QuicKutz Blog: Adventures in Die-Cutting

Boo.

 

Something spooky this way comes! Today’s release, featuring Halloween shapes, embossing folders and a 4x8 alphabet, is the first of three holiday shape releases this fall. These shapes come in a variety of formats including 2x2, 4x4, border dies, and Cookie Cutters. Create your very own chilling landscape with a graveyard, haunted house and a starry night sky!

With QuicKutz dies and embossing folders, it’s fast and easy to make custom holiday cards, gifts and decorations for the season without sacrificing quality. No matter how busy your holiday schedule is, there’s always time for QuicKutz!

 

Go here to see them all! Which one is your favorite?

 

Enjoy these spook-tacluar projects by some of our creative designers!

 

(click images to enlarge)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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.

 

    

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

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!

 

Summer of Fun- Week 2

 

 

Chicken Noodle 4x4 Alphabet Die

Special Pricing– $12.99 SRP

This week’s Summer of Fun release is an entire alphabet on one 4x4 die! At a price of only $12.99, Chicken Noodle is the best value for a complete alphabet on one die. It’s the perfect size for cards or journaling and adds just the right amount of funk and personality to all your craft projects.

Don't forget to check out the awesome giveaway below!

Something New

  

Introducing Special Occasion shapes from QuicKutz. When it comes to any black-tie affair, these shapes are the perfect fit to dress up your most elegant projects! Use them to stylishly adorn albums that feature weddings, proms and other special occasions. They're also ideal for shower invitations, thank you and anniversary cards. You can even create and customize your own place cards for a classy table setting. Get them and they're yours to have and to hold from this day forward.

 

  New 4x8 Alphabet

Complement these beautiful shapes with the perfect title! The Bouquet Mini Alphabet was designed particularly to create elegant monograms. Use this 4x8 die together with the Monogram Accent Set on Cookie Cutter Dies to create stylish combinations for almost any look.

Laura's Challenge:

Meet Bond, James Bond. We made him a few months ago when we got the first set of the Bride and Groom dies. We were discussing how versatile these dies were when I mentioned that he'd make a great Bond. One of our designers drew and cut out a gun using the Silhouette and ta-da - we've got 007. James likes to disappear and pop up in unexpected places around the office (see photos). He's even made friends with a green alien chick (also cut out with the Silhouette).

My Challenge to you this month is to think of some other things you can make with the Bride and Groom dies, or other projects they could be used for besides wedding. You can use them together or separately like Bond here. Three (creative) winners will receive two dies from this month's release!

*I'd love it if you guys eventually made them yourselves and put them up on the QK Community Gallery. Please let me know if you do!

     

   

Here are some great projects from this release. Go to our Idea Gallery to see more!

   

    

 

Introducing The Epic!

ep-ic: /e-pik/ majestic, impressively great, heroic, of unusually great size or extent, surpassing the ordinary, impressive in quality.

 

The Epic is the newest tabletop die-cutting system from QuicKutz. It surpasses the size and scope of every die-cutting tool QuicKutz has released before, and beats all competing tools in both quality and performance. The Epic comes with everything you need to cut and emboss all QuicKutz products as well as all other leading brand dies, making it the most versatile and truly epic die-cutting tool yet.

Key features of the Epic:

• Cuts and embosses
• Six-inch wide opening
• Compatible with all QuicKutz and other leading brand dies
• Ideal for scrapbooking, card making, home décor and other craft projects.
• Warranty—Lifetime service commitment
• High quality metal parts
• Light weight and portable
• $89.99 SRP

Preorder your Epic tool before June 30^th and receive an instant rebate of $20. You can also participate in a mail-in rebate valued at over $20. Talk to your favorite QK retailer today to find out how you can make the most of this amazing offer!

 

Coming soon to a craft store near you. Summer 2009. Tell your Story.

NSD Madness

The fun girls over at Beach Scrapbooks, one of our devoted QuicKutz retailers, had an amazing National Scrapbook Day/Gift Set Release Party at their store last weekend. Hear about it in their own words:

In honor of National Scrapbooking Day and the QuicKutz Gift Set release, we decided to kick-off the weekend with a Beach Scrapbooks Midnight Madness Party. On Friday night, we closed the doors at 9 p.m. in order to prepare. We took all the dies out of the packages and displayed them on the EZ Storage Magnetic Sheets. We also hung the <adorable> tote bags up for everyone to see. By 10 p.m., there was already a line forming! (Don’t feel bad for them though…it was warm outside AND we served them brownies!)

When we reopened the doors at 11 p.m., food, drinks AND karaoke were waiting for them!  Plus, there were a few good laughs at our costumes. Our entire staff of 9 dressed up in the themes of the gift sets. Some wore tacky tourist outfits (yes, we do see a lot of socks with flip flops in Virginia Beach!) and BBQ aprons. Others donned their pink jammies, bright lipstick and wide brimmed hats. And, yes, some even came all decked out in their best recyclables.

Customers sang, danced and shopped. To encourage singing, we gave away some GREAT prizes – including QuicKutz alphabets. People are not-so-shy when there’s a 2x2 alphabet available on the prize table!

Together, as if it were New Year’s Eve, we counted down the last 10 seconds until it was 12:01 a.m., May 2^nd. The gift sets were officially on sale, and two cash registers were crazy busy for the next hour.  The singing continued and people lingered as if it were the middle of the afternoon.  Not only did we sell an incredible amount of gift sets, but we had an absolutely AMAZING bonding time with our customers. Yes, the 30% off storewide sale helped, but overall, it was a night to remember. AND to scrapbook, of course J

 Jen, Beach Scrapbooks

Virginia Beach, VA

 

Looks like fun ladies!

Did anyone else either host or attend a party like this? If so, please feel free to send us pictures too or just tell us all about it!

Spring Gift Sets

Today is National Scrapbooking Day and you know what that means….the Spring Gifts Sets are here! Introducing our new Be You. Be Colorful. Gift Sets.

 

 

Show your colorful side with every 2009 Spring Gift Set from QuicKutz! Each of the four sets has its own vibrant personality and is packed with Cookie Cutter shape and alphabet dies, a coordinating tote bag and a unique entry code for the Create in Color Sweepstakes. And best of all, you get all this for only $89.99!

 

 

What makes these dies even more special? They're colored that's why!

Check them out.

 

click to enlarge

Create in Color Sweepstakes

You can enter to win a grand prize for two to Hawaii! And two runner-up winners will receive $500 worth of QuicKutz products each. 

There are four ways to enter the sweepstakes:

• Purchase one (or all four) Be Colorful Spring Gift Sets. You'll find a unique entry code in each package.
• Receive an entry code by participating in a Be Colorful activity at local scrapbook store like completing one of the make-n-takes or attending a National Scrapbooking Day party or crop night.
• Submit a project to the QK community gallery on our website using dies from one or more of the gift sets (limited to up to five submissions). Make sure you check the appropriate box to enter your project in the Create in Color contest. You'll be automatically entered into the sweepstakes.
• Upload the Be Colorful blog button to your blog or website and send a link to asmith@quickutz.com.

 

Which of these sets is your favorite? Which one do you think fits your personality best and why?