Hi friends, welcome back!
Nesting dies are one of those crafty basics that can be so much more than simply cutting a mat or frame! In today’s video, I’m sharing five creative ways to use the Simon Says Stamp A7 Arches Dies to create completely different card designs.
This is also the second video in my Creative Ways to Use Nesting Dies series. This time I challenged myself to take one simple arch shape and use it in several very different ways.
See Video #1 HERE:
Throughout these five cards, I played with geometric designs, artistic layouts, triptych-style panels and a fun wallpaper-inspired design. The same set of nesting dies creates a completely different look depending on how the arches are cut, positioned and combined.
Be sure to watch the video, where I walk you through all five cards and share how I created each design.
Creative Ways to Use Nesting Arch Dies – Cardmaking Video:
I hope you enjoy it! If you do, I’d greatly appreciate a thumbs up and would love for you to share it with your crafty friends. Leaving a kind comment and shopping through my affiliate links are wonderful ways to support my channel and help me continue creating free cardmaking tutorials like this one.
VISIT MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL AND SUBSCRIBE
Using Nesting Arches for Geometric Card Designs:
One of my favorite things about nesting dies is how easily they can be turned into geometric elements.
Instead of thinking of the arches as frames, I treated them as individual shapes that could be repeated, overlapped and arranged across the card front. Using several sizes together creates movement and gives the design a fun modern feel.
Bright colors really help emphasize the shapes, while simple die-cut flowers and sentiments add a focal point without competing with the background.
Creative Ways to Use Nesting Arch Dies Card #1 – Split Arch Panel
Using two different sizes of the A7 Arches adds instand interest and dimension to this clean and simple design. By slightly overlapping the mint and teal arches, they become a modern geometric backdrop for the delicate white leafy branch, while the difference in height and width heeps the layout from feeling too symmatrical or predictable.
Creative Ways to Use Nesting Arch Dies Card #2 – Triptych Wildflowers
Three colorful arches lined up, side by side create a fun triptych-style design, giving each panel it’s own space while still working together as one cohesive background. Keeping the arches the same size lets the Peridot, Teal Topaz and Orchid colors become the star, while the delicate white wildflowers soften the strong geometric shapes and tie all three panels together.
Creative Ways to Use Nesting Arch Dies Card #3 – Staggard Arches Wallpaper
For this design, I used the arches to create a bold wallpaper-style background, alternating their direction and staggering the placement to form a repeating geometric pattern. The Peridot, Teal Topaz and Orchid cardstock really emphasizes the pattern, while the Dimensional flower and simple “hugs” sentiment provide a strong focal point without covering up too much of that fun background.
Creative Ways to Use Nesting Arch Dies Card #4 – Log Stemmed Floral Tryptich:
This second triptych design has a complete different feel, with three white arches creating individual little windows for the Long Stem Floral images. The stamped and stenciled flowers extend vertically through each arch, while the Dibble Tile embossed background adds a beautiful texture without distracting from the clean design. I love how the repeating arches unite the three floral images and make them feel like a coordinating piece of artwork.
Creative Ways to Use Nesting Arch Dies Card #5 – Half Arch Clusters
For this design, I cut the arches in half and arrangeed different sizes into clusters around the edges of the card, creating a playful geometric background with plenty of open white space. Mixing the Peridot and teal shades and changing the direction of the arches adds movement, while the delicate white Tissue Petal Stems soften all those bold shapes. A preprinted Reverse Birthday EZ Strip finishes the card with a crisp, simple sentiment.
Never Miss a Cardmaking Tutorial
Subscribe to my blog and get the latest cardmaking ideas, tutorials, and inspiration delivered straight to your inbox — plus access to exclusive content and updates you won’t want to miss!
Visit my YouTube channel for 270+ cardmaking tutorials, techniques, and creative ideas to inspire your next project
Cardmaking Supplies Used:
Here are the supplies I used to create today’s Creative Ways to Use Nesting Dies video.
Many of the links below are compensated affiliate links. This means if you click through and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission at no additional cost to you.
These commissions help support my website and allow me to continue sharing cardmaking tutorials, videos, and inspiration. I truly appreciate your support.
All products were personally purchased unless otherwise noted. Simon Says Stamp products were provided by the company for design purposes.
You can find my full affiliate disclosure on my disclosure page.
Click the icons below each product to shop my favorite stores.
Let’s Connect & Get Inspired
Follow along for more cardmaking ideas, techniques, and tutorials:
- Follow me on Instagram
- Join 38,800+ creatives on Pinterest
- Subscribe to my YouTube Channel
- Follow me on Facebook
- Join my Cardmaking Obsession Facebook Group
FREE Cardmaking Tutorials Library
Looking for more inspiration? Explore my FREE PDF GALLERY with 359+ cardmaking tutorials — packed with ideas, techniques, and step-by-step projects to spark your creativity.
Don’t Miss This Week’s Deals
Lot’s of great paper crafting sales and new releases happening now — check them out here!
Shop My Favorite Craft Brands
Browse my Go to Brands and supplies using my affiliate links.