First off, as I said, the embossed background was made using the new QuicKutz flowers A2 embossing folder. The other die cuts were also made with QuicKutz dies, nested labels, I think they're called. The stamped image and sentiment are by Hampton Arts.
Now for my gripe--crafters already dislike the fact that these folders (and by "these" I'm referring to the QuicKutz and the Cuttlebug embossing folders) don't emboss the full front of an A2 size card. So far Sizzix is the only company that is getting this right with their textured impressions folders. But now QuicKutz has made things even worse--these embossed designs didn't even come close to covering an A2 sized space. The pale yellow layer in my card is A2 size. The darker yellow is the embossed area created by the flowers folder--came out to 4 X 5 inches before I sliced it up and punched holes in it. That's why I had to be a little more creative about how I used the embossed design. I had some room to make up on my card front!
I haven't looked closely at my other folders yet. I will. Right now I'm a bit disappointed in that some of these folder manufacturers seem to be headed in the wrong direction. First ProvoCraft placed their designs closer to the fold in their latest release, making it tougher to center the design nicely on a card front. Now QuicKutz is making the embossed area within the folder even smaller and not in symmetric fashion. ARGH! I guess we'll just have to keep wishing for the best and having to be creative with how we use these, eh? I still love using embossing folders, despite their flaws. *insert dramatic sigh* :-)
Thanks for letting us know that the QuicKutz aren't any better than the Cuttlebug ones. Your card is cute!
ReplyDeleteWell, I think it's just good to know that if you're hoping that the QuicKutz folders will emboss the entire front of an A2 size card, you're going to be disappointed. But not only that, with a number of folders the designs leave much more than a 1/8 inch border all around. For some it's obvious, but for some like the "flowers" folder, you don't realize until you actually emboss. Just something to be aware of. :-)
ReplyDeleteIf you haven't seen the newer QK designs, some of them are really fun. There are 12" borders and A2 folders, as well as some new Halloween designs.
Thanks for coming by, Nise!
Would it help if we crafters wrote to these companies? Maybe the people making these folders at Cuttlebug and QuikCuts just aren't crafters and have no clue that their product could be better.
ReplyDeleteI really appreciate the heads up. MY HL carries a better selection of Quikutz than they do of the CB merchandise. We did do that survey for CB and I'm certain that stampers let them know of their wishes for a "larger" folder. Maybe it was too expensive for them to manufacture and we will see them in the future as the economy gets better. One can only hope, right? In the meatme, I will creatively use the 25 or so I have, 'cus like you, I luv 'em.
ReplyDeleteI think the feedback can help. I'm not sure that the designers do actually put these folders into action themselves, and I also don't know how much input they have when it comes to the manufacturing process.
ReplyDeleteWith the flowers folder it would have been nice just to have the entire design cover more of the inside of the folder, even a quarter inch more coverage would have been good. With the latest batch of C'bug folders, the designs were a decent size, but the one edge started very close to the fold so you have no choice but to have a very small unembossed border along that edge with wider ones along the other three sides, if you're embossing an A2 size piece of card stock, that is. And if you don't elect to modify your folder, as some of us have been known to do. LOL!
But ProvoCraft did hear some of the feedback and is supposed to release some 5X7 size folders with a winter theme. That's progress, I think. I would have been happy with a true A2 size embossed design. I know that some crafters will like this bigger size for bigger cards. I just wonder if the use of these folders will be limited a bit by the fact that they can only be put through the opening of the machine lengthwise due to their size. I like being able to run them through sideways, as needed, for whatever I'm doing to a card front. That option will be gone. We'll see, eh?
Thanks for stopping by and commenting!