AccuCut Craft Blog

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.

Tuesdays with Tammy: Back to the basics

Posted by Tammy Miller

Where do we start? That is a question a store owner often asks me when I take their first order at a trade show. There are just so many dies to choose from and it's easy to get overwhelmed. Well, we start with the basics. An alphabet, bags and boxes, holiday shapes, note cards, albums, and tags are basic shapes for all stores. Today, let's focus on tags.

Scrapbook stores have been using tag dies for years. The obvious use for a tag to me is to put is on the side of a gift bag. I just love this Polka Dot Purse by the way.

That cute little "butterfly" tag is actually just one of four tags on Tags #4. It's one of our best-selling mini tag dies.

Then began the evolution of the tag die cut for us scrapbookers. We started putting them on scrapbook pages as creative accents or even behind letters. (See Zoo Love page)

You can also use tags to make a simple card like this one for Father’s Day:

But what's popular in today’s scrapbooking stores is being able to make your own albums -- the more creative the better. Here is a Tag Baby Album shown mixed with another hot crafting trend -- clear albums.

 

The album was made with our giant Tag-Accordion die, which means you need to have a GrandeMARK machine to use the die. We get so many oohs and aahs over this shape when we show the die and the projects. The die even has creases between the individual tags so it's easy to fold. The combined tag shape itself is 12" wide x 5" high so you can get two out of a standard 12" x 12" sheet of cardstock or plastic (we sell the plastic too!).

I have to show you one more project using the same die. Marah Johnson, licensed artist with Creative Imaginations, made this beautiful standing album to showcase some photos of her girls. This would be a great class.

Well, back to the basics was fun for me today, let me know what you think and we will chat next week.

Before I go, make sure you check back daily on our blog next week.... I may have heard something about daily giveaways for National Scrapbooking Day. It pays to read the AccuCut Craft Blog!

Tuesdays with Tammy: Back from Nashville - Part II

Posted by Tammy Miller

As Jen mentioned yesterday we are back from Nashville, home of country music. I enjoy country music and wish we could have had more time site seeing, but the sites we did take in were beautiful. What a beautiful part of the country -- gorgeous landscaping, warm, welcoming and full of southern hospitality.

One of our first stops was at The Sassy Scrapper in Murfreesboro.

This is where we found Mary Kumpf, Lee Diamond and Bettye Branton. Yes, her name ends in "ye". How cute is that?

These ladies love their AccuCut GrandeMARK machine. They have an 8" Roman Uppercase alphabet set they use to cut letters out of chipboard covered in cardstock for classes and to sell individually.

They also use their machine to cut shapes to sell at the register. Mary said the 5 1/4" Square-Scalloped and Circle-Scalloped shapes sell really well for her.

What a cute store, and it was packed with all sorts of products. Jen purchased more than a few sheets of paper along with some other scrapbook supplies. I nearly had to pull her out of the store, wink wink. : )

Before the rain set in we ran into Memories In Bloom Scrapbook Superstore in Clarksville owned by Georgie Vaughan Stimson. I love this fun entrance.

Lauren and Kim were there to help with the rest of Jen's purchases (good thing we had extra room in the rental car!). Beautiful projects were displayed throughout the store and customers had access to a GrandeMARK machine and lots of fun dies.

Again, we found die cuts near the cash register, which is one of my favorite "smart business tips".

Here they have used chipboard and plastic to cut birds, tags, frames and borders.

What fun we had in Nashville visiting stores that love their AccuCut systems as much as we do. I look forward to seeing more scrapbook stores across the country later this year. See you next week...

Tuesdays with Tammy: Wedding favor ideas

Posted by Tammy Miller

I love spring. I even love the rain. But this time of year really gets me thinking of what’s coming around the corner... all of the graduations, bridal showers and weddings I have to look forward to.

I have a couple ideas that will spark some interest from the brides, brides' moms or even bridesmaids that are stopping in your store looking for party favor ideas. This Dress Box is one of our most popular boxes for weddings:

Here it is used to make this All Dressed Up Place Card, a perfect little box for a bridal shower. A bride-to-be can simply use it for table decorations or throughout the room so each guest knows where to sit.

And here's a more formal Bride Box dressed up with Imaginisce rub-ons and a tag:

And here is the bride box shown with the coordinating Tuxedo Box. They can be filled with mints or other little treasures like mini soaps or tealight candles. See the project here.

One more box idea is our also popular Flower Box. You get all three shapes on one jumbo die.

Here is a pink and green flower box made with our clear plastic sheets for the base:

What I love about all the boxes I've shown here is that they do not require any adhesive at all. Just fold them up and you're ready to go!

I could go on forever about boxes and bags for weddings. They are such a smart addition to a store's die cutting center so they can reach new customers. Visit the Ideas area of our website for even more wedding and stationery ideas and I’ll be back next week to share more ideas.

Tuesdays with Tammy: Multiple uses for one die

Posted by Tammy Miller

Dies can be used for only one thing...

April Fools! Dies are versatile and can be used a number of ways -- even if they are designed to be used for invitations. I love to see our basic stationery dies used on scrapbook pages or even as an accent on an album.

The best way to show you this is with lots of examples of projects used with one die -- our Circle-Scalloped die is a perfect example. It's a Clear Cuts see-through die, and that means it is made of acrylic and you can see through it. For invitations you would print out your words on a piece of cardstock and then position it on the die looking through the acrylic before you cut it.

The Brunch Invitation below is a great place to start. This is a classic use of what the die was made for.

Here is another classic use for another Shower Invitation:

Need a Baby Announcement? Look no further...

Now, let's step out of our stationery-use comfort zone with this die. Here it is used on this Sunshine 8" x 8" page as a background element.

And one more.... I would love to show you pictures of my girls. Going to at least one Nebraska Husker football game each season is a tradition in our family. Our pictures fit perfectly inside those scalloped circles on this 12" x 12" Our Girls Are Growing page -- and Marissa and Callie loved their flower photos!

 

That's just one example of a die and a few different ways it can be used. I challenge you to look at the dies you have and think about how else you can use them -- and then show someone else!

One last note... the Circle-Scalloped die we've been looking at also appears in our Stationery Ensemble-Scalloped Cards die set that is a steal at $250. Gotta have it!

Tuesday's with Tammy: Know when to hold 'em

Posted by Tammy Miller

The AccuCut GrandeMARK machine and dies have been a source of income for store owners in a unique way for many years. More and more I have been impressed with the creative ways they have used our system to make money. Nothing has proven that to me further than the smart business ideas that were posted on or around March 11th.  If you haven’t read all of them you should take some time and do so. I'm sure you can find some ideas for your store if you have one!

The concept we call "Know when to hold ‘em" is one of my favorites and is one that I suggest all the time to store owners. You can also find this suggestion on page 6 of the 2008 Craft Catalog... if you don’t already have one, you can request the catalog online. Basically, the thought is to keep a few strategic dies in the back room or office (not in your die cutting center) and use them to create pre-cut shapes, kits and themed packages. You could keep the die in the back indefinitely or add the die to your die cutting center when it pays for itself.

So how do you decide which dies to do this with? Album dies, oversized shapes and frames are a good place to start. Let's look at a couple examples.

This is our Mat-Circles-11" die with an example of it used on a scrapbook page (see Sweet Giggly Funny page). It would be a good die to keep back and use to cut out chipboard or any plain color of cardstock and then sell that in your store.

Here's another idea... AccuCut sells four different metal tins that each have a coordinating die. For example, here is a Color My World album using our Large Hinged Candy Tin and the Rectangle Accordion Album die that goes with it.

These are the three shapes you get on the die (with a mini pic of how they fit together):

You could sell the tins and then use the die to cut blank albums in a variety of colors. The accordion album shape is 11 1/4"w x 3 1/4"h so you can get three albums out of just one piece of paper. I would bet that you could charge at least $1.00 for a blank album die cut ($3.00 out of that one piece of paper), so you do the math figuring out the profit you will make. Before long you will pay for that die.

Best of luck, and keep posting your comments. I have heard from many store owners they love to read all of the ideas being shared on our blog.

Tuesdays with Tammy: How to promote new dies

Posted by Tammy Miller

As you're bringing new dies into your die cutting center, don't forget to promote them as much as you can. We have had many successful stores tell us that by keeping the display projects up to date with the latest dies that their customers will be more interested in taking advantage of the die cutting center... which means more paper and other product that they will need to buy from you. 

How else can you promote new dies? Here's a list that I always go through with retailers and if you have any more ideas I'd like to hear about them.

1. Feature a new die a week: Show multiple projects using the die, including scrapbook pages, cards and other paper crafts.
2. List the new dies in your e-mail or printed newsletter. If you locate your die on the AccuCut site you can right-click on the die image and copy it so you can use it in your newsletter.
3. Go to the Ideas area on the AccuCut site. You can enter your die number in the search box to show all of the AccuCut project ideas using that die. Print off your favorites and keep a binder in your die cutting center to provide free inspiration for your customers!
4. Have a contest: Pick a die or group of new dies and have a contest in your store for the most creative project. This provides projects that you can display during the contest period (have people vote on their favorites) and gets people excited about what they can participate in.   
5. Create samples, samples and more samples.
6. Have a class featuring projects made with new dies.

If you have any other creative ways to promote new dies in a store, please post your ideas.

Before I go I want to share a wonderful Spring Flowers scrapbook page that showcases the new Apricot alphabet in the 2" size as well as our Creative Cafe Ribbon-11 1/2" die, which was one of our best sellers at the show. Click here to view the project page on our site.

I like the nontraditional use of the big ribbon shape. Here is what the actual Ribbon-11 1/2" die looks like:

For the scrapbook page, the designer used two different papers to cut two shapes using just the ribbon edge. Then she pieced them together to form a narrower ribbon shape than the original shape on the die. That's just one more way to get more out of a single die. I hope you liked the project and the tip!

Tuesdays with Tammy: Sell more paper with card-making

Posted by Tammy Miller

March is National Craft Month... How wonderful it is that we recognize the passion for our industry. What types of events do you hold this month? Do you focus on weekend events or daily specials?

I often talk about the fact that scrapbook stores are not just for scrapbooking anymore. To reach more people, many stores have expanded to show customers how to use scrapbooking supplies to make cards, which is definitely a win-win. The customer now has more ways to use their supplies and they have another craft to show off their talents. For a store, card-making can help sell more cardstock and embellishments... for example, someone who wants to make Easter cards may need to buy enough materials to make 10-20 cards for family and friends.

A store's die cutting center should have several card dies to choose from with varying sizes and shapes. A2 (4 1/4" x 5 1/2" folded) and A7 (5" x 7" folded) cards are our popular sizes although square cards and other unique shapes are also in demand.

This new 5 3/4" square Duck Card has so much potential for birth announcements, baby showers, birthday invitations and even Easter cards. It even has a "wing" to cut out and add to the duck shape for a 3-D effect. You can add your message to the inside of the card or you can use the very back of the card to add an announcement or other message block. See materials for the Rubber Duckie Card.

Display a copy of this card in your store and encourage your customers to create Easter cards or invitations for Easter dinner. Show the sample with other Easter products in your store--paper, stickers, embellishements, stamps, etc. to promote the entire category.

My girls are older now but Easter egg hunts are still so much fun. They look forward to going to Grandma and Grandpa’s house each year, not just for the big dinner but Grandpa pays cash for each egg found. Maybe we'll use this die to make thank you cards!

Tuesdays with Tammy: Take care of your machine.

Posted by Tammy Miller

I had such a wonderful time at CHA – the creativity, the people, the excitement – all of it. It's fun to talk to people about the GrandeMARK machine and how it can cut shapes to make beautiful projects but, more importantly, it can be a money maker for a store.

I think more and more store owners understand the concept of “Smart Business, Easy Money”. I heard over and over that the stores' die cutting centers are so busy. When they are inspired by classes and projects on display, customers want to get their hands on the machine and make something for themselves. (That means they're buying product!) In addition to buying lots of new dies, many stores even purchased additional GrandeMARK machines to keep up with demand.

Having busy die cutting centers mean they need to be maintained. Store employees and customers need a few minutes of training on how to use the machine properly. Be sure to explain the importance of the die being placed completely flat in the tray. The die should also always touch one side of the tray. Moving the die around in the tray, or not cutting in the exact center of the tray every time, will extend the life of the tray. I know that's a challenge in a center with many people using the machine, but if you see someone cutting multiple cards or shapes, it's definitely worth a friendly reminder.

A few more tips.... Keep the tray free and clear of paper scraps. Do not shim under the die. Replace your tray and plastic as needed. You'll find that if you maintain your machine then customers will want to use it more often... and will keep coming back to your store to use the machine.

At CHA, one store owner mentioned to me that she keeps her plastic behind the counter, letting the customers use the GrandeMARK after they have “checked out” the plastic and have been trained on the machine. This has been successful in her store and may be something to consider in yours too.

Before I go, I have to leave you with some creative inspiration. I think I had our new Ribbon 11 1/2" die on almost every show order -- everyone loved that unique scalloped edge! Here are two examples that we showed in our booth. The shape is 11 1/2" square so it is perfect for layering on a 12" x 12" page as a background.

And here is it cut out of patterned paper on chipboard and used as a wall hanging. You can see this entire project with all dies listed here.

See you next Tuesday!

Tuesdays with Tammy: Get the Most Out of Alphabets

Posted by Tammy Miller

Today is Super Tuesday -- when voters in 24 states will participate in primaries and caucuses. It's also known as Fat Tuesday, a day you can eat all you want before Ash Wednesday. Now that's my kind of day. 

Today is also the first of many Tuesdays when I will get to share some of my thoughts on our Craft Blog. My favorite times of the year are sitting down with customers at trade shows. I get to share ideas for how to "make money" with an AccuCut die cutting center in their stores or help designers choose the best dies for making cards and favor boxes. Now I get to share those ideas more often -- in this virtual forum -- and I hope to get to know all of you even better.

Here is one of my favorite scrapbook pages using our new Apricot alphabet (3" uppercase). If you want to see all of the materials for this 12" x 12" page, click here.

I'll share one more page and then let's talk about how to use alphabets in your store. This 8" x 8" page was created by Vicki Chrisman and it features the 2" Apricot lowercase alphabet (see project page). I just love this new script font and how versatile it is.

Here are 10 ways you can encourage people to use an alphabet die set in order to sell more product or how you can make product yourself:

1. Make titles for scrapbook pages
2. Use as a monogram in scrapbooking or on cards
3. Create hanging pennants to show a child's name or spell out Happy Birthday, Congratulations or other sayings
4. Make your own chipboard or cardstock letters to sell
5. Make your own felt letters
6. Cut letters out of clear plastic sheets -- add rub-ons or acrylic paint to embellish
7. Make and sell packages of letters to spell out basic page titles
8. Make letters using thin craft metal
9. Cut out double-sided adhesive sheets -- use to adhere glitter, flock, micro beads, etc.
10. Show teachers and students how they can make make signs for school projects, sport events, bulletin boards, lockers, etc.

Hopefully you can implement some of those ideas or that the list helps to spark some ideas of your own about how to market alphabets you may already have in your die cutting center. See you next Tuesday on the Craft Blog or stop by our booth at CHA (#1651)and say hi!