Die cuts are perfect shapes cut out of card used for card making, scrap booking, school collages and various arts and crafts. They range in sizes and are a very popular source of embellishments.

They are now becoming more and more popular with the aid of the Sizzix machine. This little machine costing around £100 allows you to cut out shapes from numerous dies such as cats, dog, seahorses, squares, hearts, champagne flutes – and that’s not even a twentieth of the availability of styles (I, myself, have a much larger machine called an Accucut but I did start with Sizzix and it is a phenomena). But of course, each individual die is going to set you back between £7 and £15 depending on the size of the shape. So you can either have yourself a little cottage industry cutting out shapes all day or you can buy them pre-cut – ready for any occasion. And it doesn’t stop at card stock either. You can cut fabric, funky foam, balsa wood and embossing foil too, which gives it a totally diverse edge for producing pretty shapes for you craft needs.

I run my own mail order business selling both commercially available pre-cut die shapes and a range of my own design die cuts. What makes my business more interesting is that I am an avid card maker myself and its like being paid to do my hobby. If I didn’t earn another penny from it I wouldn’t be bothered as it is a great buzz sharing ideas with card makers alike. My website caters not only for die cuts shapes but other embellishments (which I call sticky bits) which you can stick on cards. My favourite at the moment is craft wire. I like to fashion spirals and swirls as it looks so effective. What’s more, its very easy to work with – just as long as you own a pair of long nosed pliers! Other sticky bits include mini roses, little foil ivy leaves, love in a box, florist ribbon and resin shaped hearts.

What also makes my website more inviting is a new card scoring system which can create A4 in half and A5 in half cards. Its called the Acuefold and it also allows you to concertina and make square cards – all without measuring. Maybe that’s my secret - the more attractive and unusual the supplies, the more chance I have to share my ideas with you.

So spare a thought for the die cutters like me who spend umpteen hours on end constantly winding the machine round and around to produce the goodies that will ultimately end up on a loved ones greetings card! Its hard work but its ever so fun!