous!

    I chose a sentiment from the Sentimental Wreath stamp set and stamped it in the lower right corner of my inked panel.

    Then I used liquid glue to adhere the Arista layers together and then onto my panel. I covered it with a clear block for a few minutes while it dried and then trimmed of anything hanging over the edge.

    I added foam tape to the back of the panel and placed it on a white card base. Then I finished the card off with one green gem from the fairy jewels pack.

    The Arista layering dies might be one of my very favorite sets! It’s just beautiful and I haven’t seen it used in a way that didn’t look amazing!

    I hope you found some inspiration today to create something wonderful and share it with someone.

    Thank you for sharing your time with me. Have a fabulous day!

    Supplies

    JWL003 Bright Jewels

    57418 Arista Layer Set

    CL8157 Classic Sentimental Wreath stamp set

  • You Are Something Special | By Amanda Wilcox

    You Are Something Special | By Amanda Wilcox

    Welcome everyone! This is Amanda from Twiddler’s Nook today with a fun little technique to try with your heat embossed images. I paired it with some layering die cuts and the beautiful Pinpoint Radial background die too!

    Let’s jump in and get started. First, I chose the roundabout layering dies and a color palette from the Memory Box ombre paper pads. I absolutely love these for layering dies. I decided to go with a glitter cardstock for the middle layer on both cards so that’s where the second pad comes in.

    After I die cut all of my layers. I chose background colors from two other Memory Box ombre paper pads as well. I die cut each one from the Pinpoint Radial Plate.

    I used liquid glue to adhere all of my layers and then adhered the roundabout ring to the die cut panels. The pinpoint circles made it really easy to line up too.

    I had kept the center circles from die cutting the roundabout layers just in case and decided to stamp a sentiment from the Brush Sentiments stamp set for each card on them.

    Next, I pulled out the Lovely Butterflies stamp and die set and heat embossed two butterflies in white on vellum. Then I used the coordinating dies to cut them out. I pulled out a couple of copic markers and colored on the back of the vellum. Nothing fancy, this just gives the wings a little tint like stained glass.

    I repeated the exact same thing twice so that I had butterflies for both of my cards. Then I moved on to assembling the rest of the pieces.

    With the roundabout rings already ahered to the pinpoint background, I added foam squares to the sentiment circles and popped them up in the center. Then I added a dab of glue to the body area of the butterflies and held them in place with tweezers for a minute while the glue dried.

    Once those were all dry, I added a scattering of yellow and orange fairy jewels to both designs. I just love the beautiful rainbow of colors that these come in and they give just the perfect something to finish off your design.

    I appreciate you sharing your time with me. Have a fabulous day!

    Supplies

    56124 Roundabout Layer Set

    57384 Pinpoint Radial Plate

    CL8158 Brush Sentiments clear stamp set

    8150 Lovely Butterflies clear stamp and die set

    SP1002 Sunny Orange 6×6 pack

    SP1005 Ocean Blue 6×6 pack

    SP1004 Fresh Aqua 6×6 pack

    GP1002 Graceful Garden Glitter Pad

    JWL003 Bright Jewels

  • Friend, I Miss You | By Amanda Wilcox

    Friend, I Miss You | By Amanda Wilcox

    Happy weekend everyone! It’s Amanda from Twiddler’s Nook with a simple missing you card that I made for a friend that I haven’t seen since before the pandemic. I hope you like it!

    I started today’s card by choosing cardstock and cutting the layers for the Mini Grandiose Bevel layers.

    Then I took the mid-tone cardstock color and trimmed it down to A2 size. I stamped and heat embossed a sentiment from the Brushed Sentiments stamp set in black.

    Next, I die cut the Big Friend Sugar Script word from black cardstock 3 times and the shadow from white cardstock once. I used liquid glue to adhere all the layers together and put an acrylic block on top while it dried.

    I took the heat embossed panel and actually decided to trim it down to strips and adhere them to a white card base with the Mini Grandiose Bevel layers.

    I trimmed the heat embossed sentiment into a 1 1/4 inch strip and then also cut another strip of that teal to 2 3/4 inches. I used liquid glue to adhere these to a white card base and then adhere the layered strip in the opening.

    Next, I added foam squares to the back of the friend die cut with the exception of the bottom of the “f” because it overlaps the layers and doesn’t need the extra lift to lay flat. I removed the release paper and placed it above the layered strip.

    To finish things off I added the smallest size of fairy drops to the center points of the layered strip and then a scattering of various sizes across the design for a little extra interest.

    I hope you enjoyed today’s project and found inspiration to create something wonderful and share it with someone!

    I appreciate you sharing your time with me. Have a fabulous day!

    Supplies

    56101 Mini Grandiose Bevel Plate Layer Set

    57177 Big Friend Sugar Script

    DRP101 Fairy Drops

    CL8158 Brush Sentiments clear stamp set

    SP1004 Fresh Aqua 6×6 pack

    GP1001 Delicate Pastel Glitter Pad

  • Sending Thanks | By Amanda Wilcox

    Sending Thanks | By Amanda Wilcox

    Welcome everyone! It’s Amanda from Twiddler’s Nook today with another variation on the fabulous butterflies that recently released. Today I’m pairing them with a beautiful 3D embossing folder and some ink blending for depth.

    I chose some of the basic things I wanted to create with straight away and started die cutting and embossing.

    I die cut the solid butterfly image from vellum and a body from white cardstock. These dies are both in the butterfly basics set.

    Next, I embossed an oversized white cardstock panel with the Blooming 3D embossing folder and set it aside.

    Next, I inked up a small panel with distress oxide inks in abandoned coral and dried marigold. Then I flicked watered down ink from both colors on the panel for a little texture.

    I die cut the inked panel with the eloquent butterfly layer A and used a dab of liquid glue to adhere the 3 layers together – vellum, inked and body.

    For my sentiment I die cut the handwritten thanks from white 4 times, glitter once and the shadow from vellum. Then I used liquid glue to adhere all the layers together.

    To assemble my card, I trimmed the embossed panel to 4×5.25 inches and popped it up with foam tape on a white card base. Then I used a dab of glue to adhere the center of the butterfly. This way the wings still move and can be “fluffed” once it’s out of the envelope.

    I used liquid to to adhere the sentiment as well and finished things off with some fairy jewels in coordinating colors to my ink blending.

    I just love all the texture and detail all of these products have and how well they work together! I can’t wait to send this card off to its recipient! They will love it!

    I appreciate you sharing your time with me. Have a fabulous day!

    Supplies

    JWL002 Pastel Jewels

    57426 Eloquent Butterfly Layer Set

    EF1014 Blooming 3D Embossing Folder

    57403 Butterfly Basics

    GP1001 Delicate Pastel Glitter Pad

    57420 Handwritten Thanks and Outline

  • Striped Frame Card Duo | By Amanda Wilcox

    Striped Frame Card Duo | By Amanda Wilcox

    Welcome everyone! It’s Amanda from Twiddler’s Nook today with a pair of cards. I’m using different products with the same technique in hopes you can try it with something you have at home. It’s really fun and easy to change to fit lots of occasions and themes.

    To start these fun cards, I dug through my stash and chose a couple of layer A plates for different layering die sets. I landed on Arista and Dazzle Mini Frame. They’re both so pretty but different shapes and this technique works great for both!

    Then I went through my cardstock and chose two different color palettes to use. It would be really fun to add different textures in here too with some glitter paper, maybe flocking or textured cardstock too!

    Next, I cut 1/4 inch strips from all of the colors. The palette with 3 colors I cut 5 of each strip and the other I cut 4 strips of each. I used tape runner to adhere the strips to a piece of paper.

    I used my paper trimmer to cut down the rectangle to fit behind the frame and a circle die to cut the other one. Then I cut 4 of each frame from what cardstock and used liquid glue to adhere all the layers together.

    Next, I made 2 white A2 size card bases and also cut 2 additional pieces of white cardstock to 4×5.25 inches each. Then I chose sentiments from Brush Sentiments and Classic/Sentimental Wreath stamp sets.

    For this card, I glued down the frame to the white cardstock panel, stamped and heat embossed a sentiment on a vellum strip and wrapped it around the edges. I added foam tape to the back and popped it on a card base.

    To finish it off, I added some of those awesome fairy jewels for the perfect amount of sparkle!

    For the second card, I adhered the circle frame down and stamped a sentiment on the bottom right portion of the panel. I added foam tape again and popped it on a card base as well.

    Then those fairy jewels were just calling my name so I added them to finish this card off as well.

    I hope you found some inspiration to create something wonderful and share it with someone.

    I appreciate you sharing your time with me. Have a fabulous day!

     

    Supplies

     

     

    57406 Dazzle Mini Frame Layer Set

     

     

    57418 Arista Layer Set

     

     

    CL8158 Brush Sentiments clear stamp set

     

     

    CL8157 Classic Sentimental Wreath stamp set

     

     

    SP1007 Vibrant Violet 6×6 pack

     

     

    SP1003 Lush Green 6×6 pack

     

     

    SP1002 Sunny Orange 6×6 pack

     

     

    SP1005 Ocean Blue 6×6 pack

     

     

    SP1004 Fresh Aqua 6×6 pack

     

     

    JWL001 Clear Jewels

     

  • Fluttery Thanks | By Amanda Wilcox

    Fluttery Thanks | By Amanda Wilcox

    Hello everyone. It’s Amanda from Twiddler’s Nook joining you today with card featuring a few of the newest products in the shop!

    This new butterfly basics die set is absolutely amazing! There are so many possibilities, I feel like I could be making butterflies for ages without duplicating anything! Let’s get started on today’s card.

    From white cardstock I die cut the starburst layers and radial pinpoint plate first.

    Next, I pulled out the butterfly basics and die cut the pieces shown from white cardstock as well. There are two body sizes in the same die for the butterflies so I just put the one I didn’t use back in the envelope for next time.

    Next I grabbed my blending brushes and some dye inks and inked up the solid butterfly die cut.

    I used liquid glue and adhered the starburst layers together along with assembling the butterfly.

    I chose the handwritten thanks die for my sentiment on this card. I cut the shadow once and the word 3 times. I used ink left in my blending brushes and inked up the top layer of the word die so it stands out just a little. Then I used liquid glue to adhere the layers all together.

    For assembly, I used liquid glue to adhere the radial background to a white card base, then the starburst to that. I put one foam square in the middle of the butterfly body and stuck it down a little off center of the starburst.

    Last, I added the thanks sentiment to the bottom right and finished things off with a scattering of fairy drops in all three sizes.

    Be sure to head to the shop and take a look at the new products! There are lots and they are all incredible!

    I appreciate you sharing your time with me. Have a fabulous day!

    Supplies

    57415 Starburst Layer Set

    57384 Pinpoint Radial Plate

    57403 Butterfly Basics

    57420 Handwritten Thanks and Outline

    DRP101 Fairy Drops

  • Birthday Shaker Bundle | By Amanda Wilcox

    Birthday Shaker Bundle | By Amanda Wilcox

    Hi there! It’s Amanda from Twiddler’s Nook back with you today sharing a set of 4 birthday shaker cards.

    All of a sudden I needed multiple birthday cards and I thought this was a fun way to get them all finished and ready to go.

    I started things off by cutting all of my pieces at once. We’ve got 4 card bases, 4 card front panels and 4 white pieces measuring 4×5.25 inches with the string art circle collage die cut from the middle top of each panel.

    Next, I blended distress oxide inks in different color combinations on each of the card front panels. Here is a little collage photo to show you all the combos in case you’d like to try them out too.

    Once they were all finished, I spritzed the panels with water and then flicked some watered down black acrylic paint on them for a little texture.

    To make these into shaker cards, I added an acetate sheet to the back side of the circle string art collage opening of each panel. Then I added doubled-up foam tape to the back too.

    Next, I chose my embellishments and made a little pile in the middle where the opening would be. I removed the release paper and added the string art collage panel to the ink blended panel, sealing the shaker bits inside.

    For each card, I chose an embellishment mix and different colored micro beads to help the pieces move around nicely.

    With all of the shaker mechanisms created and sealed up. I used liquid glue to adhere them all to the card bases and moved on to sentiments. For that I chose the Big Lingo Happy die set. You can see here that it can be used two ways – the outline over the shadow or the inside letters on the shadow. You really could use either piece on its own too. It’s a very versatile die. I chose to cut the letters twice and used both versions with white shadows.

    Then I pulled out the Crystal Lingo stamp set and stamped the “birthday to you” part on white cardstock. I die cut these with the banner die in the Christmas Ornament and Labels set.

    I used liquid glue to adhere the sentiment pieces together and then to the front of the cards.

    And then to finish things off, I glued a scattering of the shaker bits on the front of the card design to tie things in together.

    I really like what this does for the look of the cards. And then, like magic I have 4 birthday cards ready to go!

    I hope you found some inspiration to create something wonderful and share it with someone.

    I appreciate you sharing your time with me. Have a fabulous day!

    Supplies

    57392 String Art Circle Collage

    57226 Big Lingo Type Happy

    8154 Christmas Ornament and Labels clear stamp and die set

    CL8155 Crystal Lingo clear stamp set

  • Hello Tulips | By Amanda Wilcox

    Hello Tulips | By Amanda Wilcox

    Welcome back everyone. It’s Amanda from Twiddler’s Nook today with a fun springy feeling tulip card featuring the field of bloom layering dies.

    I started things off today by getting inky, which is one of my favorites. I pulled out a white cardstock panel and did ink smooshing with my tombow brush pens.

    Once that was dry, I chose a solid purple cardstock that complimented the inked panel, green foil paper for the leaf layer, and another white panel for the top. Then I started die cutting my layers.

    The purple pad I used was a 6×6 which left the perfect strip to cut the hello topper from so it would coordinate with the bottom layer of my card. Then I cut the hello word 3 times from white cardstock and glued everything together with liquid glue.

    I adhered all the field of blooms layers to the purple panel and then added it to a white card base and layered the hello topper last. I trimmed off the excess hanging over the edge and my card is finished.

    The green foil paper really has a cool effect when you move the card in the light. I just love it.

    I also love the modeled texture of the ink smooshing for the flowers. It gives the whole thing so much visual interest.

    I appreciate you sharing your time with me. Have a fabulous day!

    Supplies

    57357 Field of Blooms Plate Layer Set

    57313 Helllo Topper