welcome to day 2 of the CHA2016 sneak peeks. if you missed the first post yesterday for idea-ology (click here) to check it out. today i’m excited to share my new launches with sizzix. these new designs are split into 3 releases: the first release will start shipping later this month, the second in march, and the third in april (there were just too many ideas for one single release). my favorite thing about sizzix is their ability to embrace my design vision and do whatever it takes to make it happen. we’ve overcome some design hurdles to bring these shapes to life with more texture and detail than ever before. so if you’re ready to take a peek, let’s get started…t!m
bigz steel rule dies will always be part of any sizzix release i do because there are certain shapes that having the ability to cut chipboard, cardboard, thick felt, fabrics, and other materials is important to me. the main thing to consider with a steel rule die is there are certain limitations as far as detail in smaller areas, but i have to say sizzix really steps up and pushes the limits and i love that. the dapper theme from yesterday’s launch continues with some of these designs as well starting with the bigz dapper guy and an all-new gadget gears 2 with larger and more detailed gears that work to scale with the original gadget gears die. if you’re a fan of fragments from idea-ology, the new mosaic die is designed to cut all of the tile sizes so you can create your collaged work, then die cut it into perfectly sized tiles to adhere to fragments not to mention the cool mosaic frame the die will leave behind. the new rectangle ornate frame compliments the oval ornate frame to create a vintage style accent for photos and stamps on your projects…
if you’ve fallen in love with the village die series over the holidays, the inspiration continues with new dies to accent the village dwelling structure with the new bungalow. complete with rooftop dormers, shuttered window frames, and a picket fence, this latest bigz die lets you create a wonderful springtime structure. also new is the bigz rooftops allowing you to cut 3 different styles of rooftop pieces to layer on any village roof to create a shake style, slate style, or tiled rooftop – it’s all in the details…
the neighborhood is growing with the addition of a new structure to the village. introducing the bigzXL brownstone. just like the original bigzXL dwelling, the new brownstone works with all of the current and new bigz village overlays including: winter, bell tower, and bungalow. the tall slender design allows you to create new height and perspective to your village…
like many of you, i have a thing for alphabets. truth be told, a steel rule die in a typewriter font was one of the first designs i wanted to do when i started designing for sizzix years ago. back then, it just wasn’t possible to bend steel with so many zigs and zags to create the perfect distressed typewriter font i wanted. well good things are worth waiting for and the new bigzXL typo is perfection (available in upper and lower case). this font measures about 1″ high, ideal for journals, mixed media projects, and more…
if you like the versatility of frameworks, the new plus sign is a great graphic element for your mixed media projects. the pattern of frameworks allows you repeat the design from top to bottom and left to right, so many possibilities. let’s move on to thinlits where detail and value is the name of the game. these thin dies are designed to cut paper, cardstock, and thinner materials allowing for much more design flexibility. SPOILER ALERT: yes it’s about to get even crazier with the introduction of new mini bird crazy and crazy things (stamp set announcing tomorrow) this new framelit set includes 51 dies to cut all of the mini birds, parts, pieces as well as the mini crazy things. every detail is exactly like the larger versions of both original framelit but in one complete mini set – crazy is right…
for the steampunk lover, the new gearhead includes 22 individual dies in various sized gears and a cool corner design. the new stencil numbers include 38 individual stencil-cut numbers (a favorite). last year i released a new concept to thinlits called “mixed media” where the design was all about what was left behind vs. the actual cut out pieces creating a stencil effect. well the popularity of that concept allowed me to design 2 more mixed-media sets (thank you guys) that include lace, flowers, flourishes, typewriter, brick, and crackle…
the next group of thinlits has a softer design style for me starting with the new wildflowers and layered butterflies. these will add a wonderful botanical element to your projects and include some of our best cutting detail ever. just wait until you see the samples of wildflowers, unreal! the layered butterflies are a set of 4 dies that include 2 base shape dies, and complimenting detail allowing you to use any of the styles individually or layered together. the new doilies and lace also push the detail limits of thinlits with unique hand-crocheted art for the doilies vs. the standard symetrical doily. the lace border thinlits allow you to mix and match the styles, create photo borders and more. the new alphanumeric marquee thinlit set includes 102 individual dies with multiple letters and numbers. this 1″ tall font has holes cut throughout each character and designed to layer over the original 1″ alphanumeric die for a fun marquee effect…
if you love creating in your planner or just enjoy documenting the everyday, the new thinlit word dies are going to be perfect. designed in both the script and block style of the previous word thinlits, these new styles include calendar words with the months, and daily words featuring the days of the week and additional word like weekend, today, and note2self. i realize faux-stitching frame dies are not a new thing, but these hand-stitched designs in both rectangle and oval shapes were something i’ve not seen and really wanted to create with. each set includes 5 sized frames and 2 borders allowing for various layering possibilities. you know me, i prefer things a little wonky and different – hope you do too…
adding texture to projects creates such depth and interest and the new texture fades include a cool assortment of pattern inspired by dapper. the designs include: herringbone, houndstooth, pinwheel, tailored, and plus sign – the small scale pattern work great with diffusers too…
finally i’m really excited to introduce you to the new vagabond 2! now if you own the original vagabond not to worry – there is nothing this new machine does that your original vagabond doesn’t already do. the reason we’ve updated this machine is quite honestly the original vagabond was “too strong” of a machine, and a powerhouse. if you own the original vagabond you already know what i’m talking about – the machine means business and doesn’t allow for creative mistakes by using the wrong cutting pad, shim, or plate in it. if you jam it, you risk breaking the machine because simply the machine doesn’t know what you put in it (kind of like if you put rocks in your blender you could still turn it on right?). well the new vagabond 2 was redesigned with that in mind, and features higher torque all metal gears, new overload protection to prevent motor jams, and now includes a revised platform and thin die adapter. of course this doesn’t make the machine “unbreakable” so this is not a challenge to do so, but the improvements to the machine takes the worries out of jamming or overloading it. both vagabonds feature the same innovative vintage-style suitcase design, forward and reverse switch, detachable cord and storage compartment. so like i said, if you already have a vagabond, use it, love it, and enjoy it – but if you’re looking for a new motorized die cutting machine the vagabond 2 is here…
see you tomorrow for the stampers anonymous sneak peek…
