Category: Flowers

  • How to Add Texture to White Space on Your Card | by Colleen Balija

    How to Add Texture to White Space on Your Card | by Colleen Balija

    Hi friends! Today I want to talk about how to add texture to white space! I find it difficult to not fill my entire card up with design elements and color! But, when I make a card like this one today, I’m so glad that I allowed the white space to shine through! I forget how pretty a card with a white background can be!

    Adding texture to white space is easy to do with a die cut! Die cuts add texture without adding color. For my card, I die cut the Pinpoint Contour Plate onto an 80 lb 5.5×4.25 white card panel. Then I trimmed the panel down and adhered it over a 5.5×4.25 white card base so that the white card base peeked out behind the die cut card panel. Already we’ve got texture and dimension!

    Next, I added my focal point to the white space using Banner Hearts layering dies. I die cut all 3 layers and then ink blended each layer in soft shades of pink, golden yellow, and green. I kept the colors soft so they blended with the white background. I also die cut Plate C in white and set the inside pieces aside for later.

    I wanted to add some design elements around the heart to frame it. So, I die cut Prime Peony Duo Contour Layers, Eucalyptus Stem and Berries (just the leaves), and Simply butterfly Contour die and ink blended each layer using the same colors as the Banner Heart. I decided to place everything in the lower left corner of the card panel so that the white space would surround my focal point. I adhered the flowers first and then the heart next. I added the white pieces from Panel C in the heart so that the heart was a solid piece (I didn’t want the background card panel peeking through and competing with the heart). You can see the details in the photo below.

    The final step was to add the sentiment and a few gold sequins. My sentiment is the Sending Hugs hot foil plate and die cut. I foiled it in gold and die cut it 3 times so that it would pop off the page a bit for dimension. The flowers are popped up on foam tape as well to add dimension.

    Let’s take one final look at the card below and see how the white space works for it. This card has a lot of white space in it, but the texture from the Pinpoint die plate adds interest and texture without adding color. The colors in my focal point are soft enough that they don’t steal the show from that beautiful white space. And the positioning of the design elements allowed the white space to surround the focal point nicely. What do you think?

    I hope that you will play around with using white space to your advantage in your cards! The key thing is to know when to stop and allow enough of the white space to shine through! One thing that helps me is to pause a few times in the process to look at the card’s progress, and even take photos of it!

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  • Star Flower Thanks | by April Antonio

    Star Flower Thanks | by April Antonio

    Happy Friday Birch Press friends, and Happy New Year!

    It’s a new year so I figures it’s time to try some new things. Anyone struggle with a certain color? Have a complicated relationship with it? Well, that’s me and the color purple..no not the movie at all, the actual color. Me and purple just never seem to connect —- so, I decided to try it for today’s project.

    I grabbed the new Pinpoint Contour cover plate which I am personally in love with, and cut it out three times: twice from heavy weight cardstock, and once from the creamy purple found in the Rainbow Reflections Mirror Pad. (Flashes of Prince are dancing in my head!).

    As a lot of us in this post-holiday season, I have a lot of thank you cards to send to friends and family, so I thought I could make two cards today from one cover sheet. I took the coversheet I cut from the purple cardstock and chose a point about 3/4 down the sheet and cut right along one of the pinpoint perforations — which helped it cut very easily.

    I then lined these two halves up on top of my white cover sheets to exactly the spot where I had cut it. You’ll notice on one panel I have the purple at the top, and the other it’s on the bottom.

    Next, I saved some time by cutting the all of my flowers using the Star Flowers die from white cardstock, and assembled the flowers, making sure to leave the center (or the stamen) piece untouched for later.

    I also need a title and I really like using the chunky, Thanks Honey Script word and shadow die set. I cut this from white cardstock a few times, and then once from the creamy purple and once from the shiny, metallic purple that is in the same mirror pad.

    For my assembly, I placed the ‘thanks’ along the seam where the white and purple met, and arranged my flowers around this section. Lastly, I can’t resist some level of bling, so I used the Autumn Fairy Crystals to add centers to each flower.

    Thank you for joining me today! I hope you enjoyed this exercise in color exploration with me and that you are encouraged to carve some time from your weekend to get crafty!

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  • Morning Rose and Triple Buds Happy Birthday | By Natasha Vacca

    Hello Birch Press friends I am excited to be back up on the blog today to share two of the gorgeous new die sets with you. I also paired these with a previous release as well! For today’s card I am using the gorgeous Morning Rose and Triple Buds Contour Layers die set. I had a lot of fun on today’s card, so let’s get started!

    I started by die cutting each layer of the rose. I chose 3 colors of pink card stock from the Berry Red paper pad collection from Memory Box. I die cut each layer using a different shade. I had a light, medium, and darker pink shade. I die cut 2 roses and 2 of the triple buds. Next I die cut 3 leaves from the Winsome Rose and Leaves Contour layers. For the leaves and the stems on the triple buds I used card stock from the Lush Green paper pad from Memory Box.

    Once all my flowers, stems, buds, and leaves were die cut I added ink blending to each layer. On the layers I used a combination of Distress Oxide inks and Dye Inks. I used a blending tool, as well a finger blending tool to add ink to the corners. I love the added texture and depth this provides to the flowers, leaves, stems, and buds.

    Next I adhered all the layers together using liquid glue. Once these images are die cut they are so easy to adhere together, the die provides outlines for you on where to glue the layers down. They are so easy to use. Once everything was adhered together I added a bit more ink to the edges of the flowers, leaves, and stems using the inks I shared above.

    Next I chose a background from my stash. I love creating gelli prints and found a background that had shades of pinks and greens, I thought this coordinated well with my images. I wanted to add a bit more texture to the background using the Pinpoint Contour Plate. I ran the gelli print and die through my die cutting machine. Next I trimmed the panel using my paper trimmer. I then added a few metallic gold splatters to the background for added texture. I dried these with my heat tool, then adhered the panel to an A2 card base.

    Next I placed the flowers, buds, stems and leaves onto the card front. I then adhered the images down using foam tape and liquid glue. To complete my card I chose a sentiment from my stash. I had a lot of fun with these 2 new products. Thanks so much for stopping by today! I will be back soon with more crafty inspiration!


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  • Winsome Rose and Leaves | By Natasha Vacca

    Hello Birch Press friends, it is Natasha here and I am super excited to be back on the blog today! For today’s card I had a lot of fun creating a mixed media inspired card using the beautiful Winsome Rose and Leaves Contour layers dies! So let’s get started!

    I started by creating 2 water color panels using Canson XL card stock. I added powders to the papers to create my own backgrounds. I created 2 panels, one in purple tones and another in green tones. Once my panels were dry, I die cut the Winsome Rose and Leaves using my watercolor panels. I also die cut a set of roses using the Twilight Purple paper pad from Memory Box. I wanted to create dimension for my roses and once die cut adhered these to my watercolored rose die cuts. I adhered each layer using liquid glue. Once the roses were adhered, I set these aside.

    Next I die cut the leaves using the dies included in this set. Once they were die cut I added more texture to each leaf using dye inks from my stash. I applied the ink with an ink dauber to the edges of the leaves. On the top layer I added embossing powder for added texture. I then adhered the leaves together using liquid glue. I also embossed the center of the roses using a gold embossing powder.

    Next I started to work on my background. I looked through my gelli print stash and chose a print to coordinate with my flowers. I wanted to add a bit of texture to my gelli print using the Flora Plate die set. I chose to use layer C. Following the instructions with my die cutting machine I used the plate to dry emboss the background die onto my gelli print. Next I added a bit of distressing to the panel. I used my distress tool to “rip” the edges, applied distress ink, as well as some embossing powder to various sections of the panel. I added a gelli print strip to the center of the panel following the same distressing pattern. I then adhered the card panel to an A2 card base.

    Next I adhered the leaves and roses to the card front using both liquid glue and foam adhesive. I then chose a sentiment to to complete my card. I chose the Handwritten Thanks and Outline die set. I die cut the shadow layer using a piece of the same gelli print background. I then die cut the script thanks 3 times. For the top layer I added tape to the paper prior to die cutting, as I wanted to use a glitter powder on the top layer of the word die cut. I then adhered all the layers together using liquid glue. I adhered the sentiment using foam tape.

    I had so much fun creating today’s card! I hope it inspires you to create today!


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  • Floral Hello | By Dilay Nacar

    Floral Hello | By Dilay Nacar

    Happy Friday, crafty friends! Dee here today sharing this fresh floral card featuring the Star Flowers Contour Layers dies combined with a few other favorites!

    First, I created the background by die cutting the Pinpoint Radial Plate die and cutting it in half. Next, I embossed an A2-sized card base with the Memory Box Blooming 3D Embossing Folder, then adhered the partial Pinpoint background on top.

    Next, I cut the Star Flower Contour Layer dies twice in three shades of pink cardstock and die cut the centers in yellow cardstock, then adhered them together. I die cut leaves from the Dainty Rose and Leaves and Tiny Tuft Flowers and Leaves die sets in different shades of teal, and metallic cardstock, then adhered them, tucked in, behind the flowers. 

    To finish, I cut the hello from the Hello Topper in the same metallic cardstock and adhered it over the top. Thanks so much for joining me today!


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  • Prime Peony Happy Birthday | By Natasha Vacca

    Hello Birch Press friends! I am excited to be back today to share a birthday card using the beautiful Prime Peony Duo Contour Layers dies! I had a lot of fun and enjoyed using fall colors for my card today! So let’s get started!

    For today’s card I started with the Prime Peony Duo layers dies and the Sunny Orange paper pad collection from Memory Box. I chose 3 shades of orange from the pad (dark, medium, and lighter shade). Prior to die cutting I added some distress oxide ink in similar shades to add a bit more contrast to my paper. I added water droplets to the paper for added texture as well. I die cut the larger peony, as well as the smaller peony from each color. This allowed me to create 6 Peony flowers in total. Once the floral images were die cut, I worked to arrange each flower. Using 3 different shades of card stock allowed me to create contrast within each floral bud.

    Next I adhered the floral die cuts together using liquid glue. To add a bit more interest and depth to the flowers I used dye inks with a sponge dauber to add more texture and depth to each flower.

    Next I die cut the stem and leaf for each flower using the Lush Green paper pad collection from Memory Box. On the stem I also added some ink blending using oxide ink, as well as dye inks for more depth. I then adhered the leaf die cuts together using liquid glue.

    Next I trimmed a piece of wood grain white card stock to an A2 panel. I then adhered this to an A2 card base. I then adhered a coordinating strip of paper on the left side of the card front. I then adhered my flowers, stems, and leaf images to the front card panel. I added foam tape to each flower. To add a bit more texture I added a twine bow to the card panel and completed the birthday card with a sentiment from my stash.

    Thank you so much for stopping by today! I had a lot of fun and I will be back soon!


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  • More Monochrome | by Crystal Komara

    More Monochrome | by Crystal Komara

    Hello friends, this is Design Team member Crystal Komara back again for another monochomatic card! Apparently sticking to one color when creating seems to be “m.o.” : ) If you missed any of my monochromatic posts, please check out this trio of thank you cards, the Christmas mandala trees or these monochromatic torus rings (a personal favorite of mine)!

    What’s great about working with monochrome colors is that if blue isn’t your color, try recreating it in red, or purple or green. The options are endless!

    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 the same white cardstock and ran it through my Big Shot using the Blooming 3D embossing folder from Memory Box. This embossed cardstock is the first layer of the card. I then used alternating pieces of cardstock from the 6″ x 6″ Ocean Blue paper pack. These strips measure 5 1/2″ x 1/4″. I used the same color cardstock to create the three layer Floral Star. I also added in a piece of glitter cardstock from the Twinkling Jewel Paper pack. I die cut Layer B from this glitter cardstock. I adhered all three layers of the Floral Star layering dies together with liquid glue.

    I took a chance and cut the finished Floral Star in half hoping to make it the focal point of the card. I stamped “hello” in turquoise ink on a thin white strip of cardstock and placed it between the two halves of the Floral Star. I think it pulled the two halves together more cohesively.

    I really like how this card came out, in fact, I think I’ll try it in a few other colors too!

    Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

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  • Purple Wispy Blooms | by Crystal Komara

    Purple Wispy Blooms | by Crystal Komara

    Hello friends! This is Design Team member Crystal Komara here with you today sharing my passion for the color purple! I used the Wispy Blooms Contour Layering Dies to create these two monochromatic cards, however, you could re-create them in any color imaginable and have a rainbow assortment to choose from.

    For this first card, I used a piece of 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock as the base of my card. I also cut a 5 1/4″ x 4″ piece of the same white cardstock for the first layer. I ran this sheet of cardstock though my Big Shot using the Blooming 3D embossing folder (from Memory Box). I die cut one large white oval circle and adhered it to the center of the card.

    Using the Wispy Blooms Contour Layering dies, I cut multiple flowers from three different purple colors of cardstock in the 6″ x 6″ Twilight paper pack. I die cut the stems from two shades of green cardstock found in the 6″ x 6″ Lush Green paper pack. I adhered all the flowers together with a fine-tip liquid glue. I adhered the flowers to the center of the scalloped circle to create one giant bouquet. Lastly, I stamped the sentiment “thinking of you” in purple ink on a thin strip of white cardstock. This sentiment is from the Classic Sentimental Wreath stamp set.

    Because I had so many flowers leftover, I decided to create a second card using them, rather than waste them:

    The base of this A2 sized card is also made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. I embossed a 5 1/4″ x 3″ piece of the same white cardstock using the Blooming 3D embossing folder (from Memory Box) and used a 5 1/4″ x 2″ piece of purple plaid paper for the other side. This paper is from the Spring Plaid slim paper from Memory Box. I die cut a large scalloped oval from Twilight cardstock and a smaller white oval for the center. I stamped the sentiment “hoping today is as wonderful as you are” in purple ink on the white oval. This sentiment is from the Kind Hearts clear stamp set. I adhered some of the leftover flowers into this white oval frame. I found that more than three flowers was too much, so I limited it to just the three.

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

  • Floral Thanks by Jeanne Jachna

    Floral Thanks by Jeanne Jachna

    I’m smitten with flowers so I adore the last floral release from Birch Press Design. The flowers are generally all three layer and look great in any color combination. Each layer has embossed lines to help guide you in assembling them.

    To get started I always cut and arrange several flowers in different shades so that later when I decide to make I have lots of assembled flowers to choose from.

    I like to assemble the images on a piece of plastic the size of my card front. The clear plastic makes it easy to pick up the entire arrangement and layer it over different backgrounds to help me decide which one I like best.

    Because I cut the flowers ahead of time, before I make my cards, I find that I choose colors I might not have originally selected. Just as an example.. I wouldn’t normally think the plum colored berries would compliment the red roses, but they do, and I think they’re perfect!

    If you look close you’ll notice I changed one of the Fuddled Leaf branches in the background. The color was too similar to the lime Flora cover plate so I selected a different shade for more contrast.

    Enjoy creating your own floral bouquets with beautiful layered blooms from Birch Press Design!

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  • Peony Hello by Jeanne Jachna

    Peony Hello by Jeanne Jachna

    I hope you’re having a great weekend doing something that you love. If I get my way I’ll be in the garden seeing what’s new to discover. Maybe some new blooms or perhaps the beginnings of some summer veggies! I love when my hobbies overlap and these gorgeous blooms made from paper are just as beautiful as the real thing.

    The florals are easy to assemble. This is a three layer die so I chose three shades of pink cardstock. To save time I cut all of the layers from each of the three shades. I mixed up the shades when I assembled them to create each bloom. I don’t think you need to always have blooms dark to light or vice versa.

    To add some sparkle I cut the Honeycomb Bevel Layer set from white and gold glitter cardstock. To compliment the flowers I layered the assembled honeycomb panel over shades of pink cardstock.

    The Hello Sugar Script foil die adds even more gold elegance to this floral card. The sentiment die includes an outline die cut so there’s lots of possibilities.

    I hope you’ll enjoy creating with the layered florals in the shop – they’re total eye candy!

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