Here is a brief video how to letterpress with the Provo Craft Cuttlebug using the Lifestyle Crafts letterpress starter kit. It is very easy and fun to do invitations and cards. There is no need for any other plates or mats. All you do is run it through the machine and it makes perfect prints on the paper or envelopes
I thought that I would take today’s blog to spotlight one of my favorite little machines! Provo CraftCuttlebug Machine V2! This machine is very similar to the older version which it replaced. It has the same sleek design and works the same as the older model, however, Provo Craft says it is more durable with its stronger outer casing and metal handle. It has an easy carrying handle making it very portable.
This little guy is a worker! It is the smallest machine I have, but definitely the most used! It is very user friendly and is great to take to crops, as the design enables it to fold up and take up very little space. With buying the extended 13″ plates, there are not many things that I can’t do with it! Use it for all your card making and scrapbooking die cutting or embossing projects!
With it’s 6 inch opening, it is compatible with QuicKutz, Boss Kut, Spellbinders, and Sizzix dies and embossing folders. It is NOT compatible with SpellbindersGrand dies or SizzixBigz Pro dies.
Tip: Keep one B Cutting Pad dedicated as your top plate for cutting and embossing. This will help the Adaptor C and other B Cutting Pad last much longer so you are not replacing them as often! The top pad will get really warped and ugly, but don’t worry! Just keep flipping it over and over and it will become your most loved (but ugly) plate! you won’t want to be without it! It should last quite a long time, but once it breaks, you will need to replace it, so I suggest having spares on hand. You can bet that it will break late at night, right in the middle of an important project, so it is important to have one handy!
If handled properly, the A Spacer Plate should last as long as your machine, however, we do carry replacements of all the standard and extended plates JUST IN CASE!
Today I would like to introduce the QuicKutzTropical Splash Collection if you haven’t seen it already! Perfect for summer layouts, party invitations, and even party favors! There is so much you can create with this fun collection! There is a variety of sizes in this collection from 2 x 2 wafer dies to 12″ cookie cutter dies. The darling Tiki Alphabet is on a 4 x 8 plate with letters measuring approximately 1/2″ tall.
If you are planning a summer party or luau you can create your own Drink Umbrellas, Lantern, and even a Lei or two (or 50!).
My family is big into water sports so I have a ton of pictures at lakes or the ocean and this collection is perfect for my scrap room! Maybe I can get all those pages done that I have been putting off! At least I got a start with the pages below!
For my next page I used the full Hibiscus border on the top then cut up another one for the pieces on the bottom. The palm leaves are cut from the Tropical Tags die and attatched with a copper brad.
Here’s a look at some of the displays QuicKutz had in their booth at CHA!
I hope this gives you some inspiration for future projects! It is always fun to see someone else’s spin with a product! QuicKutz inspired me to start die cutting and I have been an addict ever since!
I am so thrilled to introduce the Decorative Lace Border Die! It is a custom Heartfelt Creations Die manufactured by Spellbinders. This die coordinates with the Wedding Collection stamps. This die has more intricate details, so if you have a “loose” machine, you will have to cut a couple times. You will need to run it through your machine and cut once and then turn it 90 degrees and cut again.
I actually ran it 3-4 times through my Cuttlebug Machine then turned it before running it through 3-4 more times just to make sure! It is well worth the extra time it takes to cut it out! You will want to have either a QuickStik from QuicKutz, Pick Me Up from Silhouette, or pair of skinny craft tweezers to more easily poke through the holes! I love this die!
Since this is the season for weddings, I created an A2 wedding card using the Decorative Lace Border and Heartfelt CreationsBella Rose Scroll stamp set. I scored my card stock using my Scor-Pal for an accurate fold. I used 1/8″ Scor-Tape along the main lines of the die cut and ribbon to place on my card. A little chalk to add color to the roses then I used foam adhesive squares just on the top of the scroll to give the some dimension.
I don’t consider myself a designer, but I definitely have fun trying! I love playing with all of the fantastic products we carry and showing off the finished project! My family gets pretty tired of me showing them. They tell me it’s fine without even looking at it! Can you relate? I thought so! Of course I’m the mom, so I rant an rave over their stuff! I guess that is just how it goes.
I hope that you all have a great weekend! Better get lots of sleep, because we will have lots to show you next week after CHA! You may have to stay up nights just to see all the new stuff!!!!
It has been a while since we blogged about the Provo Craft-Cuttlebug Embossing Plus Folders, however, several of you have been wondering about how to use them in your Cuttlebug Machines, so I am going to review for you! They do take a bit to get used to!
The most important thing to remember before beginning is to remove the cardboard backing by removing the two green tabs at the top! DO NOT TRY RUNNING THE FOLDER THROUGH YOUR MACHINE BEFORE DOING THIS! You could break your plates or your machine!
Once these are removed, you can take the folder off of the backing and follow the instructions on the backing. It will tell you the sandwich formula to use for these folders. Please check your plates to make sure that you are using the proper plates!
We also have a How To Video which we hope will be helpful in using these folders! Once you get the hang of them, you are sure to have a lot of fun with them!
We will be closed Monday, July 4th for our Independence Day! Have a safe and happy 4th! We will be back on Tuesday!
I appreciate when customers email with questions concerning products that I can use on our Blog! One of our customers asked today for ideas using SpellbindersBorderabilities Dies. She also asked if she could use the 12″ Borderabilities Grand in her Cuttlebug Machine even though she did not have the Extended Cutting Mats.
Yes! You can use the 12″ Grand Dies with standard plates if you are just needing a portion for a card or something short! Just make sure that you don’t bend the die where it is hanging over the edge!
If you do have the extended plates, you can cut the die cut to the length you need for layouts, cards, banners or other projects!
The Borderabilities Petite generally come with 2 dies. One of the dies usually comes with only one cutting edge for a nice card border, called an Accent Die. The Accent cuts the bottom edge and embosses the upper edge.while the other Border Die cuts and embosses on all sides for an actual border that you can place anywhere you choose!
You can use these dies any way you want, the idea is to PLAY! That is the whole idea in creativity! See how many ways you can use them! Let the kids use the dies to decorate soup can pencil holders for their teachers, or for their homework binders to dress them up for school! That will keep them busy during the hot summer afternoons when they “are bored” because it is to hot to go outside!
Sometimes I feel guilty that I have so much stuff that I don’t use! Yet I keep purchasing more! Its just that the manufacturers keep coming up with such great products! Yesterday I told you about the new Cuttlebug Embossing Folders from Provo Craft, so I took the Rebecca home with me last night to play with! Love it! I also used stamps from the new Heartfelt CreationsBella Rose Collection!
By the time I got home from work, my frantic weekend traveling to and from San Francisco (almost 24 total hours in the truck in less than 48 hours) had caught up with me! I had zero energy and just as much brain power, but I was determined to get something done to show you today! Here is the result of my exhausted efforts!
I stamped the Bella Rose Vintage Background on tan card stock, colored the flowers and leaves with colored pencil (I really need to invest in some Copic Markers!), then ran a piece of vellum in the Rebecca Embossing Folder through my Cuttlebug Machine for the cover of the card. I then stamped the rose on the vellum, using brown ink, with one of the Bold Bella Rose stamps (so beautiful!). I used vellum tape to adhere the vellum to the card so you can’t see any tape lines. I added a ribbon bow and went to bed! LOL!
I had to look at it again this morning to actually make the decision on whether it turned out good enough to show you! I couldn’t tell last night, but I am actually happy with the results! I really like using embossing folders with vellum because it naturally highlights the embossed lines to give it more depth.
Hopefully, I will be awake for my next project! It is amazing what a good night’s sleep can do for you!
Just arrived! Six brand new Cuttlebug Embossing Folders from Provo Craft! Whoo Hoo! They are gorgeous! Three come in A2 size and three are 5 x7! I am so excited to put these to work embossing cards! We have these in stock ready to ship to you!
Musical FlourishA2 Embossing Folder is just perfect for the music lover!
Rebecca A2 Embossing Folder is beautiful with scrolls in all four corners! Great for any occasion!
Tiffany A2 Embossing Folder is totally upper class for wedding cards or invitations!
Keyboard 5 x 7 Embossing Folder is absolutely stylin’ for a teenage musician! Great for recital invitations!
Mary Ann 5 x 7 Embossing Folder reminds me of a Parisian window screen. The scroll work is fabulous!
Madison 5 x 7 Embossing Folder gives a stained glass effect! Lovely for wedding or bridal invitations!
Provo Craft has fabulous designers for their embossing folders! They are always bringing us wonderful new designs to make our creativity easier with their intricate patterns! Add a few embellishments and you have an incredible card that looks like it took hours to make, when it really took a few minutes! I love that!
I am always getting comments like “This is awesome! How did you do this?” They just can’t believe that it is so easy! Of course, many don’t have any idea what an embossing folder is, but I tell them to come over and I would be happy to let them try it for themselves!
Here is a video demo of the Provo Craft All In One Cuttlebug Folders. The video is provided by Provo Craft. All of these folders are 6×9 inches in size for use in the Cuttlebug die cutting and embossing machine. Combine this folder with a variety of embossing plates to give you the freedom to emboss, deboss and letterpress images the way you want. Remember you must have the All In One Folder though to do these types of projects.
To read and/or purchase these folders click on link below:
Extra, Extra! Read all about it! An all new style in embossing! ProvocraftAll In One Embossing Sets! Designed to work with the Cuttlebug Machine, the All in One allows you to combine a variety of embossing plates to give you the freedom to emboss, deboss and letterpress images the way you want. It’s easy to rearrange coordinating designs to create unique effects on your projects!
You will need to purchase the All in One Folder to use with the plates. This 6″ x 9″ folder works with the All in One Emossing plates which snap into the folder in the design that you desire!
To Emboss
1. Place the positive plate into the holds on the bottom of the folder (green). Press until you hear a snap. Plate should be flat.
2. Align the negative plate on top of the positive plate. Close the folder, pressing down until you hear a snap.
3. Open the folder. Place paper between the plates. Place two “B” mats on top of the closed folder and run through the Cuttlebug machine.
To Deboss
1. Place the negative plate into the holes on the bottom of the folder (green). Press until you hear a snap. Plate should be flat.
2. Align the positive plate on top of the negative plate. Close the folder, pressing down until you hear a snap.
3. Open the folder. Place paper between the plates. Place two “B” mats on top of the closed folder and run through the Cuttlebug machine.
To Letterpress Print
1. Place the positive plate into the holes on the bottom of the folder (green). Press until you hear a snap. Plate should be flat.
2. Place a blank plate on top of the positive plate. close the folder, pressing down until you hear a snap.
3. Evenly cover raised designs with ink using craft tool and ink pad.
4. Place letterpress paper between the plates. Close the folder. Place two “B” mats on top of the closed folder and run through the Cuttlebug machine.
Just to show you a simple example, I did some embossing and debossing with the All in One Beautiful Set
Embossing:
Debossing:
As you can see, it creates a crisp impression!
I found that I could also use these in the SizzixBig Shot Machine! To get a crisp impression, you will need a shim along with both Standard Cutting Pads. I used the chipboard backing off of a notepad which is approximately 1/16″ thick.
If you are a scrapbooker you already know that borders are a wonderfully quick and easy way to embellish your pages! Well, we have a border die from Quickutz on sale for those Easter and layouts that you are planning to do!
Quickutz Easter Egg Border is a 12″ border dies that is perfect for layouts! It can be cut down to shorter lengths for smaller layouts or cards (think ahead)! On sale for the amazingly low price of $8.99 from the Retail Price of $24.99! This is a steal of a deal!
For some added dimention and springtime embellishment, why not add some Petaloo flowers! At 40% off you’ll want to gather them up as fast as you can! These are offered at this incredible sale price while supplies last!
Even though Spellbinders has not yet produced a plate that is the size of the other plates for that machine, there is a sandwich for 4″x6″ embossing folders using item W-025 Sizzix Original Cut Mat ( otherwise known as the Rasberry Spacer Plate).
Start with the A Base Plate on the bottom. Place the folder with cardstock on top of the A Base Plate and cover with the Tan Embossing Mat then the W-025 Raspberry Spacer Plate. Insert into the front of the Grand Calibur. Turn the handle and the sandwich exits at the back of the machine.
There you have it! I know that this will make a lot of you happy!
It is crunch time to get you gifts done for Mother’s Day if you haven’t already! Here’s an idea for a card box if your mom likes cards, but needs a place to store them, or you can fill the box with pre-made cards for her to use when needed! Of course I used roses, because that is what mom’s like! Right?
The paper I used for my tin box is the Rustic Paper Stack from DCWV ( It is an exclusive to JoAnn Stores), and the Shimmer Stack for the roses. To cut the roses I used QuicKutzRoses die. Easy! I cut it out with my Cuttlebug Machine then rolled them up and glued them in place with some Zip Dry Paper Glue!
This was a lot of fun! It took me a minute to practice making the roses with some regular paper, but found that the thicker card stock made it easier! Just roll it up with your fingers and let go for it to take shape, then glue it where you want it!
Wow! Mother’s Day is right on our doorstep! Can you believe it? I can’t! I feel like we just barely had Easter…oh wait, we did! I don’t know about you, but I had better get crackin’ on a gift for Mom!
My mom is a scrapbooker, so she would like just about anything that has to do with scrapbooking! Why don’t you come shopping with me to see what I can find that would make great gifts for her special day!
She has tons of pictures to still put in albums as she has 10 children (I am the oldest) and 34 grandchildren, so I think I will start with the basics. Paper! She has 7 sons and lots of grandsons, so the All About Boys Paper Stack from DCWV or Alphabet Soup Boy from My Minds Eye are a great start for the boys! A Proper Gentleman 8×8 by Graphic 45 works well for all of her masculine photos.
She has a Cuttlebug, and loves die cutting! Let’s move over to the dies to see what we can find! Spellbinders dies are always a perfect gift! She and I have very similar taste, so I think I will go with a couple of my favorites! Labels Twenty, Lacey Circles, Lacey Squares, Lacey Ovals (okay, so I like lacey!), Floral Doily Accents and Floral Doily Motifs as well as the Parisian Accents and Parisian Motifs! Well, that is more than a couple, but maybe we can keep some of these in mind for her birthday or Christmas! I could shop forever in Spellbinders!
She would love QuickutzAnime Monkey to scrap some of her younger grandchildren! Or the Mixing Bowl and Spoon for those moments making cookies with the grandkids!
Whew! This shopping trip could last a long time if we got into the nitty-gritty of adhesives, embossing folders, foils, flowers, etc.! I think I will let you shop for yourselves now! I have a pretty good idea of what I will end up with! Have fun!
I have had numerous questions about the use of Provo CraftCuttlebug Embossing Folders with the SpellbindersGrand Calibur! I decided to post your answer on our Blog today!
Start with the A Base Plate on the bottom. Place the folder (with cardstock inside) on top of the A Base Plate and cover with the Tan Embossing Mat then the W-025 Raspberry Spacer Plate (otherwise known as the Sizzix Original Cut Mat). Insert into the front of the Grand Calibur. Turn the handle until the sandwich exits at the back of the machine!
Since the Cuttlebug Embossing Folders are the same thickness as Quickutz Embossing Folders and SizzixTextured Impressions, they should all work in the Grand Calibur the same! The only exceptions may be the 12″ folders. You may have to run them through twice in order to get the whole thing.
REMEMBER to NEVER force anything through your Machine!
Now you can use your Grand Calibur Machine and CB Embossing Folders to emboss those special cards for Mother’s Day!
Just a quick note to let you know that we were surprised to receive a limited amount of S5-028 Nested Pennants and S5-029 Nested Lacey Pennants from Spellbinders! We were shocked because we were told these would be back ordered until the end of May!
Back order status is in the product description if it is available. Sometimes the manufacturers don’t tell us an item is back ordered until we receive our shipment and notice it is not in there. When we call about it, is when we find out it is back ordered. If your item does say it is back ordered, then check on our BLOG to see if we have any updates. It is not Cut@Home, but the manufacturers who back order product. We sometimes do not know an item is back ordered until our shipment arrives and the die is not in there!
We try really hard to keep the back order status current on our website. The status does not happen automatically, we have to go in and manually change the status, so sometimes it takes us a day or two to get that changed. Product projections are very difficult, especially during this recession. Having too much inventory can put a company under, so we are seeing a lot of our manufacturers choosing to back order rather than sit on inventory.
Cuttlebug V2 Machine is in stock and ready to ship to you! It is a great little die cutting machine that will cut most other manufacturer dies!
Today I want to show you the adorable new QuicKutzWhirlpool Alphabet! I have a weakness for swirls! The more swirly the better as far as I am concerned! This alphabet is so dang cute! You get 65 dies in upper and lower case letters, numbers and punctuation! The letters are approximately 1″ tall and come in strands held together with the tiny tabs that I mentioned yesterday with the Blue Sky Alphabet. This is the same with the new Carousel and Handmade Alphabets. I used my Cuttlebug with my extended 6 x 13″ Cutting Mats to cut a bunch out at once!
There are so many ways you can use this on both cards and layouts! Spring, Summer, Water play, Easter, oh goodness, you name it! I can’t wait to get some spring pictures of my granddaughter with flowers to use it with! I happen to think that flowers and swirls naturally go together. I also think that swirls go with water, and considering the name of this alphabet, I thought it appropriate to use it on my layout of our dive trip to Sand Hollow with my brother-in-law.
Just arrived from Provo Craft are more beautiful Cuttlebug A2 Emossing Plus Folders! We have added 4 more to our inventory, which are the popular Carly, Whimsy, Cogs & Wheels and the Deco Burst! These folders are absolutely wonderful for making spectacular embossed cards on the fly! They cut and emboss all in one pass of your machine!
I really enjoy using either of these products, but for a really quick and pretty A2 card, I highly recommend the Embossing Plus Folders! They are awesome!
We are so excited to have received the new Sizzix Textured Embossing Folders! We Oooed and Ahhhed over them while deciding which were our favorites! Now, I can tell you, that was hard! They are all gorgeous!
I love the embossing folders for making quick cards! You are probably starting to realize that I am all about quick! Sometimes I feel like the rabbit in Alice in Wonderland, always in a hurry because I might be late! Needless to say that quick works best for me! You will most likely see quick ideas from me on our BLOG because that is what I do best! (Or at least have time for)
For this card I used the damask folder from the Corners & Damask Set. I ran white card stock through my Cuttlebug Machine then ran a Tim Holtz Antique Linen Distress Ink all over the top, which helped bring out the design. The pattern strip is from Basic Grey’sHello Luscious 6×6 Paper Pad with a strip of ribbon. I used 1″ Scor-Tape to adhere the strip and 1/2″ Scor-Tape to apply the ribbon. The tag is made from Spellbinder’s new CHA release Grommet Tags.
Using the corners folder of the Corners & Damask and both the DCWVLuxury Mat Stack and Linen Closet Solid Mat Stack, I made a quick wedding card! I finished it off with Spellbinder’s CHA Fancy Tags Two and Basic Grey’s Opaline Half Pearls!
For this next card I used a card from DCWVLatte Box of Cards and embossed the front with one of the Country & Flowering Foliage Set, the ran the card stock strip through with the other folder in the same set. I used another new CHA release, Labels Eighteen #3 die for the stamped greeting.
Last of all, I simply used two of the four folders in the Butterfly Migration Set for a simple, yet pretty “Thinking of You” card! I used a dauber to dab ink around the edges of the greeting and on the butterflies to create contrast to the rest of the card. 5 minutes tops!
I hope these give you an idea of how pretty these new Sizzix Embossing Folders are!
Scratch Valentine’s off the calendar! Get out the green! We’re looking onward to March 17th, St. Patrick’s Day! Believe it or not, its right around the corner! Even if you are not officially Irish, it is great fun to join in on the celebration!
There are so many fun things you can do to “Go Green” Irish style! Banners, hats, pins, cupcake wrappers, and the list goes on!
We all want to be wished a little luck now and then, so with my next card, I wanted a Lucky Horseshoe and a 4 leaf Clover by Quickutz! After all, I need all the luck I can get! I placed them in a frame cut from die #2 of the new release S4-306 Wonky Rectangles. I just embossed the bottom edge of the card using one of the embossing strips from Frills Cuttlebug Ebossing Folders then put a simple strip of patterned paper above to cover the line that the folder left. For the finishing touch, I added the title using Quickutz 4×8 License Plate Mini Alphabet! Done!
I really enjoyed making St. Patrick’s Day cards! I have never really gone all out to decorate for this holiday before, but I am thinking it would be so much fun to make a St. Patty’s Day banner and table centerpiece! Who knows… I may just go crazy with green this month! Feel free to join in! Check out our products under our St. Patrick’s Day theme!