Wood Veneer Paper is Here!

Move over pulp, there's a new paper in town and it's simply made out of wood! One of our newest products is wood veneer paper and the possibilities for new and exciting creations using them are endless! Below, Whitney (our wonderfully talented Tukwila Store Manager) shares some fun samples they created using this new product. I also love ideas found on Oslo Press, which has a whole range of invitation ideas using the wood paper combined with traditional letter press. I am so excited to see what all of our creative peeps make with this fun new product! --Kim

Last week we got in this fun new paper. It is real wood veneer backed with paper. You can do most of the same things with it that you can do with thick cardstock. It comes in 8 1/2x 11 sheets, 2 colors - Cherry and Birch, and 3 weights.

Here in Tukwila, we had to get out all of our favorite tools and try it out! First of all, we could trim it in our paper cutter just like regular paper - no power tools needed here!

Look at all the fun things we were able to do with this paper.

Stamping:

On this sample, we stamped on the wood with Colorbox Chalk Inks. It took no time to dry and you can still see the wood grain. We had to accent it with one of our other favorite product - Liquid Pearls.

Wood Burning:

Lisa who works at our store has all sorts of hobbies, including wood burning. She brought in her wood burning tool and we tried it out. Just look at the results! She freehanded this design, but we were also able to stamp a design and follow the lines with the wood burning tool.

Embossing and Glimmer Mist:

Finally, we got out the Letterpress machine and put it to work. On this example, we were able to emboss the paper with an embossing folder and make the fancy swirl design. Then we die cut the circle shape and spritzed the finished piece with Tiger Lily Glimmer Mist. It is so shimmery in person and again you can still see the wood grain.

I am sure there are hundreds of other things you can do with wood paper - would love to see what you come up with.

Whitney, Tukwila Paper Zone

Paper That Grows!

Earth Day is coming up this Friday, so what better time to introduce our new selection of paper from Bloomin! These new papers and mini gift cards can actually be planted and grow into a beautiful array of wildflowers like zinnias, snapdragons and daisies. Do you ever wonder what to do with cards you receive from your friends and family once you've read them and the holiday or special event has passed? I do. I always feel bad throwing them away, mostly because of the sentimental attachment, but also because it just contributes to the ever-growing landfill. With this paper, you can create beautiful cards and once your friends have enjoyed them, they can be planted in a special part of their garden or a pot on a window sill so the memory can last on and on. We are carrying these papers in 8.5x11 sheet packs (either white or assorted colors). The sheets are really versatile. They are sturdy enough to be used for greeting cards or boxes, but the cotton composition still allows it to be easily punched. It also works great in the letterpress machine!

In addition to the sheeets, we also have some mini gift enclosures available in a range of shapes and colors.

Not only are these 2.5" square cards great for a finishing touch on a gift, but the shapes could be used as an embellishment on a more elaborate card or other craft project. There are tons of uses for this paper from Easter greetings to a Mother's Day Card that actually turns into a bouquet!

Seed papers are also great for handmade weddings and baby showers. You can make your own favors like these cute little cards for all of your guests with your special message and planting instructions attached:

Or like thes pillow boxes so you can hide an extra treat inside.

This is such a great way to add a little extra to your celebration and let your guests remember your day for months (maybe years) to come.

Happy Earth Day Everyone!

Amanda

Fun with Die Cuts & Magnets!

My obsession with the Letterpress Machine continues, but this time with a new twist. We just got in a new array of nesting dies that are great for cutting out basic shapes in the perfect size for your project. One of my favorites it these set of scalloped circles that range from about 3/4" all the way up to almost 6" in diameter.

There are many more shapes including circles, squares, rounded corner square, embellished frames and more. In addition to these great nesting dies we also now have some different interesting media we can use for cutting out our shapes like cork, plastic, and even magnet stock. I decided to try the new magnet stock to make a quick little project for the fridge.

First, I found a couple of cute pictures of my kids and determined the size I wanted my final project to be.

To cut out their pictures, since it is a pretty precise cut and I didn't want to accidentally lose an ear or something, I placed my die (cutting edge up) on my cutting platform. I took a couple of really thin strips of double-sided adhesive (extra sheets of this adhesive come with the combo kit) and placed them on the back of the die to adhere them to the platform. It doesn't need to be really stuck to the platform, just enough so it doesn't shift as you roll it through the machine.
Then I placed my photo over the dies and felt for the edges so I could make sure the face was centered. I used some paper placement guides on the edges of the photo so it also wouldn't shift.
Then I just placed the cutting mat on top of the platform and ran it through the machine. Next I cut out my magnet which is a little bigger with a scalloped edge. I place it magnet side down so there will be a cleaner edge on the magnet side. Then just run it through the machine again.
I cut the same sized scalloped circle out of my paper I chose for the border. I also cut a smaller circle out of the inside of the scalloped paper piece.
Then I just peeled back the adhesive on the magnet sheet and lined up my paper with the magnet and stuck it in place.

Cutting the open circle in the middle of the scalloped paper allowed me to leave part of the adhesive on the magnet exposed so I could then just stick down my photo.
Now I have two great little decorations!
This magnet stock is great, not only for little projects like this, but it would be perfect to make your Save the Date card or Baby Announcement to then mail out to your friends and family. I know I always end up putting those types of things on my fridge anyway, why not have the magnet included? Plus, it's nice and thin so it will go through the mail beautifully!

Reminder:

Monday the 11th is the 1 year anniversary of the PZ Blog. Become a follower and you will be entered to win a $20 gift card! Good Luck and Happy Crafting!

6th Day of Christmas - Letterpress Gift Card Holders

Sometimes gift cards seem impersonal and kind of a last resort, but sometimes they are the perfect thing for certain people on your list. This year there is a great die cut set from Lifestyle Crafts (the same people that brought you my favorite letterpress machine) called Winter Wishes that will make it really easy to give that gift card a personal touch. Not only do you get a fantasitic alphabet that can be used for tons of different projects, but you also get these pocket cards that are also really versitile.

The largest size is convieniently perfect for a gift card. I decided to go really fancy and letterpress it as well, so I started with the PZ Letterpress cardstock in Ecru.




After die-cutting the main pieces, I cut out a couple of circles using somes scraps of red paper I had lying around and the nesting circle dies that came with my letterpress machine. These will act as a pull-tab and also keep the gift card in place.


I used dies from the Winter Tide letterpress die set to make a simple greeting and spruce up the insert piece a bit.

Next, I glued the 2 red circles to the edge of the insert piece. The first one is adhered to the back of the insert and the second one is adhered to the first circle as shown. Be sure the front circle is not glued to the front of the insert so you are able to tuck the gift card in as shown.



Then just fold and glue the outside envelope together.

The insert and gift card fit nicely in the envelope to make for an easy and really personalized way to give your gift.



Happy Gift Giving!

Amanda

Letterpress to Die Cut

My new favorite tool just keeps getting better! I recently invested in the Epic 6 Letterpress machine. Usually I am pretty frugal when it comes to craft purchases, but I had so much fun testing out this machine, I had to have one for myself. I have been happily printing thank you cards and other miscellaneous things the past few weeks and absolutely loving it. I finally decided to test out the cutting feature on this machine-yes, it die cuts too! The combo kit comes with a set of various sized circle dies, but I managed to get my hands on some samples of some upcoming holiday designs as well. To test these out, I decided I would make a collection of gift tags, because you can never have too many gift tags. :) It's easy to get started with the tools below:


Just place your dies cutting side up on the gray cutting platform, then place your sheet of paper front side facing down over the dies. Place the cutting mat over the top and crank it through the machine. It's that easy.



The result is a perfectly clean cut, even when using extra heavy weight cardstock. I used some beautifully printed cardstock (approximately 100# cover) from Envelopments to create the little pocket tag below.



Another great die that will be part of the upcoming holiday release are these snowflakes below (also cut from 100# cover). I absolutely love these!



There is also a wonderful set of nesting trees, a kit to make snowmen, and many other holiday inspired themes. The possibilities for cards, gift tags and all kinds of other decor are endless. Here's how my gift tags turned out:


Look for these dies along with new holiday letterpress plates to arrive next week!

Happy Crafting!

Amanda

Letterpress!

I'll be the first to say that the thought of trying out the new Letterpress Machine was a bit intimidating to me. But, I have always loved the way a letterpressed card looks...it has such a cool and unique look to it. Something about the beautiful yet simple ink colors that are nestled in the debossed image just gives it such a classy look. So, with mixed feelings, I tried my hand at the Letterpress Starter Combo Kit today (I have photos to prove it!). I will happily say that my first venture with the Letterpress machine was a success, which is great because look how cool all these letterpress projects are, and all created with this tool! Take a look:


Here are my simple steps to create your own letterpress card and - let me say - if I can do this, you can too.

Step 1: Gather the goods. Everything you need comes in the Starter Kit, so this step is easy! (I had an extra shape set that I was working with, but the Kit comes with some really cute shapes)

Step 2: Design! Line up the card on the Letterpress and place the the adhesive-backed shape dies on the clear lid, you can close it to see where your image will be placed on the card and move to a new position if needed.
Step 3: Ink! Place a tiny amount of ink on the glass mat and, using the brayer, ink the plate evenly. The Starter Kit came with this black ink, I can't wait to try it with more colors!
Step 4: Cover! Using the Brayer, cover the image with the ink, rolling it on to be sure that all the areas are covered. If you get ink around the image, simply wipe it off.
Step 5: Roll! Close the lid of the Letterpress and roll it through the Epic tool. This is when the image is debossed and the ink is placed on the card.
And voila...here is my beautiful letterpressed card, I can't wait to try out more color combos and designs, I have images of fun holiday cards swirling in my head right now!And a few more samples of cards that we created here while we were
playing with the Letterpress tool:
Hopefully my first letterpress experience has encouraged you to try it too. Do you have any fun letterpress ideas to share? I would love to hear them! --Lauren