Get Creative with Essentials Dies | Kathleen Schmelz

Happy Wednesday, Pinkfresh Studio fans! Kathleen here, and I’m so excited to be back on the blog today. If you're like me, you probably reach for your Nested Essentials dies all the time—they're such staples! But today, I want to share some fresh and fun ideas for using them in creative and unexpected ways.

Whether you're looking to add interesting layers, create unique frames or windows, or even build playful backgrounds, these dies can do so much more than you think. Let’s dive in and get inspired!

*Disclaimer: All products used are linked below as clickable images. If a product isn’t listed, it’s been discontinued.

After die cutting a few of the Double Stitched Elongated Ovals as frames, I started playing around with different arrangements on my card. That’s when it hit me—why not use them as rainbows?

So, let's see how you can recreate this card:

1. Cut an A2 side-folding card base from white cardstock.
2. Put the card base horizontally in front of you. Then, using a 1" blending brush, ink blend Soft Lilac, Ballet Slipper, Peach Fuzz, and Lemon Whip from top to bottom for a very soft ink-blended background.
3. Dry emboss the Dotted Petals press plate on the card front.
   
4. Hot foil the Beautiful Soul image with Prism foil and the sentiment ("You're a friend like...") with Lavender Petal foil.
   
5. Ink blend the foiled image using the coordinating stencils:
   1. Stencil 1: Peach Fuzz, Sparkling Rose, Soft Lilac, Sunshine
   2. Stencil 2: Apricot, Bubble Gum, Lavender, Sunshine (heavier hand)
   3. Stencil 3: same as Stencil 1
   4. Stencil 4: Fresh Pear
6. Die cut all images and the sentiment. Optional: Stack 1–2 extra blank die cuts behind each for dimension*.
7. Die cut the three largest Double Stitched Elongated Ovals dies from white cardstock. Ink blend them with Sparkling Rose (largest), Apricot (middle), and Sunshine (smallest).
   
8. With the fold at the top, use foam adhesive to attach the upper halves of the three oval die cuts to the bottom section of the card, creating a rainbow.
9. Arrange the Beautiful Soul branches around the rainbow, tucking a few leaves behind it to add depth and dimension.
10. Attach the sentiment using foam or layered die cuts.
11. Embellish to your liking using Clear Drops in Champagne, Blush, and Lilac, or a color of your choice.

*Tipp: Adding blank die cuts instead of foam adhesive really helps to give the elements more dimension and stability. This is especially useful for more intricate pieces (like sentiments)!

By using the Double Stitched Elongated Ovals dies as a rainbow, we can stretch our supplies and give them a new, unexpected look! 

Here are a few more card samples to inspire creative ways to use your Nested Essentials dies. Try using them as frames or windows, and play around with unexpected arrangements—just like Raquel Arribas did (top left and bottom right). You can also die cut lots of the smaller pieces and fill most of your background to create a fun, patterned look, as shown by Tina Smith (top right) and Andrea Moritz (bottom left).

I hope this blog post gave you some ideas that you can use to breathe fresh life into your Nested Essentials dies! We’d love to see what you create—don’t forget to tag us on social media so we can admire your amazing work. Thanks so much for stopping by, and happy crafting! ✨