A pair of butterflies

Colour makes such a difference to the world, it would be a very dull place if everything was in black and white wouldnt it. So why not ring the changes with your card making and choose different colours than you normally would. As a good start, two different shades of the same colour, one light and one dark is a really simple way to get great effects.

I have used the Butterfly frame die here in Amethyst and Mauve. I cut the main frame from the Mauve cardstock and matted with the darker Amethyst. Crystal strips have been cut in half and put around the outside edge. Then single crystal embellishments on the butterflies. The centre piece has been turned 90 degrees to give a different slant.

 Same die set, different colours, this time Aqua and Teal with the die cut from Bright White cardstock. A much more subtle look and I have used pearls instead of crystals and straightened the sentiment section. Unfortunately the subject is a sympathy card for a dear neighbour who lost her battle this week, it just wouldnt have worked for me in the brighter colours but I think it does in this colourway.

The beauty of Sue Wilson die sets is that they match so perfectly and you can see that I have used the Double Pierced Square die sets to give the pierced outer edges.

If you would like to buy the Butterfly Frame die set, it is on special offer here

How to make a 3D flower with Orange Blossom dies

Autumn Leaf Special

Todays card is a first for me. The first card that measures 12" x 6" that I have ever attempted and I am really pleased with the results.
I have used Foundation Card Stock in Deep Cocoa, Chestnut and Coconut White. White Vellum and Gold Mirri card plus some Cosmic Shimmer Brilliant Sparkle Embossing Powder.

Dies used today were:
Autumn Leaf Trio
Swirly Leaf Trio
Striped Nasturiums
Stitched Flags
Family Tree (for leaves)
Trailing Ivy embossing folder

Todays special offer is available here which is BOTH Autumn Leaf Trio and the matching Swirly Leaf Trio die sets for only £20.

Meet the Stamp Master - Marianne Designs ultimate stamping tool

Available to PRE ORDER now at only £11.95 Maximumcrafts.com

3D Christmas Rose

Personalised cards

When you have a very special person to make a card for, why not make a very special personalised card? With the new Art Deco Alphabet die sets its so easy

I have made an oval frame using the Double Pierced Oval die sets and the Lattice Frame die for the centrepiece. The colours are Lilac and Rich Plum. The background is embossed with the very popular Falling Snow embossing folder, another thumbs up for, not just for Christmas idea!
The fan is simply made from Ornamental Accents die set and the scalloped circles are made from old punches. Finally the centre flower is made from the Orange Blossom die set complete petals and the Camelia open petals die set as the centre of the flower.

Difference in Double Pierced Die sets

Does this picture remind you of an eye test? Hope I'm not the only one!

Anyhow, I digress. I have just done a little sample or two to show you the difference between the two sets of Double Pierced dies, in this case the Circle sets, but the same theory applies with all the shapes in this collection, Rectangles, Squares and Ovals

So, if you have just one set of Double Pierced dies, each die is 1/4" bigger than the next, giving this margin shown in the photo, which, of course is fine for many projects. Here I have cut the smallest four dies.

If however you have treated yourself to BOTH the Double Pierced die sets, the increase in size, by using both sets will give you a much narrower margin, in fact 1/8" between each layer. In this photo, I have cut the four smallest dies from Set A in white and the four smallest dies from Set B in black to show you the difference. Remember, it is the same increment in all the Double Pierced die sets, hope this has helped. 

Double Pierced die collection available from www.maximumcrafts.com