Category: Nature - Crystal Komara

Hello Peacock

8/15/2023

Hello readers! Today I am sharing one of my "oldie but goodie" favorite dies from Birch Press Design. (*Unfortunately this die is no longer available, sorry!) As much as I despise birds (shhhhh!), I do admire the peacock simply for the gorgeous plumage of its quills. I mean who wouldn't want to shake their booty and boom instant wow factor! : )

Just look at the detail in those feathers!

Card details:

The base of this A2 sized card was made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. On a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of the same white cardstock, I heat foiled the Gilded Grace Hot Foil plate with gold foil. I only used the large background piece (and not the center cut outs) for this card. Then I created the layers of the peacock using a variety of teal and purple cardstock from the Ocean Blue 6 x 6" paper pack and Vibrant Violet 6" x 6" paper pack. For the top layer (Layer A) and the main body of the peacock I used a teal glitter paper from the Glitzy Glitter 6" x 6" paper pack.

I then adhered the peacock to the card with 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

For the sentiment I heat foiled the Hello Sugar Script with purple foil on white cardstock. I used the coordinating die to cut it out and adhered it to the card with foam adhesive.

Swoooon, she's so pretty! Birch Press Design just came out with a whole new release geared toward the upcoming holidays and I can't wait to get into my craft room and begin creating. Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal

Products used:

Honey Butterfly

10/13/2022

Hello crafty friends! I know you don't know me from Adam, but today I am sharing a card that is quite outside of my comfort zone. It's my first attempt at sort of a mixed media type look. Even though looking back, I didn't fully embrace the "grunge" and I could have done some distress work, I'm happy with the end result and I think it's a good start to build from!

Card details:

The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. On a 5 1/4" x 4" piece of Yupo paper, I ink blended some Ranger Adirondack alcohol ink in lemonade. I set this piece aside to let it dry. On a separate sheet of white cardstock I printed out the beautiful geometric butterfly image from the You Fill My Day digital stamp set. I printed this image large at about 40%. I colored the butterfly with yellow, orange and gold Copic markers. I found a scrap piece of gold foil honeycomb vellum and I adhered that directly to the dried alcohol ink Yupo background. I fussy cut the butterfly and then I adhered the butterfly to the card with Scotch 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. I sliced off about 1/3 of the left side of the butterfly. I printed the sentiment out on a thin strip of white cardstock, notching the right end at an angle. Lastly, I added a coat of clear Wink of Stella to the butterfly for added sparkle.

I hope you have enjoyed this card. I love using alcohol inks to create unique and bold background on my cards. Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day! For more inspiration, you can follow me on my website, Instagram, Facebook and on my YouTube channel.

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Be sure to sign up for Joy Clair Designs newsletters. You will receive notifications of new releases, sales and exclusive offers to subscribers. You can also follow the team’s creations from Joy Clair Designs on Facebook Page, Joy Clair Stamp Projects Facebook Group, Instagram , Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube!

XO, Crystal

Autumn Breeze Twist

9/7/2022

Hello readers! Happy September, and welcome to the beginning of fall, my favorite time of the year. Today I am on the Birch Press Design blog sharing a unique way to use the Autumn Breeze Layer Plate.

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 the same white cardstock and ran it through my Big Shot using the Memory Box Blooming 3D embossing folder. I adhered this to the card base. I cut a 5 1/2" x 1" strip of decorative Madras Plaid coral paper for the bottom of the card. I cut a 5 1/2" x 1/2" strip of gold glitter paper above the plaid paper for contrast.

Using Layer Plate B of the Autumn Breeze Layering Plates, I ran the plate through my Big Shot multiple using white cardstock, burgundy cardstock, rust cardstock and the same Madras Coral plaid cardstock. Using the stitched leaf cutout pieces only, I adhered them in a line across the center of the card.

I stamped the sentiment "you inspire kindness" in cherry ink on white cardstock. This stamp is from the Awesome Ticker Tape clear stamp set. I adhered the sentiment to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

Ooh, I just can't wait to create more fall themed cards. I'm here for all the cozy sweater vibes and yes, even the PSL (pumpkin spiced lattes) too! ; )

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal

Just (Rainbow) Butterflies

8/6/2022

Hello friends! This is Design Team member Crystal Komara here with you today sharing a slimline card featuring the beautiful Just Butterflies digital stamp set. I love to create cards using flowers and butterflies, they are probably among my favorite. I also enjoy creating slimline cards. Have you jumped on the slimline card trend yet? They're easy to make (though consume a little more paper) but if you size yours to 8 1/2" x 3 1/2" it will fit inside a regular #10 business envelope and require no additional postage! Plus, it gives you more space to create on! Today's card features the Just Butterflies digital stamp set from Joy Clair Designs.

Card details:

The base of this slimline card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. Using a slimline die with three circular holes, I created the base frame. Behind the three circles I adhered some multi-colored plaid designer paper. I printed the Just Butterflies digital stamp set onto Neenah White cardstock and colored the images with Copic markers. I kept the coloring very simple and only used two colors for each butterfly. I fussy cut each butterfly and adhered it to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. I printed the sentiment "wishing you a colorful day" from the Pencil Me digital stamp set. Lastly, I added a coat of clear Wink of Stella to the butterflies for added sparkle and tiny dot of white gel pen for more dimension.

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day! For more inspiration, you can follow me on Instagram, Facebook and on my YouTube channel.

XO, Crystal

Be sure to sign up for Joy Clair Designs newsletters. You will receive notifications of new releases, sales and exclusive offers to subscribers. You can also follow the team’s creations from Joy Clair Designs on Facebook Page, Joy Clair Stamp Projects Facebook Group, Instagram , Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube!

My Succulents

7/20/2022

Hello friends and happy summet! I hope you are enjoying some extra sunshine, ice cream (or margaritas - no judgement here) and maybe a little vacation time! Today I am on the Joy Clair Designs blog sharing a card that I created using the My Succulents digital stamp set. To be honest, I did not inherit my mother's green thumb and I don't even attempt to keep cacti alive, so paper succulents are perfect for me! : )

Card details:

The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock. I cut a piece 4 1/4" x 3" piece of earth colored patterned paper and adhere it to the bottom of the card front. I cut a 4 1/4" x 3" piece of white cardstock and ran it through my Big Shot with a scalloped oval die to give it that rounded edge. I stamped the sentiment "Grateful for You" in Memento Tuxedo black ink on the lower portion of the white cardstock. This sentiment is from the Fall Greetings stamp set. I printed out a variety of the succulents from the My Succulents digital stamp set onto 80 lb. Neenah Solar White cardstock. I colored the images with Copic markers and then fussy cut the images out. I adhered the images to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. Lastly, I added a coat of clear Wink of Stella to the images for added sparkle.

Thanks for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day! For more inspiration, you can follow me on my website, Instagram, Facebook and on my YouTube channel.

Follow UsBe sure to sign up for Joy Clair Designs newsletters. You will receive notifications of new releases, sales and exclusive offers to subscribers. You can also follow the team’s creations from Joy Clair Designs on Facebook Page, Joy Clair Stamp Projects Facebook Group, Instagram , Twitter, Pinterest and YouTube!

Butterfly Basics

5/18/2022

Hello readers! Today I am on the Birch Press Design blog sharing a slimline card made using the Butterfly Basics die set. I have owned this beautiful die set for a while and for as much as I love butterflies, I can't believe I hadn't used it yet! So, while there is a whole new gorgeous release of products (to include foils!) from Birch Press Design, today I'm going back to the (butterfly) basics.

Card details:

The base of this slimline card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White smooth cardstock. This slimline card measures 8 1/2' x 3 1/2' and will fit inside a regular #10 business sized envelope and, as such, requires no additional postage. I used a slimline die to create the first matted background. Using the Butterfly Basics die, I cut the large open base frame from solid cardstock. I used four primary colors (pink, blue, yellow and green). I used the following pads of cardstock: Lush Green, Berry Red, Sunny Orange, Fresh Aqua. I die cut the middle portion of the butterfly from glitter cardstock. I used the Glitzy Glitter 6 x 6" pad.

I adhered the butterfly basic together with LineCo ph neutral bookbinding glue. This is my favorite liquid adhesive and it works well when holding glitter cardstock to other paper. I die cut the butterfly bodies from black cardstock. After adhering all the individual butterflies together, I adhered them to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

I really like the bold and bright colors of these butterflies. Due to their slightly larger dimension size, I felt like putting them on a slimline card would showcase more colors. I hope you like today's fun card! Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal

Thinking of Spring

3/14/2022

Hello crafty readers! Today I am on the Birch Press Design blog sharing two cards made using my favorite spring themed die from Birch Press Design called the Petal Egg Layer Set. There are just so many color combinations that could be used to create the perfect Easter card using these beautiful layering dies.

Card details:

The base of this A2 sized card is made from 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock. Using Layer Plate C of the Butterfly Garden Layering Plate, I die cut the first layer from white cardstock. I saved some of the extra butterflies off to the side (to use as added 3D pieces at the end). Using the Petal Egg Layering Set, I die cut Layer B from purple glitter cardstock (from the Twinkling Jewel 6 x 6" glitter pad) and Layer A from white cardstock. I created a background using blue and purple alcohol inks on Yupo paper. Once this dried, I fussy cut the shape of the egg to fit it behind the egg as the third or base layer.

I stamped the sentiment "thinking of you" from the Contempo Greetings stamp set in Versamark ink on a piece of purple Vibrant Violet cardstock. I heat embossed the sentiment with white embossing powder and then used the coordinating Contempo Greetings die to die cut it out. I adhered the greeting to the front of the egg using 3M foam adhesive. Lastly, I added a couple white butterflies (from the background) to add more texture.

I created a second card using the same instructions (as above), but I simply changed out the background mat to a purple cardstock from the Vibrant Violet paper pack.

I hope you have enjoyed these Easter inspired cards. Thank you for visiting and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal

You're A Gem

7/6/2021

Hello crafty readers! Welcome back to the start of a new week after a hopefully fun and exciting 4th of July holiday weekend! Today I am on the Joy Clair Designs blog sharing two cards using the You're a Gem clear stamp set. When I received this stamp set from Martha (thank you so much for the extra bonus in my DT package!) I knew immediately that I envisioned cards made with alcohol inks to really play on that multifaceted dimension and variation in colors you would typically find on a gemstone. I ended up trying a few different things before achieving this final result that I was happy with.

Card details:

Both of these A2 sized cards were made using the same products, just in different color combinations. Both cards use 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth as the card base and Yupo paper to create the alcohol ink backgrounds on. Please continue reading for step-by-step instructions on each card.

For this first card, I created the alcohol ink background by "ink blowing" Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Inks in Sailboat Blue, Denim and Silver Mixative. Once this background dried, I matted it with a piece of silver foil cardstock and adhered both to the card base. I die cut a diamond from royal blue cardstock and heat embossed the sentiment "You're a real gem" in white embossing powder. I stamped several of the gems and geodes in Versamark ink on vellum cardstock. I heat embossed the images with white embossing powder and fussy cut each image out. I adhered the cut images to the card using vellum adhesive.

For this second card, I created the alcohol ink background by "ink blowing" Ranger Adirondack Alcohol Inks in Butterscotch, Meadow and Gold Mixative. Once this background dried, I matted it with a piece of gold foil cardstock and adhered both to the card base. I die cut a diamond from coffee brown cardstock and heat embossed the sentiment "you are a rare find" in white embossing powder. I stamped several of the gems and geodes in Versamark ink on vellum cardstock. I heat embossed the images with white embossing powder and fussy cut each image out. I adhered the cut images to the card using vellum adhesive.

I hope you have enjoyed these unique cards - and a break from sharing lots of floral ones!

XO, Crystal

Eloquent Glittering Butterflies

6/14/2021

Hello friends! Happy Monday! Today I am on the Birch Press Design blog sharing another way to use the beautiful Eloquent Butterfly dies. I am SOOOoo in love with this latest release from Birch Press Design featuring a variety of unique layering butterflies because the options are truly endless when you combine layers and colors. Today I chose to use a monochromatic blue and a monochromatic purple color scheme for my cards, but you could choose yellows, reds, oranges or the list goes on for an entirely different look.

Card details:

For this first A2 sized card, I used 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock as my card base. This is my go-to white cardstock for e-v-e-r-y-t-h-i-n-g! I use it for my card bases, distress oxide inks, Copic coloring and die cutting. It is one of the only white cardstocks you will need. For the first layer, I die cut the Butterfly Garden Layer C from white cardstock and adhered it directly to the card base. I used the Eloquent Butterfly dies and die cut Layer C, Layer B and Layer A using cardstock from the Ocean Blue 6" x 6" paper pack and the Frosted Glitter Twinkling 6" x 6" pad.

I layered the butterflies together using LineCo ph neutral bookbinding glue, which is my favorite liquid adhesive. Once the layers of the butterflies were adhered together I used 3M foam adhesive to add the butterflies to the card. Using blue ink, I stamped the sentiment from the Brush Sentiments stamp set on white cardstock and punched it out with a 2" circle punch. I adhered the sentiment circle to the card using 3M foam adhesive.

Card details:

For this second A2 sized card, I used the same 80 lb. Neenah Solar White Smooth cardstock for my base. I also die cut the Butterfly Garden Layering Plate C from white cardstock and adhered that directly to the base of the card. I die cut the Layer A, Layer B and Layer C of the Eloquent Butterfly dies using the Berry Red 6" x 6" paper pack and the Twinkling Jewel Glitter pad.

I stamped the sentiment from the Brushed Sentiments stamp set in raspberry ink on white cardstock and punched it out with a 3" circle. I adhered the sentiment and butterfly to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension.

Thanks for visiting and have a great week!

XO, Crystal

Slimline Rainbow Butterfly Basics

6/7/2021

Hello readers and happy Monday! I hope you all had a nice weekend. Today I am on the Birch Press Design blog sharing this slimline card using the beautiful new Butterfly Basics dies. I am absolutely in love with this latest release from Birch Press Design featuring a variety of layering butterflies like the Eloquent Butterfly and the Glimmer Butterfly, so I envision lots of butterfly themed cards in my future!

Card details:

Today's slimline card measures 8 1/2" x 3 1/2". Slimline cards are designed to fit inside a regular #10 business sized envelope and require no additional postage. The base of this slimline card is made from 80 lb. black cardstock. I cut an 8 1/4" x 3 1/4'" miscellaneous piece of black and white diamond printed paper for the first layer. Using a hexagon shaped die, I die cut three 2 1/2" hexagons from white cardstock. I adhered the hexagons directly down the center of the card using a Tombow tape runner.

From a piece of rainbow cardstock, I die cut the body of the butterfly from a section of the paper that included more red and oranges, then a section of yellows and greens and a third section from blues and purples, to mimic the colors of the rainbows. I die cut the butterfly outline from black cardstock. I adhered the black outline over the rainbow bodies and adhered the three butterflies to the card using 3M foam adhesive for added dimension. I stamped the sentiment "just because" from the Brush Sentiments stamp set in Memento Tuxedo black ink on a thin strip of white cardstock and adhered it to the card also using 3M foam adhesive. Lastly, I added a couple black rhinestones to the card for added texture.

I hope you have enjoyed today's card featuring the beautiful new Butterfly Basics dies. Thank you for reading and have a wonderfully creative day!

XO, Crystal