Tag: birch press designs

  • Go With the Flow – Ocean-Inspired Zines  Covers | by Sandhya Iyer

    Go With the Flow – Ocean-Inspired Zines Covers | by Sandhya Iyer

    Hello Birch Press Design friends! Sandhya here, and today I’m sharing something a little different and super fun—mixed media zines! Inspired by the new ocean and underwater-themed dies from Birch Press Design, I created the front covers for two handmade zines that I’ll be filling with all sorts of sea-themed paper art.

    I absolutely love how the Block Print Floating Jellyfish and Sea Kelp and Mini Fish dies bring an instant sense of movement and whimsy. These die sets are the perfect focal point for ocean-themed mixed media projects, cards, journals, and more!

    First Zine: Go With the Flow

    I started with a sheet of mixed media paper that  I smooshed and splattered with Distress Oxides in different shades of soft oceanic blues to create a splashed look. I then folded it into a zine.

    I added texture to the top page using clear paste through a stencil to create waves. I then created a cluster using torn paper, cheesecloth, and some vintage-inspired ephemera to nest my focal point.

    I then die cut and assembled my Jelly fish out of bright pink and iridescent cardstock. I also die-cut some kelp out of watercolor paper that I had smooshed and sprayed with Distress inks in green.

    The bright pink jellyfish floats over the Kelp, making it the star of the piece. The sentiment “Go With the Flow” is the perfect mantra for both ocean life and art-making!

    Second Zine: Grow In Your Own Light

    For this cover, I kept the background more graphic and inky with bright aqua pattern paper, and layered stamping, stenciling and splatters.

    Another pink jellyfish takes center stage, accompanied by the empowering sentiment “Grow in your own light.” I love how this one feels like a dreamscape under the sea!

    These zines will be a fun way for me to explore and play with all the gorgeous dies from the latest ocean-themed release. I hope these covers inspire you to dive into your stash and try something new—whether it’s a tag, journal, card, or zine.

    Thanks for joining me today! I’ll be back soon with more inspiration from the sea

    Crafting with joy,
    Sandhya

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  • Sending Warm Wishes | by Crystal Komara

    Sending Warm Wishes | by Crystal Komara

    Hello friends and happy Tuesday! I hope you are all having a wonderful day so far. This is Design Team member Crystal Komara here with you today sharing a “warm wishes” card and nothing says warm like the color yellow, right?

    The base of this A2 sized card is made from 100 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. First, I created an alcohol ink background from Butterscotch Ranger Adirondack alcohol ink on Yupo paper. Once that dried, I adhered the background directly to the card base.

    Using the new Honeycomb Plate, I die cut the honeycomb frame from white cardstock. I adhered the frame to the card using a very fine-tip liquid glue. Next, using the Perky Bloom Contour Layers die, I created the flower. I die cut all pieces of the Perky Bloom Contour Layers die from white cardstock to create a solid white flower (minus a black stamen) that would pop against that bold alcohol ink background. I adhered the layers of the flower together and adhered the flower to the lower right corner of the card.

    Using the Foliage Bunch dies, I die cut foliage from black cardstock. I adhered the foliage under the flower. Lastly, for a sentiment I added a foil tab from Memory Box, a sister company to Birch Press Design.

    I hope you like today’s card. Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

  • Block Print Garden Heart | by Crystal Komara

    Block Print Garden Heart | by Crystal Komara

    Hello friends and happy Monday! I hope you all enjoyed a wonderful weekend. It has been incredibly rainy here in the Northeast where I live (Massachusetts). This is Design Team member Crystal Komara here with you today sharing my first card made using the new Block Print Garden Heart dies.

    The base of this card is made with 110 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock.

    Let’s make this card:

    1. I cut a 5 1/4″ x 4″ piece of Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock and used Layer A of the Viola Plate Layering set as a stencil. I stenciled directly over the steel die using Ranger Distress Oxide ink in the color Twisted Citron.
    2. I die cut the Block Print Garden Heart itself from white cardstock. I die cut the leaves of the heart from green cardstock .
    3. I die cut various pieces of the flower from three different colored pink cardstock.
    4. I die cut the center of the flowers from yellow cardstock.
    5. I adhered the flower pieces together using a fine-tip liquid glue.

    Once both flower hearts were assembled, I adhered them to the card front using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

    Lastly to create the sentiment, I die cut the Happy Birthday Vintage Sentiment from two different colored pink yardsticks. I adhered the two layers together with a fine-tip liquid glue. Then I adhered the sentiment to the card using 3M foam adhesive.

    I really love this beautiful new Block Print Garden Heart die set and can’t wait to create with it again! Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

  • Butterfly Birthday Card | Sandhya Iyer

    Butterfly Birthday Card | Sandhya Iyer

    Hi, crafty friends! Sandhya here, and I’m thrilled to be back on the Birch Press Design blog today with a card that is all about texture, dimension, and a touch of elegance. This butterfly-themed birthday card was such a joy to create, and I hope it inspires you to play with layers and die-cutting in your own projects!

    For the background, I used a Gelli print on deli paper to achieve a soft, organic texture. I adhered the deli paper to a piece of white cardstock to give it stability and enhance the colors. The soft pink hues and subtle variations from the Gelli print created a unique, artistic effect that makes the background truly special.

    For the focal element, I used the Birch Press Design Block Print Scalloped Butterfly Die, layering different shades of pink and yellow to give it a bright and cheerful look. I love how the delicate cutouts in the butterfly wings add an airy, elegant feel to the design.

    To add a bit of greenery and movement, I tucked in some die-cut leaves from the Birch Press Design Rosebud Arch Contour Layers Dies behind the butterfly. Then, I added a few loops of gold thread to bring in a hint of shine and sophistication.

    I wanted to keep the sentiment simple yet elegant, so I used a foiled ‘Happy Birthday’ sentiment strip from the Memory Box Greeting Tabs. Finally, I embellished the card with a few iridescent flatback pearls for a soft, glistening effect.

    This card is perfect for birthdays, but you could easily swap out the sentiment for a ‘Thinking of You’ or ‘Congratulations’ greeting. The combination of gelli printing texture, layered die-cuts, and a soft color palette makes it a versatile design for many occasions!

    I’d love to hear what you think! Do you enjoy working with Gelli prints, embossing folders, and layering dies? Let me know in the comments, and don’t forget to tag me @sanjuscreations if you give this technique a try!

    Happy crafting!

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  • Hello, Bluebird | by Sandhya Iyer

    Hello, Bluebird | by Sandhya Iyer

    Hi, crafty friends! Sandhya here, and I’m excited to share a card I created using some gorgeous Birch Press Design dies and Memory Box cardstock. This card was a joy to make, combining intricate layering, soft ink blending, and a little ink splatter to bring this charming bluebird to life.

    I started with a white card base and lightly ink-blended blue Distress Ink around the edges to create a soft, dreamy effect. I also added subtle script details using a stencil from my collection. Next, I embossed a piece of gel-printed cardstock from my stash with a woodgrain pattern to add texture and warmth.

    I used the Block Print Perched Bird die to cut out my adorable bluebird, layering different shades of blue and gray from the Lagoon cardstock pack. The result? A dimensional, eye-catching bird with intricate details!

    The Rosebud Arch Contour Layers die set was perfect for adding a graceful frame around the bird. I die-cut the leaves in varying shades of green from the Greenery cardstock pack and the flowers in soft pinks, lightly inking the edges for added depth.

    The Hello Scripted die provided a delicate yet bold sentiment. I cut it from deep blue cardstock and adhered it near the top for balance. I then arranged all the elements—bird, floral frame, and sentiment—onto the woodgrain panel, ensuring a harmonious composition. To bring everything together, I splattered some white ink across the background for a subtle artistic effect. This step adds a hint of whimsy and enhances the overall dreamy vibe of the card.

    I love how this project turned out—full of dimension, texture, and soft, natural beauty. I hope this inspires you to experiment with layering, color palettes, and die-cutting to create your own nature-inspired cards. Happy crafting!

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  • Rustic Thank You Tags | By Sandhya Iyer

    Rustic Thank You Tags | By Sandhya Iyer

    Hello, friends! This is Design Team member Sandhya Iyer and I am sharing a pair of rustic thank you tags. These tags feature the Evening Moths die set and Thank You Foil Greetings Black tabs.

    I used Index flash cards to create my tags. First, I added a generous layer of crackle paste on 2 flashcards and set them to air-dry. What I had in my stash was ‘Golden’ brand, the cracks were very fine and barely noticeable. So after the tags dried, I crumpled them and added more interest. I ink blended around the edges with Rustic Hinge and Vintage Photo Distress inks and added black and white splatters to create an interesting background.

    Next, I die-cut the Moth Layers out of watercolor cardstock. I pulled out Distress Oxide inks and used detail blending brushes to ink the wings and body layers of the moth. I have a picture showing the colors I used to create my rustic and vibrant color combos. Then I assembled the little moths and added some detail to the wings using gel pens.

    Next, I inked the edges of another pair of index cards and adhered them to the back of the prepared backgrounds to make them more sturdy. I also added gold eyelets to the tags to harmonize with the sentiment tabs’ gold.

    I arranged the moths to my liking and adhered them with some foam tape. Finally, I added the sentiment tabs and colorful/jute twine to my tags. I finished off with a few little sprigs of dried baby’s breath tucked under the sentiment tabs.

    This brings us to the end of today’s post. Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you have fun crafting today!

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  • Plaid Adornment Pumpkin | by Crystal Komara

    Plaid Adornment Pumpkin | by Crystal Komara

    Hello fall friends! This is Design Team member Crystal Komara here to inspire you today! I have been sharing a lot of detailed intricate die cut cards lately, so today I thought I would keep my card a little more simple. I know that those intricate contour dies can be intimidating to some (as they were to me at first), but Birch Press Design makes so many gorgeous products, that you can cater the level of detail to your own personal taste.

    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 Kraft cardstock and adhered it directly to the card base. Then, using Layer Plate B of the Flora Plate Layer Set, I die cut that from Kraft cardstock and adhered it directly to the previous Kraft layer (so it’s kind of see through).

    I die cut the base of Adornment Pumpkin from plaid cardstock from the Gladiola paper pack by Memory Box Company (a sister company of Birch Press Design). I LOVE their paper packs, they are all stunning. I cut the outline of the Adornment pumpkin from white cardstock. I layered the two together using a fine-tip liquid glue before adhering the pumpkin to the card with 3M foam adhesive for dimension.

    I die cut a bunch of leaves using the Tiny Tufts Leaves and Flowers contour set. I die cut these leaves in both a dark brown and gold glitter cardstock. I adhered the leaves to the top stem of the pumpkin. Lastly, I stamped the sentiment “forever grateful” from the Brush Sentiment clear stamp set. I stamped the sentiment in Versamark ink on dark brown cardstock and heat embossed the sentiment with white embossing powder. I then used an oval punch to punch out the sentiment. I adhered the sentiment to the pumpkin using 3M foam adhesive.

    Fall is one of my favorite seasons to make cards for. I promise you will be seeing lots more ways to use this Adornment Pumpkin in the very near future!

    Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

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  • 105 days until Christmas | by April Antonio

    105 days until Christmas | by April Antonio

    Hello friends! Design Team member April here today sharing an early Christmas card using some of the products from the new holiday release. With Autumn almost upon us, everything is about to speed up, so why not start on creating some holiday cheer?! Also, these new dies are just too cute to put down!

    Here’s how I pulled this card together:

    I grabbed a pre-cut slimline card base in white, and glued a dark blue cardstock mat to the background to represent the night sky. I used the new Wavy Hillside die set and cut the largest die from white cardstock twice. I glued the die cuts twice to the front of the slimline card using foam tape, and made sure to leave a little room at the top so that I could later tuck in some of the houses and trees.

    I cut the Littletown Village, Littletown Church, and Littletown Home die sets all from white card stock, and assembled them accordingly. I then did some light ink blending in blue and purple on the bottom of each building, and did some darker ink blending in green on the trees. I then arranged the trees and houses across the hillside tucking some behind the ‘snow’ and placing some on top. I also added some to the bottom of the card front in either corner.

    For my sentiment I used the Merry Christmas Confection Script die with the shadow in the same dark blue as my background and the letters cut out from white cardstock.

    Finishing touches: I used a white gel pen to add some ‘falling snow’ to the dark blue background. I also added some silver jewels from the Memory Box Christmas Fairy Jewels set, and used a glitter pen to add some sparkle to the roofs of the buildings.

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  • Best Wishes Tag | by Sandhya Iyer

    Best Wishes Tag | by Sandhya Iyer

    Hello, friends! This is Design Team member, Sandhya Iyer, and today I am sharing a mixed media tag using dies from Birch Press Design. I used the Floral Arch Contour Layers and Best Wishes Vintage sentiment dies for my project today.

    I started by die-cutting the layers for the floral arch and the sentiment out of watercolor cardstock. For the stem layer, I used green cardstock. Next, I pulled out dye inks in shades of pinks and inked up the floral layers and the letters in the sentiment.

    Next, I trimmed a piece of snow tulle fabric to create a background for my die-cut layers. I used a manila tag as the base and sewed the fabric to the tag. I did a mix of zig-zag and straight stitches to amp up the mixed-media effect.

    Next, I adhered the die-cut floral arches and the sentiment to the tag. Finally, I finished off with a piece of linen ribbon to tie the top of the tag.

    This brings us to the end of today’s post. Thank you so much for stopping by and I hope you have fun crafting today!

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  • ATC (Artist Trading Cards) Thank You Notes | By, Natasha Vacca

    ATC (Artist Trading Cards) Thank You Notes | By, Natasha Vacca

    Hello Birch Press friends, I am excited to be back on the blog today sharing an Artist Trading Card idea with you! Today’s project is using 3 die sets: Budding Twigs Contour Layers, Sylvan Berries and Leaves Contour Layers, and the Simple Dragonfly. Let’s get started!

    I started by die cutting all 3 sets: Budding Twigs Contour Layers, Sylvan Berries and Leaves Contour Layers, and the Simple Dragonfly onto Canson XL watercolor paper. I die cut 2 sets of the Budding Twigs. Next I used pigment powders to color each of the die cut layers. I place all the die cuts on my glass work surface, add the pigment powder to the die cuts with a fan brush, then spritz the pieces with water. I move the color around with my paintbrush. I set all the layers aside to dry.

    Once all the layers were dry, I added more texture to the layers using dye ink. I applied the ink to the edges of each layer and then adhered the layers together using liquid glue. Next I chose a background from my stash and trimmed the panel into 2 Artist Trading Cards (2.5 x 3.5).

    I then added texture to each of the ATC backgrounds using crackle paint. Once the paint dried, I added distress crayon over the crackled paint. Next I added washi tape from my stash, as well as applied distress ink and acrylic paint with a sponge. I then distressed the edges of each ATC.

    Once the background was complete, I chose a piece of coordinating cardstock from the Magnolia Plaid paper pad from Memory Box. I tore the paper and distressed the edges. Next I determined the placement for my twigs and berries and then adhered them with my tiny stapler to my torn piece of cardstock, with a piece of lace on the back. I adhered the dragonfly, as well as a thank you sentiment strip from the Foil Greeting Black Tabs set.

    I had a lot of fun creating these ATC’s today! I hope you enjoyed them! I’ll be back soon!


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