Category: Hugs

  • Monochromatic Torus Rings | by Crystal Komara

    Monochromatic Torus Rings | by Crystal Komara

    Hello friends and happy Monday! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend. This is Crystal Komara here with you today sharing two cards using the Torus Ring Die by Birch Press Design in monochromatic colors to create some cheerful greeting cards. I’ll admit that I didn’t love this geometric shaped die initially, but after creating these cards, I’m now giving it a second chance!

    For this first card, I used the Ocean Blues Paper Pack and Twinkling Jewel paper pack to create a monochromatic blue color palette.

    The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. I die cut just Layer Plate A from the Viola Layering Plates out of white cardstock and adhered it directly to my card base using Lineco ph bookbinding glue, my go-to liquid adhesive.

    I die cue the Torus Ring outline from white cardstock. Using the second small die in the Torus Ring set, I die cut various pieces of blue paper that I adhered behind the white frame. I adhered the entire Torus Ring to the card with 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. For the sentiment I used the Big Hello Sugar Script die. This is a two-piece layering word die that creates a shadowlike effect. I die cut the large base layer from white cardstock and the top layer from blue cardstock. I adhered both layers together with liquid glue and then adhered the entire sentiment to the card using 3M foam adhesive.

    I added the word “hello friend” from the Ticker Tape stamp set. I stamped the sentiment in blue ink and fussy cut the block outline. I adhered this sentiment below the word “hello” with 3M foam adhesive.

    For the second card, I used all of the same steps as the first, but I changed my colors to a pink monochromatic look using the Berry Red Paper Pack and the Graceful Garden Glitter Pad.

    I die cut the Torus Ring outline from white cardstock. Using the second small die in the Torus Ring set, I die cut various pieces of pink paper that I adhered behind the white frame. I adhered the entire Torus Ring to the card with 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. For the sentiment I used the Big Hugs Sugar Script die. I die cut the large base layer from white cardstock and the top layer from pink cardstock. I adhered both layers together with liquid glue and then adhered the entire sentiment to the card using 3M foam adhesive.

    I added the word “thank you” from the Ticker Tape stamp set. I stamped the sentiment in pink ink and fussy cut the block outline. I adhered this sentiment below the word “hello” with 3M foam adhesive.

    I hope you have enjoyed today’s cards and hopefully I have inspired you to step outside of your comfort zone, because that’s when amazing things can happen! Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

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  • Easter Egg Hugs | By Amanda Wilcox

    Easter Egg Hugs | By Amanda Wilcox

    Hello everyone! It’s Amanda from Twiddler’s Nook today and I have a trio of cards to share featuring the petal egg layering set and a few different backgrounds to pair it with.

    To start off today’s cards, I just pulled out a variety of cardstock colors – glitter and not – and started cutting the layers of the petal egg. It was so fun to mix and match, and just play, with all of them once they were cut out.

    After I decided on the layers that I wanted to use together, I ended up with three complete eggs and thought it would be fun to make three cards to share with you today.

    For my backgrounds, I used layer A and C of the Field of Blooms set. Then for my third card I pulled out the Memory Box spring plaid paper pad and chose one of the beautifully foiled pieces to use.

    I used liquid glue to adhere all of my egg layers together and decided I wanted the backs to be solid so the background panels didn’t show through. Since there isn’t a solid egg shape I traced one of the dies three times and cut inside the tracing line and glued it to the back of my layers. If anything hung over, I just used my scissors to trim off the excess. Super easy and forgiving if you don’t fussy cut well.

    I used liquid glue to adhere the Field of Blooms backgrounds to white card bases and then used foam tape to add the plaid paper, which I had trimmed down to 4×5.25 inches. Then for my sentiment, I went with the hugs honey script dies. I cut the shadow from vellum and then the words from the same paper as the bottom layer of the egg it was coordinating with.

    I adhered the sentiments with liquid glue and the popped the eggs up on each background with foam tape. For finishing touches I added baubles to each one. This first one has gold to play off the gold foiling in the patterned paper.

    Then I used silver baubles for this one because I thought the bright colors worked well with the bright silver.

    And for this final card, I chose pearls because it’s got a bit softer colors and I just loved how they worked with the pink glitter paper on the top layer of the egg.

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

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  • You Are Special To Me | Dilay Nacar

    You Are Special To Me | Dilay Nacar

    Welcome back, friends!

    Today I am excited to be sharing a sweet and simple card with all of you that features the new Field of Blooms layering die set! This layering die set is perfect for the upcoming season! In today’s card, I’ve used it a bit differently because I love finding unconventional ways to use things – not to mention how much I love sharing ways to stretch your supplies! Let’s get started! 

    Although this layering set consists of 3 plates, I only used Layer A to create this card! I began by die cutting it once in heavyweight white cardstock and once each in green, coral, and yellow cardstock – making sure to keep all of the negative pieces to use for the inlay – then adhered the white layer onto a white A2-sized card base.

    Next, I added a row of colored tulips, using liquid adhesive to inlay the green negative pieces for the leaves and the yellow and coral negative pieces for the tulips. Since I love a clean, white background, I chose to make a single row of tulips but if you wish to add more tulips to the panel, I’d recommend using a low tack tape such as PostIt or PressNSeel to keep all of the negative pieces together. 

    For the sentiment, I die cut the Big Hugs Sugar Script die three times in white cardstock, heat embossed one of them in gold, then stacked all three together, adhering it to the panel with liquid glue. For the sub-sentiment, I heat embossed the ‘You are special to me’ stamp from the Crystal Lingo clear stamp set and adhered it to the panel with foam squares. 

    That’s it! Simple right? This is just one of the ways to use this great layering die set, and the best part is that you have plenty of die cuts leftover that you can use to add some color to other cards! Thank you so much for stopping by! Until next time!

  • Any Time Layered Hearts

    Any Time Layered Hearts

    Hi there, it’s Tracey here today with a couple square cards using the Layered Hearts dies. These began as cards for Valentines, but time got away from me. So they were finished after the 14th as cards that you can send any time of the year. Both of today’s cards are 4 1/4″ x 4 1/4″ square and although the cards are different, they both use the same process.

    The Kinsley Heart and the Petal Heart layer sets are beautiful whether you use all three layers together or just the top for a delicate look! I love this die set because even with all three layers you can still see the amazing stitched lines on the bottom layer!

    To make the pink heart using all three layers of the Kinsley Heart layers dies. I began by blending a panel with Distress Oxide Inks–Spun Sugar, Picked Raspberry and Seedless Preserves. This will be the background for the layered heart and the bottom layer of the letter dies. It was cut with the largest heart in the Perfect Hearts die set. The layers of the Kinsley heart were cut from white cardstock and glued together. The ‘xoxo’ was cut using the Mod Alphabet die set. The bottom layer from the ink blended panel and the top from white cardstock.

    Before attaching the layered heart and ‘xoxo’ to the card base it was spritzed with Distress Oxide Spray in Picked Raspberry. I sponged a bit a pink ink on the centre of the heart for interest.

    The green card used the Petal Layers die set, but only Layer A for a more delicate design.

    Just like with the pink card I blended a panel with Distress Oxide Inks, this time I used Tumble Glass, Cracked Pistachio and Peacock Feathers. I used the panel once again for the layered heart and the bottom layer of the letter dies. Layer A of the Petal Heart layer set was cut from white cardstock. The ‘xoxo’ was cut using the Mod Alphabet die set. The bottom layer from the ink blended panel and the top from white cardstock.

    This time before attaching the heart and ‘xoxo’ to the card base it was spritzed with Cracked Pistachio and Peacock Feathers Distress Oxide Spray.

    So quick and so fun to use similar supplies and the same basic techniques to make two cards to you can use to Share Handmade Kindness!

    Thank you so much for stopping in to craft with me, see you next time.

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  • Black & White Valentine’s Day Cards | by Crystal Komara

    Black & White Valentine’s Day Cards | by Crystal Komara

    Hello readers and happy Monday! This is Crystal here with you today. I hope you all found a little time to do something crafty over the weekend. Today I am sharing two simple and classic black and white themed Valentine’s Day cards using Layer A of the beautiful Kinsley Heart Layering Plates.

    Both of these cards were created the same way, I just alternated the background colors, so they look slightly different. Here is the first card I created:

    And here is the second card I created using the same products, just alternating the background cardstock layers:

    Here is a step-by-step breakdown of how I created these cards:

    Step 1: Die cut the Kinsley Heart Layering Plate A once in black cardstock and once in white cardstock.

    Step 2: Layer the white die cut Kinsley Heart background over a piece of black A2 sized cardstock.

    Step 3: Layer the black die cut Kinsley Heart background over a piece of white A2 sized cardstock.

    Step 4: Cut out two large hearts from red glitter cardstock.

    Step 5: Cut out the sentiments using the Big Hugs Sugar Script dies and the Handwritten Love You Outline dies from black cardstock and white cardstock. Adhere the two layers of the word dies together with a thin liquid adhesive.

    Pop up the large red glitter hearts using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension and then add your sentiments and you have two classic and elegant Valentine’s Day cards!

    Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

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  • Hugs and Hearts | By Amanda Wilcox

    Hugs and Hearts | By Amanda Wilcox

    Hi everyone! It’s Amanda from Twiddler’s Nook joining you for the first time this year! Happy New Year and I hope 2021 is starting off well for you all. I pretty much dove in head first to love and heart themed cards since the new year and I’m loving it all! I have a pair of slimline cards to share with you today and I hope you enjoy them.

    When I can’t make decisions in the craft room, it either leads to making multiple cards or creating a rainbow of something. Today, it led to two cards which were really fun to create! I started by choosing colors and die cutting my hearts.

    Then I moved on to backgrounds. I settled on making an inky mess with the ink smooshing technique using my Tombow Dual Brush markers. I colored on my acrylic block, spritzed with water and smooshed it on my paper. When I do this, I use a heat gun to dry each layer so they don’t blend together.

    After these were done I used liquid glue to adhere them to card bases and also glued my hearts together at the same time. I put acrylic blocks on top of everything while it dried to help it flatten out.

    For my sentiment, I kept it simple using the hugs honey script dies. I love this font and it fits just perfectly across these hearts!

    I cut the shadows once and the words 4 times each and used liquid glue to adhere them all together. After they were glued to the middle heart I moved on to finishing touches.

    I used Nuvo Crystal Drops in a coordinating color for each card. On this one, I just used a like teal scattered across the background of my card.

    For the purple one, I decided to also add them to a few select spots on the hearts as well. This was totally new to me and I like how it turned out. Just a little extra interest.

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

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  • Boho-Inspired Cards with Felt Die Cut Inlay | By Leigh Houston

    Boho-Inspired Cards with Felt Die Cut Inlay | By Leigh Houston

    Hello, friends! I am so excited to be sharing these cards made with Birch Press Designs’s Dahlia Heart Layering Die set. Keep reading to see how easy it was to create these die cut cards with felt!

    Over the past months where we’ve been spending more time at home than normal, my daughter has re-discovered her crafty side and the joy of making and giving handmade gifts. She is into all things boho, and I was inspired by her favorite color palette in making this trio of cards made with wool felt so she could give these cards to her friends.

    I started my cards by selecting three shades of wool felt in pink, peach and yellow (I recommend using a good quality wool felt for this). I adhered a sheet of double-sided adhesive to the back of each piece, and ran them through my die cut machine with Birch Press Designs’s Dahlia Heart Layer A die. I ran each piece through twice to make sure I got a nice clean cut through my felt (a precision base plate is also helpful when die cutting wool felt). I then die cut the same shape out of heavy 110# white cardstock three times and adhered each one to a base. After that, I took individual pieces of felt and inlaid them into the cardstock bases. This went quicker than you’d think (about the length of one bad TV show LOL), and how great is it that you get three different hearts out of this one process? Not to mention that the soft texture of the die cuts lends such a unique and special touch to the cards.

    After finishing my die cut inlay, I wanted to create three distinctive card designs to showcase these soft and pretty hearts. For the first, I adhered a strip of coordinating patterned paper to white woodgrain-embossed cardstock and attached the heart to the left of the panel. I cut my sentiment from Birch Press’s Smile Sugar Script die from woodgrain patterned paper and added a few gold gems to finish the card.

    For my second card, I cut a white panel from Birch Press’s Amour Layer A die and adhered it to a base I cut from woodgrain paper. I adhered my card on top, wrapping it with twine for some more texture. I stamped my sentiment from Poppystamps’s Greeting Basics stamp set onto vellum, embossing it in gold and cutting it out in a tag shape (and cutting out an identical tag shape from dark woodgrain cardstock as a base). I hung the tags from the twine to finish the card.

    For my third card, I die cut all three layers from Birch Press’s Grace Layering Die set and adhered them to a deep yellow card base. I then simply adhered the heart, die cut my sentiment from the Hugs Sugar Script die, and added some gems for a little added sparkle.

    I can’t tell you how much fun I had making these cards! They have already been confiscated by my daughter to give to her friends, and I can’t wait to try this technique with more dies. I hope this inspired you to try some felt in your die cut designs. Thanks so much for stopping by today, and I’ll see you again soon with more Birch Press Designs projects!


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  • Over the Edge with Jumbo Lingo Type dies | by Ardyth Percy-Robb

    Over the Edge with Jumbo Lingo Type dies | by Ardyth Percy-Robb

    Good morning! It’s Ardyth here this morning with 3 bright happy cards that focus on some new sentiment dies.

    This simple 4.25″ square design starts with the Bold Stripes stencil and two colours of ink, blended to create an ombre effect.

    Then I added the die cut Hugs sentiment, and stamped a sentiment from the Lingo Thanks stamp set.

    Then I did it again, with the Hello die cut and different colours on my background.

    And when it came time to do the third card with the Thanks die cut, it didn’t fit. It’s designed to fit on a full A2 card base. But because my square cards fit in an A2 envelope, it’s fine (and really fun!) to have the thanks hanging over the edge of this card!


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  • String Art Hugs | by Tracey McNeely

    String Art Hugs | by Tracey McNeely

    Hi there, it’s Tracey here with you this morning. Today I might be using the wrong design principles to create a sparkly card that looks right in my eyes.

    I started by ink blending the Midnight Mandala Stencil with Shaded Lilac Distress Oxide Ink over a panel of Bristol Smooth cardstock. I cut the panel down to a 3 7/8″ x 3 7/8″ square making sure the flower in the centre of the stencil was right in the centre of my ink blended panel. I had to do a little math and use my T-square to move out 1 15/16″ from the centre point of the flower.

    I cut of piece of royal blue cardstock from the Twinkling Jewel Glitter Pad to a 4″ square. I adhered this panel to a a 4 1/4″ card base. Next I adhered the ink blended panel over the glitter panel. This leaves a tiny 1/16″ border around the ink blended panel.

    The String Art Circle was cut twice, once with a bright green cardstock and once with the same royal blue glitter cardstock. I adhered the green string art circle to the centre of the ink blended panel and then I inlay the green centre. Next I adhered the royal blue string art circle over top slightly offset.

    The sentiment is from the Big Lingo Type Hugs die set. I cut the shadow using white cardstock and the inner letters from the royal blue glitter cardstock. I glued the letters over the shadow. Before adding it to the card I added tiny pieces of foam tape to the back of the word hugs and then placed it over the centre of the string art circle.

    So much glitter and sparkle! The best is that the glitter on the Twinkling Jewel Glitter papers stays put, no getting all over your hands and workspace or recipient!

    You could use any of the Birch Press Design stencils to create magnificent backgrounds to use along with any of the stand alone die cuts. Add in some of the beautiful glitter paper and you have a gorgeous card whether you used sound design principles or not! Thank you so much for creating with me today and have a great weekend!

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  • Creating Multiple Cards with One Design | by Tracey McNeely

    Creating Multiple Cards with One Design | by Tracey McNeely

    Hi there it’s Tracey. Today I am going to show you how easy it is to use one basic card design and by changing just one element you can make multiple cards each with a different theme.

    Each one of my four cards uses the newly released Kinsley Layer Set. The background paper for each of the die cuts was custom made using Distress Oxide Spray Inks. I sprayed some ink on my glass media mat and then sprayed some water onto the ink. I picked up the water with a foam blending tool and ran it back and forth across a panel of white cardstock until the whole panel was covered. I left some time so the first coat dry and then gave each of the panels a spritz of the same colour Distress Oxide Spray Ink direct to paper to add some subtle interest. I let the panels dry completely and then I cut four of the Kinsley Layer Dies Layer C from each panel. I chose to use only Layer C because on its own it creates a beautiful stitched pattern.

    Next I used the new Jumbo Lingo word dies to create glittery sentiments from the Twinkling Jewel Glitter Pad to co-ordinate with each of the die cuts. I used Jumbo Lingo Hello, Jumbo Lingo Thanks, Jumbo Lingo Hugs and Jumbo Lingo Happy. I cut the shadow from vellum cardstock and the individual letters from the glitter cardstock.

    Each white A2 sized card has a 5 1/4″ x 4″ mat that I adhered the Kinsley Layer die directly to and the sentiments added to the top with liquid glue. The mat was then adhered to the card base directly making the card nice and flat for mailing.

    Thanks so much for stopping in today. Give it a try, choose a simple background and change up your sentiments to make a collection of cards to have at the ready. You never know…

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