Today I would like to introduce the QuicKutz Tropical 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 first page I used my Big Shot Pro with the Bigz Pro Die Circle Ribbon, then I used the Epic Six to cut the Surfboards and Tiki Sign which is included in the Tiki Alphabet used for the letters.  The Hibiscus were cut from the Hibiscus border.

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.

You can use the Hibiscus die and other 12″ dies  in the Cuttlebug V2, Big Shot or Vagabond by Tim Holtz using extended plates! If you plan to use your Big Shot Pro Machine with these dies or any wafer thin die, you will need the Big Shot Pro Solo Platform, Shim & Wafer Thin Die Adapter.

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!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

The new QuicKutz dies are out and are a big hit! If you have a party in your plans, you should really consider some of these new dies! I decided to take a few minutes and play with a couple over the weekend!

My neighbor’s birthday is the 4th of July. I was out of town for most of the weekend, but when I got back I wanted to give her a little something! I used the Gift Bag Cookie Cutter die, cutting it out with my Epic Six Tool. I stuck a flower and a button on the front, some candy inside and put it with a card and I was done! It made a cute gift in minutes!

Next, I used the Cracker Box die. This one is perfect for wedding or shower Thank You gifts! It goes together really quickly and you can embellish it with ribbon, flowers, tags, etc.! I used Petaloo Flowers to embellish mine and put some small candy inside!

This would be a fun treat to take to the office “Just Because”! Hmmm….. maybe I should take my own advise and make some to bring in to our office!   A little surprise treat always makes the day better!

I’m looking forward to playing with some of the other new dies and posting them!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

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 Spellbinders Borderabilities 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 also use these dies in the Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Big Shot Pro Machine, Vagabond by Tim Holtz,  QuicKutz Epic Six Tool, and of course, the Spellbinders Grand Calibur!

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!

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!

I also love that you can use them in the Provo Craft Cuttlebug V2, Sizzix Big Shot, Big Shot Pro, Quickutz Epic Six Tool, Spellbinders Grand Calibur and Tim Holtz Vagabond Machines!

You will want to be the first to get yours!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

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!

It can be used in the Quickutz , Epic Six Tool, Sizzix Big Shot Machine, Provocraft Cuttlebug Machine V2 using extended 13″ plates! They can also be used in the Big Shot Pro Machine as well as Spellbinders Grand Calibur!

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!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

Although the art of Letterpress has been around for a long time, today’s Letterpress Printing Plates, from Lifestyle Crafts (formerly known as Quickutz), feature fresh, contemporary designs that can be mixed and matched in limitless combinations. Each Printing Plate set is sold in themed packs to enable your creativity and capture your favorite lifetime events. Although the Printing Plates are categorized into five events, most of the designs can be used for a variety of projects-the more Printing Plate sets you have, the more versatility you will enjoy! Lifestyle Crafts printing plates are truly an elegant way to dress up an invitation or card.

New CHA Releases are due to arrive April 1st! These include: Nautical, Botanical and Petals Printing Plates!

What Is Letterpress Printing?

The Letterpress from Quickutz’s Division Lifestyle Crafts (L), sets the standard for easy to use, affordable letterpress printing that’s practical for any home crafter. The standard letterpress process involves printing words, letters, or designs with ink while simultaneously debossing it into a thick, soft paper. Over the past several years letterpress has seen a resurgence in popularity, evolving into a modern art form that epitomizes class and high quality.

Letterpress as an upcoming trend among everyday crafters

Letterpress printing has seen a revival in the past few years, particularly due to the interest created by the use of letterpress for wedding invitations in contemporary magazines and websites. The popularity of this form of printing has continued to grow and become one of the most sought after looks for stationery, invitations, cards, gifts, and much more. Because of the size, price and lack of accessibility to a traditional letterpress machine, this art form has yet to become available to the everyday home crafter…until the release of the Quickutz Epic Six Die-Cutting Tool.

Letterpress printing from Lifestyle Crafts

The Letterpress from Lifestyle Crafts, or L, sets the standard for easy to use, affordable letterpress printing that’s practical for any home crafter. With the L Letterpress product line you can create handmade letterpress projects like cards, invitations, gifts, stationery and more. From simple day-to-day expressions and correspondence to momentous occasions like weddings and babies, the L Letterpress enables you to creatively celebrate every event in life.

L Printing Plates feature fresh, contemporary designs that are divided into 5 categories:

• Everyday
• Baby
• Celebrations
• Wedding
• Holiday

I hope that this has answered many of your questions about the Letterpress Printing Plates! This is a great technique to learn and lots of fun!

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Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

The Lifestyle Crafts (formerly known as Quickutz) Epic Six is a die cutting and letterpress machine on the market. The name comes from its 6 inch wide opening. It is actually very similar to the Cuttlebug in design, portability, and function. Except Lifestyle Crafts states that the Epic 6 was made to distribute the pressure more evenly on the cutting surface so the user can get more of a clean and even cut on your dies. It will cut and emboss ALL Quickutz and Lifestyle Crafts dies unlike their old machines as well as other consumer dies. The unique feature of the Epic Six is that it can be used for doing letterpress printing on cards. If you buy the letterpress printing plates along with the ink these will fit in the machine. See video below on how to make a letterpress effect.

To read more or purchase the Quickutz Epic Six click on link below:
Quickutz EPIC SIX
Letterpress printing products

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View Epic Six on youtube

Here is another video showing how the epic six can be used to do letterpress printing right from your own home. No need for big bulky letter press machines. With the epic 6 from Lifestyle Crafts you can do all the cards, invitations, scrapbook pages that you want.

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How do I use the L Letterpress?

1. Open the letterpress and place an adhesive-backed printing plate on the clear lid.
2. Ink the printing plate evenly with the brayer tool.
3. Place paper in desired location on base of letterpress tool. (Use registration grid and Paper Placement Guides for greater accuracy and alignment.)
4. Close lid and roll letterpress through Epic tool. (For a deeper impression, add additional packing sheets.)

SEE A VIDEO DEMO ON THE LETTERPRESS MACHINE:  See Quickutz Instructions for Letterpress Printing.

How do I prep the printing plate?

1. Remove liner from double-sided adhesive sheet on one side only.
2. Place printing plate on sticky side of adhesive sheet.
3. Use scissors to cut around the edge of the printing plate.
4. When ready to use, remove the liner from back of printing plate and stick plate on clear lid of the L Letterpress.

How do I apply the ink?

1. Place a small amount of ink on ink base.
2. Roll brayer tool through ink until evenly coated.
3. Roll brayer lightly over printing plates until evenly coated.

*Very little ink is required to achieve a quality print. If projects are not drying well, there may be too much ink on the plates.

How do I create custom colors?

Mix inks using the palette knife found in the Accessory Tool Kit to create a myriad of eye-catching colors.

How do I clean off the ink?

Ink can be removed from ink base, brayer and plates with L Cleaning Cloths.

How do I position the plate?

1. Place adhesive-backed printing plate in desired location on clear L Letterpress lid.
2. Establish where paper should go on clear packing of L Letterpress base and stick placement guides next to paper to hold in place.
3. With guides in place, easily place paper in the exact location for multiple prints of one design.

How do I change the depth of the impression?

The depth of impression of the printing plate can be adjusted by adding or removing packing sheets. One packing sheet comes with the L letterpress tool. Simply use plain white printed paper if additional packing is necessary.

To achieve a deeper impression, add additional sheets of paper below the clear packing mat on the L Letterpress base. To reduce the depth of impression, simply remove sheets.

If the printed impression is not as crisp as desired, try removing packing sheets or make sure you’re using the correct inking technique.

Can I use other types of ink with my L Letterpress?

The L Letterpress Ink has a specially formulated tacky texture, which will give your design a crisp and clean impression. Other inks are often water-based and may run beyond the line of your debossed image.

Can I use any type of paper with my letterpress projects?

Letterpressing is characterized by its impression on soft, thick paper. Our L Letterpress paper was created to give you the best possible impression. Though other papers may reflect your design, it may not have the same deep impression into the paper which defines the letterpress style.

Can I use any type of cleaning cloths?

The L Letterpress Cleaning Cloth is best able to remove the thick, tacky, oil-based ink from both the ink base and the printing plate. Though other cleaning cloths will not hurt the product, they will not clean as thoroughly.

How long does my finished project take to dry?

Your finished project should completely dry within just a few minutes from when it was pressed.

Can I use embossing folders with the L Letterpress?

The L Letterpress was not designed for use with embossing folders. Typical letterpress projects show an impression on only one side of the paper. If you use embossing folders, the impression will be visible on both sides of the paper.

Courtesy of Lifestyle Crafts, which is a part of the Quickutz, Inc. family of crafting products
www.lifestylecrafts.com
Source: http://lifestylecrafts.com/faq.aspx

Have you been wondering about the upcoming Quickutz Epic 12 die-cutting machine? Are you not sure whether you should buy the Epic Six now or just wait for the Epic Twelve? Are you happy with your Revolution and not sure you want another machine? If you have been asking yourself these questions, then this post is for you. Read on!

Yes, the rumors are true. I confirmed it today with a QK marketing rep that Quickutz is indeed releasing a new machine, the Epic Twelve. Quickutz is still not sure on a few things so some of the details are still a little sketchy. Here is what we know so far.

Quickutz does not have a release date yet for the Epic 12. They are projecting first or second quarter of 2010. They also have not decided on the price. My rep told me it will be priced at “well over $200.00.” And that is a direct quote from him. The Epic 12 will also weigh twice as much as the Epic 6, which will make the Epic 12 over twenty pounds. It will not be very portable.

So, you say you love your Revolution, and are not sure you need another die-cutting machine like the Epic 6? Some things to consider are the functionality of the Epic Six is much greater than the Revolution. The Rev does not cut the steel ruled dies, Cuttlebug folders or the Sizzlets. The Epic Six will cut all this and much more. The openings are different, with the Rev opening at four inches and the Epic 6 at six inches. Also, the Epic Six has the larger platform and will cut the twelve inch dies. Also, it may not look like it, but the Epic 6 actually has just as many metal moving parts as the Revolution. While it is true the first batch of Epic 6′s had problems with the pressure cutting the middle of the 4×8 alphabets, this problem has been corrected.

Die-cutting machines are all about personal preference. If you are happy with your machine, then stick with it. If you think you may like to try something a little different, then this post gives you some things to think about.

Happy Scrappin!

Marcie

Here are some helpful resources and instructions dealing with Quickutz products. Quickutz is the maker of the universal Epic Six die cutting and embossing machine. This tool also has the capability to do letterpress printing also when using printing plates and inks by Lifestyle Crafts.

EPIC SIX Letterpress Printing

Frequently Asked Questions About Letterpress Printing

Quickutz Epic Six Instructions

Here are some Instructions for How to use Quickutz 12-inch platform.

revolution-12-inch-platform-instructions.pdf

Here are Instructions for How to foam Cookie Cutter Dies

howtofoam_cookie_cutterdies.pdf