Category: Crystal Komara

  • Be Merry | by Crystal Komara

    Be Merry | by Crystal Komara

    Hello readers! I can’t believe we are only 11 days away from Christmas! I am proud of myself for getting all 121 of my handmade Christmas cards out (and on time) this year! Although, my friends in Austria and Germany may see their cards around Valentine’s Day. . . I tried. Today I am sharing two cards made using the Frosty Snowflake Layering dies and while the sentiment on these cards says, “be merry,” they could easily be made into winter birthday cards or holiday thank you cards by simply changing out the stamped sentiment.

    Card details:

    *Note – both of these cards were made the same way, I just changed out the color combinations.

    The base of this A2 sized card was made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. Using the Pinpoint Radial Plate die, I cut the background from the same white cardstock. Using Layer A and Layer B of the Frosty Flakes Layering Dies I cut the snowflakes from the 6″ x 6″ Twinkling Jewel Glitter pad. I adhered the snowflakes directly to the background. Using the Contempo Christmas Greetings stamp set and coordinating die, I stamped the sentiment “be merry” in either blue ink or purple ink and then I used the coordinating circle die to cut the sentiment out. I adhered the sentiment to the center of each card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

    Here is the same card made in an alternate color combination:

    I hope you have enjoyed these beautiful cards. Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

    Supplies

    57388 Frosty Flake Layer Set

    57384 Pinpoint Radial Plate

    GP1003 Twinkling Jewel Glitter Pad

    8162 Contempo Christmas Greetings clear stamp and die set

  • Jolly | by Crystal Komara

    Jolly | by Crystal Komara

    Hello Birch Press Design friends! This is DT member Crystal Komara here with you and it’s a mad dash to the finish line to create those holiday cards and get them out in time! Today I’m sharing a fun and festive way to use a simple holiday shadow word die as the focal point of your card.

    Card details:

    The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. I cut a 5″ x 3 3/4″ piece of white cardstock for the first layer and matted that with a 5 1/4″ x 4″ piece of red cardstock. Using Layer B of the Frosty Flake Layering Set, I cut four snowflakes from white cardstock. I adhered these four snowflakes onto the white cardstock to create my background. It’s a very subtle look to allow the colorful words to POP! I die cut the word “Jolly” three times using the Jolly Honey Script Word Die. I die cut one word from gold glitter cardstock, one from red glitter cardstock and one from green glitter cardstock. All of the glitter cardstock was from the 6″ x 6″ Frosted Glitter pad. I cut the thinner shadow portion of the “jolly” from white cardstock. I layered the two “jolly” layers together with a fine-tip liquid adhesive. I then placed the three “jolly” sentiments going down the middle of the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

    I hope you have joined this fun way to use your shadow word dies to create holiday cards, no stamping required! Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

    Supplies

    57301 Jolly Honey Script

    57388 Frosty Flake Layer Set

    GP1004 Frosted Glitter Pad

  • Joy | by Crystal Komara

    Joy | by Crystal Komara

    Hello crafty readers! This is Design Team member Crystal Komara here with you today. Hopefully by now you have started making your Christmas cards or maybe even some of you are already done. And then the real overachievers have them all stamped and addressed ready to be shipped! Well. . . I’m not! I’m always late to the game. But, I’ve still got a little time to inspire you with some Birch Press Design products and this festive modern shaker card.

    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 red cardstock and used it as the first card layer. Using the Radial Pinpoint Cover Die, I cut the next layer from white cardstock. I cut Layers A and C of the Tranquility Layering Die from pool party cardstock and I cut Layer B of the Tranquility Layering Die from red glitter cardstock found in the Frosted 6″ x 6″ Paper Pack. *Note – I did not use the center pieces from the Tranquility Layering Dies because I used the vacant space to create a shaker card.

    I lined the circle on the back of the Tranquility Layering Die with a piece of acetate. I put about 1 tablespoon of iridescent sequins on the card before adhering the die in place over the sequins. I adhered this entire piece to the center of the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

    I stamped the “joy” from the new Contempo Christmas Greetings stamp set in red ink on white cardstock. I used the coordinating Contempo Christmas Greetings die to cut out the circle. I adhered the sentiment to the lower right side of the shaker card also using 3M adhesive for added dimension. Lastly, I added a few red rhinestone embellishments for added sparkle.

    I hope you have enjoyed this modern holiday card. Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

  • Pumpkins in Every Color | by Crystal Komara

    Pumpkins in Every Color | by Crystal Komara

    Hello crafty readers! This is Design Team member Crystal Komara here with you today sharing a couple cards made using the beautiful Pumpkin Lacework stamp set and coordinating dies. This is probably my favorite stamp set from Birch Press Design, so just like the old expression “if the shoe fits, buy it in every color”, I decided to stamp it in every color! Now the question is, do YOU prefer the more traditional orange/brown pumpkin, or do you like the blues and purples?

    So, let’s take a look at the most conventional card first. It’s beautiful and elegant heat embossed with gold embossing powder and then colored using Copic markers in brown, oranges and yellows. It is very traditional, warm and earthy.

    But, now let’s step outside-of-the-box and try the same exact card simply using a different color pattern. Does it still emit fall vibes? I think so!

    Card details:

    Each of these A2 cards were made using all the same dimensions and products, I simply alternated some colors. The base of each card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. I matted a 5″ x 3 3/” piece of white woodgrain cardstock with a coordinating piece of blue, purple or brown cardstock from the Ocean Blue, Vibrant Violet and Earth Neutral 6 x 6″ paper packs. I cut 5″ x 1/4″ strips of ombre colors from these same paper packs and diagonally lined them up along the card alternating with 1/4″ strips of gold glitter cardstock from the Twinkling Jewel Glitter 6 x 6″ pad.

    I stamped the pumpkins and stems using the Pumpkin Lacework stamp set. I stamped the image in Versamark ink on white cardstock and heat embossed it with gold embossing powder. I used the coordinating dies to cut the pumpkin and stem out. I colored the pumpkins with Copic markers and then adhered the colored pumpkins to the card with 3M foam adhesive. I stamped the tag in coordinating colored cardstock in Versamark ink and heat embossed it with white embossing powder. I adhered the tag to each pumpkin and added linen thread for extra dimension. Lastly, I cut the sentiment “thanks” and “hello” from white cardstock using the Thanks Sugar Script and Hello Sugar Script.

    I hope you have enjoyed seeing these cards in a variety of colors and that you’ll feel encouraged to try adding more color to your fall cards. Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

  • Hello Autumn | by Crystal Komara

    Hello Autumn | by Crystal Komara

    Hello friends, it’s almost the last day of September and we are officially in the midst of PSL season! That’s Pumpkin Spice Latte for anyone unfamiliar with the popular influencer inspired lingo. This is Design Team member Crystal Komara here today inspiring you to embrace fall (while dreading winter) and I’m sharing a simple, yet elegant card made using my favorite Birch Press Design stamp set called Pumpkin Lacework.

    Card details:

    The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock. Using Layer B of the Autumn Breeze Layering Plates, I cut the background from white cardstock. I adhered this leafy imprinted background directly to the card base.

    Using the Pumpkin Lacework stamp set, I stamped the large pumpkin in Versamark ink on orange cardstock. I heat embossed the pumpkin with white embossing powder. I used the coordinating Pumpkin Lacework die to cut the pumpkin out. I adhered the pumpkin to the lower right side of the card using 3M foam adhesive. I stamped the pumpkin stem in Versamark ink on brown cardstock and heat embossed it with white embossing powder. I also stamped a variety of the leaves in Versamark ink on white cardstock and heat embossed the leaves with gold embossing powder. I used the Pumpkin Lacework dies to cut all the small images out before adhering them to the pumpkin using a Tombow adhesive runner.

    I stamped the “hello autumn” sentiment from the same Pumpkin Lacework stamp set in Versamark ink on white cardstock. I heat embossed the sentiment with gold embossing powder and used the coordinating die to cut the sentiment out. I adhered the sentiment to the left side of the pumpkin using 3M foam adhesive.

    I hope today’s card will inspire YOU to create some beautiful fall things! Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day.

  • Leaf Wreath | by Crystal Komara

    Leaf Wreath | by Crystal Komara

    Hello friends! Happy Wednesday, I hope your week is going good so far. Friday is coming! This is Design Team member Crystal Komara here with you today sharing a fun way to use Layering Plate B of the Autumn Breeze Layering Plates.

    Card details:

    The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. Using a separate sheet of this same white cardstock I die cut Layer Plate C of the Delfina Layering Plates (retired) which became the background. I cut this twice (because I was making two cards):

    Next I die cut Layer B of the Autumn Breeze Layering Plate four times, one each in red, orange, yellow and green cardstock. This would give me all the leaves I needed to complete these two cards. (*Note, I actually had enough leaves to create a third card).

    I created a circular frame to act as a guide to adhere all the leaves to. I did this by placing a smaller circle die inside of a larger one:

    Then I began to adhere the leaves to the frame in a circular pattern using a Tombow adhesive runner:

    Using the Thanks Honey Script dies and the Blessed Honey Script dies, I die cut the larger shadow sentiment from white cardstock and the thinner sentiment from gold glitter cardstock using the 6″ x 6″ Holiday Glitter pad.

    I hope you have enjoyed this different way to use the Birch Press Design layering plates. Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

  • Happy September | by Crystal Komara

    Happy September | by Crystal Komara

    Hello crafty readers and happy 1st of September! For those of us who love fall (ME ME ME!) then let the pumpkin spice season begin! If you’re still sippin’ on your summer ‘ritas, no shade here, you do you! But, I’m full speed ahead to apple pies, sweater weather and all things fall. This is Design Team member Crystal Komara here with you today sharing a fun (and mildly Halloween inspired) card using the Autumn Breeze Layering plates:

    Card details:

    The base of this A2 sized card was made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. Using two out of three layers of the Autumn Breeze Layering Plates, I used a piece of garden green cardstock as the bottom layer (in lieu of Layer B). For Layer C I die cut the plate using pumpkin orange cardstock. Layer A was cut from basic black cardstock. You can see my photo below for all three layers:

    I adhered all three layers together using a Tombow adhesive tape runner before gluing the three layers down to the card base. I cut a 3″ circle from vellum cardstock, cutting of the right side just a bit before adhering it to the card. Using the Big Thanks Sugar Script dies, I die cut the large shadow sentiment from garden green cardstock and the thinner sentiment from gold glitter cardstock from the 6″ x 6″ Holiday Glitter Pad. I adhered the two layers together with Tombow adhesive before adhering the enticement sentiment strip to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

    On a thin strip of white cardstock I stamped the sentiment “for your friendship” in Memento Tuxedo black ink. This sentiment is from the Lingo Thanks stamp set. I adhered this sentiment strip below the large “thanks” using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

    I hope you have enjoyed this card! Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day.

  • Sending Rainbow Wishes | by Crystal Komara

    Sending Rainbow Wishes | by Crystal Komara

    Hello crafty readers! This is Crystal here with you today sharing a colorful card using the Dahlia Heart Layering Dies and some fun rainbow colored paper.

    Card details:

    The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. For the first 5 1/4″ x 4″ paper, I dry embossed a piece of white cardstock using a basket weave embossing folder. I adhered this embossed paper directly to the card base.

    To create the two hearts, I die cut Layer A (the top layer) of the Dahlia Heart Layering Dies from white cardstock. I die cut two of these pieces as I have two hearts. I layered the Dahlia Heart outline over some scrap pieces of rainbow paper and fussy cut around the hearts:

    I adhered the two hearts to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. Lastly, I stamped the sentiment “sending rainbow wishes” in Tuxedo Memento Black ink. This sentiment is from the Rainbow Days Lingo stamp set. I adhered the sentiment to the front of both heart using a Tombow adhesive runner.

    I hope you have enjoyed this cheerful card. Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

    Supplies

    57244 Dahlia Heart Layer A

  • All the Happiness | by Crystal Komara

    All the Happiness | by Crystal Komara

    Hello friends and happy Monday! Welcome back from the weekend. This is Crystal here with you and I’m excited to be sharing STAMPED projects with you today and not the usual beautiful layering dies that Birch Press Design is known for. Do you even know that Birch Press Design also sells stamps?! Surprise, they do!

    Card details:

    The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. This is my go-to white cardstock for everything. Using the Delfina Layer A die, I die cut the lattice background from white cardstock. I adhered this directly to the card base. I stamped the flowers from the All the Happiness stamp set in Versamark ink on Distress Watercolor cardstock and heat embossed the image with gold embossing powder. I then watercolored the flowers using Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers in Scarlett Red, Bright Yellow, Persian Blue, Pale Green and Light Green.

    Once the watercolor was dry, I die cut the image using the coordinating All the Happiness dies. I adhered the flowers in the lower right corner of the card using 3M foam adhesive. I stamped the sentiment “celebrate today” from the Classic Sentimental Wreath stamp set. I punched the sentiment out using a label punch and adhered it to the card with 3M foam adhesive.

    I also created a second card using the same stamp set and watercolor colors:

    The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. Using Layer A from the Delfina Layering Dies, I die cut the lattice background from white cardstock. I adhered the lattice background directly to the card. I stamped the flowers from the All the Happiness stamp set in Versamark ink on Distress Watercolor cardstock. I heat embossed the image with gold embossing powder and then I watercolored the image using Zig Clean Color Real Brush markers (the same colors are listed above).

    I die cut the flowers using the coordinating die and adhered the flowers to the card using 3M foam adhesive. I stamped the sentiment “celebrate today” from the Classic Sentimental Wreath stamp set in blue ink on white cardstock. I punched the sentiment out with a 2″ circle punch. I also adhered the punch to the card using 3M foam adhesive.

    I hope you have enjoyed seeing products OTHER than dies that Birch Press Design has to offer. Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

    Supplies

    57019 Delfina A

    CL5265-D All the Happiness clear stamp and die set

    CL8157 Classic Sentimental Wreath stamp set

  • Tranquility | by Crystal Komara

    Tranquility | by Crystal Komara

    Hello friends and happy Monday! I hope you all had a pleasant weekend. This is Crystal Komara here with you today sharing a fun design featuring the Tranquility Layering Set.

    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 Bermuda Bay cardstock as the first mat. I used the Pinpoint Radial Plate to die cut a piece of white cardstock that I adhered directly to that Bermuda Bay cardstock. I die cut the three layers of the beautiful Tranquility Layering Set using the Fresh Aqua 6 x 6″ paper pack. The top layer, Layer A was die cut from a light blue-green color. Layer B, the middle layer, was cut from a turquoise piece of cardstock from the Twinkling Jewel Glitter Pad. Layer C, the bottom layer, was also cut from the Fresh Aqua paper pack.

    I adhered the three layers of the die together using Lineco Neutral ph bookbinding glue ,my go-to liquid adhesive. I adhered the three layers to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. I die cut the word “hugs” using the Hugs Honey Script dies. I die cut the bottom shadow layer from black cardstock and the top layer from white cardstock. I adhered both layers together before adhering them to the card. Lastly I stamped the sentiment “you are awesome” in Bermuda Bay ink from the Ticker Tape stamp set. I cut out the sentiment and adhered it just below the word “hugs.”

    I hope you have enjoyed today’s card. I simply love using the layering dies from Birch Press Design because they are so unique! Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day.

    XO, Crystal