AccuCut Craft Blog

Tuesdays with Tammy: Staying Connected

Posted by Tammy Miller

Well, I’ve had a little secret that I could hardly keep to myself. If you’ve noticed I’ve been telling you all about our Customer Service department and staying connected with our customers. You may have also noticed I enjoy sharing my die cut enthusiasm and craft ideas with others. Some may call this the best of both worlds. I am changing departments and will be working directly with the girls I told you about last week. I will be on the front lines with them and get to speak with you directly, and I'll get the opportunity to work with these women daily and give them craft direction (excuse my play on words). That is the favorite part of my job and I haven’t really been able to do that on a regular basis. So, sharing my love for all things die cut, sharing my enthusiasm for being the best customer service department in the industry is where I will be.

One sad thing about all of this is I will not have the opportunity to continue to write the Tuesdays with Tammy. I will not be far away and I’ll be checking on Jen, Traci and the others on a daily basis. So, to stay better connected I’ll be checking on you. Don’t be surprised if I give you a call once in awhile and don’t be afraid to call me (800-288-1670, select 3 for Craft). I will continue to travel to trade shows so be sure to stop and say hello. Look for this smiley face and introduce yourself if we haven’t met.

Additional note by Jen Cramer: We wish Tammy all the best in her new role in our Customer Service department. Our customers are lucky to have such a knowledgeable resource available to them!

Tuesdays with Tammy: Let’s stay connected

Posted by Tammy Miller

As I mentioned last week, I have such a great connection with customers while at a trade show. Over the years they’ve gotten to know me, what I look like, my personality, the fact I have two beautiful daughters, the fact I love my job and love what I do.

It made me think about the people I work with here at AccuCut. They don’t always get the opportunity to travel to meet you, so I thought I would share a few pictures of them. When you call in to our Customer Service line (800-288-1670), be sure to select Craft (#3), and the two friendly people you see here are the most likely to take your call. On the left is Kat, and Mary Lou is on the right.

Mary Lou Dent has been helping our customers for eight years, while Kat Edwards joined our team in the past few months. You’ll notice Kat's southern accent right away. Her home was damaged by Hurricane Katrina and she and her family relocated to Nebraska a little over a year later. We're happy to have them both working for AccuCut.

And here is a photo of more people in our Craft group that you may speak with on the phone. From left to right you have Stacey Peterson, Mary Lou Dent, Sandy Reimnitz, Teri Teutsch, Patty Cantu (international), Kat Edwards and, down in front, Joni Greunke.

What a great group of girls. They all enjoy their job as much as I do. Sandy and Teri have also been here eight years. So whether you call Customer Service, fax in your order or place your order online, staying connected with you is what it’s all about.

And before I go, I have to show you at least one quick project. Vicki Chrisman created this Fall Accordion Display for our CHA booth.

She used the Border-Scallops-Small #2 die to cut out the border along the bottom of the panels that were cut using our jumbo License Plate #3 die. Each "license plate" shape if 5" x 7".

If you cut chipboard with the License Plate die it gives it stability so you can display it anywhere. She took ribbon to connect the three pieces. You could easily add a few more if you wanted to.

Tuesdays with Tammy: Back from CHA and holiday projects

Posted by Tammy Miller

Well it’s been a week since I’ve been back from the CHA show and I think I’m getting caught up. Even though it is a lot of work preparing and working in the booth, I can’t tell you how much I enjoy it. I have such a great connection with a number of vendors and lots customers. I would mention you all by name but the list is pretty long. It’s so wonderful to see everyone, it feels like a family reunion. I came back rejuvenated and I’m sure you feel the same way if you're a regular attendee too.

It happened again at this show but I often heard from customers about how great our projects are and about how they help them decide which dies to purchase.

I don't create any of the projects myself, but I use them as a tool every day to show our customers what can be created with our machine and dies. If you're a store owner, you should do the same. You need to inspire people with sample projects so they want to use the tools that you provide in your store.

Are you ready for the holidays? Have you changed out your display projects or are you going to be ready when the time comes?

Here is a card our in-house designer Traci made using the Card-Square-Convertibles #1 die that makes a 5 1/4" square card and my favorite Halloween shape, Cat #3. 

The Be Afraid card below uses A2 Card-Convertibles die and the 1" Squares Convertibles Insert. The insert cuts all three squares, which are perfect frames for epoxy stickers and other embellishments. If you want to learn more about our Convertibles Card & Album System, click here. 

I love the new Tree Convertibles Insert that she used in this Happy Holidays card.

 

You can use the tree by itself on a scrapbook page or cut it out of the front of a vertical or horizontal card.  Display it both ways to show its versatility. I know, Christmas in July. But it’s never too early to be thinking about it.

See you next week.

Tuesdays with Tammy: Back to the Basics Part II

A Quick Note from Jen Cramer

Some of our blog readers may not know where AccuCut is based -- we're in a town called Fremont just outside of Omaha, Nebraska, where many of us commute from. If you're familiar with Omaha at all, you may know our city for Warren Buffett of Berkshire Hathaway, Omaha Steaks and the home of the College World Series. The Olympic Swim Trials are even going on here this week and we have one of the best zoos in the country.

But our latest claim to fame has been a lot of seriously bad weather. In early June we had two tornados go through Omaha in the middle of the night. Then this past Friday afternoon we spent some time in the tornado shelter at work not realizing the power of the storm that passed over us. Many of us went to our homes in metro Omaha and surrounding areas to find a lot of damage to trees and homes and not a lot of power. It's amazing what 80-110 mph winds can do. Some of us didn't have power even as of this morning. (You can link to some pictures from the storm recovery here.)

During these times you realize the importance of your community and you see firsthand how neighbors and family help each other when they need it most. You can't do much about Mother Nature but you can work together to pick up the pieces. It's a powerful thing to see.

Now back to Tuesdays with Tammy

Posted by Tammy Miller

On April 29th I talked about getting back to the basics. Where do you start if you are a new scrapbooking store? Sometimes we have to ask ourselves that question even if we are not new. Think of it as sort of a reality check. Do you have the basic shapes your customers are looking for: holiday shapes, accents, note cards, albums, tags and alphabets? These styles of dies are all must haves. Today I’d like to show you my favorite alphabet along with our top-sellers. 

Uppercase Tower is my favorite alphabet right now.

The nice thing about Tower is that it is so slim you can fit many of the 4” letters across the top of a scrapbook page. They will fit beautifully on the pennant die or use to iron letters cut out of felt onto a sweatshirt.

You can see how you even fit "FRIEND" on this Best Friends 12" x 12" page with room to spare.

This Jill's Room wall hanging uses die cut letters to spell out her name.

So what are our most popular alphabets for scrapbook stores these days? I would have to say Roman, Shout, Apricot, Typewriter and Black Tie.

As a scrapbook store customer it would be ideal to have access to at least two alphabets in its die cutting center. I would offer a traditional serif font (like Roman or Black Tie) in 2" to 4". Then complement that with a font that has a totally different feel, whether that is stylish (Apricot), bold (Carefree), delicate (Mattie) or fun (Shout, Tag). Definitely choose a different size by at least 1" to give more of a variety. 

How many styles of AccuCut alphabets do you offer in your store? I went to our website to see how many we have. I cannot believe we carry 66 styles of alphabets for you to choose from. Click here to find your favorites.

Tuesdays with Tammy: A free GrandeMARK machine?

Posted by Tammy Miller

So you've been thinking about why you need a GrandeMARK machine.... Maybe you are using one of our MARK IV machines that is geared toward schools or maybe you already have a GrandeMARK machine and you are debating adding another one so people don't have to wait in line to use it? Or maybe you have another brand of commercial die cutting machines and are wondering if it's time to make a change?

Here are FOUR reasons why you need a GrandeMARK machine.

1. The GrandeMARK machine is the largest hand-operated machine on the market and accepts all sizes of AccuCut dies including Giant dies (15" x 18"!).

Some of our most popular dies right now are our 11 1/2" shapes, which are on Giant boards, and you need a GrandeMARK machine to use them. For example, this Life is Full of Suprises page was created using our Giant Ribbon 11 1/2" die. (The die is also shown on the machine above.)

AccuCut carries a variety of Giant dies that are perfect for scrapbook stores to cut slow-moving paper into these shapes. Stores tell us once the paper is cut into one of these great shapes the paper moves quickly off the shelf. You can find more giant shapes in our Scrapbooking/Oversized category.

2. You need a GrandeMARK machine to use our new professional stationery dies with registration pins.

The pins would get damaged in a MARK IV machine and the die would be difficult if not impossible to use in a lever-operated (vs. roller-style) machine, which is why the GrandeMARK machine is your best choice.

This Diaper Baby Announcement is a perfect example using both our new circle seal dies and the Diaper Mat, so it's easier to make multiples.

This project also shows another great reason to have a GrandeMARK machine, which brings us to #3.

3. The GrandeMARK machine provides the most precision for cutting folded items such as cards, bags and boxes. 

We recommend if you have dies with crease (score blades) you should use the GrandeMARK machine. Your cut shape will be the most accurate in this machine.

And now I’ll leave you with one more reason to have a GrandeMARK...

4. Our branded lines of dies such as Bare Elements (Creative Imaginations) and Maya Road, which cut shapes to fit their physical products, require a GrandeMARK machine.

Bare Elements and Maya Road products are easier to decorate when you have the die to accurately cut the paper to cover them. I couldn’t imagine cutting the paper by hand for this Rock Star Album using the Ryan City Accordion Book die.

So, how can you get a good deal on a GrandeMARK machine? There are two specials I can tell you about. (You can see our Specials page for more info.)

First, if you purchase $1,500 in regular-priced dies and you can receive the $575 GrandeMARK machine for FREE. That's right... Free!

Second, if you already have an AccuCut MARK IV or another brand of commercial die cutting machine then you can look into our trade-in program. Basically, the GrandeMARK machine will cost only $365 after you trade in your existing machine. 

If you’ve been considering purchasing a GrandeMARK machine, think about the great deals listed above. If you don't own a store but would like to see a machine in a store near you, share these ideas with the store owner. Maybe she's trying to decide if the store needs one.

If you have more questions, our Customer Service department can provide the answers. Just call 800-288-1670 and we'd be glad to help.

Tuesdays with Tammy: Make wedding-related cards in less time

Posted by Tammy Miller

Yesterday I spoke with a customer who said something I just had to share. She was unable to attend the National Stationery Show last month to see our new card dies and had purchased her first GrandeMARK machine at last year's show. She called us recently to see what new stationery dies we had and requested that we mail her the May 2008 supplement.

She is very excited to place her order for many dies with registration pins. She's a part-time teacher and has a side business that provides brides with unique party favor boxes and personalized wedding invitations. (It sounds like her business is really taking off!)

Being a teacher, she understood die cutting and how easy our machine is to use. When she received her GrandeMARK machine, she said it was like “rekindling an old friendship”. I just loved hearing that... it reminded me about how I feel the first morning of a trade show.

One of the dies we talked about was the new A2 Card Mats and how much time it could save her.

You can use the die to make all of your pre-printed mats that you can then layer on any of our previously released A2 card dies. This Fancy Save the Date Card uses A2 Card-Foldout #2.

And this Wedding Rehearsal Invitation uses the A2 Card-Foldout #1.

Both projects use the A2 Card Mats #1 die so you can easily pre-print your information using your computer and printer and then lay the 8 ½” x 11" sheet of paper directly on the die (even multiple layers) and quickly cut as many as you need. How cool is that?

To help you create your invitation, visit www.accucut.com/templates to download your template.  Also, when you order dies that have registration pins you will receive a free a transparency that will help you verify that your text and images are in the correct place. So, for all of the scrapbook stores that already have A2 card dies, simply add the mats to your collection and you’ll see an increase in paper sales.

Tuesdays with Tammy: Gifts for dad

Posted by Tammy Miller

The challenge Jen has set up for the month of June sounds like a lot of fun... see yesterday’s post to learn more. I just LOVE the idea of giving away a $100 gift certificate. You get to choose what die you want to buy, or use it to buy anything in our catalog you need.

Father's Day is coming fast. Have you picked out a gift yet? For dads that have a sweet tooth, Traci found a creative way for you to package your "edible" gift and make it fun. She filled this Father's Day Suitcase with dark chocolate. Yummmm!!!

Use the Box-Suitcase crease-giant die to cut out our clear plastic sheets. Then Dad can see exactly what he's getting. I think it’s adorable. The nice thing about this box is that it is completely self-closing, which means you don't need any adhesive. Plus, I also love the fact that you can use 12" x 12" paper to cut out this sturdy box (1 5/8"w x 4 1/16"l x 4 1/16"h assembled).

Another unique gift box is our Sliding Pillow Box crease-giant die. It is a perfect fit for a tie or even a couple of candy bars. It requires a little adhesive but it can hold all kinds of fun little things at 1"w x 4"l x 8"h.

Good luck on your challenge and, retailers, be sure to get your staff and customers involved. I want to hear all about their ideas.

Tuesdays with Tammy: A special gift

Posted by Tammy Miller

Yesterday was Memorial Day -- a day of picnics, family reunions, celebrating the loss of a loved one and it also represents the beginning of summer. For our small town, school is out and the water park is open. Of course my girls wanted to go.

Before going to the water park Marissa wanted to visit a friend who had been in the hospital and give her something special. She had noticed the last time she was at her house that she had started a scrapbook. We printed some favorite pictures of her and her friends and compiled them on a couple scrapbook pages.

Marissa felt by putting the pictures on a scrapbook page it would help express the way she felt about her friend. She wrote a little note on the back that brought tears to my eyes. I felt so proud. Scrapbooking is about life and journaling everyday events. That's what makes it such a meaningful hobby.

I didn't have time to snap a picture of her pages but here's an example of how to take an everyday moment and turn it into a special gift. A photo with your Grandma can be framed and given to her for her birthday or just because. She's sure to proudly display it in her home and it will mean the world to her.

Click here to see the dies used in this 12" x 12" page.

Tuesdays with Tammy: Arrows

Posted by Tammy Miller

WOW, we had some really great responses to our contests last week. I had a ton of fun contacting the winners. Congratulations to all of you. If you haven’t had a chance to read through the comments, do so, they will inspire you. 

We are super busy here this week as a group of us AccuCut ladies will be traveling to New York for the National Stationery Show that starts Sunday. We'll be showing off our the new dies in our May release, which I hear may be hitting our web site at the end of this week. Keep watching the site and also this blog for more details. We'll definitely post some pics from the show.

So, quickly I’ll show you one of my favorite dies: Arrows. There are three arrow shapes on one jumbo die board and they measure 3"w x 2"h, 5 1/16"w x 2 1/2"h, 10"w x 6 3/16"h. Mix and match them on a page or use them individually.

This die adds so much personality to a scrapbook page, as on this Live Life in Full Color 12" x 12" page.

My daughters, Marissa and Callie, and I have only had one graduation party to go to so far this year, and creating scrapbook pages for the graduate is a perfect gift. Traci used the Arrows in this Class of '08 page. The arrows are a perfect complement to what is going on in their lives.

Retailers: If you have graduation papers or embellishments, cut some arrows out of coordinating paper and chipboard and sell them by the piece by your graduation display. Or use scrap paper to cut out the arrows – scraps turned into profit, imagine that!

Well, if I don’t chat with you next week check out some posts you might have missed by clicking on the links on the right. I just spent a few minutes browsing that myself... we’ve been some blogging fools lately, or at least it feels like it!

Tuesdays with Tammy: Give away a free die?

*** Entries are no longer being accepted. ***

Posted by Tammy Miller

Is it someone's birthday? At the Miller house, it is a week-long celebration when it's someone's birthday. Grandma loves celebrations so the party just keeps going. I sorta get the same feeling for National Scrapbooking Day -- a week-long celebration! So I've chosen a great die to give away with today's post: the AccuCut A2 Card-Gift Card die.

This cute little card has two slits to hold a standard gift card from just about anywhere. You can use it for any occasion: birthdays, graduations, Christmas or even for a baby gift.

I have a great story I want to share. At Christmas I was trying to get the girls to tell me what they wanted, and the standard answer was "gift cards". But I just wanted to give them something that they could open and play with just like they did when they were little. After the fourth or fifth time I asked, Marissa finally said in a teary voice, "But, Mom, I just love to shop." Well, gift cards it was.

You know that a gift card is always appreciated by the person getting it, but as the "gift card giver" sometimes you just want to dress it up a little to let the person know that it wasn't just a last-minute decision. For a Christmas gift, you can make something like this Oh Christmas Tree Gift Card Holder that was made with BasicGrey Figgy Pudding cardstock. The paper is so pretty you don't even need to add anything to the outside of the card.

And here is the inside. The trees were cut out of the same cardstock and glued to the card that fits on the inside top panel. Add a holiday rub-on or stamp and you're good to go.

So back to my story... When Marissa's birthday rolled around I thought I'd try again. Same answer. "Mom, all I want are gift cards. I want to buy my own swimsuit and I want to pick it out." Anyone else out there have a 12-year-old daughter? : )

Here is an example of a gift card for a special birthday. (See Enjoy Gift Card Holder.)

And the inside reveals the rest of the message...

If I were a store owner I would have a "Gift Card Holder" class and show them how to make 4-5 cards. Maybe a couple birthday cards, a graduation one and one for Christmas. Show them how easy it is so they will want to make more. (It really is addictive once you start!) During the holidays, make sure you have some kits or some even already made for people to "grab and go". You could do that with birthday card holders too.

I bet you want to win this die now! Post a comment by 10 a.m. CST tomorrow (Wednesday) and tell me how you would use this die. I will randomly pick the winner and send the die to you!  *** Entries are no longer being accepted. ***

PS: Don't forget about our "Mom" challenge. Entries are due Monday, May 12.