I know that many of you have tried and love the Cuttlebug Embossing Folders by Provo Craft but, did you know that Sizzix Textured Impressions are embossing folders that will work just like the Cuttlebug folders? You betcha they will!

Textured Impressions will work with the same sandwich formula as the Cuttlebug folders in the following Die Cutting Machines;  Cuttlebug Machine, Big Shot and Big Shot Pro Machines, Vagabond by Tim Holtz, Grand Calibur and Epic Six Tools!

Sizzix Textured Impressions Embossing Folders offer the deepest and boldest embossing experience. You can turn ordinary cardstock, paper, metallic foil or vellum into an embossed, textured masterpiece.

Sizzix designers have created these folders with beautiful artwork to give your projects the special touch that embossing/debossing creates. You can choose from elegant flourishes and flowers to seasonal folders that will create a fantastic card in seconds!

Marcie took some video of the latest Textured Impressions at CHA that we would like to share with you!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

How many of you have had the opportunity to use the Spellbinders Grand Nestabilities or Grand Impressabilities? They are awesome! For those of you who haven’t, you do need either the Spellbinders Grand Calibur Machine or Sizzix Big Shot Pro Machine to be able to use these fantastic dies! If you don’t have one of these, please be aware that the Grand Nestabilities are to large for standard machines.

They take off where regular Nestabilities stop. Their sizes are wonderful for frames, mini albums, banners and cards along with many other possibilities! Many of them coordinate with the regular Nestabilities, which allow more versatility for your paper projects.  I especially love them for my scrapbooking projects! I really like having coordinating photo frames with journaling blocks which you can achieve with both sets!

I hope that those of you who own some of these sets are enjoying them as much as I do!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

I have to tell you, I am hooked on Tim Holtz‘ blog! He really is an amazing designer and absolutely fearless when it comes to trying an teaching new technique! I am in awe every time I get on his blog and I say to myself; “How does he come up with this stuff?” I’m telling you that he is one of the best! I am so glad that he has teamed up with Sizzix so we can have his phenomenal artwork on their quality dies!

His unique style is incredibly popular and we find that we go through the Tim Holtz line quickly! It is also really fun to see what our customers create using his products.

We took a couple videos at CHA just to show you a sample of what is new! Enjoy!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

I love my job! I love having a job that incorperates my scrapbooking hobby as well as communicating with others that share the same hobby! It is great! I also love that I get opportunities to experiment with various products, which is what I want to blog about today! I want to let everyone know that they can Letterpress with the Sizzix Vagabond Machine by Tim Holtz! Whoo-hoo!

It is so incredably easy I’m sure that some have already discovered this, but for those who have not tried, this is for you! All you need is the Lifestyle Craft Letterpress Starter Kit and your Vagabond Machine! Prepare your Letterpress Tool exactly as you would for the Epic Six Tool and run through the Vagabond Machine! You do NOT need any additional plates. You should get a beautifully impressed image. If your impression is not quite deep enough, you may need a paper or cardstock shim, although the impression I got when trying this technique was perfect without any shims!

I’m telling you, I was thrilled! It was so easy I almost had to pinch myself! I couldn’t wait until today so I could share! Now, those who own the electric Vagabond can Letterpress without worrying about getting another crank machine! I think this is so cool!

Hope you enjoyed the info!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

*Always remember to NEVER force anything through your machine

Okay, so I have been given an assignment to add Sizzix Bigz XL dies to our website the last couple of days, which is kinda not good, since I am a scrapbooking junkie! (I know, it’s probably not smart for me to even be working here since I really need a support group for my hobby addiction!) Anyway, I am so excited about some of these dies! Sizzix, as always, has designed some super fun dies for paper crafting!

I just want to show you a couple of my favorites that I have run across so far!

My husband and I have been discussing a big diving trip as an incentive to reach some goals and I thought the Bigz ScoreBoards XL Bag Suitcase die would be a perfect project to make as a reminder of our goal! Of course, that is not the only thing you could use it for! It is so cute!

Another one I think is adorable is the Bigz ScoreBoards XL Bag Caddy. This would be such a fun gift for a friend or co-worker! You could fill it with a favorite treat and let them know how special they are to you!

If you are looking for a simple, but darling card, then there are several to choose from! The Bigz XL Card Floral Flourish die is simple to make but with a fancy flourish to give it a little more pizazz!

I have just skimmed the top with these! There are more coming in the next few days! Keep watching and maybe you can let us know what your favorites are!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

I was playing around a bit last night with some of my “toys” and got wondering if the Lifestyle Crafts Letterpress Starter Kit would work in my Sizzix Big Shot Pro Machine.  So I pulled everything out and went to work!

Okay, so it wasn’t really that much work, it was more play for sure, and really easy! I got everything ready like normal for the letterpress- you know, put my printing plates where I wanted them on the grid then put my paper down where I wanted, inked the plates and I was ready to go.

It wasn’t even a problem figuring out what to do with the machine. I took everything off of the Sliding Tray except the Adapter Pad, put the Letterpress Clear Packing Mat with grid on top and voila! It worked great! If you do not get a deep enough impression, you may want to try running it with a piece of paper as a shim. I think you will be pleasantly surprised! Now you can letterpress all your cards and even scrapbook embellishments right on your Big Shot Pro!

Remember to NEVER, EVER force anything through your machine!

Tip: If you have a hard time starting your bigger dies through this machine, try turning them just a bit on a diagonal to get one corner started instead of feeding the whole side at once.

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

I thought that I would take today’s blog to spotlight one of my favorite little machines! Provo Craft Cuttlebug 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 Spellbinders Grand dies or Sizzix Bigz 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!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

Oh goodness, I feel so bad! I didn’t realize that I didn’t include Sizzix in my CHA blogs! If you’ve seen my picture, you know that I am blond (getting darker as I get older, but still blond) and I guess that I had another “blond moment”! My apologies to Sizzix because they have some great new Framelits and Framelitz Die Sets with Stamps!

The Framelits Dies come in sets ranging from 4-8 pieces per set.  These wafer-thin chemical-etched die sets feature the perfect print registration without interference from any ridges at the edge of the die opening. Plus, they are excellent for clearly cropping photos and cutting windows in cards, bags, boxes and scrapbook pages. Designed to cut a single sheet of cardstock, paper, metallic foil or vellum, these dies also make great stencils and are perfect for layering to produce a 3-D effect.

The Framelits Dies are compatible with the BIGkick, Big Shot and Vagabond machines (used with a pair of Cutting Pads and the machine’s included Platform; when using the Essentials Platform or Solo Platform & Shim, the Extended Adapter or Solo Adapter is required). All items sold separately.

As for the Framelitz Die Set w/Stamp, there’s no need to search for just the right sentiment or embellishment to complement your next cardmaking, scrapbooking or paper crafting challenge! It is all included! Now that’s a great deal!

I took some photos of their beautiful displays at CHA. You should be able to get some ideas from these!

There you have it! I love the garland and wreath! Gives me some decorating ideas to start now for the holidays!

Here is a video as well to see what they look like:

And here is another video by Sizzix

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

We’re back from CHA and we had a fabulous time! We met with so many popular, innovative companies and saw so many wonderful things that our heads were swimming! Spellbinders, DCWV, Sizzix, QuicKutz, Graphic 45, and Heartfelt Creations to name a few.

We finally caught up with gifted designer Tim Holtz on the last day we were there! No matter where we had gone before, he was no where to be seen by us! We had passed his booth multiple times, but no Tim! Our last morning brought us luck! He was just cleaning up from a demo in the Sizzix booth, and I did not want to miss a prime opportunity! Ladies, eat your hearts out! I got my picture taken with scrapbooking celebrity Tim Holtz! (This is where we scream!) He was very gracious, especially when I know that I was not the only lucky gal there to be photo privileged.

He is simply amazing! I took a few shots of his displays to show you some of the projects that were done with his products.

If you look closely to the cards and other projects, you can see the Paper Rosette, Bigz Gadget Gears, Bigz Old Jalopy, Bigz Sewing Room, and Movers & Shapers Mini Gears. See how many more can you identify!

That is all for today! I will show you more tomorrow, I promise!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

We’re here! Marcie and I are in Chicago at Craft and Hobby Association Show which we commonly know as CHA. We have been busy as bees going from booth to booth gathering information on all of the “latest and greatest” products and ordering from all our favorite designers so we can bring you highest quality, popular products on the market!  I can tell you now that you are going to love what is coming!

Here’s a shot of Marcie while visiting the Graphic 45 booth! Say Cheese!

Graphic 45 has done some amazing projects with their new paper lines. Here’s a sample of the Christmas Emporium and ABC Primer!

Heartfelt Creations made beautiful paper bouquets that look quite real!

We saw the new line of Nesting Dies from QuicKutz and Framelits from Sizzix. The new Nestaboard from Want2Scrap is HOT! Just Rite Stampers also has great  new stamp sets that coordinate with Spellbinders dies! Teresa Collins is not only talented, but stylish! We also visited My Mind’s Eye, Provo Craft and Silhouette .Everyone is on board and excited to bring you what’s new!

I hope that you have taken a few minutes to look at all the rest of the pre-order dies from Spellbinders that were made viewable this morning! Astounding!

This may be the best CHA release to date! Of course, since this is the first show that I have been to, it is the most exciting one for me! I am having a blast here in Chicago! It is most definitely a paper crafter’s heaven! Can’t wait until tomorrow for more exciting products from DCWV, Tim Holz, and anyone else that catches our eye!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’ from Chicago!

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!

Okay ladies and gents, I finally had a chance to play with the new Heartfelt Creations Wedding Collection Stamp Sets! I just can’t get over the incredible detail that their artists put into them! They are so beautiful! These cling stamps are so easy to use with any acrylic block!

I am a bit behind in scrapbooking my daughter’s wedding, so I took the opportunity to use these gorgeous stamps to create a layout of her wedding day! I used Bella Rose Wedding, Wedding Sentiments and Bella Rose Heart. I cut the scalloped piece from the DCWV Linen Closet Paper Stack using my Sizzix Big Shot Pro Machine and the Bigz Pro Die Square Scallop.  The background piece is from DCWV Shimmer Paper Stack. To complete the ensemble, I used K & Company stickers, Want2Scrap Silver Baby Bling, heart rhinestones, paper doilies and a heart corner punch.

Now I can’t wait to use the other sets in the Wedding Collection! These really make fabulous embellishments for layouts as well as amazing bridal or wedding cards! Now is the perfect time to get yours, as summertime is the busiest time for weddings!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

Pride can be such a confusing word! It can be good as far as taking pride in our family, appearance, etc, but it can be a detriment when it causes you to be stubborn about change! When Sizzix released the Big Shot Pro Machine I was NOT going to get another machine! I was determined not to cave in! I did not need it, did not have room to put it….. bad pride.  Thanks to several customers calling in to find out how to do things with this fabulous machine, I finally decided it would be helpful for me to have one so I could learn how to use it and would actually know how to help my customers, so I caved!

The Big Shot Pro Machine works with every Sizzix and Ellison design.  Constructed from industrial-strength materials, the Big Shot Pro Machine features a 13 inch wide opening to cut hundreds of materials. That is fantastic!

I can’t begin to describe how I already love this machine and I just got it last week! (Just so you know, I did have to put my order in and wait in line,  just like everyone else!) I had to do a little rearranging in my scrapbook room, but I did find a place all of its own, where it sits proudly waiting to go to work for me! I still have to figure something out to organize my Bigz Pro Dies but that will come as I work more with it.

That’s another thing, when we started getting those big dies in I fell for them right away! (Have I told you what a sucker I am?) I am tickled with how big they are! I am already planning my neighbor gifts for Christmas! They do not get any bigger than this! The Sizzix Bigz Pro inch dies are the largest dies ever. They cut hundreds of materials which include cardstock, chipboard, fabric, foam, magnet, leather, metallic foil, paper and sandpaper (in limited use). Designed exclusively for the Big Shot Pro Die Cutting Machine. These dies are great for cutting fast quilting designs too.

So here is my first finished project using this incredible machine and the Bigz Pro Die Box Popcorn #2. You have to cut 2 from the die to make the box, so make sure you have more than one piece of 12 x 12 paper! I also used Heartfelt Creations Bella Rose House, Bella Rose Leaves along with the Bella Rose die. I cut the house out with Spellbinders Labels One Small I was making this for my dad’s birthday,  and he has been saying how nice it would be to have a movie night, so I filled it with candy, popcorn and a gift certificate to the movies!

Well, that’s it for today! I hope you all have a wonderful, sunny weekend!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie

Back Order Update: The Big Shot Pro is still back ordered, however, we have been randomly getting some in, so if you want one, get your order in so you can be in line!

The Magic of Oz Cling Stamps are already back ordered from Graphic 45, but we are trying frantically to get some in! We appreciate your patience!

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

Many customers who have purchased the Sizzix Big Shot Pro Machine have inquired how to use the Spellbinders Dies with that particular machine. I am happy to say that  Customer Support at Sizzix was gracious enough to spend time with me explaining the sandwich formulas needed to cut and emboss Spellbinders Dies! We want to express our thanks to them for being patient and helping us help you!

The embossing formula is also the same for Sizzix, Provocraft or Quickutz embossing folders!

The following sandwich formulas are listed from the bottom up:

Cutting  Sandwich

Sizzix Solo Platform-657155 (sold as a pair with the Sizzix Solo Shim)**

Sizzix Solo Shim**

Sizzix Solo Wafer Thin Die Adapter-657160**

Cutting Pad Big Shot Pro Standard-656253

Die

Paper/Cardstock

Cutting Pad Big Shot Pro Standard-656253

**You will need two of these laying side by side, especially for the Spellbinders Grand Dies

Embossing Sandwich

Sizzix Solo Platform

Sizzix Solo Shim

Impressions Pad-655120

Die or embossing folder with paper or cardstock

Silicone Rubber-655121

Cutting Pad Big Shot Pro Standard-656253

I hope this is helpful for all of you lucky enough to have your Big Shot Pro Machines! They are gaining in popularity and have been on back order for some time!

For those of you who have not received yours yet, we are filling orders by when they were received, as the machines trickle in! We appreciate your patience!

Thanks and Happy Scrappin’!

Carrie