Category: Stamps

Hi there!  One of my favorite holidays to create for is Valentine’s Day.  A day set aside specifically to show those we care about just how special they are is something to celebrate!  So it is no surprise how much I love hearts, uplifting sentiments, and cheerful colors!  You can find all of these (and more) in the New Arrivals section in the Birch Press Design store!  The great thing about these products is that they can be used all year long, because letting others know you care is always in season!

To create my card, I started with a white card base, a piece of patterned paper, two die cut panels using the Cherish Plate B and Cherish Plate C, stamped and die cut sentiment, and some sequins.

I adhered all the paper layers together so that the patterned paper was layered beneath the Cherish Plate layers.  I glued on a few sequins (from the Pretty In Pink sequins mix) onto several of the hearts.

When using a lot of white in a design, adding a contrasting dark colored element can really draw your eye to the focal image, like I did with the sentiment.  Normally, the “Handmade Hugs” strip would get lost among all of the white and business of the background pattern.  To avoid this, I embossed the “Sending” sentiment (from the new Sending Love stamp set) in white onto black cardstock.  I die cut it out using the coordinating Sending Love Die Set and popped it up sing dimensional foam.

 

 

Before I go, did you see that there is a Flash Sale going on today?

 

 

Thanks so much for joining me here today!

 

 

 

 

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Hi and thanks for stopping by!  Valentine’s Day is just around the corner!  If you’re a card maker, like me, you’re thinking about what to make to send to loved ones.    I like traditional red and pinks, but for friends I prefer colorful, playful projects.  My card today reminds me of candy conversation hearts that we shared as children.
The new CHERISH plate dies are gorgeous!  There is a new stackable set of three in the store.  I love the stitched design on the CHERISH PLATE LAYER B, and didn’t want to cover it up!  This glitter inlay is a fun and quick technique!

First cut the CHERISH PLATE LAYER B from white card stock.  Next cut a sheet of double sided adhesive slightly smaller than your A2 (4.25 x 5.5″) card base.  Remove one side of the protective film and adhere the adhesive to the card base.   Next remove the second protective film from the adhesive and adhere the die cut cover plate to the card base.   The area inside each die cut heart will be sticky.

Next sprinkle your favorite color glitter inside each sticky heart.   Rub your finger over the glitter to press it into the adhesive.  I used some sheets of clear plastic to cover the surrounding hearts to prevent the glitter from going where I didn’t want it.  If you’re a beginner you might want to start with just a few colors of glitter.   Clean up is easy if you use a microfiber cloth.

Isn’t this beautiful?  Of course I wanted it to be the center of attention when I was done so I kept the sentiment clean and simple.

I stamped a sentiment from the new SENDING LOVE clear stamp set on a white piece of paper and adhered it over a die cut gold glitter STITCHED HEART die cut.

The gold heart is adhered with adhesive foam tape to add dimension.  Because the heart is larger, and in a different color than the background hearts it doesn’t get lost in the background.

This card was fun and easy to make!  I hope you’ll give it a try!  The sparkly glitter is sure to wow!  It’s total eye candy!

 

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I hope you’re having a great day!  I’m sharing a winter thanks card because I’m thinking you’ve been very nice and will receive lots of nice things this holiday season!

I trimmed a piece of Bubblegum Gingham card stock , and a piece of craft foam to fit the cover of my A2 size card.  Next I cut both panels with the Glitz Snowflake Layer C.  Next I stamped a Thank You Sentiment from the Just Because stamp set on the gingham panel and added a clear piece of acetate to the back of the gingham panel.

I trimmed the outside edges of the foam panel to make it a bit smaller than my card base so it doesn’t peek out from under the gingham panel.  I added sequins from the My Valentine tin (you need to check all the wonderful varieties in the store!).    I adhered the Glitz Snowflake layers A, B and C inside the die cut window.  Remember the acetate backing keeps everything neatly inside.  Next adhere the gingham panel over the foam panel.

It’s easy to change the look of this card by switching out the colors.  I chose pink for a soft feminine look but I think this would look great in just about any color  The fancy layered die cut steals the show and makes this look rich and expensive.

Switching up the sentiment for a winter birthday or “just because” is easy too.  There are several sentiment stamp sets with this beautiful font script available in the store.

Imagine the different color combinations you could make with this stunning die set!

Wishing you all the best this holiday season and always!

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Maybe Jennifer McGuire made you do it too?  She’s inspired lots of people to get out their alcohol inks and start blending!   You can see her original tutorial here. I too hadn’t given much thought to my alcohol inks lately.  It’s really addictive once you start playing.  All you need is some glossy or YUPO paper and alcohol inks. You can use any brand of alcohol inks – maybe you have some marker refill’s handy.

I wet my YUPO paper with alcohol ink before adding the drops of color to give me more play time and to soften the colors.  Alcohol ink dries very quickly!  The backgrounds are bold and beautiful, but a few things you might want to keep in mind…  work in a well ventilated area.  The smell from the rubbing alcohol is quite strong.  You’ll also want to be careful to not get the ink on your clothing – it will stain.  I worked on a glass craft mat.  This made clean up really easy.  The ink left on the mat is easy to remove with a cotton ball and rubbing alcohol.

For this clean graphic design I die cut the morning bird from watercolor paper and used the negative cut.  I saved the actual bird die cut for a second project.  The added thickness of the watercolor paper adds rich texture and an expensive heavy weight feel to the card.  You can die cut the cover of your card panel and adhere the blended backdrop to the inside cover of your card so it shows through the open die cut window.

The sentiment from the Just Because Clear Stamp Set was stamped with Versafine Onyx Black Ink.  I used a stamping tool to double stamp the sentiment.  The watercolor paper is uneven and I wanted to be sure it was stamped clearly.   I added a few gold sequins from the Not So Heavy Metal mix for some sparkle and shine.  There’s lots of new sequins in the store!  You can find them here!

You”ll love the beautiful backgrounds you can make with alcohol inks!

 

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Have you had a chance to check out the brand new An Apple A Day craft dies over at Birch Press Design? This fun set of three dies is perfect for creating for school themed projects. Today I am going to share with you a fun project creating a card for the hard working teacher in your life.

I created a video for you to see how I created my apples. I love how there are so many techniques and colouring mediums you can use along with dies and stamps from Birch Press Design!

I used the An Apple A Day dies to cut the apples, leaves and stems from my Distress Inked panels…


Adhered the apples together and attached to the card with adhesive and foam tape.

I added my ‘thanks’ from the Calligraphy Pop Thanks and sentiment from the Just Because clear stamps. Once the card was assembled I added Glossy Accents to the smallest apple. I applied it much slower than the speeded up video and I used a straight pin to pop any bubbles that formed. I let the Glossy Accents dry for about 2  hours before I took the final photos.

A closer look at the texture on the apples…

The completed card…

I hope that I inspired you to make something fun with the new Apple A Day craft dies. Used together or alone they are fabulous. We will see you again next Tuesday for more crafty inspiration!

Halloween is creeping up fast!  It’s time to start making some cards to send to your favorite boys and ghouls!  This one looks fussy but it’s really easy!

I cut the Avalon Frame from black and white card stock (layer a black, layer b white, layer c black) adhered them together and mounted on grey card stock.  This pattern is my favorite at Birch Press Design!

The Happy Halloween sentiment is a wood mount stamp from the store.  I love the vintage script that is elegant and eerie at the same time!

I framed the cat silhouette with a die cut circle of bright yellow card stock (like a moon).  I added a second slightly larger circle of black card stock to keep the background from closing in.  To color the cat’s eyes I added some green card stock behind the die cut eye openings.

Told you!  Lots of drama and so simple to assemble!

Thanks so much for all the nice comments we received during the Fall Coffee Lovers Blog Hop!  I’m happy to announce the winner from the event…
Arianna Barbara!  She receives a  $20 gift certificate for the store.    Congratulations!

Have a great day!

Finished Size 4.25 x 5.5″
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