QuicKutz Blog: Adventures in Die-Cutting

Challenge Winners

First of all, thank you for all the posts and moving well-wishes. It's nice to know that there's people out there that read and care about these silly little blog posts. I doubt I'll ever find another job where I have the ability to make contact with so many wonderful fans and fellow crafters the way I do here at QuicKutz. But let's not talk about that because I'm going to get sad and then I won't be able to continue... So here they are, your three randomly selected winners!

Lara S. said: "So sorry you will be leaving! Will you take me to Seattle with you?!? :) I would have to say my favorite release was the Winter CHA with all the pretty 3D flowers, birds, SD, and yummy alphas."

Maeghan M said:"Embossing folders. Definitely the embossing folders :-) I hope you and your family have an awesome time in Seattle!!!"

Becky H said: "My favorite is the May 09 release of the Spring Gift Sets!! Of the 4, my favorites are the Flirt & Relax sets. I love the images and matching fonts, they are mega cute. I think I was sold right away by the color scheme, haha!"

If you ladies would send me your choice of either two dies or three embossing folders from the Say it with Style release and your address to customerservice@quickutz.com with Blog Winner in the subject title, I'll get those out to you.

Thanks to all of you who participated. It was fun to read through all of your comments and look back on the great releases we've had so far this year, I think someone even threw Sheldon in there, so that was fun. Believe me though when I say that the best is yet to come!

For instance, CHA is next week. Get excited cause QK is releasing a whole bunch of fun shapes, alphas, accessories and more! Some of which you'll hear about next week and some in the weeks to come. All good stuff though so if haven't already dipped into your kid's college fund, you might want to consider it now :)

Have a great weekend everyone!

Laura

New Say it with Style Shapes!

Journaling is an essential part of scrapbooking—it’s the way you tell your story! These new dies and embossing folders from QuicKutz are perfect additions to any project that you’d like to add a little of your own words. Use them on a variety of projects to highlight quotes, dates, names and places.

They’re easy to mix and match and you can even use the scalloped shapes and journaling lines separately as well as together! Don’t forget to try our new pop-up doors to add more dimension and interaction with your projects.

 

 

New Alphabets

The Say it with Style release features three new alphabets with amazing intro pricing that will last through the end of August. Use them together with journaling blocks for even more style!

                          New Embossing Folders

Add more dimension to your projects with new embossing folders from QuicKutz. These 2x2, A2 and border-sized embossing folders also have a journaling focus but include new patterns and shapes as well!

 

Click here to see the entire release

Laura's Giveaway Challenge:

First of all, I regret to announce that this will most likely be the last of Laura's Challenges. You see, I am sadly leaving this awesome job in three weeks (My husband got a job in Seattle so that's where we're headed). I'm sure you'll hear from me once or twice again before I go but, like I said, this is the last of my giveaways. But never fear, I'm sure that whoever takes over the blog will continue with these monthly giveaways. Let me just say a quick thanks to all of you for reading this blog, for participating and for sharing your talents and your passion for crafting with me! I wish you all the best and many days of QuicKutz pleasure.

Ok so down to business. Help me remember the good times at QK by telling me what your favorite monthly release of 2009 was and why (this can totally include today's release!). Three randomly chosen people will win two dies or four embossing folders from this release! Good luck.

Here are some fun projects for your viewing pleasure.

 

    

Contests, Prizes and Winners!

Announcing our randomly selected winners for the Create in Color Sweepstakes, part of our Be You. Be Colorful Spring Gift Sets!

 

Congratulations to…

 

Karen Downs from Colorado! She won a 4 day 3 night trip to Oahu, Hawaii! Hotel, rental car and $500.00 spending cash included. Karen bought the Relax Gift Set and is thrilled to be heading to Hawaii with her husband for a RELAXING, well deserved (and 15 years overdue) vacation! Congrats Karen, those tropical dies will certainly come in handy now!

Our two runners up are Maria Price and Jeri Waldoch. They each won a $500.00 QuicKutz shopping spree!

 

We are roaring up to start doing contests once a month on our site! We’ll be doing everything from submitting your favorite vacation/summer photo to an essay contest. We love to see how creative our customers are and we’d love to share your work with the world! Keep the contest page linked and watch for some exciting contests, and most of all, some awesome prizes!

 

Andrea

Facebook Contest Winner

The Facebook add-a-friend challenge ended last week and our winner is (drumroll...) Tamara Warner! She got nearly a whopping 50 friends to add us on Facebook. Way to go Tamara, you'll be receiving your Epic Six tool shortly.

Thanks to everyone who participated, we hope that you'll continue to follow us on Facebook and benefit from other contests, giveaways and general QuicKutz news and lastest information.

Speaking of contests, the winner of the Create in Color Sweepstakes (part of our Be You. Be Colorful. Gift Sets) will be announced this week so stay tuned!

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. :)

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

another fabulous day!

Well, we’re off to a great start this week! We’ve had a lot of Hero Arts fans visiting . . . lovin’ that! We LOVE Hero Arts too!

I suppose you’re wanting to know who the winners are?

Really?

Are you sure?

Okay then. Here they are.

Winner of the stamps:
Michelle V who said:
“Love that Cityscape!! I also really like those stamps...would be great to have them. ;)”

Winner of the dies and embossing folder:
Melanie Arrowood who said:
“This is a fabulous idea! Incorporating two of my favorite things: Quickutz and stamping! Brilliant! I can't wait to see all the samples this week!”

Congratulations ladies! 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!

Now, for a little eye candy!

One of my favorite combo-designers (stamps & dies) is Nichol Magouirk. She has such a way of putting it all together! It truly is eye candy! You just have to pore over all her work to soak in every little detail. For example, check out this page . . . isn’t it amazing?! Look at all the layering, so subtle, yet so wow!

Supplies:
QuicKutz: frame_1479, circle_scallop_LG_1178, circle_scallop_LG_1177, circle_scallop_MED_1186, flower_popup_0942, flower_1021
Hero Arts: K5232 Dot Flourish Border, S5101 Raindrop Background, CL184 Clear Design Thoughtful Messages, CL272 Clear Design All Occasion Messages, CL332 Friendship, CL284 Clear Design Friend, CL291 Clear Design Hello Circles, Small Pearl Gems
Other: Patterned Paper, Crate Paper. Cardstock, American Crafts. Brads, Sassafras Lass & Making Memories. Scallop Punch, Fiskars. Embossing Powders, American Crafts.

Here is a card from none other than Jennifer McGuire . . . Miss Hero Arts herself! This girl is sooooo incredibly talented! I think her name is synonymous with Hero Arts. Her stamping is genius! And it works beautifully on these die cut images from Silhouette! I also love her feature articles in Creating Keepsakes Magazine.

Look closely at all those little details on the card. Think you can figure out all that she did? Hmm . . . let’s see if you got it right.

1. Cut “Wonderful” (phrase_wonderful_1546) title using Silhouette on white cardstock.
2. Stamped “Dots and Lines” stamp with Versamark onto the “Wonderful” title and heat embossed with white embossing powder.
3. Rubbed “Scattered Straw” Distress Ink over the stamped image with a Ranger Foam Inking Tool.
4. Cut flourish (flourish_1019) with Silhouette on white cardstock and rubbed with “Tea Dye” Distress Ink with a Ranger Foam Inking Tool.
5. Adhered all items to kraft card
6. Cut “You” with Silhouette on white cardstock and inked it with yellow ink.
7. Cut Butterfly (butterfly_1510) with Silhouette on white cardstock. Stamped a script Hero Arts image with Versamark and heat embossed with white embossing powder.
8. Added wire antenna.
9. Adhered Hero Arts Pearls to the body.

I tell you, she’s genius! She made every single Silhouette shape come to life using a few Hero Arts stamps, some ink and some embossing powder. Wow!

Now boys and girls, it’s time for some more giveaways. I looooove giving stuff away! So how about we start with more incredible stamps from Hero Arts. Check out these designs!

And here’s some more totally cool dies and embossing folder from QK!

And because I’m feeling saucy, how about we throw in one of these for a prize! A $25 Silhouette download card!

Just leave a comment in today’s post and we’ll randomly choose three winners and announce them in tomorrow’s post.

And if you’re itching for some more examples, ideas, and tips & tricks, here's a few sites to look at:
Silhouette Idea Gallery
QK Idea Gallery
Hero Arts Learning
Two Peas in a Bucket: Die Cutting
Two Peas in a Bucket:  Stamps

Be sure to check out what Hero Arts is doing—and giving away—on their blog today! And you may want to check out my own blog too, I told you I like giving things away, didn’t I? ;)

[this contest is now closed]

Hero Arts + QuicKutz. A match made in scrapbook heaven.

What could be better than using dies, embossing folders and Silhouette images on a scrapbook page? How about using them with Hero Arts stamps!

Hero Arts is an industry leader in the world of stamping. They exude creativity and are pretty darn amazing people to work with! Seriously. They are considered the innovator in the stamp, cardmaking and scrapbooking markets. The company turns 35 years old in 2009 and remains passionate about stamping, they are obsessed with quality, and ever-so dedicated to their customers. Hero Arts is also a certified green business and all of their stamps are manufactured with care in the USA. Gotta love that!

We are so excited to bring you a week filled of pages and projects using products from both QuicKutz and Hero Arts. Our little designers have been busy stamping and punching and gluing until their fingers have turned blue! Or wait, maybe that’s from the blue stamping ink. ;)

Every day this week, we will be sharing some fabulous ideas from this little design factory and there will also be giveaways on both the QuicKutz blog and the Hero Arts blog! And not only that, each giveaway will have products from both companies! Yahoo! Who doesn’t like free stuff? And at the end of the week here on the QK blog will be our big mamma of the giveaways!

Want to see some fun stuff now? Okay!

This page is brought to you by none other than the uber-talented Loni Stevens! Love how she used the cityscape on her page! It almost makes it look like a storybook. Pay close attention to all her little details–from stitching, to gems, to adding text onto her photographs. Love it!

Supplies:
QuicKutz Silhouette: Cityscape_1314 and Title
Hero Arts stamps: Modern Lines (on the brown) and Raindrops Background (on the green)
Other: Cardstock, Bazzill Basics. Gems, Imaginesce.

How about this darling baby boy card by the amazing Jen Gallacher! Not only is she talented in scrapbooking, but she is so fast! I love all the animal stamps she framed inside a Silhouette circle border. Great idea!

Supplies:
QuicKutz Silhouette: Triangle_Border_Tiny_1259 and Circle_Border_1411
Hero Arts: Precious Baby and Designer Alphabet stamps
Other: Ink, Versamark and Inque Boutique. Embossing powder and markers, Inque Boutique. Copper attachment, We R Memory Keepers. Gingham ribbon, Li'l Davis Designs. Blue patterned paper, Pebbles Inc.   

Thanks for sharing your amazing creations ladies!

Giveaway? Did someone say giveaway? Why yes, we did! One random winner will win  these three stamps from Hero Arts. How cool are they?

Another random winner will get these super fun dies and 12" embossing border from QK!

We will draw the two winners first thing Tuesday morning, so make sure you leave a comment in today’s post and you’ll be eligible to win!

What an incredible week we have in store! Stay tuned to both the Hero Arts and QuicKutz blog. It’s a week you won’t want to miss! And be sure to visit the Hero Arts blog today, because today is their “big mamma” of giveaways!

==========

For those of you who don’t know me, my name is Kerri Bradford and I’m fairly new to the QK company, but I’ve been in the scrapbooking business for about 10 years working with Lisa Bearnson on QVC pages and designing for Creating Keepsakes’ Kit of the Month program.

QK has always been one of my favorite companies to work with. How fortunate for me that they took me on to do some designing for their Silhouette . . . and I’m having a ball! I’m very passionate about the Silhouette and the instant gratification that comes from using it–and designing for it! I don’t think there’s any other product of any kind on the market that can have the “production time” like we have for Silhouette. Something trendy, right here, right now? We can make something for it and have it out within a month. Now that’s fast!

You’ll be hearing from me all week here on the QK blog. You can also check out my blog this week because I'll be sharing a few more things . . . and you never know . . . I might just have to give something away too! As a Silhouette image designer . . . I got connections. ;)

[this contest is now closed]