I can hardly believe that today is finally here! The announcement I am making today has been nearly two years in the making. After all the careful research, planning, sourcing, concepting and testing, we are all SO proud to be bringing you something truly spectacular.
A dream of mine is finally coming to fruition, and today I get the opportunity to share my excitement with all of you.
Papertrey Ink will now be carrying their very own line of exclusive universal dies and impression plates, usable in nearly every die-cutting machine on the market including the popular names such as the Cuttlebug by ProvoCraft and the BigShot from Sizzix.
Our universal dies & impression plates are among a select few that are made from 100% American Steel AND manufactured in the U.S., which gives you the peace of mind that there are no traces of lead in these products.
They come with a lifetime guarantee, so you can be confident that they're a good investment. .......................
The dies cut more than just paper. Felt, fabric, cork, magnetic sheets, metal, cork, polyshrink, clear cardstock and adhesive-backed canvas just to name a few!
New dies & impression plates will be introduced each month as we add to our ongoing collection in the store.
They will coordinate with many of our stamp sets. We will be revisitng popular older sets as well as introducing coordination for brand new sets.
There are several small characteristics that make our exclusive line unique. Small things that only a true paper crafter & stamper would dream up as a way to make projects easier AND more polished. That's the benefit of having the Papertrey Team behind product innovations, such as these.
Now for a few projects and more specifics.
Most of our dies will retail for $5 each, which you will find quite comparable to similar products in the industry.
The dies feature a sturdy blade attached to a solid "backer" that is laser cut within a 1/16" of the blade. This allows you to use the die for a few techniques I will be going into today, as well as making placement a breeze.
The "sandwich" you would use with our dies and your die-cutting machine are the same as what you would normally use for Spellbinders-style dies.
How about a little project with this new butterfly die, which was designed by Niki Estes?
I love the way this card turned out. I started by stamping Polka Dot Basics II with Vintage Cream ink onto Kraft cardstock. I then layered a leaf image from Turning a New Leaf in Ripe Avocado ink and some small flowers from Background Basics: Petal Power in Terracotta Tile. I love the way the polka dots subtly peek through the leaf images, don't you?
The butterfly is actually comprised of two layers. White cardstock for the bottom, clear cardstock on top. If you look REALLY closely, you can see how I stamped Background Basics: Petal Power on the clear butterfly with a Aqua Mist ink and a quick heat set. I love layering shapes and textures like this. SO fun! So stunning in person!
Besides introducing a few different shapes this month (which will all be showcased in their entirety throughout he week with their coordinating stamp sets!), we are bringing you THE product that I have been DYING to use in my own work for years. And I just KNOW all of you will love it as much as I do...
Scalloped Borders. These dies are a little different from the others, so let me show you what considerations and features are integrated into them.
Scalloped Borders only cut on one side so you are able to make your scalloped piece as wide as you want. You can even do the edge of a card if you like.
The scallop spacing on each die is intentionally proportioned so you can cut the 5.5" side of an A2 card PERFECTLY, edge to edge with no awkward ends.
They measure 9" long so you are able to cut strips off of the end of 8.5" x 11" sheets with no waste.
We are introducing three different scales of scallops this month; small, medium & large. They will retail for $16 each, which is very comparable to other dies this size on the market and the border punches we value so much. However, I think these border dies are even more of a value than a punch because you can cut LOTS of materials other than paper, not to mention a cleaner more professional cut.
Let me show you a few things I created with these fabulous Scalloped Borders.
(click above image for a larger view)
This card uses the largest scalloped border die. Notice how the scallops are perfectly spaced so that they fill up the EXACT width of an A2 card. Just love that!
This card was created with Smokey Shadow, Scarlet Jewel and Rustic White cardstocks (LOVE that combo!). The trees are from Through the Trees and stamped with Smokey Shadow, which is overlaid with this bird from Birds of a Feather, in Scarlet Jewel. Notice the cute little bow? I just cut a strip of Scarlet Jewel Grosgrain, tied it through the middle with twine and a button, and adhered it in place, super easy.
Last, but certainly not least, I want to showcase our new Impression Plates.
Impression Plates are double sided solid steel plates that feature a different pattern on each side. The patterns are raised which causes them to leave an impression, similar to letterpress, when you press it against your cardstock.
The heavier the cardstock, the better results you will achieve with these plates, and our 110lb. cardstock is just the ticket.
The Impression Plates measure 4.5" x 5.75", making it perfectly scaled for an A2 card cover! This was a feature that I insisted upon!
We will be introducing two new Impression Plates each month. For the February release we will be starting you off with two fantastic basics that really showcase the sophisticated detail you can add to your projects.
They are universal and can be used in any machine. We will be posting a "sandwich" chart on our website when the Impression Plates are available for sale.
The Polka Dot Basics II Impression Plate (shown above) coordinates with it's stamp set namesake, using two of my favorite dot patterns from the set (one on one side and the other on the reverse.). And our Tin Types Impression Plate, designed by Heather Nichols, is reminiscent of the old punched tin ceilings that were so popular long ago. It's just STUNNING and makes such an impact while still maintaining a nice clean & simple finish.
These double sided plates will retail for $16 each, quite a bargain if you break it down to $8 per pattern.
How about another project?
(click the image above for a larger view)
This uses the Tin Types Impression Plate that I spoke of a bit ago. I think it compliments any "classic" card perfectly! My color scheme is Melon Berry, Spring Moss, Kraft & Vintage Cream. The small tree & sentiment images are from Through the Trees. The focal point created with them is layered over some Vintage Cream Grosgrain ribbon.
Here's a bit more of a closeup. *sigh* isn't that impressed pattern in the background just divine. I think it brings a sense of homeyness, like a quilt. Don't you agree?
(click the image above for a larger view)
And here is one last project showcasing the Polka Dot Basics II Impressions Plate. I kept it simple to allow the background remain strong. I used images from Friends 'Til the End to build a focal point. Notice the scalloped border? That's an example of the medium sized scalloped die in action!
Well, I've given you a lot of information to digest today! And I hope you are all as excited as I am about all of the coordination possibilities that will be opening up for you as we add these incredible products to our lineup this year! We would love to know what you think!
I created an entire set of butterfly cards to go along with the first project featured in this post.
I've showcased their focal point die-cut butterflies below, with each one being cut from a different type of material. Each butterfly is labeled with a number to help you designate which is which. Opposite the photos you will find a list of all the materials used to create this butterfly collection. Your job is to match each butterfly with it's material.
Utilizing the comment section of this post, submit a numbered list 1-5, with each letter representing a material matched with the appropriately numbered butterfly. Takes you back to the school days when yo had to do the same thing with vocabulary words, right?!?!? As a little hint, this puzzler is a little like Cryptoquip, whereas the process of elimination can be very helpful.
(you can click the image below for a larger view)
Just for playing along today, you could win ALL of the dies & Impression Plates being released in February!
-THREE Shaped Dies
-THREE Scalloped Borders Dies
-TWO Impressions Plates
-ONE Embossing Mat set
1. This contest ends at 7amEST, Sunday, February 7th.
2. One winner will be randomly selected from the CORRECT lists submitted in the comments section.
3. Only one entry per person please. The winner will be announced by noon the same day on our February Release Winners page.
Thanks for stopping by today and be sure to stay tuned, because tomorrow I have ANOTHER HUGE product line announcement to make! Have a wonderful Saturday!
