QuicKutz Blog: Adventures in Die-Cutting

Earn a free 2x2 die and a chance to a win an Epic 6!

Hello all of my QuicKutz friends and family! I haven't been blessed with the opportunity to write on the blog for almost a year! I guess my last post was a little too disappointing or something and they didn't want me back! I promise to try and make this one less disappointing.

 

In fact, what would all of you say about doing a giveaway? We are actually running a fun little promo on Facebook right now- our"add a friend" promo! We are trying to get as many friends on Facebook as possible! (it’s all about being as popular as we can around here) :)

Here is what you do. Just click here to access our "QuicKutz People" Facebook page and add us as a friend. That is it! Not too hard, right? Now, for any of you who have already added us as a friend, you can have one or more of your friends add us to become eligible for this too. Have them place YOUR name in the "Add a Personal Message" field so that you get the credit. Any individual who has one or more friends add us will receive a free 2x2 die!! When either you or one of your friends adds us, send an email to Andrea Smith at asmith@quickutz.com and she will send you an email with the list of 2x2 dies to choose from.

Lastly and perhaps the best part of this deal—the individual who gets the most people to add "QuicKutz People" as their friend will receive a FREE EPIC SIX!! Talk about fun and exciting!

 

 

So, it’s as easy as sending a message to your friends, getting them to add us as a friend and then you receiving your free die (and hopefully tool, eh?)! Get excited! Get your friends excited! And get moving...we want YOU to win the Epic Six tool!

 

Kirk

Director of Marketing

 

Number Winners!

Thanks to everyone for your comments and a big thanks to Heather for posting yesterday and sharing her darling ideas. Expect to hear more from her in the future!

Now for the lucky winners.

Amy V. said: "Cool beans. Would love one of these number sets."

Sophia said: "I love the mailbox idea. I sure would love to win."

If you two ladies would send me your choice of number set and address to customerservice@quickutz.com with Blog Winner in the subject title, I'll get those right out to you.

P.S. If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make that change. :)

Bitten by the number bug!

Hi!  This is Heather from the Product Development Team!  I have been with QuicKutz for 6 years and I am convinced that I have the best job around.  I work on a fabulous team that is responsible for the new releases every month...and can I just tell you we have some FUN stuff up our sleeves!  You will want to stay tuned for that...but in the mean time...I have been bitten by the number bug!

I am in LOVE with the new Grand-sized number sets from our most recent release!  I just wanted to share a few projects that I created using the #73 number set.

My daughter Krissy just celebrated her fifth birthday...and boy was she excited!  The whole day was about the number 5...5 dollar-sized pancakes for breakfast, 5 chicken nuggets for lunch, 5 candles on her cake.  I couldn't help but top everything I could find with a number 5 die-cut.  Here are two of my favorites...the fruit cup toppers and water bottle wraps.  

 

  

   

I die cut two 5's and placed a glue dot and toothpick between them, creating a quick and customized decoration for our fruit cups. They also look great on cupcakes!

I die cut 5's in colors that coordinated with her party and adhered them to a strip of cardstock that I wrapped around the water bottles.

 My next creative number project was to add my house number to my mailbox.  

 

I die cut a piece of QuicKutz adhesive-backed vinyl using my Revolution and number set #73. Using a piece of QuicKutz Transfer Paper, I applied it to my mailbox!  From the time I came up with the idea to the time that it was on my mailbox took about 15 minutes!  Quick, simple & cheap!

 

Giveaway! Leave a comment and be eligible to win a number set of your own. We're giving away a #73 and a #48 Number Set to two lucky people chosen at random.

Meet Raymond

Last week, a fun surprise arrived at RMA along with this note:

To Whom it May Concern,

Please take good care of Raymond Revolution. He is getting old and is not feeling well. Hopefully you can make him better like you did my Suzy Squeeze. We are so excited and can't wait for our new family member, Emily Epic Six! Yay!

I think you guys are awesome! And I love everything QuicKutz! Thank you for everything!

Jennifer P.

 

I thought that was great. Maybe I'm just a sucker for a good mustache :). 

Don't worry Jennifer, he's in good hands.

Collector's Series

  

Zelda Grand Complete Alphabet
on seven 4x8 dies
Special Pricing – $99.99

This week’s Summer of Fun release is also our first ever Collector’s Series product— Zelda Grand Alphabet. The Collector’s Series is a new program aimed particularly at QuicKutz collectors where we “open the QuicKutz vault” and bring back a favorite discontinued product in a new, revamped collector’s format. Unlike our standard silver dies, a Collector’s Series product will have a unique die color and come in special packaging, emphasizing its exclusivity and rareness.

Once these limited edition products are gone, they’ll be back in the vault for good.

The first product we’re bringing back is the fun and quirky Zelda alphabet. This long time favorite was originally released back in 2003 in Classic size on 2x2 dies. As a Collector’s Edition, Zelda will be bigger and better than ever, released in Grand size and on seven 4x8 dies, sold together for a retail value of only $99.99. It’s the perfect addition to any project that could use a little more flair and pizzazz!

We’ll be releasing a Collector’s Edition product only a few times a year so don’t miss out on this opportunity to get a one-of-a-kind QuicKutz product!

Projects by Shante Wadley

Getting to know your QK sales rep: Chris Mickelsen

Alright I have successfully skirted the assignment of the blog post for months now and finally, Laura caught me. You may ask yourself “why would he not want to post on the QuicKutz blog? It's one of the funniest most read blogs in the industry and the internet... why wouldn't you want to be a part of it?” In all honesty I have no idea what to write, I'm not much of a blogger. With that said here we go!

 

 

Get to know me

I grew up in Utah. After graduating from high school I moved to Ecuador where I lived for about 2 years learning about the people and having a life changing experience. When I returned I started college where I met my wife of 4 years in October. Usually the next question is "Do you have kids?" Nope...I bought her a dog for Christmas this year so I think we have a couple of years still... Outside of QuicKutz I don't have much of a life. I enjoy golf with friends from work and just spending time relaxing at home or working in the yard.  

 

My QuicKutz Story:

I have worked for QuicKutz for almost 4 years all together with a couple short breaks to other industries, but somehow I always find myself back here at QuicKutz. I started in 2004 when the company manufactured most of its dies right on site where my first role was inventory and quality assurance. This job was one of the most boring I have ever had as we looked at every die made, throwing out dies that would not cut. I worked in that capacity for about a year and left for a more appealing job in the medical industry. I soon realized the medical field was not for me... I ended up back at QuicKutz in the same capacity, but quality assurance was then actually working through the entire process of making dies. This was a good experience where I was able to learn and most of all make a decision that I didn't want to be in quality assurance forever. I applied for a sales position because my dad told me that people with no other skills go into sales (he is a very successful salesman.) I found something I really liked with this move and it's called a commission check! I'm just joking (although I do enjoy the sales benefits), more than anything this job has taught me a lot about business.

 

I have had the opportunity to travel all over the United States and the world during the last couple of years visiting stores, employees and customers. I'm always amazed to see so many people excited to see the QuicKutz rep and have us sign autographs. I think Spencer says it best,” you feel like a rockstar” when you go on the road to visit all the QuicKutz fans. One example comes to mind from about 2 years ago. Spencer and I were visiting many of the stores in Maryland and were shocked at how many ladies followed us from store to store and even brought us pies. 

 

Over the last 2 years QuicKutz has helped me get to know many of you all over the world and be a part of your scrapbooking in a small way. I have met so many people that have made me a better person and have come to know many of them outside of work especially those of you in the Tampa, Florida area who took my wife and me on a scrapbooking cruise. This was an experience I will never forget. I still can't believe how excited people are to scrapbook all day and all night while cruising from place to place.

 

All in all QuicKutz has been a great place to work over the last 4 years, not only within the company, but with all the great people I’ve met all over the world! Thank you for supporting QuicKutz through the years and get excited, for our best is yet to come!

 

 

 

Challenge Winners

  Wow. I'm glad to hear that everyone is a fan of these new shapes! I like them too. I forgot to mention that I really like the lamp post die because it reminds me of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. I'm not quite sure how you'd utilize it for that purpose, but there you go. If one of you ever does a project like that, please send me a link :). So here they are folks, the three randomly selected challenge winners and their comments:

 

#23 You guys just keep getting better and better! Love all the new stuff! I would be so Stoked to win a couple of those Dies!!! Go Quickutz!!!

Posted by: Elaine B. in Southern Utah June 16, 2009 at 06:15 PM

#31 I think they are all great- how can anyone just pick one~ I always love ,love, love fonts so I will go with the number set to choose just 1!

Posted by: Maria | June 16, 2009 at 07:20 PM

#85 I am loving this release. My favorites are the washer and dryer. I can see so many other uses for this die. I am planning on using them as stove, air conditioner unit and dishwasher.

Posted by: mollybnvb | June 17, 2009 at 09:38 AM

 

Update: Molly actually won last month so I'm going to draw one more:

 

#98 When I first saw the toilet seat I laughed, but now I think it's my favorite! I'm a card maker and can see so many humorous cards that I could make with it!

Posted by: laura j | June 18, 2009 at 06:54 AM

Thanks ladies! Please send me your choice of dies (two) from this release and your address to customerservice@quickutz.com with Blog Challenge Winner as the subject.

For all you Silhouette fans out there, we also had a Silhouette release today. Use the Purchase Online button in your Silhouette Software to access the Online Store and start stocking up on cute new summer-themed shapes including picnic, the Fourth of July and Father’s Day. Here's a little sample.

 

 

Cards by Nichol Magourik

Having trouble accessing the Silhouette shapes? Go here for detailed instructions.

June Release

  

Everyone knows that the home is where the heart is. It’s also the place where you and your family experience everyday life, with all the adventures and catastrophes that it entails.

These new shapes are perfect for capturing your favorite moments at home from potty training and laundry, to family hobbies and home improvement projects. Use them to embellish scrapbook layouts, welcome to the neighborhood cards, family chore charts and more.

New 4x8 Number Sets

For the first time you can get a complete grand number set on a 4x8 die! These numbers are the perfect size to highlight a year, age, date or home address in any layout or craft project. Try cutting out your home address numbers with adhesive vinyl and stick them on your outside mailbox!

Here's a few project ideas from this release.

This cityscape border is great because it can work for almost any big city that you live in or travel too. Very versatile.

Denver by Shaunte Wadley

I absolutely love the sewing machine die. I think it's adorable. Perhaps it's because I wish I could sew. Anyway, these projects by QK designers Maegen Jenne and Leah Killian look absolutely darling with all the buttons and stitching they've added. Well done ladies!

 

I *heart* to sew by Maegen Jenne

 

I'm sew glad we're friends by Leah Killian

These next two projects are by Samantha Van Arnhem. She did such a good job utilizing both of the new 4x8 Number Sets in very creative ways. It's also a very creative use of the toilet for that matter!

 

Laura's Challenge:

So tell me: What's your favorite shape from this release and why? Leave a comment telling me which shapes/ numbers sets you are most excited to get and what types of projects you'd make with them. I'll choose three random winners that'll get two shapes of their choice from this release. Can't wait to hear what you have to say and don't forget, there's no place like home!

1664 loads project by Maegen Jenne

Week 3

 

Teddy Bear and Dog 4x4 Dies
Special Pricing: $12.99 SRP Each

This week’s Summer of Fun release includes two 4x4 shapes, a dog and a teddy bear! Both of these adorable shapes are only $12.99 and look great on kid and pet projects, or simply as a cute decoration!

Let me just say that I absolutely love this dog shape for three reasons:

1) It's clearly adorable. I've seen the scotty dog motif everywhere lately, on my niece's clothes, in fabrics, jewelry, everywhere! I think it's so cute. I was about to request that we make a shape like this but, of course, our product development is always one step ahead. I can't imagine this shape being anything but a hit!

            

(found these cute products on etsy)

2) My dog growing up (who left us last Christmas Eve) looked just like this dog. When I was in third grade, I took her trick-or-treating as the Toto to my Dorothy costume.

3) Don't get me wrong, I really like the teddy bear shape too. I just have a thing for dogs.

Don't forget, tomorrow is the release day for the June shapes! And this little doggie shape is actually going to help me give a clue for that release. Here it is: "I don't think we're in Kansas any more, Toto."

That's a bit of a stretch but let's see if you can figure it out. If you're perplexed, definitely check back tomorrow.

One last thing. I'd like to give a big thanks to Kerri Bradford for an awesome blogging week last week! She had some amazing project ideas, tips and prizes. Thanks to all those who participated. Let's hope I can convice her to be a regular participant on the blog so you can hear a lot more from her!

 

drumroll please ....

And the winner of the 'Big Mama' giveaway is . . .

Wow! What a great week of inspiration and prizes!
Posted by: stampersuzz | June 12, 2009 at 06:44 AM

Woo hoo! Congratulations! E-mail us your contact information at customerservice@quickutz.com and put QK/HA BLOG WINNER in the Subject line. We’ll get that right out to you!

Again, I just want to say thank you to all of you who stopping by for the past week. You've all been amazing! I've loved reading your comments and wish I could have given out this prize to everyone, especially the husbands that entered for their wives! Now that's devotion. :)

And a special thanks again to the girls at Hero Arts and the guest designers we had this week. You rock! Thanks for making this last week so fantastic!