AccuCut Craft Blog

National Stationery in NYC

 
By: Traci Armbrust

I wanted to post some photos of our booth at National Stationery and some other fun pics I took at the show and on the streets of NYC.  This show is packed full of beautiful and innovative products and the atmosphere is so electric and exciting.

 
Our booth was 40' x 12' and as packed full of projects as always.

 

One of our most popular new dies was the A7 Card-Foldout #1. I also used A7 Cards-Frame on the inside to create a fun and hip Bar Mitzvah invitation.

 

I also love the new A7 Cards-Victorian. Such a versatile shape and can be an invitation one day and a table number the next.

 

Here are some pictures of gorgeous fashion creations created entirely from paper by different companies in the industry. I took pictures of my favorite three, but there was a hallway filled with about 30 mannequins with amazing outfits.

 

 
Nothing like going into the Godiva store in Times Square.

 

Times Square, still packed full of peple even though it rained the whole 5 days we were there.

 

Back from Chicago, and look what I found!

By: Traci Armbrust

CHA was so much fun and it was great to see many of you in our booth. I love the excitement and inspirational vibe that swirls around our booth at every show. So speaking of inspiration, I visited the Crafty Secrets and Pink Paislee booths and I'm dying to show you what they are doing with AccuCut dies.

So in the Crafty Secrets booth my friend Vicki Chrisman showed me a few of her projects, including one with the die she designed.

This was created using the Shadow Box-Portrait die.  If you love this one you will also love the Shadow Box-Landscape also designed by Vicki.

 

Vicki told me this is one of her favorite cards to work with and I can see why.  This is A2 Card-Scalloped #1. It's a great surface to decorate and the possibilities are endless.

Pink Paislee's booth was breathtaking. They used AccuCut dies to make beautiful unique decor for their booth.

 

See all the beautiful shapes hanging from the swag above their make and take station, those are made using Blossom-11 1/2" and Vintage 11 1/2"  Here's a closer look.

Here is another topiary ball using Flowers #25, Flowers #27, and Flowers #28

I also love this vase of branches with flowers attached to the branches.

So much creativity, you could almost explode thinking of everything you can do with an Accucut die. Once again thanks to all of you that stopped by to see us at CHA, and for those that could't make it...

We missed you!

 

 

 

 

 
 

Looking for a class to take at CHA?

By: Traci Armbrust

I can't believe the CHA Summer Show is next week already! We're really looking forward to making the trip to Chicago and seeing all of our customers. If you're headed to the show, make sure you're signed up to make this Flower Album in the Creative Imaginations class taught by Cheryl Mezzetti and Marah Johnson. 

 

This amazing album uses the Album-Petal Flip die (designed by Cheryl), Frames #2 and Circle-5 3/4".

Back from New York!

Posted by: Traci Armbrust

I spent the last week in New York at National Stationery! What a blast! I want to share some pictures from the show. 

I whipped up this faux cake for the AccuCut main table using three sizes of Box-Cake Slice #2. The topper on the cake was created using a pre-made wire/jeweled floral embellishment. I cut the two smaller sizes of flowers on Flowers #6. Simply cut a small slit to the center of the flower and slide the wire into the slit and tuck up under the pearl or jewel on the wire.

I created a "save the date" with our NEW super popular A7 ticket. It's also great for birthday invites or unique theme parties. See the cute deckled edges—it's like a real torn ticket!

This apron was the surprise hit of the show. It's an oldie but a goody! Now I didn't use it in the project shown, but there is also an adorable little oven mit and spatula die that you can use to add a little something extra to the pocket.

 

Last but not least—unique table numbers and place cards were a big hit. The 5 3/8" Pinnovation Circle and  1 1/2" Pinnovation Circle Seals were very popular.

It was so great to meet many of you at the show! I had so much fun hearing all the creative and unique ways to use the AccuCut GrandeMark machine and dies. So many inspiring and wonderful stories—thanks for sharing!

Favorite note card dies now have pins!

Posted by Tara Smithberg

After dozens of requests from our loyal customers, we are happy to announce that two of our most popular everyday note card dies are now available as Pinnovation dies with registration pins! These little cards were so well received at CHA last week, I just had to share them with everyone.

Now, it is easier than ever to create custom Cupcake and Onesie note cards with your very own special message that cuts perfectly every time.

Here, you can see all of the yummy pieces you get with this two-die set. The cupcake insert is two-up on the Pinnovation die made to cut an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper, making it easier to mass produce. On the second die board, you will get the pocket (aka the "baking cup") and a cherry, gumdrop and candle shape to customize the top of your treat.

Here's what the printed insert looks like. Now you can be sure your text is exactly where you want it each and every time you cut. 
   

And who can forget the loveable Onesie card? Now the coordinating mat is also available as a pin die to allow you to cut two on an 8 1/2" x 11" piece of paper. 

Here's a shot of the folded card.

And here's the shape of the mat that fits perfectly inside the card.  
Look how professional this looks below with the text perfectly centered with a photo. This die is perfect for baby shower invitations and birth announcements.

 

Last Day of CHA

Posted by Tara Smithberg

Oh, how the time goes by so fast. Today is our last day at CHA. We've had a great show so far! I've attached some photos of the booth in action.

Here's a cute page using our brand new Flower Garden-Layering dies by Creative Cafe. You get several flower shapes on one die to create a variety of layered flowers of many shapes and sizes. I love the different options for stems--see the one in the upper right corner and bottom center. So cute!

And we showed you one shadow box the other day by Vicki Chrisman... Here is our other version of the shadow box die, Shadow Box-Landscape. This one is a little bit wider and shorter--great for landscape photos. People are just loving these dies, especially since Crafty Secrets has created custom scraps that fit perfectly with them. The little 3-D frame in the center are great for photos, sentiments or other embellishments.

All of our brand new dies will be up on the website next week! Get excited! 

Day one of CHA is here!

Posted by Tara Smithberg

Greetings from Anaheim! The AccuCut Craft team is here and ready to go. It seems like after a few days of some gloomy, rainy weather the sun should be coming out to welcome all CHA-goers. Here are just a few pics I took of the entrance and palm trees. 

 

This is such a nice change of scenery from all of the snow we've had in Nebraska!

And here's a quick pic of some of our fabulous team members--Tammy, Suzette, Traci and Karen. We can't wait to greet all of our customers and visitors!

Stay tuned for more photos and updates! 

New Dies Are Here!

Posted by Tara Smithberg

We have an amazing group of new, versatile dies that is sure to get you in the mood to create. I love all of them; it's hard to know what to show you first! You can see them all on our website now.

New Creative Cafe Dies

We are psyched to bring you more delicious dies from Creative Cafe. Many are perfect for holiday projects, like these cute Holiday Trees and Layering Stars shown here. Plus, this is a brand new album--Mix & Match Album #3! Its larger size, 5 1/2"w x 10 1/2"h, will really make creating unique albums easy and fun. Plus, you can use the page shapes on other projects.

 

Introducing Designs by Cheryl Mezzetti

We are ecstatic about these brand new album dies from designer Cheryl Mezzetti. These dies are perfect for album kits and classes and helping retailers sell more products. Check out this adorable Pail & Shovel Album. It comes with two different pail topper shapes and an ocean wave border that can be used anywhere.

 

More Bags, Boxes and More

We're also bringing you plenty of other versitle dies, like some really cool favor boxes and accent shapes. I'm so excited about this Convertibles™ Box #1. It is the very first box that is compatible with our Convertibles Dies, Series 1 inserts, to be exact. This one was made with the new Square Frame Insert. So cool. It's perfect for cookies, candies and other fun treats. 

 

 

We are currently accepting pre-orders for these dies. Initial stock will be available the week of July 27, so be sure to order yours now!

We Have a Winner!

Posted by Tara Smithberg

Congratulations to our National Stationery Show drawing winner, Sondra Simon of The Sophisticated Scribe in Rego Park, New York. She is the lucky winner of a free GrandeMARK die cutting machine (a $595 value)! Sondra, we hope you enjoy using your new machine to create all sorts of wonderful cards, invitations and more!

Thanks to everyone who entered our drawing at the show. We will have more drawings, deals and contests coming up throughout the summer so please keep visiting our blog.

And what would a post be without another project idea? This one is out of our new Supplement & Idea Book. Designer Traci Armbrust used the #10 Foldover Card, #10 Card Mats and the Cupcake #2 die to create this deliciously delightful invitation for a little girl's birthday party.

This foldover card is so versatile. You can use it for wedding programs, menus, announcements and more. And the #10 Card Mats die is a Pinnovation die, so it makes it very easy to print text exactly where you want it. (Be sure to check out yesterday's post below for a step-by-step tutorial on using Pinnovation dies).

I like how she used double-sided paper to show off coordinating patterns and colors. Smaller die cuts, like this cupcake shape, also look great as embellishments on cards and invitations--even on more formal designs. This trend is becoming more and more popular. For more new stationery ideas, be sure to visit our website to download or request a hard copy of our new Supplement & Idea Book.

Ready-to-Go Boxes Are Quick and Easy

Posted by Tara Smithberg

Throughout the past year, we've had several requests for boxes that are cut and ready to assemble. And now they are here! We are happy to now offer ready-to-go stationery and favor boxes that are self-closing, easy to assemble and a cinch to decorate. The great thing about these boxes is that they are affordable, and now you can spend even more time decorating and personalizing them with your own style. Plus, no adhesive is required!

Stationery Boxes

Our Clear Stationary Boxes are available in two card sizes, A2 and A7. Here is a beautiful A2 box decorated with a gorgeous ribbon. They are sold in sets of 24 and boxes include lid and base. The A2 box fits approximately 8 cards with envelopes and the A7 box fits approximately 10 cards with envelopes. Now it is easier than ever to display and sell your stationery in a stunning package that is all your own.

Favor Boxes

Creating a large number of favor boxes is quick and easy when you use our ready-to-go boxes. All favor boxes are sold in sets of 20.

Clear plastic Pillow Boxes make wonderful favors and look great filled with small candies. This one here looks great personalized with a seal made with the Pinnovation Escort Cards die. 

Tuck Top Boxes are available in Clear Plastic and in White. Their simple shape and size make them easy to dress them up or down for any occasion. They are 2"w x 2"l x 2"h.  I love the flower on top of this fun one.

And last, but not least, we have Gable Boxes available in White  and Kraft. The little handle make these cute for all sorts of occasions and their larger size allows you to pack them with all kinds of goodies. Assembled, these boxes are 2 1/2"w x 4"l x 5 3/8"h. This one here was decorated with the Flowers #22 and 3 1/2" x 2" Seals (Business Cards) Pinnovation die.

 

Also, I added our photo album from the National Stationery Show. Take a look at some great pics by clicking on the photo album on the right. Enjoy!