QuicKutz Blog: Adventures in Die-Cutting

Advanced Silhouette for Beginners

Thanks to The Scrapbook Page in Shawnee Kansas, we have a nice little free .gsd download for you today.  They've mastered the Silhouette and in so doing have created a template for making window cards.  And what's more, they're even willing to share it with all the rest of y'all.  Here's a little sample of what you can do with the template they've created.

Download the FREE .gsd file here

The instructions are simple:

1. Download the file
2. Open it with the Silhouette software
3. Cut it out on a sheet of cardstock the size of the cutting mat
4. Cut the paper in half after the Silhouette is done (the design makes two at a time, you see)
5. Bask in the glory of your window card(s)
6. Go on tour as a professional scrapbooker teaching classes and signing autographs
7. Seek counseling after the fame and popularity wear you down
8. Find a hobby to help you through your therapy
9. Get back in to scrapbooking
10. Repeat Steps 1 through 10 as necessary

Clearly steps 6-10 are optional.  So, just grab the .gsd file and start cutting because with this shape all the hard work is already done for you!  And thanks again to all the folks at The Scrapbook Page who offered the design and photo.

jake

New Vinyl and Silhouette Pens are now shipping to a retailer near you!

So the customer service department here at QuicKutz receives shape suggestions regularly from loyal QuicKutz fans such as yourself.  Recently we've had an overwhelming number of requests (and by "overwhelming number" I mean one (you know who you are)) for a new Silhouette Digital Design in the shape of an awareness ribbon.  Ironically, you may not know that the awareness ribbon is a national symbol that represents roughly a bazillion different things depending on what color it is.  If you don't believe me, look it up on Wikipedia.  And now that I have been thoroughly educated on the topic of awareness ribbons, I present to you a free GSD file for download in the shape of an awareness ribbon.

Download the free GSD

 

I'd also like to point out that we now have pink vinyl (which may be the most popular awareness ribbon color of them all).  And even though our vinyl is designed for indoor use, it sticks very well to vehicles and most of our colors do not fade or discolor in sunlight (sadly, the white turns a bit yellowey).  This information may be incredibly helpful to you should you care to create an awareness ribbon in one of the ten colors of vinyl we currently provide, or if you just want to cut out a vinyl rainbow and stick it to the back of your co-worker's car (which practical joke was not endorsed by QuicKutz).  Anyway, just keep it in mind.

 

 

Jake

Seen and unseen

 I’ve decided that hidden things are pretty cool. When I find something hidden it’s as if I’ve unlocked a kind of mysterious code that only I can break. I don’t think I’m the only one either. Need I mention a certain popular novel from a few years back that involves following cryptic clues and deciphering codes? Yep, you know the one.

 

Well my fascination with concealed objects or messages was heightened last weekend while on a trip to Disneyland™ (I feel like I should trademark that, I don’t want to get sued or anything). During dinner, our waitress let us in on a few Disneyland secrets. For example, apparently there are hidden images of Mickey’s head placed throughout the entire park, like on rides, on the pavement, in the foliage, all over. Some are pretty obvious and some are a little more subtle. I’m sure this isn’t such a big secret, but I found it exciting for some reason and I made a goal to locate as many Mickeys as possible.

After returning home, I shared my Mickey-seeking adventures with my QK co-workers. I was told, to my amazement, that QuicKutz has some hidden messages of its own! You see Daniel, one of our art team members, has put a little creativity into the packaging of our 2x2 alphabets. You know that jumble of letters at the bottom? Well, within those jumbles lie some unseen meanings. For instance, you can find his initials (DWC) or his name (Dan or Daniel) in various configurations in nearly every one. He’s also incorporated the names of other QuicKutz employees including Amy, Rivka and Andrea (I’ll see what I can do about getting a Laura one). He’s even embedded the name of a certain state into the packaging for Biography. Bonus points to whoever figures that one out!

 

Perhaps you didn’t find any of this in the least bit amusing, but I bet a good amount of you are going to search for them the next time you’re at a QuicKutz retailer. Happy hunting!

 

-Laura

 

P.S. I’d love to hear about any other kinds of hidden secrets or similar stories if you have any!

Free stuff is always cool

So I know there’s been a bit of a drought on our end lately as far as blog posts go and I apologize. I mentioned this to Jake this morning and we started talking about how we can make it up to our loyal blog-watchers, and we thought, why not a free download for the Silhouette? Because everyone likes free stuff, and if you’re keen on sewing and quilting then you’ll really like this one.

 

 

It’s a spool of thread and a needle. Jake made it but it was my idea so you can complain to me if you think it’s lame. No, it’s not as intricate as his famous snowflakes but hey, it’s free!  By the way, you need to have the updated software to download these shapes.  If you don't yet have that, go here. It's also free.

 

Download the shape here

 

Enjoy the shape and be sure to upload your projects to the QK Community!

 

Take care,

Laura

The calm before the storm

Just in case you've been wondering why the heck this QuicKutz blog has been so quiet lately, let me assure you that it's not because we haven't thought about our dedicated fans and readers.

We've been busy, busy, busy while preparing for a big April 1st release and a lot of other nifty stuff to follow. That, plus preparing for big Earth Day celebrations on April 22nd. Well, okay, maybe preparations have leaned more toward the product releases (lucky you)!.

Speaking of Earth Day, I've found a good solution (literally) for a general household cleaning solution: 1 part white vinegar mixed with 4 parts water. It cleans counters and faucets really well! The smell isn't like pretty flowers, but it's also not full of chemical fumes... and the bonus is that it's quite cheap. Try it out and tell me what you think, or what your favorite solution is. :)

It's all about respecting the Earth and preserving our world for the future, right? And what do scrapbookers love more than preservation? :D

-Yvette

3 degrees

It's snowing here (or at least is was snowing the last time I saw outside.  I'm thinking about having a contractor come in here and give me an estimate on a sky light.  I know there's another floor above me, but we'll work around it.).  And since it's snowing I can't stop thinking about tonight's weather forcast.  The low temperature for today is supposed to be 3 degrees Fahrenheit.  That's not a lot of degrees.  In fact, I can count that number of degrees on one hand.  And even that probably wouldn't bother me if I weren't going camping with the neighborhood scout troop tonight.  So here's a little doodle I made whilst contemplating my looming fate.  Take it as an idea rather than a finished product.  It looks pretty cool when you sketch it with the Silhouette.  Just take out the blade and put in the pen-holder.  Then let it rip.

Download the .gsd file now

jake

End-of-year notes

Well, first off... I hope that everyone had (or is having) a nice holiday season. I'm back at work today and as most people probably do, I wish that my vacation could have been a little longer.  But I didn't really have a choice, because it's time to get back in the swing of things!

I'm taking a little break from editing the new retailer catalog right now. It's hard to believe that the CHA Winter trade show is right around the corner, though I'm thankful for the extra couple weeks we have this year to prepare because there's still a ton to do! (It moved to mid-February from the end of January.)

Another thing that's really hard for me to believe is all that's happened in the past two years. I started working for QuicKutz when the Squeeze was still new and the dies we offered were 95% 2x2 size (the other 5% were the 2x4 alphabets, which are now all retired). QuickStampz and Icing RubOns had just come out.

Then we released the Revolution with its 4x4 cutting and embossing dies. And then the Silhouette. Then Cookie Cutter dies. In between those biggies, we've also introduced the Magpie Storage System, a new tote bag (with polka dots!), GooseBumpz phrase dies, new QuickStripz cardstock packs, Digital Design Portfolios, and some pretty awesome gift sets.

The end of December is often a time to reflect on how quickly time flies (and to think about going back to that gym membership you were so dedicated to just 11 months ago). It's been an amazing ride so far at QuicKutz, and it looks like we're just getting warmed up.

And now that I'm warming up to being back at work, that big catalog is calling for my attention... as is the next newsletter for all you QuicKutz fans on January 2nd. Plenty of new products are on their way to your retailer's shelves in the next couple months that you're going to LOVE.  You'll see a ton of new stuff come out in January, and that will be followed up with some equally cool and innovative stuff at CHA in February.

At least you have that to look forward to in 2008 when you realize that you actually signed a 2-year contract last January with the gym and not a 1-year contract, which means that you have another year full of exercise-guilt ahead of you. Not that I know from experience or anything.

-Yvette

Popular demand

I've been told that there are quite a few of you who have a hankering for a snowflake shape.  Well, QuicKutz fans rejoice, today you've got a free snowflake download.  These two designs come in one .gsd file for use with your Silhouette Digital Craft Cutter.  They took an incredibly long time to make so just love them for what they are, okay?

Download the .gsd file now

And before you stop reading and start cutting may I just throw out a little holiday advice:

If you're out doing some holiday shopping and you get run over by a shopping cart pushed by some crazed, panicked and mostly angry gift-giver to be, don't get mad and throw your Christmas dishes at her.  As it turns out, if you break them you buy them - even if you were provoked.  And fragmented holiday dinner plates just aren't the same as whole ones.

jake

P.S.  Brian loves you.

Menorahs come in more styles than you may think

So I've heard.

I brought my Nikon D50 to work today to take a decent photograph of the newest silhouette download (it's going to be a while before I can afford the new D3).  If you complain about the picture now, you're just picky.  This ornament is hanging on our QuicKutz tree in the lobby next to a 7 year-old candy cane and a Christmas ornament die.  The lights on the tree are turned off because for the life of me I couldn't find the plug.  And yes, the tree is artificial - get over it.

So if you want to spend several unnecessary hours making paper ornaments for your tree, this just might be the best news of your day.

Download the .gsd file now

Actually, it only took me about 10 minutes to fold the thing and glue it.  You'll need some pretty nimble fingers to get the top part together.  You could probably say that on a scale of 1 to nimble your fingers need to be about an 8.  I might suggest using a pencil to help put some pressure behind the pieces you're gluing.  Then again, I might not.

jake

Better late than never

  Let me first mention that although this is an awful picture, it's better than no picture.  Second, if you really hate it all that much I'll replace it when I get a hold of a better camera.

So what is it, anyway?  You guessed it, it's another Silhouette download.

Click here to download the .gsd file

It's a little late since Thanksgiving is tomorrow, but if you don't celebrate Thanksgiving, then it's not late at all, is it?  The turkey is pretty cool, even if the photo doesn't lead you to believe that.  Just cut it out and put it together, would you?

jake

P.S.  The "secret something" I mentioned before is already up and running, but we're not going to make a big deal out of it just yet.  Go to www.quickutz.com and sign in.  Then you'll find a link on the menu on the left side of the screen that says "My QK Collection".  Thanks for your overwhelming responses during the loading icon voting.  You'll see which icon won the vote when you go see the new My QK Collection page.

P.P.S.  Okay, there's nothing else to read here.  Just go and look at the web site already.  Then cut out a turkey and gobble a little bit.