Alphabets are some of the funnest investments, and this new QuicKutz Blue Sky Alphabet is no exception! You get 78 capital letters, numbers and punctuation, which includes the shadow for each! Shadows may take a bit longer to cut out, but so worth the extra work! They really make your letter or number pop! This alphabet is approximately 2″ tall.

The new alphabets come a bit different than what we are used to with QuicKutz. They are coming in strips with a very tiny tab separating each letter instead of individual letters. The strips  seem a bit flimsy, but once you lay them on your plate they are fine. If you prefer them separate, you could easily cut the tab with tin snips, then file down the rough edge, but that is completely up to you! I am NOT saying that is what you should do! It is just an option.

I used the Blue Sky Alphabet for my son’s Army layout, but it is fantastic for sports, seasonal, or anything that you need a block letter for! I used both the letter and the shadow for this layout!

I kept the colors more muted since the Army is all about camouflage! The only other embellishment I used besides a couple of stickers was the small rope looking border that I punched with a Fiskers Border Punch.  I also used Gold Photo Corners from 3L Scrapbook Adhesives. I really had fun with this alphabet! I can’t wait to use it on more layouts!

We also just received some fun new paper packs from Lifestyle Crafts! Hello Goodbye and Sweet and Spicy will make a great addition to your paper collection, with fun patterns and colors!

Well, that is it for today! Tomorrow we’ll take a look at the new Whirlpool Alphabet!

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

Hooray! The big day has FINALLY arrived! Today is the day that we are showing you ALL of the new releases from Heartfelt Creations, Lifestyle Crafts, Spellbinders, and Quickutz! You will be inspired beyond your wildest dreams with these amazing new products!

Heartfelt Creation’s Dutch Iris and New Life Collections are perfect to celebrate the coming of spring and Easter holiday!

The exclusive Spellbinders Decorative Dutch Iris die coordinates with the Heartfelt Creations Dutch Iris Collection of pre-cut rubber stamp sets: Distressed Leaves, Flora Grande 1, Flora Grande 2, Dutch Iris Medley, Dutch Iris Frame and Dutch Iris Oval.

The New Life stamp set coordinates with the exclusive Spellbinders Decorative Oval Window die-cut made just for Heartfelt Creations and the Heartfelt Creations pre-cut rubber stamp sets: Easter Lilies, Egg-citing Day, Vintage Life Background, Outside My Window, Decorative Vintage Cross, and Stained Glass Background.

Lifestyle Crafts has 5 new amazing Letterpress Printing Plates for the Letterpress Combo including the Nautical Printing Plate Set and Striped Printing Plate Set.

Quickutz’ delightful Fresh Start Collection includes an adorable 4 x 4 Easter Bunny and Easter Eggs that will definitely keep the smile on your face as you create your spring cards or layouts!

Spellbinders additional items bring their new release count to 45! Your head will spin as you make your wish list! They are absolutely incredible!

Most of the New Releases are expected to begin shipping the beginning of February! If you ask me, this is the best CHA Release ever! So many wonderful products to choose from! I want them all!!!! You can see these and much more under NEW PRODUCTS in our store!

Here are a couple layouts I did using just a few of the new Spellbinder Dies.  I used pieces from the S5-043 Fleur De Lis Motifs as well as S5-042 Fleur De Lis Accent and the S5-030 Fancy Tags Two for my first layout, along with the DCWV Black Currant Paper Stack.

For my second layout I used pieces from the S4-318 Fleur De Lis Squares, S5-051 Fanciful Flight and S5-030 Fancy Tags Two. The flowers are Glittered Layered Daisies from Petaloo.

I promise that you will LOVE this release as much as I do, so have fun shopping! You’ll be glad that you can just sit in your chair and push a button to put items in your cart and not have to push that heavy cart around!

Thanks for looking and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

“Only three days left to use your 40% coupon!” We send this reminder email to everyone who has signed up to be on our VIP Email list. This is to remind those of you who have not already used it this month, to hurry and use your coupon! If you have already used the coupon,  you can relax and enjoy knowing that you don’t have to worry about it!

What products can my coupon be used on?

The Cut@Home VIP coupon is worth 40% off one My Minds Eye, Spellbinders(not including the Wizard or Grand Calibur), Boss Kut, Quickutz products (not including the Epic 6), and Lifestyle Craft (not including the Letterpress Combo or Starter Kit). It is NOT VALID on any Provocraft, Inspired Crafts, Fiskars, The Robins Nest, Scor Pal, Imaginisce, EK Success, WRMK, Sizzix, 3L, Graphic 45, Petaloo, Beacon Adhesives, Basic Grey, Making Memories, Heartfelt Creations Spellbinders dies and Rubber Stamps and Die Cuts With a View. It is also not valid on any clearance or sales items. The 40% is taken off ONE ITEM. The discount is applied to the highest RETAIL price (NOT the CAH price) of the most expensive valid item in your cart. The discount may be used on one item, once per month and one per household. If you are logged into your account and shopping it will tell you under the product (no VIP coupon allowed).

We also want to remind you that you can find this and other information about the coupon on our FAQ’s page on our website!

I hope this will help answer your coupon questions! Stay tuned tomorrow for a special weekend BLOG!

For those of you who have been waiting for the Grand Calibur, we have them in stock and ready to ship! Order yours now!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

One of the most frequent questions we receive is “What is the best scrapbook die cutting machine?”.  Basically, there is not a specific answer to this question, as it is purely personal preference!

We carry a variety of Die Cutting Machines to satisfy the versatility of our customers! You all are unique in your talents and have specific needs as to what  you like to work with, your work space and storage, to name just a few! We want you to have the best machine for you!

We mentioned the new Spellbinder’s Grand Calibur just a few days ago, so I suggest scrolling down to our Jan. 20th post for the latest information on cutting 8 1/2″ x 11″ paper! It is compatible with Sizzlits, Cuttlebug, and Quickutz dies, as well as Cuttlebug Embossing Folders and Fiskars Texture Plates.

Sizzix has several great machines! The Big Shot Pro will cut 12″ x 12″ paper! Constructed from industrial-strength materials, the Big Shot Pro Machine features a 13 inch wide opening to cut hundreds of materials.

The Big Shot is known for being the most versatile machine as far as cutting different materials on the market. This ultimate roller machine cuts everything from cardstock to fabric and many things in between.

The Sizzix Vagabond Machine inspired by Tim Holtz is a portable electronic die cutting and embossing machine. Resembling a well-traveled suitcase on the outside, the Vagabond Machine easily opens up to reveal a portable yet powerful machine that takes you to imaginative new places. It is the latest of their machines and has replaced the Big Shot Express. It has the ability to effortlessly cut and emboss many different materials and thicknesses.

Provo Craft’s popular Cuttlebug has an easy carrying handle making it very portable. The opening is six inches and works well with almost any die and embossing folder.

The Epic Six is the newest tabletop tool from QuicKutz! It both cuts and embosses all QuicKutz products as well as all other leading brand dies and embossing folders. One of its distinguishing features is that when used with the Letterpress Starter Kit you will be able to create beautiful letterpress art!

The Silhouette SD from Silhouette America is a digital cutting tool for personal use. It connects to your computer just like a printer, but instead of printing designs it cuts them with a small blade. With the machine connected to your computer, you’ll get access to all of the fonts on your PC plus the thousands of cuttable designs.

Making Memories Slice ELITE Cordless Digital Design Cutter has a hardware upgrade allows the ELITE to cut more precise, 40% faster and twice as deep. Cut textured cardstock, vellum, vinyl, acetate, foam sheets, thin metal sheets and photos up to 1mm thick. A large 2 inch window allows a preview of the shapes before cutting. Slice Elite weighs less than 2 pounds, measures less than 5 inch square and works with batteries or power cord.

For more information on these and other machines, click here – Die Cutting Machines. You can also watch videos on most of our machines here: Die-Cut Machines Video

I hope this helps you make your decision for the perfect machine for YOU!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’

Carrie

The Silhouette SD is flying off the shelves especially at the GREAT price we have on it right now for a limited time.  We have been receiving quite a few questions about this AWESOME digital cutting tool and so thought we would blog about it and hopefully help those who are interested in answering all those questions. YES, we do NOT carry a lot of digital craft machines that connect to a computer, but we could not pass this one up. First off it connects to your computer just like a printer, but instead of printing designs it cuts them with a small blade. With the machine connected to your computer, you’ll get access to all of the fonts on your PC. Another question that is asked if it can cut vinyl? YES absolutely, in fact home decor with this machine is a breeze. We offer the adhesive vinyl too in white and black currently. Can it draw? YEP! If you purchase the sketch pens these can replace the blade and click into place and now you have a printer that is drawing for you in all types of inks! What can it Cut? Paper and Cardstock, Vinyl, Heat transfer material, Rhinestone templates, and specialty media. Who is Silhouette America? This is a great question. They branched off from Quickutz,who is now Lifestyle Crafts to exclusively offer digital die cutting to this specific market. Lastly, What else can it do? Well… I will give you some ideas: scrapbook pages, cards, custom apparel, vinyl decor as mentioned, etched glass, sketch designs, temporary tattoos even, and paper crafts of all sorts! I hope this helps a little bit.

To see more questions that customers have asked click on this LINK: Silhouette SD tips and tricks.

Thanks!

Marcie

We have new products that just arrived from QuicKutz and Petaloo. QuicKutz got back to basics with their essential shapes. This release is packed full of the essential cutting dies perfect for any scrapbooker or cardmaker. You receive nesting shapes in geometric shapes, party shapes like cupcake liners and party picks, boxes, and envelopes. Here is a sample:

Celebrate the holidays with Petaloo Holiday Dazzlers! The Winter Wonderland Christmas embellishments just arrived with everything from reindeer to snowflakes!

Are you done with Christmas and ready to move on to Valentines Day or spring? Here’s some great dazzlers!

Happy Scrappin!

Marcie

We are so excited about the Winter Wonderland release that just arrived from Quickutz! There are dies in 2×2, 4×4 and cookie cutter shapes that celebrate the warmth of Christmas and those snowy winter days! Here is just a sample of what you will find:

Here is the winter gift set. It is called Winter Wishes and gives you four different sizes of pockets and matching inserts, plus a Disney inspired alphabet:

Here are some projects from the talented  DT at Quickutz to get you started:

All the dies are in stock except for the Snowman Kit and Tree Trunks. The manufacturers left out a die in each of them, so they won’t be arriving until next week. To see the entire collection, click here.

Since Quickutz “rebirth” into Lifestyle Crafts, they are not keeping the inventory on their dies like they did in days of old. If you have your eye on a die and are thinking it will be around for many years, and you have plenty of time to buy it, that is no longer the case.  There is a new sheriff in town and they are doing doing things differently so I want to give you a heads up. This is not a high pressure sales technique to get you to buy (you know I don’t do that!), it is strictly for your information only.

Happy winter scrappin!

Marcie

It is official! According to the July 8 press release, Lifestyle Crafts (the makers of the Letterpress) has entered into an asset purchase agreement with QuicKutz Inc. to purchase the QuicKutz and Letterpress brands and products.What does this mean for our customers? QuicKutz will start back with their monthly product releases and start shipping all the back orders! It may take until fall to get all the back orders back in stock, but eventually they will have all their dies and accessories back in stock. My rep informed me they do plan on carrying less inventory than they have previously, so you may want to keep that in mind when you find something you HAVE to have. Get it while you can so you don’t have to wait And even if you do have to wait, it shouldn’t be months like before. Hopefully, no longer than six-eight weeks. We are very excited about this, and hope we will all benefit from QuicKutz reorganization very soon!

Happy Scrappin’!

Marcie

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

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

[Much of this information was taken from Lifestylecrafts.com, a division of Quickutz, Inc.]

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