Welcome to another inspiration post at Birch Press Design. Today I am so excited to be making a card with you using some products from the brand new Holiday Release! If you are anything like me you are hanging on to summer with both hands and you may not be quite ready to get going on projects for the holidays just yet. So I am creating a clean and simple card with some fresh summer colours that could be sent to a close friend, as a thank you or even to a work acquaintance.
To begin I die cut the brand new Triangle Fade Frame craft die from lightweight cardstock, this will become my stencil. Tape the die cut over white 5 1/4″ x 4″ cardstock panel, for this I used Bristol Smooth cardstock because I would be using Distress Oxide Ink to sponge over it. You can use regular cardstock because these inks do blend so smoothly. I sponged lightly in small circular motions not inking the entire panel but actually leaving some areas white.
The next step was to die cut the new Big Friends Sugar Script dies in two colours–one for the word and one for the cloud.
Once cut word die and the dot on the ‘i’ were glued together. The “you are the best” sentiment from the Hooray for Everything clear stamp set was stamped on the bottom of the stenciled panel and the panel was adhered to a 5 1/2″ x 4 1/4″ solid colour card base. The friend die cut was finally added to the card front just above the stamped sentiment with foam tape for some added dimension and interest.
Monochromatic is to use tones and tints of one colour hue. In terms of graphic design a monochromatic colour scheme will instinctively create a sense of simplicity and harmony.
Clean, simple and easy to put together.
I hope that you try creating your own stencils from your existing cover plate dies. It’s a great way to stretch your stash into something completely different.
Supplies
I hope you’re having a great day! I’m enjoying the sunshine because I know fall is just around the corner. When I create I’m inspired by the things I see. I’ve been enjoying watching the butterflies float through the yard visiting all the bright colored flowers in my garden. If you love butterflies too there’s lots to choose from in the store! You can find butterfly stamps, die cuts, and even embossed paper 
I love all the bold color peeking through the die cut holes!
Do you love animals? For most of my life I’ve been surrounded by different pets. I’ve had dogs and cats and lots of more interesting things my children have brought home for some TLC… baby bunnies and birds, toads and turtles. My card today features the Purrfect Cats die cut.
I love the intricate layered dies from Birch Press Design but I confess that I am always hesitant to cover them up. The backgrounds are so beautiful I always think they should take center stage. Sometimes I worry that if I add die cuts and embellishments that my card will look too busy or cluttered.
I started my card with a distress ink background in Squeezed Lemonade, Mustard Seed, Dried Marigold, Worn Lipstick and Wilted Violet. The panel was splattered with water and white ink before I topped it with a Sevilla Layer A die cut. The Purrfect Cats die cut works well with the busy background because it is a large solid die cut in contrast with the detailed colorful background.
I triple cut the cat and glued the die cuts together to make one thick die cut. I embellished the cat with some rhinestones, a twine bow and a bitty die cut tag. The background is embellished with gold sequins from the Not So Heavy Metal tin from the store.
The sentiment is from the Love and Miss You stamp set. The coordinating die set cuts the large word sentiments from the stamp set.
