Category: Birch Press Designs - Crystal Komara

Birch Press Design Meets Memory Box

4/12/2021

Hello crafty readers! Today I am on the Birch Press Design blog sharing two elegant cards created by mixing products from sister companies Birch Press Design and Memory Box. As Design Team members for Birch Press Design, we are fortunate to receive some products from both companies and today I'm showing you how beautifully they compliment each together. Do YOU mix products when you create? I love to mix stamp sets, papers and dies because it allows for an infinite amount of ideas and is a great way to use more of what you own.

Card details:

The base of this A2 sized card was made using 80 lb. Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock. I die cut the first layer from white cardstock using Layer Plate A of the Viola Layering Plate dies. I adhered this intricate layer directly to the card base. Using the All the Happiness stamp set from Memory Box, I stamped the flowers in Versamark ink on black cardstock and heat embossed the image with gold embossing powder. I die cut the flowers using the coordinating All the Happiness dies and adhered it to the lower right side of the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. I stamped the sentiment in Memento Tuxedo black ink on white cardstock and fussy cut the sentiment. I adhered the sentiment to the top left of the flowers.

Here is the second card that I made using the same products, but a slightly different color combination:

Card details:

The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock. I cut a 5 1/2" x 4 1/2" piece of black cardstock and adhered it directly to the card base. Using Layer Plate A of the Viola Layering Plates, I die cut this layer from white cardstock. I adhered this intricate layer directly over the black cardstock. Using the All the Happiness stamp set, I stamped the flowers in Versamark ink on gold foil paper. I heat embossed the image with black embossing powder and used the coordinating All the Happiness dies to die cut the flowers out. I adhered the flowers to the lower right side of the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. I stamped the sentiment in Memento Tuxedo black ink on white cardstock and fussy cut the sentiment. I adhered the sentiment to the top left of the flowers.

I hope you have enjoyed today's elegant black and white cards and that you can see the magic you can create when you combine products. Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal

You might also enjoy:

Butterfly Garden

4/5/2021

Hello readers and happy Monday! If you celebrate the Easter holiday, I hope you had a blessed weekend. Today I am on the Birch Press Design blog sharing two cards in bright spring-like colors made using the Butterfly Garden Layering Plates. You can see two other cards I made using this same set here.

I am so in love with these beautiful layering dies and while while one layer is enough to make an impact, all three layers together is really stunning, especially when you add in a middle layer of glitter cardstock.

Here is a step-by-step instructional video so you can see how both of these cards were made:

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal

List of supplies:

Petal Egg by Birch Press Design

3/15/2021

Hello friends and welcome back from the weekend! Today I am on the Birch Press Design blog sharing three cards made using the beautiful Petal Egg Layering Dies for this trio of Easter inspired cards.

You can visit the Birch Press Design blog for detailed information on how I created these cards. Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal

Rainbow Dahlia Hearts

2/11/2021

Hello crafty friends! Today I am on the Birch Press Design blog again sharing another fun idea for a Valentine's Day card using the Dahlia Heart Layering set. I am so in love with ALL the love themed products from Birch Press Design that I just can't stop finding ways to use them!

This colorful rainbow themed slimline card just makes me so happy!

For a step-by-step process to see how this card was made, please visit the Birch Press Design blog. Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal

Black and White Valentine's Day Cards

2/8/2021

Hello readers and happy Monday! I hope you all found a little time to do something crafty over the weekend. Today I am being featured on the Birch Press Design blog 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:

For a step-by-step process to see how these cards were created, please visit the Birch Press Design blog for all those details and more. Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal

Kinsley Heart Plate by Birch Press Design

1/11/2021

Hello crafty friends and welcome back from the weekend! Today I am on the Birch Press Design blog sharing a beautiful Valentine's Day card featuring the latest new release products. The focal point of this pink ombre card is the ink blended background peeking through the new Kinsley Heart Layering Plate.

Card details:

On a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of Bristol smooth cardstock I ink blended Distress Oxide inks in the colors Spun Sugar, Worn Lipstick and Candied Apple. I began with the lightest color (Spun Sugar) at the top of the cardstock and the richest color (Candied Apple) at the bottom.

Using 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Crest cardstock, I die cut the top layer (Layer A) from the Kinsley Heart Plate.

I placed this intricate heart layer directly over the ombre background adhering it with LineCo ph neutral bookbinding glue (my go-to liquid adhesive).

Using the Lingo Thanks stamp set, I stamped the word "love" in Versamark ink on ballet pink cardstock and heat embossed it with white embossing powder. I used the coordinating Lingo Thanks die set to cut it out. I also stamped the sentiment "you're in my heart" in Versamark ink on fuschia pink cardstock and heat embossed it with white embossing powder as well. I die cut one large white heart to serve as the center focal point of the card. I adhered the sentiments to the lower right corner of the heart using 3M foam adhesive. Lastly, I adhered a few iridescent sequins with glue dots to the card for added dimension and sparkle.

I really like how this card came out and I think I'll recreate it in a few additional colors and send them out as MY Valentine's Day cards this year!

XO, Crystal

Petal Heart by Birch Press Design

1/4/2021

Hello friends and happy New Year! Today I am on the Birch Press Design blog sharing some beautiful new Valentine's themed products with you and I absolutely love this new Petal Heart layering die!

Card details:

The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. black cardstock. Using the Pinpoint Radial Plate die, I cut the background from black cardstock. I adhered this stitched background directly to the cardstock base using LineCo PH neutral bookbinding glue (my go-to liquid adhesive).

Using the new Petal Heart Layering dies, I cut Layer C (the bottom layer) from a fuschia pink cardstock. Layer B (the middle layer) from flamingo pink glitter paper and Layer A (the top layer) from a blushing bride pink cardstock. Since I made two hearts for this one card, I then reversed the colors and cut Layer C in blushing bride pink cardstock, Layer B in flamingo pink glitter paper and Layer A in fuschia pink cardstock. For both hearts, I adhered all three layers together with LineCo glue.

I adhered both layered hearts to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. I used two sentiments from the Lingo Thanks stamp set. I stamped each sentiment in fuschia ink on thin strips of white cardstock. I notched both ends of each sentiment strip before adhering each sentiment strip over one heart. Lastly, I added a couple iridescent sequins to the card using glue dots for added dimension and sparkle.

I hope you have enjoyed this beautiful layered heart card! Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal

Merry Christmas Ornaments

11/24/2020

Hello readers and happy Tuesday! Today I am on the Birch Press Design blog sharing two very traditional Christmas cards using the Marisol Ornament Layering dies and the Twinkle Ornament Layering dies. I couldn't be more excited with how elegant and sparkly these cards turned out using evergreen and cherry cardstock colors with lots of gold glitter paper. If you like a traditional holiday look, then these classic cards are sure to tickle your fancy!

The base of each A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. Using the Pinpoint Radial Layering plate, I die cut the first layer from white cardstock. This paper pierced die provided a subtle background to allow the ornaments to "pop!"

There was no rhyme or reason to my die cutting madness. I simply die cut each layer of the ornaments (Twinkle A, B and C and Marisol A, B and C) from Cherry, Evergreen and gold glitter cardstock and then I began adhering the layers together. When I was all done, I had four completed ornaments, or enough for two cards.

Once all the pieces are die cut, I use LineCo ph Neutral bookbinding glue to adhere the three (or sometimes four layers) together. You will find that a regular Tombow adhesive runner does not work well at adhering glitter cardstock, so try a liquid glue instead.

On a side note, these ornaments would look just as lovely if I had tied a gold ribbon to the top of each one and used them as paper Christmas tree ornaments.
I hope you have enjoyed these beautiful Christmas cards and are well on your way to creating all of yours!

XO, Crystal

25 Days of Christmas Tags

11/11/2020

Today I am happy to be joining fellow cardmaker Tracey McNeeley for her 10th annual 25 Days of Christmas tags! If you love Christmas tags, then you will want to visit her website every day for more tag ideas than you could ever possibly dream of all month long. Each day this month will feature a different stamp company and that company's Design Team members will share a variety of holiday tag ideas designed to inspire you. Plus, there will be prizes given away every day! (Read to the end of this post for prize details.)

Today's sponsor is Birch Press Design and here are the shaker Christmas tags I created using the Mini Snowflake Frame Layer Set:

Would you like the chance to win one of the fabulous sponsored prizes?

Then follow these important guidelines...

There are so many ways you can enter to win one of the sponsor's prizes. Prizes will be drawn from you doing any or all of the following:

Comment on the posts on Tracey's website on what you saw that inspires you.
Follow the blog hop and comment along the way for another chance.
Participate by creating your own tags. The rules for participating are simple, create a Christmas tag that inspired by a tag you see during the event and explain in your post the day and the designer that you were inspired by in order to be eligible for a prize. Enter as many tags as you like.
Don't have a blog but use Instagram, no problem?

Create your project using these same guidelines
To qualify for prizes you must become a follower of Tracey's Instagram account HERE
Use the hashtag #25daysoftags2020 so Traceey can find you

To keep it fair for everyone, only one comment per post please. You may however create as many tags as you would like as long as you follow the rules. The more you hop along and comment and the more you participate the more chances you have of winning!

GO TO THE LINK UP HERE
Tracey will keep the link up open until one week after the event is over to give you time to finish up. The contest and linky will close December 3rd 11:59 pm (EST)! Prizes will be announced on or before December 10th on Tracey's blog.

IMPORTANT:
To be eligible for one of the prizes your tag MUST be inspired by a tag that is featured on this blog during the 25 Days of Christmas Tags and you must mention it in your personal post.

Roundabout Wreaths

11/10/2020

Today I am on the Birch Press Design blog sharing two holiday cards made using the Roundabout Layer Set. When I first received this beautiful 3-piece layering die set, my first thought was "I see wreaths!" And then that was ALL I could see! So wreaths it is. . . I kept a more traditional color combination of green and red for the wreaths and berries and added elegance with a gold foil background on one and a top layer of gold glitter cardstock on the other wreath.

Card details:

For this first A2 sized card, I used a garden green cardstock for the base. I die cut a scalloped rectangle from 80 lb. Neenah Solar Smooth white cardstock for the first mat. Using the Roundabout Layer Die set, I die cut Layer C (the bottom layer) from a cactus green cardstock. Layer B was cut from a garden green cardstock and Layer A (the top layer) was cut from gold glitter cardstock. I adhered all three layers together using LineCo ph bookbinding glue. This is my go-to liquid adhesive. Using an off brand circle punch, I punched out red berries from red glitter cardstock and grouped them in clusters of three. I also added red rhinestones to the top of the berry clusters for added sparkle. Lastly, I tied a small white bow from cotton ribbon and adhered it to the bottom of the wreath using glue dots.

Here is the second card I created using the same Roundabout Dies:

Card details:

I used 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock as the base. I cut a 5" x 3/4" piece of gold foil paper that I ran through my Big Shot machine using a distressed embossing folder to give it some texture. Using the same Roundabout Die set, I die cut Layer C (the bottom layer) from green glitter cardstock. Layer B from garden green cardstock and Layer A from cactus green cardstock. To mimic the look of the first card, I also punched out more red berries and added rhinestones and a white ribbon to this wreath as well.

Personally I LOVE how these Roundabout wreaths turned out. I think they have made simple, classic and elegant Christmas cards. I hope you will enjoy them too!
Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

*You can find a list of all products used by visiting my post on the Birch Press Design blog.

XO, Crystal