Birch Press Design

Category: Mixed Media

  • Adornment Oak Leaf | by Crystal Komara

    Adornment Oak Leaf | by Crystal Komara

    Hello friends! Welcome back from the long weekend, I hope you all enjoyed your holiday weekend celebrating the official end to summer. I’m so ready for fall, my favorite season of the year here in New England. This is Design Team member Crystal Komara here today sharing a card that I made using the new Adornment Oak Leaf. This card also marks my first foray into the mixed media world and honestly, I’m still not sure what I think! I mean I like (kinda sorta) how this card came out, but I wouldn’t say I love the process of how I got there. One very messy step at a time and a lot of self doubt. So, I’ll preserve judgement until I play around a little bit more to see if mixed media will “be my thing.”

    Card details:

    The base of this A6 (6 1/4″ x 4 1/2″) is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. The background paper was leftover in my scrap bin, but it had the perfect fall colors I wanted, so I cut it to 6″ x 4 1/4″ and then splattered black ink and gold metallic spray all over the paper before adhering it directly to the card base.

    Using the Adornment Oak Leaf die, I die cut three different colored leaves in a rust colored cardstock, a yellow cardstock and a cherry red cardstock. I then cut the overlapping detail element from gold glitter paper. I adhered the gold glitter paper over each leaf and then splattered the leaves with black ink and gold metallic spray. I adhered the leaves to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

    Using the Big Sugar Script Thanks Die, I die cut the shadow layer from white cardstock and the thinner layer from rust colored glitter cardstock. I adhered both layers together with a fine-tip liquid glue and then I adhered the entire sentiment to the card with 3M foam adhesive.

    I love the colors of this card, but will I try mixed media again? Yes, in small doses, when I am fully prepared to be splattered by my own ink flicking!

    Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

     

    Supplies

     

     

    57484 Adornment Oak Leaf

     

     

    SP1002 Sunny Orange 6×6 pack

     

     

    SP1001 Berry Red 6×6 pack

     

     

    GP1007 Glitzy Glitter Pad

     

     

    57148 Thanks Sugar Script

     

  • forever grateful | by Rosemary Dennis

    forever grateful | by Rosemary Dennis

    Hi everyone! Rosemary here on the blog today. August is almost gone and that means that fall is right around the corner! I love fall in the Pacific Northwest. We can have beautiful clear blue-sky days that are slightly crisp, soggy wet ones and things in-between! Today I’m sharing a card that invokes the beautiful fall colors of oak leaves that are so fun to walk through on a crisp fall morning. Take a look.

    If you don’t know yet, Birch Press has a new release in the shop and it is full of beautiful dies that will help you create lovely fall and Christmas inspired projects. Today I’m using the new Adornment Oak Leaf and Hillside Branch and Bramble Contour Layers dies from the release along with a sentiment from the Brushed Sentiments set. A few weeks ago I created a few mixed media type panels using Memory Box mirror cardstock and alcohol inks. One of the panels I created used a piece of orange mirror cardstock from the Rainbow Reflections 6×6 pad. The resulting panel had a very subtle look to it. I was able to die cut something else from it and then used what was left over to die cut the outline of the Adornment Oak Leaf.

    The solid oak leaf was die cut from a piece of watercolor cardstock I had sprayed with several different distress mica sprays in fall colors. I also die cut the bare branches from the Hillside Branch and Bramble Contour Layers die set from the same piece. I adhered the outline leaf to the solid leaf and then arranged and adhered the bare branches. The photo below shows some of the shine and layering of colors from the distress sprays and the alcohol inks.

    I used Memory Box woodgrain cardstock in kraft for the background and die cut it with the second largest die from the Memory Box Curved Cap Pinpoint layers die set. A piece of off white cardstock was die cut with a rectangle die, adhered to my card base and then I layered on the woodgrain panel. I adhered the oak leaf with thin foam squares and added the little twine bow.

    I stamped the sentiment from Brushed Sentiments using a brown ink on off white cardstock, die cut it with the smallest Curved Cap Pinpoint die and adhered it to the panel. I finished off the card with some fall colored fairy jewels from the Autumn pack. I placed three under the sentiment and then scattered a few on the bare branches.

    I hope my card inspired you to get out your fall themed Birch Press Design dies and get going on those fall themed cards! Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!

    Supplies

    57524 Hillside Branch and Bramble Contour Layers

    57484 Adornment Oak Leaf

    CL8158 Brush Sentiments clear stamp set

    FP1003 Rainbow Reflections Mirror Pad

    94646 Curved Cap Pinpoint Layers

    jwl004 Autumn Fairy Jewels

    sh44003 Kraft Woodgrain Paper Pack

  • A Fall Thank You | By Natasha Vacca

    A Fall Thank You | By Natasha Vacca

    Hello Birch Press friends, it is Natasha here and I am excited to be back with you today! Today I created a fall thank you card using the new Oak Leaf die set. I am a summer girl at heart, however I do love the colors of Fall! So let’s get started!

    I started by creating 2 panels using mixed media paper and my Distress Mica Stains. I chose 3 colors to use today to create the panels. The panels will be used to die cut my leaves. I spritzed the colors onto my paper one at a time, heat set them with my heat tool, added water droplets, and picked up the color with a paper towel. I continued this process until I had the colors and texture I was looking for. I set the panels aside to completely dry as I worked on my background.

    Next I chose a piece of kraft paper from my stash and dry embossed the panel using the Memory Box Geometric Crystals embossing folder. I then used a sanding tool to distress the dry embossed panel in various sections. To add a bit more texture and dimension to the panel I applied Distress Oxide inks to the panel in 3 of the corners.

    Next I trimmed the panel using my Deckle Trimmer and distressed the edges using Distress Ink. I added splatters to the panel using black and gold splatter. I set the panel aside to completely dry.

    Next I took my 2 panels I created using the Distress Mica Stains and die cut 2 leaves using the new Oak Leaf Die set. I also die cut the top layer using white card stock. I then ink blended the top layer of the leaves using oxides and once dry added Foundry Wax for added shine. I then adhered both layers of the leaves together using liquid adhesive.

    To complete my card, I adhered the dry embossed panel onto an A2 card base using liquid adhesive. I adhered the leaves with foam tape. I chose the sentiment from Handwritten Thanks and Outline die set. I die cut the script Thanks 3 times, using black card stock, as well as from the Rainbow Reflections Mirror Pad. I adhered the layers together using liquid glue and added this to my card front. I chose a sub sentiment from my stash and completed the card with a few gems from Autumn Fairy Jewels. Thanks so much for stopping by today! I will be back soon!


    Supplies


    57484 Adornment Oak Leaf
    57420 Handwritten Thanks and Outline

    Supplies


    FP1003 Rainbow Reflections Mirror Pad
    EF1016 Geometric Crystals 3D Embossing Folder
    jwl004 Autumn Fairy Jewels
  • hugs | by Rosemary Dennis

    hugs | by Rosemary Dennis

    Hello everyone! Rosemary here today sharing a card made with the pretty new Adornment Wreath die from the latest release.

    As I thought about what I wanted to make with products from the new release I started to wonder if I could use cardstock from the Vintage Pastel Mirror with alcohol inks. The cardstock does have a slick finish just like glossy cardstock or Yupo paper. So I decided to give it a try and it worked! I used a bluish-green piece of cardstock from the pad along with several green and one blue alcohol ink. I used my Tim Holtz puffer tool (I don’t know if that it what it is called, lol, but it works for me) to move the ink around until I had it to my liking. Once dry I die cut the solid wreath from that panel.

    As you can see I still have some left over to die cut smaller pieces from or maybe add more alcohol ink. There are two sheets of each color in the pad so I decided to use the second one to die cut the top layer from and adhered that with liquid adhesive.

    For the sentiment I used one of the circle sentiments from the Contempo Greetings stamp and die set. I stamped the sentiment on a corner of the panel I die cut the adornment layer from using watermark ink and then heat embossed in white. I used the circle die from the set to die cut the sentiment. As I have said before the Memory Box woodgrain cardstock is great for adding just a little bit of interest and texture to your background. I think the wreath looks lovely layered on top!

    One of the alcohol inks I used is a pearlescent one. I tried to capture some of the shine it creates with the above photo. Not sure if it worked or not! I used thin foam squares to pop up the wreath and then thicker foam squares doubled up on the circular sentiment. I added the panel to a white cardstock base and then finished with tiny clear Memory Box fairy drops.

    I hope you enjoyed today’s card. If you have some Memory Box mirror cardstock try out your alcohol inks on it. You just might like how things turn out! Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!

    Supplies

    CL8160 Contempo Greetings clear stamp set

    57485 Adornment Wreath

    FP1002 Vintage Pastel Mirror Pad

    SH44001 White Woodgrain Paper Pack

    CLD101 Clear Fairy Drops

  • Just for You Mixed Media Tag | By Natasha Vacca

    Just for You Mixed Media Tag | By Natasha Vacca

    Hello Birch Press Friends, I am excited to be back on the blog today sharing a mixed media tag using 2 new dies from the latest collection: Oval Leaf Branches Contour Layers and Budding Twigs Contour Layers. So let’s get started!

    I started by die cutting the branches and twigs from the Oval Leaf Branches Contour Layers and Budding Twigs Contour Layers die sets. I die cut them from 2 shades of cardstock from the Stormy Blue and Fresh Aqua collection from the Memory Box paper pads. Once all the layers were die cut I added a bit of color to each layer using distress oxides. I then spritzed them with water and used a paper towel to pick up some of the color.

    Next I added embossing powder to all the die cuts. I applied embossing ink, then powder, and heat set them with my heat tool. I did wipe off some of the powder before heat setting them for a distressed look. I set the die cuts aside to work on my background.

    For the background I chose a gelli print from my stash and trimmed it into a tag. Next I ran the tag through my die cutting machine with the Ringadings 3D embossing folder. I then applied dye ink to one side of the folder and ran it through the machine again. Next I added embossing ink to the folder and ran it through one more time. I then added a gold embossing powder to some sections of the background and heat set it with my heat tool.

    Next I inked up the edges of the tag as well as some areas on the top of the tag with distress ink. I then determined the placement for the branches and the twigs. I adhered them with liquid glue and foam tape.

    Next I stamped the sentiment from the Gracious Floral stamp and die set. I completed the tag with a bit of cheesecloth and twine at the top of the tag. I adhered the sentiment with foam tape to complete the tag.

    Thank you so much for stopping by today! I will be back soon!


    Supplies


    57525 Oval Leaf Branches Contour Layers
    57529 Budding Twigs Contour Layers

    Supplies


    cl5280d Gracious Floral Clear Stamp and Die Set
    ef1015 Ringadings 3D Embossing Folder
    sp1004 Fresh Aqua
    sp1006 Stormy Blue
  • Phlox Blooms ATC’s | By Natasha Vacca

    Phlox Blooms ATC’s | By Natasha Vacca

    Hello Crafty friends! I am excited to be back on the blog today sharing a couple of mixed media ATC’s using the Phlox Blooms and Leaves Contour Layers die set. So let’s get started!

    I started by die cut the floral images from the Phlox Blooms and Leaves Contour Layers die set. I cut enough for 3 florals per ATC. I die cut the flowers using the Vibrant Violet paper pad from Memory Box. I chose 2 shades of pink for the flowers and the center of the flower. Once everything was die cut, I used several shades of Distress Oxide ink to add more depth and texture to the flower images.

    Once the flowers were all inked up I adhered the flowers together using liquid blue. Next I heat embossed the center of the flower using a gold embossing powder and then adhered the center to the flowers. I also added a few splatters to each flower. I then set the flowers aside to work on my backgrounds.

    For the background I chose a blue panel from my stash of pre-made backgrounds. I trimmed the panel into 2 ATC’s (Artist Trading Cards). Next I chose a piece of pattern paper from the Magnolia Grove paper pad from Memory Box. I tore the paper and then adhered this to each ATC using liquid glue.

    I then added a clear crackle paste to each ATC in a couple of places. I allowed the paste to dry and when it was completely dry I added a bit of distressing using distress crayons, as well as paper glaze for added shine and texture. Next I inked up the edges of each ATC using black distress ink.

    I then added white and purple splatters to each of the backgrounds. Once the splatters were dry, I adhered the flowers using liquid glue and foam tape. I completed my ATC’s with a couple of sentiment strips and a few gems from the Fairy Jewels – Brights collection!

    Thank you for stopping by today! I will be back soon!


    Supplies


    57507 Phlox Blooms and Leaves Contour Layers

    Supplies


    PP1022 Magnolia Grove 6×6 pack
    sp1007 Vibrant Violet
    jwl003 Bright Jewels
  • just a note | by Rosemary Dennis

    just a note | by Rosemary Dennis

    Hello! Rosemary here on the blog today sharing a mixed media type card that I created using the gorgeous new Large Cosmos Contour Layer die set, along with Fuddled Leaf Branches Contour Layer die set and a sentiment from the Sugar Script Sentiments 1 set. Let’s have a look.

    My teammate, Natasha, creates the most amazing mixed media projects using her Birch Press products. I was inspired by her to create my card combining by clean and simple with mixed media. I used Tim Holtz distress mica sprays and distress sprays and watercolor cardstock to create my panels.

    I die cut all the pieces and them assembled them using liquid adhesive. After the pieces were dry I added Gilded Distress Foundry Wax to the edges of the petals and the leaves. I used only smallest leaf cluster from the Fuddled Leaf Branches for my card. You have to work quickly when applying the foundry wax since it dries fast. I used my ring finger to apply the wax and then heat set it with my heat tool. Heat setting serves two purposes, it gives the wax the gilded look and it permanently sets it on your project. If you don’t heat set the was, it will simply chip off.

    Once I had the gilding done, I created my background panel. I die cut cream Memory Box woodgrain cardstock and then splattered it with distress mica spray in Tart Cranberry. I had previously foiled the sentiment, so I simply had to die cut a few more blanks and then adhere them to the sentiment. I arranged the flower, leaves and sentiment to the panel with liquid adhesive. I then added my panel to an off-white cardstock base.

    Here is a close up of the flower and leaves showing all that pretty gilding and some of the mica that provides alot of shine in real life.

    I hope my card inspires you to try mixed media in a more clean and simple way. Thanks for stopping by and have a lovely day!

    Supplies

    57500 Fuddled Leaf Branches Contour Layers

    BPF503 Sugar Script Sentiments 1 Hot Foil Plate and Die Sets

    57528 Large Cosmos Contour Layers

  • Mixed Media ATC’s with Curved Leaf Branch | By, Natasha Vacca

    Mixed Media ATC’s with Curved Leaf Branch | By, Natasha Vacca

    Hello Birch Press friends, I am excited to be back on the blog today. I love creating with dies and today I am going to share some mixed media ATC’s (Artist Trading Cards) with you! For the focal image I will be using the Curved Leaf Branch Contour Layers die set. So let’s get started!

    I started by die cutting 3 of the Curved Leaf Branch layers using white card stock, as well as a set using the Vibrant Violet paper pad. Once the leaves were die cut, I set the white leaf branches aside. I wanted to keep these one layer. On the violet leaf branch, I added oxide ink to the leaves, as well as to the top layer on the leaves. I used several shades of ink to add contrast to the leaves. I adhered on the 2nd layer of the leaves using liquid glue and then set these aside.

    Once my leaves were die cut, I trimmed 3 different gelli prints into ATC size (2.5 x 3.5). On each of the ATC’s I added a variety of texture using texture paste and crackle paste. I added the paste using a spatula to the edges, as well as used the Gilded Grace Inside Stencil Set. I chose one of the stencils from the set and added the stencil to my backgrounds and applied texture paste through the stencil. I allowed the paste to dry completely before moving onto the next step.

    Once the paste was dry, I added a bit more texture by applying distress crayons and gold glitz to the paste areas. I continued to work on the areas until I was happy with the texture of my backgrounds. Once everything was dry, I added a strip of washi tape to each ATC, with a bit of white gesso for added distressing. I also added white splatters to a couple of the ATC’s as well.

    Next it was time to adhere the leaves onto the ATC panels. Under each leaf I used gold thread and adhered this to the panel with a glue dot. I then adhered the leaves onto each ATC on top of the gold thread. I added sentiments from my stash, as well as a stamped sentiment from the Gracious Floral Stamp and die set. I trimmed the sentiments and adhered them to my ATC’s.

    I added a butterfly die cut to two of the ATC panels. I die cut the Simple Butterfly Contour Layers die set using the Vibrant Violet paper pad. I added Distress Oxide ink to each layer of the butterfly and then adhered it together. I thought this was a sweet and simple addition!

    I hope you enjoyed stopping by today and learning how to create ATC’s, as well as how to use your layering stencils to add texture!

    Have a great day and I will be back soon!


    Supplies


    cl5280D Gracious Floral Clear Stamp and Die Set

    Supplies


    57513 Curved Leaf Branch Contour Layers
    57490 Simple Butterfly Contour Layers
    42036 Gilded Grace Inside Stencil Set

    Supplies


    sp1007 Vibrant Violet

  • Mixed Media Large Cosmos | By Natasha Vacca

    Hello Birch Press friends, it is Natasha here and I am back today sharing ideas on how to create a mixed media card using your dies! For today’s card I am using 2 new dies: Large Cosmos Contour Layers and Curved Leaf Branch Contour Layers. Let’s get started!

    I started by die cutting the Large Cosmos Contour Layers die using the Vibrant Violet paper pad from Memory Box. I chose 2 shades of card stock from the paper pad. Once the floral was die cut, I added dye inks to the floral for added dimension. I then spritzed the floral layers with water droplets and picked up the color with a paper towel. I then adhered the floral together using liquid glue. For the center of the floral I chose a gold card stock from the Vintage Pastel Mirror Pad. I adhered this to the center of the floral and set this aside.

    Next I started to die cut the Curved Leaf Branch Contour Layers die. I chose 2 shades of blue card stock from the Fresh Aqua paper pad from Memory Box. Once the leaf was die cut, I added 2 shades of dye ink to the leaf image. I added water droplets as well and picked up the color with paper towel. Once dry, I adhered the leaf layers together. I then added brown distress ink to the leaf edges for added texture.

    Once the flower and leaf image was complete, I started to work on my background. I chose a gelli print from my stash with similar colors. I then dry embossed the background using the Ringadings 3D embossing folder. I added a bit more texture to the folder using dye ink in a dark grey on some areas of of the raised circles, as well as a blue glaze, and foundry wax. I allowed everything to dry, once the background was dry I added a few splatters to the background.

    Next I added 2 pieces of pattern paper from the Magnolia Grove paper pack. I chose 2 colors to coordinate with my card design and tore the strips for a distressed look. I then adhered the card panel, strips of paper, leaf and floral to my A2 card base.

    To complete my card I chose the Big Hugs Sugar Script die. I die cut the hugs sentimnent 3 times out of black card stock. I then adhered each layer together using liquid glue. I added a bit of foam tape behind the hugs sentiment for added dimension.

    I hope today’s card inspires you to use your dies to create a mixed media style card!

    I will be back soon with more crafty inspiration!


    Supplies


    57513 Curved Leaf Branch Contour Layers
    57528 Large Cosmos Contour Layers
    57138 Big Hugs Sugar Script

    Supplies


    pp1022 Magnolia Grove 6×6 pack
    ef1015 Ringadings 3D Embossing Folder
    fp1002 Vintage Pastel Mirror Pad
    sp1004 Fresh Aqua
    sp1007 Vibrant Violet