19/4 - Creating a cut out with the Everyday Arches dies

Alison Culliver
Apr 19
10 min read

Learn how to use dies as a focal point in a project.

Hello & welcome to my blog.

My name is Alison & I live in beautiful Melbourne, Australia & I am an independent Stampin' Up® demonstrator.

I love to create beautiful things to share with people that I love but I also sell me creations. I have been creating things in one way or another for most of my life - knitting, sewing, cooking, card making, gardening, scrap booking & hand made gifts & in 2020 after joining Stampin' Up® I decided to share my passion in a blog (craftedbyalison@blogspot.com).

In 2025 I retired & decided to spread my creative wings a little more by combining my blog, products that I had been selling on FaceBook & launching a newsletter. Some of these things I had already been doing but this time they are all in the one place. (All previous posts can be found at my blogspot address above if you would to read any of them.)

And here we are at my new site!

For today's creation I use dies as a focal point of my card. Dies save a lot of cutting time & many of them feature designs that can't be made by hand - cut out areas, dots, details etc. I have used the Everyday Arches dies many times, mostly for mattes or to highlight a sentiment & even to create a card shape but today, I am sharing a different use for them - creating windows & feature elements. I hope you enjoy it.

To create this card I started with a Secret Sea base & added a Crumb Cake matte.

Next, I cut a smaller matte from the Lovely Blossoms DSP.

I then chose the two smallest dies from the Everyday Arches set & cut 2 of the smallest shapes & 1 of the next size up, keeping the smaller ones & putting the larger aside for another project.

Positioning the matte over a piece of Basic White I lightly sketched parts of the centre arch as a guide for stamping.

The floral image is stamped in Secret Sea & is from the exclusive 2026 Virtual Card Making Retreat stamp set (which you can still purchase from my online store as part of the Virtual Card Making Retreat).

To add some subtle colour & chose the upcoming Hydrangea Hue ink for the flowers, adding it with a Blender pen plus Granny Apple Green & Old Olive blends for the leaves. The centres of the flowers are coloured with the retired Lemon Lolly & Crushed Curry Stampin' Write markers.

At this point I trimmed this layer a little so that I could position it to showcase the best section of the coloured image before adhering it to the DSP matte.

The image & DSP were then added to the card giving a peek of the design through the diecut area.

Using the smaller pieces that were set aside earlier I added some dimensionals to the back of each one & raised then over the diecut area, giving a 3D element.

Next, the sentiment. Using Secret Sea for the ink as well as the backing, I stamped 'Happy Birthday' from the same stamp set & added it to the card with dimensionals.

Last step was to add some Moody Palette Glossy dots & a Secret Sea Bordered open weave ribbon bow.

Simple but definitely a different finish.

So that's it for my creations. I had a lovely time colouring the image & experimenting with a different way to use these versatile dies. I hope you enjoyed this different take on using dies.

Now for some news from Stampin' Up®.

Stampin' Up® have many ways of shopping with a physical catalogue, online shopping & in person events. When items are about to be retired or are running low they are put on the 'Last Chance' list which means that there is limited stock & when it runs out, it's gone.

Stampin' Up® 's Annual Catalogue is about to retire! Currently, Stampin' Up® have an large annual catalogue & then release two mini catalogues during the year. When the next catalogue is due, May, they will be launching a new system of presenting their products & will have 3 catalogues a year but they will all be of similar size. They will still be a similar format - sectioned to have beginners, which is a step by step collection of materials in kits, then there is quick & easy where you select base materials & packs of pre-printed or diecut materials plus some stamp sets then there is create your way where you choose all the materials, stamps etc yourself & Create Your Way! In the quick & easy section Stampin' Up® have also provided some inspiration with a colour wheel & information of various ways to use colour combinations. I explored this in a bit more detail in some of my previous blogs on Blogspot. The other cool feature is that they provide card sketch & scrapbook layout ideas for you. This is great for any times that you need a little inspiration.

If you'd like to browse the catalogue online then click here. If you'd like a copy to hold in your hands, leaf through & put little notes all over it of what's on your wish list then shoot me an email at craftedbyalison@gmail.com or message me on my facebook page at craftedbyalison. The new catalogue will launch on the 5th May.

The mini catalogue is still available online & in printed form but only until the 4th of May. There are loads of gorgeous products in there. There's scrapbooking ideas & products, love & Easter themed products and some lovely outdoor themed suites. If you'd like me to send you a copy before it finishes then send me an email at craftedbyalison@gmail.com.

The new catalogue will go live on the 5th May so if you'd like me to send you a copy, get in touch!

Stampin' Up® also have loads of additional products available only online. These are called Online exclusives & have no end date, when the stock is sold out, that's the end of it.

Stampin' Up® have a great range of Kits including crafting, card making & gift giving. There are brand new kits added to the collection every month. Click here to check them all out in my online shop. As Stampin' Up® have so many beautiful kits available I usually feature a different kit in each

Sunday blog so that you can see the range.

This week the feature kit is called Brightest Birthday. It's a birthday card kit that has all the materials you need to create 9 beautiful cards including a stamping block, stamp set, ink spot & all the supplies you need. I chose this kit because birthday cards are one of the most sent cards plus it's on the last chance list so you need to get in quick if you'd like to secure one of these.

Here's how Stampin' Up® describe it...

Celebrate every birthday with cards made from the Brightest Birthday Kit. As you craft the perfect birthday card, stamp out a happy sentiment using the included stamp set and add some shine with holographic gold foil elements. With coordinating envelopes and bright embellishments, these cards will surely brighten up any birthday celebration.

If you feel that you need to add this to your list then click here to purchase one from my online store, but be quick as this kit is on the last chance list!

If you shop with me then there are some changes last year to the rewards program that you should know about. In the past we were able to create a host code & group together individual orders & pass on the 'hostess' benefits to customers with qualifying orders. This has now been replaced with a 'Rewards' program that gives all customers who place an order with a qualifying amount a credit of 10% of their order to use on future orders. This will be displayed during the checkout process or your order. Stampin' Up® feel that this is a fairer way of rewarding all customers.

There are some new ways to craft on offer at the moment which I will go through one at a time.

Ready?

1.Stampin' Up® has now held 3 Online Craft Classes with the Traditions of Christmas craftalong, Brushed with Beauty Suite on November 21st and the most recent one is called Lovely Blossoms & is available right now! It co-ordinates with the Lovely Blossoms suite & you can order the class & suite by clicking on the links. It was held on the 20th February. I have purchased both of the previous classes & they are a great way for you to learn from the professionals & a load of fun.

Once you purchase any of the Craft Classes you will receive an email with a link to an exclusive Facebook group when the event is hosted. Can't wait to craft along again & see what designs the team come up with!

2. Stampin' Up® held their first ever Virtual Card Making Retreat over two days recently. It was designed for experienced or advanced crafters in mind but also had a heap of tips & ideas for those wanting to explore more detailed card designing. You can still be a part of this event! To participate you just need to purchase the Retreat kit ($288AU) & this provides you with all of the materials you need & access to an exclusive FaceBook group where the videos from the event are stored. It sounds like a bit of expense but from past experience, what you take away from these type of events is well worth it. You can also download & print the pre event cutting instructions as well as having a cutting video & recordings of all of the cards that were made.

Here's some more info on how to join this retreat.

To craft along with the Stampin' Up® presenters and make 15 beautiful, all-occasion cards, you’ll want to purchase the 2026 Virtual Card Making Retreat kit. Everyone who purchases a kit will receive a link to the exclusive Facebook group where the live event will stream. We only have a limited number of kits, so make sure to order yours ASAP!

3. Starting last December, Stampin' Up® introduced a special 'Product of the Month' item that is only available with eligible purchases. There is a new item every month with details released just before the new item will be released. Each month it's a surprise what it could be - stamps, dies, papers - a complete surprise every month. You will be able to receive each month's product for just $9 when you spend $125 in one order. I have been able to order all of the products so far. December was some lovely blue toned DSP & January was a very versatile stamp set. I will share some creations with you in future posts. February was a stunning DSP pack filled with Beautiful water coloured patterns and whimsical designs that make beautiful projects. I featured some creations in my midweek post a few weeks ago. The March Product of the Month was a lovely, whimsical stamp set & April's offering is a gorgeous background die with a pretty eyelet pattern.

If you would like to add this stamp set to your collection, get your shopping list out & place a qualifying order & you will be prompted before checkout to add it to your shopping trolley.

The new May - Aug '26 catalogue is only a few weeks away & is full of lots of gorgeous new product along with some carry over items. I can't share any of the new catalogue with you yet, apart from the front cover until it is officially released to the public but I will be able to share some of the creations I made with products I received at OnStage and in the pre-order period. Some of the products were used for this & previous projects but more info & projects will be shared as we head towards the release date.
Paper Pumpkin! It's officially available to order in the South Pacific after only be available in the North American market. Paper Pumpkin kits are similar to the crafting kits available in the shop but are a surprise each month & come with everything you need to complete the kit. There are also add ons that can be used to stretch the supplies in the kit. Many people also make the suggested projects with half of the supplies then use the remaining products with some extra supplies to create alternative projects.
You can purchase the kits as an individual order or subscribe for 3, 6 or 12 months. Subscriptions are dispatched from the 11th day of each month & you can change or cancel your subscription at any time as long as it is done before the cut off date.

Last year Stampin' Up® held their first Virtual Album Retreat - a 3 day online event that showed you how to curate 10 scrapbook spreads. It was such a success that they are holding another one in 10 days time! This time the title is "Happiness is here" & if you can't attend it online (April 29th - May 1st) you can watch the recorded sessions. All you need to do is purchase the Happiness Is Here Virtual Album Retreat 2026 kit; then once you receive the kit, scan the kit’s QR code to join the private Facebook group. The kit is $435 & comes complete with all the supplies you need - stamp sets, one of the new shimmer brushes, a white gel pen, DSP, printed precut images and stickers, Linen Thread, Moody Palette Glossy Dots, Photo Placeholders, 12" x 12" (30.5 x 30.5 cm) Top-Load Memory Protectors™ & 4" x 4" (10.2 x 10.2 cm) Flip Flaps™. If you are interested you can purchase it here.

Lastly, there have been lots of great items added to the clearance rack which is now called Last Chance items so make sure you check them out using this link to my online store as there are some great discounts.

If you would like to purchase any of my creations that I feature in my blogs they can be found in my shop along with lots of different designs including feminine, masculine, special occasions, everyday events, something for the juniors or you can order something unique.

I hope you've enjoyed today's post.

My next post will be on Wednesday & will be a Mystery Stamping theme but this time it will feature a scrapbook layout rather than a card design.

In next Sunday's post we will be creating a 3D project.

I hope you can join me for both of them & come back for more.

Til next take, take care & keep creating.

XX Alison

Here are some links to the products that I used today & some craft room essentials. The products that are in the upcoming catalogue are not included. If you would like to purchase them, come back to my shop after the 5th May & check them all out.

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