Category: Stamps

  • Mandala Shaker | by Tracey McNeely

    Mandala Shaker | by Tracey McNeely


    Good morning and time for some more Birch Press Design inspiration. I am sure by now you have had a chance to play with the vast array of gorgeous mandala designs. For today’s card I used the Kaleidoscope Layer craft dies to create a fun shaker card.

    The Kaleidoscope mandala is actually two mandalas in one. There is an outer rind and and inner circle. By cutting different colours for the layers the options are endless. There are three layers to his mandala so by mix and matching the colours you can keep it as simple as you would like or by using more and more colours your design becomes more complex. For this shaker I have decided to make the outter ring using shades of pink and the inner circle blues and green.

    We start by cutting the mandala. For this card I am choosing to cut the darkest and most dramatic colours using Kaleidoscope Layer C–so one cut with the green and one cut with the darkest of the pinks.  Then cut 1 Kaleidoscope Layer B in both of your mid tones and finally Kaleidoscope Layer A in the lightest colours. Remember to use a metal shim to ensure crisp, clean cuts.

    Once the layers are cut assemble the Mandala. By cutting each layer with two colours there were enough pieces to make two mandalas.

    To create the shaker I an using the Mandala Card Frame. Cut one from white and then add the sentiment leaving enough room to add the die cut portion of the sentiment after the card is complete.

    After you have added the stamped sentiment adhere a piece of acetate to the back of it to cover the window that the die created. I have prepared a short video for you to show you how I created, assembled the shaker and finished the card.

    The mandala is set into the circle on the top of the card base. Add the final die cut portion of the sentiment and the card is done.

    Thank you so much for joining me today with another creation with mandalas. You can make shaker card with any of the mandala designs if any colours you chose.

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  • Just Becauseby Jeanne Jachna

    Just Because
    by Jeanne Jachna


    Thanks for stopping by!  Jeanne here today with a pretty in pink mandala inspired card made with the Bali Layered Die set!  I love to send cards for all occasions but the most special are the ones sent just because – a little note to let someone know they’re on my mind.

    I started with a panel of soft pink card stock the same size as the front of my card base.  I die cut the panel with the Mandala Circle Base and then stamped a sentiment from the Just Because clear stamp set.   I always stamp before assembling my projects because if something goes wrong it’s easier to start over at the beginning!

    I attached the panel to my card base and then cut the Bali layers in orange yellow and pink – colors that remind me of flowers.

    I adhered the die cut circles directly inside the circle opening.  I’ve found if you adhere them together and then try to inlay them inside the opening it won’t quite fit as smoothly.  The finishing touch is the flower in the center of the mandala made from the die cut pieces, and a sprinkle of Pretty In Pink sequins from the shop.

    I hope you find some time to make today!

    Finished Size 4.25 x 5.5″

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  • Purr-fect by Jeanne Jachna

    Purr-fect by Jeanne Jachna

    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.

    I hope you have a great day with time to create!

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  • Let Your Dreams Set Sail | By Eloise Blue

    Let Your Dreams Set Sail | By Eloise Blue

    Hi friends, Eloise here and today I have a card to share with you all using the Let Your Dreams Sail Stamp Set along with just the A Plate from the Waves Plate Die. I’ll also be pulling in some Distress Inks to create a simple sunset background.

    To begin my card today I started off with die cutting my background panel. I used the Waves Plate A Die and die cut it from some white cardstock. I used an exact knife to cut away some of the top excess waves, since I only wanted the waves to be focused along the bottom of the panel. I kept the frame in tact though, since I wanted it to frame off my design. Now my frame had been altered, I stamped out my sailboat from the Let Your Dreams Sail set and coloured it in with Copic Markers. I used the coordinating die to cut it out.

    (Copic Markers Used: BG11, BG32, BG23, BG49 / N0 N2, N4 / 0 / E53, E55, E57 / Y11 Y15, Y19)

    Now I was ready to work on the background. I first used the Waves Plate Die Cut as a template and traced the top of the waves onto some masking tape. I then cut it out with scissors and used it to mask off some watercolour paper. I used Abandoned Coral, Spiced Marmalade and Mustard Seed for the sunrise/sunset part of the background. I then used the negative mask and ink blended some Tumbled Glass and Salty Ocean at the bottom section.

    Now my background was done, I adhered my Waves background over the top. I then stamped some of the birds from Let Your Dreams Sail Stamp Set around the background and white heat embossed those. I then adhered my sailboat over the top as well. To finish off, I stamped the ‘Sail’ sentiment directly on the background with black ink and then white heat embossed the additional ‘Let Your Dreams Set’ sentiment onto a thin strip of black cardstock and adhered it to my card as well.

    That finished off my card for today, I hope you enjoyed. The video is linked down below if you would like to watch it.

    Thanks so much for stopping by today and I’ll catch you next time.

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  • Smile It’s Your Birthday | by Tracey McNeely

    Smile It’s Your Birthday | by Tracey McNeely


    Hi there and welcome to another crafty inspiration post. We are also excited that we are sponsoring the Cupcake Inspiration Challenge #449.The prize for one lucky participant is a $20 gift certificate for Birch Press Design. All the details are over on the Cupcake Inspiration Challenge Blog.

    Today I made a card inspired by the new Theme Challenge Under the Sea using Birch Press Design craft dies and clear stamps.

    I created my sea by first sponging two panels of Bristol Smooth cardstock with Salty Ocean Distress Oxide inks. The back panel I sponged very gently so that the colour was not too intense. The second layer I put more pressure so that I got a more vibrant blue. On both panels I did not worry about covered the entire panel evenly, I felt it was more true to the turbulent s of the ocean. Using the Waves Plate B craft die I die cut the second, darker panel and adhered it on top of the first panel using spray adhesive to make sure all the waves were stuck down.

    Next is where I started to get a little creative and have some fun. I made some fish using the Viva Layer A craft die. Wait, that is a mandala die not a fish die? By selecting three different shapes within the die I was able to piece together my fish body, tail and eyes.

    All it took was a little drop of glue to adhere the tail and the eye to the body.

    Once the fish were assembled I placed them on to the card in the swirls of the waves.

    The handwritten Smile from Wishing You the Best clear stamp set, was stamped in black and die cut in white. Then the phrase ‘It’s Your Birthday’ from the same set was stamped and heat embossed in white on black cardstock. Splitting the sentiment up into two different colours adds interest. Here is another look at the finished card.

    I hope that today I have inspired you to look at some of the products you may already have in a different way to create something new. Don’t forget to visit the Cupcake Inspiration Challenge blog to play along and possibly win a gift certificate from Birch Press Design. Thanks you for stopping by and have a wonderful day.

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  • Here For You Always | By Laurie Schmidlin

    Here For You Always | By Laurie Schmidlin

     

     

    Hi there!  Laurie here with you today sharing some crafty inspiration with you!

     

     

    I created two cards using the Butterfly Garden Plate Layer C die.  For the first one, I used warm ink colors that I sponged onto the die cut panel.

     

     

    For the sentiment I die cut the Big Hugs die from black cardstock and mounted it on a vellum shadow layer.  The great thing about this die set is that both the word and shadow layer dies are included together!

    The stamped sentiment is from the Dragonfly Greetings clear stamp set.

     

     

    When I’m needing to replenish my card stash, I try to create multiple cards at the same time.  It really doesn’t take that much longer to die cut the layers twice instead of only once.  Even though I chose different colors to sponge on the background, I used the same gold and white paint to splatter on.

     

     

    My second card features cool ink colors.  I usually choose three ink colors to use when I’m sponging a background like this.  I also try to choose colors that blend well together.

     

     

     

     

    I’m so glad you joined me here today!  I hope you have a fabulous weekend!

     

     

     

     

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  • Sending Wedding Wishes | by Tracey McNeely

    Sending Wedding Wishes | by Tracey McNeely

    Welcome to another inspiration post here at Birch Press Design. I just can seem to get enough of the new Mandala dies and today I have a video tutorial to create a pretty wedding card. I am using the Kaleidoscope Layer A, Kaleidoscope Layer B and Kaleidoscope Layer C craft dies along with the Big Sending Sugar Script die in a colour scheme that is perfect for a summer wedding.

    The mandala dies are very detailed and quite elegant but making this card was actually quite quick and easy. The dies do most of the work for you and along with the addition of a few other supplies you can make something really unique.
    The video below will show you how I created all the elements for my cards using Distress Oxide inks and Bristol Smooth cardstock to create my own custom coloured cardstock to use with the dies.


    As you could see in the video I decided to change the embossed sentiment from black to the same custom blue that I used for the mandala. The black ended up looking a bit heavy with the pastel colours. I pulled the blue from the deepest layer of the mandala to really make the sentiment pop.

    The Big Sending Sugar Script die was cut with a single layer of white and the shadow was cut from a piece of vellum. The sentiment strip were created from two clear stamp sets. Best Wishes came from the Sending Love clear stamp set and ‘On Your Special Day’ from the Wishing You The Best clear stamp set.

    One more look at the completed card.

    Thank you for stopping in today, we are hoping that you have been enjoying the more frequent posts at Birch Press Design. I hope that I have inspired you to use the mandala craft dies when you look at creating cards for summer celebrations.

     

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  • For You | By Eloise Blue

    For You | By Eloise Blue

      

    Hi friends, Eloise here and today I’ll be using the Grace Layer Set to create my main focal background along with the Big You Sugar Script Dies and Sending Love stamp set to create a simple For You card.

    To begin my card today, I started off with die cutting my background. I cut the Layer A from Mint Cardstock, Layer B from Blue/Aqua Cardstock and Layer C from Yellow. Then I repeated the same steps for just the middle of the die, but in reverse, so Layer A was cut from Yellow. Now that all my layers were cut, I removed all the inner pieces and glued the layers together with liquid glue. I set acrylic blocks on top of them to ensure they stuck together well.

    Now that all my pieces were adhered together, I used the Mandala Circle Base and cut it from some white cardstock. Then using the larger circle piece, that looks like a donut; I adhered my yellow top layer on it, since I wanted to pop it up later and have the white behind it. While I had my die cutting machine out, I also cut the ‘You‘ sentiment from light and darker pink cardstock. I then adhered them together and my card was ready to complete.

    I adhered my main focal panel flat onto my card base with more liquid glue, then added foam tape onto the back of the next circle and inlayed that in . Then lastly I added the smallest circle in the middle of the popped up circle. For my sentiment, I added foam tape onto the back of the ‘You‘ sentiment and then adhered it into the centre of my popped up circle.

    To finish off my card, I used the Sending Love stamp set and white heat embossed the ‘For’ word onto a thin strip of black cardstock. I popped that up on more foam tape and adhered it into place. So that finished up my card for today I hope you enjoyed and got inspired.

    Linked down below is the video for you to watch, if you would like too.

    Thanks so much for stopping by and I’ll catch you all next time.

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  • Wishing You | by Tracey McNeely

    Wishing You | by Tracey McNeely


    Welcome to another Birch Press Design inspiration post. I hope that you have had the opportunity to play with some of the stamps from the newest release. Today I have a quick tutorial for you using the new Sparkler Butterfly Layered craft dies. These beautiful butterflies have four different layers that can be used together to create some awesome dimension or on their own with their distinct individual characteristics. Today I used the Sparkler Butterfly Layer A and the Sparkler Butterfly Layer C to create a pretty card that could be used for a bridal shower, a wedding, a birthday or even as an encouragement card.

    I began by sponging some Distress Oxide inks on to three panels of Bristol Smooth cardstock with a foam blending tool. I divided each panel in two and I sponged colours that complimented each other on the top and bottom.

    Next I sprinkled some clean water over the panels and then picked up some of the colour with a paper towel. Then I cut the tops with Layer A and the bottoms with Layer C.

    Next I prepared my sentiment using the Wishing You the Best clear stamp set. The phrase ‘you all the happiness’ was stamped directly on the card base and the word wishing was stamped and die cut with the Wishing You the Best craft dies.

    The butterflies were layered together and adhered in the middle allowed the wings to be free to bend slightly up for added dimension.


    These dies along with this technique made for a really beautiful quick and easy card with lots of interest and also easy for mailing as the butterflies can lay flat.

    I hope you were inspired today to go and make something beautiful. Have a lovely day and see you back here on Wednesday for another creative post by the design team.

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  • Let Your Dreams Set Sail | By Laurie Schmidlin

    Let Your Dreams Set Sail | By Laurie Schmidlin

     

    Happy Friday!  Today I have a card to share with you featuring the Let Your Dreams Set Sail stamp set.

     

     

    With warmer temperatures finally here, I was inspired to create a nautical scene with rich summer colors.

     

     

    For the background, I die cut the Waves Plate A die out of white cardstock.  I lightly sponged some teal ink to the middle of the waves layer.

     

     

    I sponged the card base with yellow and teal inks, creating a sunny water scene.  Before adhering the waves die cut layer onto the card base, I sprayed some adhesive onto the bottom third of the die cut and sprinkled on some glitter.

     

     

    After stamping the images from the Let Your Dreams Set Sail stamp set, I die cut them with the coordinating die set.

     

     

    Thanks so much for joining me here today!  I hope you all can find some time to get crafty this weekend!

     

     

     

     

     

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