PTI stands for Papertrey Ink. This is a collective smack blog and Papertrey Ink review page. Papertrey Ink's continuously poor customer service has lead to a page dedicated to discussion of this stamp company and recommendations for alternative stamp companies. Minimal censorship here- I prefer to leave it up to posters' discretion.
The opinions posted on this blog belong to our visitors and we are not paid for our honest reviews ;)
I like the PTI hexagon set sneak peek but I am not planning to buy still (it's been since last October for me).
I will wait until they show up on the for sale board and then decide.
I wanted the strawberry set but decided against in after reading that it is difficult to line up. I see that there is a post for it on the for sale board but I will pass.
I appreciate that Melissa is donating her proceeds from that one set to the Wounded Warrior Project. I wish PTI would do the same, I'd feel even better about ordering it.
But they don't always want to be helpful right? Take this for example:
"Will the hexagon dies work with..... The hexagons in Rosie Posie?
(I hope I hope!)
:D
penny766
Re: Will the hexagon dies work with.....
New postby nichole » Wed Jun 06, 2012 2:38 pm Questions like this will be answered when the products are officially introduced during the countdown. Just a few more days to go! :)"
Gee, why even bother posting that? Is there another answer besides yes or no? If it's an involved answer.... maybe I understand evading the question. Am I missing something? It does or it doesn't, right?
Just when you think they ARE doing better.... Nichole posts in the forum.
Yeah, and 300 people viewed that question and didn't get an answer. But 300 people also don't think it's any big deal not to get an answer (presumably). Which is why PTI is still in business. Critical thinking is apparently a lost art.
I don't see what the big deal is about Nichole not wanting to answer yet. These are sneak peeks and she doesn't want to reveal everything. Perhaps there is more than one size of hexagon die and one will fit but she doesn't want to give everything away yet.
I agree. Maybe I am reading too much into her comment, but it seems to me that she has something in her upcoming projects that will answer that exact question and didn't want to divulge the info just yet. I don't see why people are getting so upset about her answer.
Or maybe it doesn't match at all and they are busy trying to cook up a legitimate sounding excuse when people cry "rip off."
From the other thread: Isn't Stephanie Bernard the one who came up with the See D's stamps, that then were bought (and later dumped) by Inque Boutique? That's when i really got started with stamping and I'm happy to see she's still making designs. Her prices can't be beat. And really, $1 for shipping? What!
It seems a bit stupid, even for PTI, to release a stamp set for hexagon backgrounds to match their super secret die. It seems like the flip flops all over again. If you buy the die, you don't need the stamps...especially given that most are hard to line up.
@10:31 I,too, don't understand all the fuss over Nicole's reply. She has every right not to divulge that info until it's time. Some people aren't happy unless they have something to bitch about.
If she answers one question like that, she'll get a million other questions. She wants to wait and reveal info during the countdown. The sneak peeks are just sneak peeks.
I don't care if she doesn't want to answer the question, but why not just post nothing? People ask questions all the time that never get answered. And I'm talking real questions. It's irritating that 1) she only shows up at release/$ time and 2) her answer is unhelpful and snippy.
I agree with 12:52 and I agree that PTI's dies, all their dies are extremely hard to get centered. I am buying the LifeStyle Hex dies and the SOL stamps. May not use them together but they are sure better deals for a lot less money.
Am I the only one who wishes PTI would get rid of the two week Pre-release nonsense? Don't see the point of it anymore. Just do the week of releases and get it over with. And i get that other companies do this too, it bugs me when they do too. The peak raises questions that they won't/don't wann to answer which just pisses off some customers. You'd think Nichols would want to avoid doing that now.
I think dies matching stamps is a whole lot of hooey. I bet I could cut out most stamp shapes just as nicely and faster than it takes to line these things up. Especially straight edge stamps like hexes. So many people seem obsessed with the matching die concept and have forgotten how easy it can be to just cut them out. And do you really have to cut it out every time?
If I knew I was mass-producing something, I'd go for it. Other than that, for the number of times I want to cut out a stamp shape, my trusty snips are all I need.
The dies without the stamps are a good deal. You can then cut many pieces of pattern paper and get a nice result. The flip flop dies and others are a good example of why you need the dies but not the stamps (unless you really want the stamps too).
Dies give such a nice finished edge. Plus many of them can be used alone with patterned paper. They're also great for creating negative space. I love them and think they're a lot of value for the buck.
Plus dies make it so easy to cut felt, cork, metal... they do have their place. But I also think it's kind of stupid to have matching dies for every stamp. Do any of y'all remember the Carol Duvall episode where she taught how to cut a perfect circle with a pair of scissors? LOL I must admit I prefer to use nesties or a circle cutter for that job, HA!
From what i gather the berry sentiment index page showed a small font word sweet but the actual stamp was not in the set. PTI said that the printer printed the wrong page and it should not have had a small font "sweet". So in an attempt to make it right the people who got the incorrect index sheet in their stamps received the word "sweet" in the mail.
I have stayed away pretty much from the forum and just check in there and here every now and then as i am over PTI. I have been considering placing an order on the SAF day to get the free set but after reading Nichole's responses to people today I see nothing has changed.
I'm really enjoying buying products from everyone else EXCEPT PTI!
I don't understand the "sweet" fiasco. So the printer made an error. And it was also "displayed for a brief amount of time online". So anyone who emails CS will get the actual stamp. So not only was it printed, added to the blog, a stamp was created. I call BS on the whole situation. Lying to cover up your mess up for one tiny stamp that probably costs you 25 cents is so beyond ridiculous.
There's a thread in the forum about the new medallion set previewed today. Someone asked if there is a grid or something to help line things up.
I'm not meaning to smack the woman who asked, but for cripes sake....can't anyone just eyeball crap any more??? Does it need to be a perfect medallion? The need for precision in crafting just makes me laugh.
Rolodex dies? Nichole makes it sound like she and Dawn are doing something revolutionary. Um, news flash- PTI is not the first. Stampin Up/Sizzix had a rolodex die (retired).
Regardless, I can already hear all the PTI fans gushing over it. (Eyes rolling...)
Here's a quote from the forum, since not everyone reads there:
I wonder if Ted is ripping on MFT? LOL
"I would venture to say that just as not all guys like working on cars, not all girls like lying in claw-footed bath tubs with a wash cloth over their face as bubbles spill out"
I was just poking around the thread where Nichole asks for winter/christmas product ideas. I have ideas but I don't want to just GIVE them to a company to profit from.
Lots of the ladies in that thread have EXCELLENT ideas and I wish they could profist from their own creativity instead of PTI.
I also wonder if people working for other companies have forum accounts at PTI and can sneak in and see these ideas and run with them. If that happens it solves the mystery of how different companies release similar items around the same time.
I have a Boss Kut Rolodex die that I have had for years. Mine does not have the file tab at the top though. Do you really want a file tab at the top of every card?
So Erin starts a thread in the forum about the new stamp sets... asks what we think about something we haven't seen but a one image peek of, refuses to answer questions about the set, and says she can't really divulge more information about any other images in the set... then why did she bring it up to begin with?
She's being dodgy about answering the questions about the hexagons too... WTH?
5:47, I just saw the thread you are referring to. Yes, NH's reply was weird. Well, not really. I'm used to her non-answers. Again, just don't say anything. I think she writes to see herself speak.
The small script "sweet" is included in Strawberry Patch. The questions have been about the small blockish "sweet" that was previewed in the Strawberry Patch Sents set.
No way am I going to start a whole stamp company to use my own ideas. I like that PTI listens to customer ideas and then makes the stamps. I used SU for years but was not going to go to the work and expense of becoming a demo just to save 20%. The same thing goes for my ideas. I will share them in hopes that an established company makes them.
The rolodex isn't new but NH and DM think they are being clever by utilizing that shape in what sounds like a supply organizational system.
I don't think it will go over well with seasoned crafters. I know I already have my system down...it's unlikely I will convert to using a rolodex for my supplies.
There is a reason people don't use the rolodex any more for phone numbers. Hello, digital age!
I'm not putting a frickin rolodex in my purse on my way to Joann's to make sure I don't buy duplicates of the Tsukineko Night Sky ink refill.
But if you are into making stuff for your craft area just because it's pretty, I can see people buying into it for that reason. Especially if they see it done in Nichole's craft roon. The Unicorns will be all over that crap.
7:22, I"m not saying to go start your own company.
I guess I'm wishing PTI would share the credit and maybe kick back some kind of reward to the person who inspired a future set. I know it would be hard to determine who came up with it first, but it would be nice.
Maybe if they had a contest where customers email their ideas privately and if PTI uses one of the ideas the customer could get like $100. I know this would take dedicated man power to sort through the emails and tally which ideas were repeats etc. I'm just thinking out loud.
The small script "sweet" is included in Strawberry Patch. The questions have been about the small blockish "sweet" that was previewed in the Strawberry Patch Sents set. -----------------------------------
By blockish do you mean similar to the typewriter font in the sentiment set??
Taking the customers ideas is the 1 thing that PTI does right! They pay $0 market research and gain profits from someone else's idea. Par for the course!
A long time ago there was a thread where someone mentioned a "focus group" so that a very small group could look at potential stamp sets and see if there could be any improvements or if something was missing. Or to help with SPELLING!!! That thread became very heated by the forum members because so many people were outraged at the thought of a group of other people having access to potential sets. They thought it would be unfair to choose a small group. Who would choose? Why would they be chosen? What would they get? Oh no!!! Isn't the DT a small select group of people!
Anyway, the haters of the idea just kept talking about how thankful they were that PTI was such an awesome company that listened (used) to thier ideas and suggestions and actually made them a reality. It was disgusting!
I was part of an SU "focus" group for a year. In return I got about $400 in product over that year. They DID listen to us. They told us our group was one of the reasons they went to an unmounted option.
In regards to the threads in question being locked, we announced with the opening of ZenDesk that Customer Service issues would not be permitted within this forum and when they appeared, they would be removed or locked. While we definitely appreciate suggestions & input from customers, it is important to note that there is a line between offering suggestions and airing customer service related issues. We are making our best efforts to keep this forum a positive place to visit for all involved and moderating these types of threads is the best way to do so. In the future, if you have an issue with Customer Service, just send a note off to them directly and someone will be able to respond to your specific situation in a prompt effective way.
Basically, if you have a question or question anything, expect it to be one of the following: 1. ignored, 2. answered with a non-answer, 3. turned around so that the question is on you or 4. locked without further discussion.
I can understand that they created a "hub" for CS issues. BUT - what about all of us who refuse to shop there until we find out that they've vastly improved CS? We'll never know, so we can never go back. That's stupid.
Word usage smack here. In the blog, Nichole states she'll tell us how to attain the Camp set. How about obtain? Or just use a simple word choice like get.
I agree with many of the posters regarding rolodex and the medallion. How many medallion and guide lines type of stamps will we need?. I have also recently spent quite some money on Stamps of Life. Loved them. I met Stephanie at the GASC in Arlington, TX. So down to earth and easy to talk to. Very nice.
Also, a few of the Natural beauties cards have yet unreased product on them Bet they weren't supposed to post yet, and NH panicked there were still unsold SAF kits and got then to post ASAP to get those moving...
I just can't seem to get into the Natural Beauties set. I wanted to like it. I originally intended to get the SAF tote until I realized I wasn't loving the stamp set. So I figured I'd wait 'til July & place an order to get it. Now I'm looking at the DT cards and, meh...
I cannot understand Nichole's post about the Stamp-a-fairie stamp set. First she says it will not be available for sale and then she says it is available for immediate sale. LOL.. ********* Natural Beauties is limited edition for this years Stamp-a-faire event. It will never be made available for sale. This set is included in the Stamp-a-Faire Tote Collection, which was available for pre-order last month and it is now available for immediate sale HERE (while supplies last). Natural Beauties will be made available for the last time on Stamp-a-faire Day, July 21st as a freebie to all customers placing an order of $100 or more, limit one set per customer.
The tote set is now available for general sale but the stamp set will never be sold by itself. It will however be included for free for anyone that places a qualifying order on July 21st.
I don't like it, either. No need to place an order to earn that.
I also don't get the Rolodex "system". Had they made it part of an office supplies stamp set, maybe. I have no desire to organize my favorite colors, stamps that way. I'll use my IPad.
I would like to see Dawn do a card in a soft color scheme. It seems like she's stuck. I get that she likes the Raspberry Fizz but it is like that's all she uses.
I'm loving all of the comments today! Smackers are on a roll!
Where/when did she give that age range?! LOL! I am wondering if it was just an excuse she made up when people started to make fun of the badges and pencil case.
Missed Natural Beauties samples - must be the not caring ;).
Dawn and color. Now there's a crazy subject. Dawn has the worst combinations yet she came up with that binder with all her color stuff - remember those "diecuts" and most of them weren't really diecuts? Is that whole product done with now? She thinks she's the color guru but SO not.
oh shit, I can't *wait* to post a picture of myself "arriving" at my destination. Smackers, let's post a picture of ourselves on the morning throne shall we?
Nichole did not actually say that she is gearing SAF towards the 8-13 year old age range. I took 15:01 to mean that it appears that Nichole geared (or geard, depending on where you're from ;-p) it towards that age range.
I cannot believe there is a die to make paper beads - my great grandma made those beads with magazines and scissors when I was a kid...i hope no one is dumb enough to buy that...just cut strips of paper and taper the ends. ugh.
I actually don't mind Pinefeather either. I don't use a lot of it, but I don't use a lot of dark colors anyway. My color palette tends to be on the lighter side because I do shabby/vintage stuff.
Obviously they really want to get people interested in this special set - maybe some of them were trying too hard?
The only ones that I thought looked good were Nichole's first one, Betsy's, Maile's and Danielle's. The rest were really off the mark. Think they were rushed to do it?
i kinda like the new little heart 2 heart set. if shipping for a $5 set wasn't a zillion dollars, and they just put it in a regular envelope like other companies, I'd probably buy it.
I have a feeling there are quite a few smackers who would break their PTI spending freeze if they went to envelopes and shipping for a couple of items were more reasonable.
Has anyone been curious enough to get a zendesk login? I'm curious if there's any indication in that forum as to whether things have improved CS-wise.
I also have never bought anything with the new packaging - what's that like?
06:55 - there's slightly less packaging but there's still packaging. The longish border stamps come packaged in a cellophane bag, which is great. No more cd cases. The regular stamps sets still come in a clear box. All the new sets have flat labels, which is nice. It doesn't make sense why all the new sets can't be packaged in bags instead of boxes. There's still quite a bit of printed material involved in the packaging, which I guess is the point.
On a separate note, I had such a seamless experience with MFT stamps that I just ordered their hexagon dies. I think I can stop ordering hexagons now.
MFT's shipping is kind of slow these days. I think Hexagons are here to stay so I got the LifeStyle Crafts set from Amazon and they were here in less than 48 hours. They cut really well and cut thick things too.
In this thread: http://forum.papertreyink.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=36143 Nichole mentions that Julie is trying to improve CS response times. I know I was pretty shocked at my CS response times (in a good way). Maybe Julie's finally getting it? And if so, good for her. Truly mean that. No sarcasm.
Julie's trying to improve CS response times? What happened to Dave? Or is she standing over his shoulder screaming, "Faster dammit. Faster!" Personally, I want to know if the QUALITY of CS response have improved. Faster is good, but a quick response that tells a customer nothing new or of value is as useless as most of the PTI packaging.
Back story – Stupid me ordered the strawberry set, missing the sweet stamp. I emailed, asking about it and was told to give them at least 3 weeks. So I waited. And then here’s my exchange with Julie. This exchange occurred over a 2 day period.
Me: It's now been over 3 weeks since I filed my initial request. What is the status of sending out the missing stamp?
Julie: Just so you know, we had to have that sentiment manufactured by itself due to the fact it was not included in the final version of the set. The printer accidentally printed the unrevised packaging, and we didn't realize it until a customer pointed it out. In order to get that one stamp manufactured, it takes a bit of time. I hope that helps!!
Me: I understand that, Julie. In your last email to me, you said to wait 3 weeks. It's now over 3 weeks. When do you expect an order from the manufacturer and when can I expect my stamp?
Julie: Thanks again for your email. As I said when I answered your previous ticket, it would take a minimum of 3 weeks to get the stamp. Please understand that the problem was that we didn't order it until we after the stamp set had been on sale for a while. Because the stamp did not appear on the web view (which is what I look at when I am preparing the website), I (or anyone else for that matter) didn't bother to look at the packaging. We have not had this issue happen before. When you purchased the set, you did not purchase it based on the "sweet" sentiment being included because it did not appear on the webview. That is why we didn't order it until we were made aware of the situation by a customer. It takes a while for these things to get manufactured and shipped to us.
Me: Julie, really, I don't want reasons or excuses. I want an answer to my question: When do you expect an order from the manufacturer and when can I expect my stamp? That means I want a timetable. As in, "we expect to receive the stamps around June X and we need Y days to get the mailing out to our customers." Epilogue The day after my last email to Julie, the stamp showed up. Which means it was sent before this dialog even began. Why couldn’t she have said “it’s in the mail” from the start???? Perhaps because she didn’t have an f’ing clue on what was going on in her own company?????
Good grief. That is simply outrageous that she had NO idea what was going on but went on and on and on about it without even checking? Think of all the wasted time they spend doing things like this. No wonder things are such a mess.
I'm not 10:49 but if you don't see what is glaringly smackable about her interaction with Julie AND 11:01's comment about how much time they waste doing this over and over, then YOU are smackable....honey.
If people don't come here and tell us what is happening, we have no way to know the true story. According to the board, they make it look like CS is all fixed now.
According to a post by Steph, Julie is incorrect in saying that the set with the sweet stamp did not appear on the webview. The set with the sweet stamp DID appear on the webview so she can't say whether or not a person ordered the set based on that stamp. Steph posted the pictures that she had copied from the store on the release that show the sweet stamp included with the set.
So not only is J arguing with a customer and avoiding an answer, she is wrong.
Sounds like the only thing that's improved is their ability to sweep problems and useless, uninformed responses under the rug. Julie and Nichole need to be banned from communicating with customers who are trying to get problems resolved or additional information. They are clearly masters at making a minor problem morph into something big and ugly. Not to mention, clueless.
I am an early bird and I'm sure that it will be taken down soon but when you click on "click here to see more from Melissa Bickford" from Nichole's blog, it brings you to a post that is selling Melissa's old PTI stamps. LOL.
It really irks me that NH posts 'inspiration' photos from Pinterest that don't even link back to the original source. It's not right to link PINTEREST as the photo credit, they didn't take the picture, and the pin doesn't even list the original source! If a picture doesn't list the original source, you should not be using it, IMO. (The Art Deco photo from today's post sparked this rant, sorry. I tried to find the source, and could not.)
That was fast. Melissa Bickford had a post filled with old PTI sets for sale (they were all sold) at really cheap prices - like $6 for Teacher's Apple, and it's gone now. That was the post that was originally linked from Nichole's blog. lol.
Umm, 6:21, perhaps you could explain it to us – in a way that tells us non-math types how we apply it to our papercrafting projects. I tried reading the Wikipedia entry, but I couldn't make it all the way through. I don't speak geek (wish I did).
I was pleasantly surprised by Nichole's projects today.
The four colour theorem basically means that you can "tile" any plane (flat) surface with only four colours, with no two colours being adjacent to each other.
It is also referred to as the colour map theorem, meaning that you can colour a map using only four colours (not including the oceans, of course).
If you want to play with this idea, take a piece of paper and cut it into sections. You will find that the maximum number of adjacent colours is 3, so you will be forced to pick the fourth to fill in a blank spot.
I wish I were more adept at using my Cameo.I'd whip up a hexagon template. I need to sit down and go through all my Kerri Bradford classes so I can figure it out. And no, I realize I can't emboss or cut the template out of various mediums with a Studio file. I'd likely not do that with the PTI template....
I don't know much about using a cameo, but if it helps, I can tell you that a regular hexagon can be made using 6 equilateral triangles. Also, the angles between adjacent sides measure 60 degrees. Maybe that can help you "build" the template. :)
Thanks for sharing the four color theorem with us - I think it's fascinating and will probably look into that more closely. Interesting!
LOL about the link to the PTI stamps for sale!!! Love it!
I agree about the "inspiration photos" not being linked to the original source - I noticed that awhile back and it's incredibly rude and annoying. I think she could do without those anyway.
I have not read the whole post from NH today and have not watched the video yet. I've gotten as far as the color chart for the hexagons and I have to say I think she put a tremendous amount of time into this so that it's less intimidating for people. BUT.....
The day I go to this kind of trouble for a card is the day you can lock me in the loony bin. Especially when there is hex-patterned paper out there, and it looks like there are more patterns, stamps, etc. coming out everywhere. I got as far as that 6-color chart and the head-scratching began. MAYBE for a framed project - something more permanent. But a card?! Nuts.
Betsy's never been my favorite but I love her cards today. I could see using the hex impress thing and then partially adding the colors as in her first one.
And of course the hex pattern is great for masculine cards -- using just about any patterns vs. images is the easiest way to make a masculine style card.
I could not wade through 30 minutes of hexagon instruction. I can make something nice in far less time that does not require an engineering degree.
Why would anyone buy the hex stamps if they are bigger than the cut outs. Why not just use any background stamp? Maybe some of those strips that no one can line up would work.
I am very glad I bought the LifeStyle Hex dies because I can get a look almost identical to Nichole Heady's with very little work. I don't need the cover plate to lay them out. A ruler will do.
The hexagon stamps are NOT bigger than the dies - NH explained that the largest hexagon from Rosie Posie is too big for the dies. the new hexagon stamps coordinate with the dies.
Just thumbed thru the new PC mag - and something irks me - there is a card in there that is literally a printed sentiment and image (not even hand colored). In fact the directions say, "print image and sentiment, fold card" How is this papercrafts? This isn't inspirational or unique. Might as well dust off my old PrintShop software and start making cards.
The new hexagon stamps are just slightly larger than the cut outs. But not by much ... you can tell this by where she stamps them over the impressed cover plate design.
Just saw Melissa B cards. VERY LAME! and so is her website. I won't be going back there. Betsy on the other hand was really good! And very inspiring. Melissa should take some lessons from her.
Tap, tap, tapping until it feels like Chinese water torture. Just out of curiousity at around 27:40 on her video I put it in slow motion and counted. She tapped 51 (SERIOUSLY) times for ONE hexagon on one ink pad. 51 taps to get it inked ONCE. I could lose my mind watching it!
Wow, I usually tap 7 times (habit), and I think even that seems excessive most of the time! You're going to make me watch at least part of the video now.
I could not bear to watch this video - I did not have 30 min. to spare today. But I remember that other video she did and it was tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap.... sad, sad, torture. Not a good ad for their ink pads!
I don't think either of them are the first ones to come up with the idea ... and doesn't Nichole have to submit her designs way in advance of them being produced for release and DT projects anyhow?
Uh oh! This is not going to go over to well on the "happy positive place". I cannot wait to see how bad Nichole's response is to this. I'm actually surprised 2 hours has gone by and it has not been locked yet!
With all that tap-tap- tapping to ink a hexagon, multiplied by the number of hexagons to stamp- man, that works out to be lots of tapping. Repetitive strain injury comes to mind!! And, not a good adv for the stamp pads.
"Cameo user's" post actually inspired me to use Make the Cut (MTC) to make my own hexagon grid. It came out quite similar to Shelly's cut file and Nichole's cover plate. If I had seen Shelly's post, I probably would have considered buying her cut file rather than making my own.
I think some of the sets (especially those from designers other than Nichole) are done well in advance. However, they seem to have the ability to add something at the last minute for things they deem to be "on trend" (aka "hot" or a fad). It wouldn't surprise me at all if this one was done in the last 6-8 weeks.
Blech, I hate that phrase "on trend" so much. Watching how so many people follow trends just because they are popular drives me nuts sometimes. Even saying "on trend" feels like the "trendy" way to say it. Gag.
It's not nice to make fun of people's weight. I am more interested in what caused the weight gain. Nichole gained a lot of weight in a short period of time. It surprises me every time I see her hands in her videos because she didn't use to be like that. I feel bad for her, actually, but it bothers me because the weight gain coincided with PTI's push to sell more and more during every release. It's like this greedy mindset of "more, more, more!" caused Nichole to gain weight like crazy at the same time they were pushing to earn more money like crazy. Nichole bloated along with PTI (that's just a fact, I'm not saying it to be mean) and whenever I see it on her that's what it makes me think of. Whether or not that was the cause of her weight gain. I know this is crazy, right? And I am not thin myself so don't think I am thinking I am better than her in that regard. (Also I am not the person who made the "sausage fingers" comment yesterday.)
Referring to the foul mouthed, lying piece of crap, Angela Holt, she did not shut down any of what she said....she was SHUT DOWN, only to start up other social sites more recently. There is an old saying.... "If it walks like a duck, if it quacks like a duck...then it's a duck." Now, I will never insult a duck, but Angela Holt IS and WAS THE LIAR, BULLY and perpetrator in every instance. SHE photoshopped every nasty image and posted them herself. THE IS PROOF and LOTS OF IT. So, do not be duped or deceived, for Angela Holt is most certainly the "duck" in this case and not at all the injured party.
190 comments:
First! That hasn't happened for a while!
Second!
Third.
And STILL writing on the old post first, LOL!!
Fourth?
Stamps of Life just got all the $ I had set aside for a possible PTI order.
I like the PTI hexagon set sneak peek but I am not planning to buy still (it's been since last October for me).
I will wait until they show up on the for sale board and then decide.
I wanted the strawberry set but decided against in after reading that it is difficult to line up. I see that there is a post for it on the for sale board but I will pass.
I appreciate that Melissa is donating her proceeds from that one set to the Wounded Warrior Project. I wish PTI would do the same, I'd feel even better about ordering it.
I agree, it'd be cool if PTI did that too.
But they don't always want to be helpful right? Take this for example:
"Will the hexagon dies work with..... The hexagons in Rosie Posie?
(I hope I hope!)
:D
penny766
Re: Will the hexagon dies work with.....
New postby nichole » Wed Jun 06, 2012 2:38 pm
Questions like this will be answered when the products are officially introduced during the countdown. Just a few more days to go! :)"
Gee, why even bother posting that? Is there another answer besides yes or no? If it's an involved answer.... maybe I understand evading the question. Am I missing something? It does or it doesn't, right?
Just when you think they ARE doing better.... Nichole posts in the forum.
LOL! Someone ask if the answer could be anything besides yes or no. Then let's see how quickly the thread gets locked, LOL!
Yeah, and 300 people viewed that question and didn't get an answer. But 300 people also don't think it's any big deal not to get an answer (presumably). Which is why PTI is still in business. Critical thinking is apparently a lost art.
I don't see what the big deal is about Nichole not wanting to answer yet. These are sneak peeks and she doesn't want to reveal everything. Perhaps there is more than one size of hexagon die and one will fit but she doesn't want to give everything away yet.
I agree with 10:23. I don't think it is a big deal to wait until countdown week to answer that question.
I agree. Maybe I am reading too much into her comment, but it seems to me that she has something in her upcoming projects that will answer that exact question and didn't want to divulge the info just yet. I don't see why people are getting so upset about her answer.
Or maybe it doesn't match at all and they are busy trying to cook up a legitimate sounding excuse when people cry "rip off."
From the other thread: Isn't Stephanie Bernard the one who came up with the See D's stamps, that then were bought (and later dumped) by Inque Boutique? That's when i really got started with stamping and I'm happy to see she's still making designs. Her prices can't be beat. And really, $1 for shipping? What!
I actually really like PTI's hex set so far.
It seems a bit stupid, even for PTI, to release a stamp set for hexagon backgrounds to match their super secret die. It seems like the flip flops all over again. If you buy the die, you don't need the stamps...especially given that most are hard to line up.
@10:31 I,too, don't understand all the fuss over Nicole's reply. She has every right not to divulge that info until it's time. Some people aren't happy unless they have something to bitch about.
if the hexagon set - with all straight edges - is hard to line up there are serious issues.
I think she could have said yes or no on the dies going with another set. Simple enough.
I understand she has the right to say yes or no at any point, but what is there for PTI to lose by her answering a simple yes or no?
Would it really bring her precious little release festivities to a crashing halt if she answered that one innocent question?
It just seems such a petty thing for her to withhold. I'm thinking the dies don't match RP stamps so she's dodging the question.
If she answers one question like that, she'll get a million other questions. She wants to wait and reveal info during the countdown. The sneak peeks are just sneak peeks.
I don't care if she doesn't want to answer the question, but why not just post nothing? People ask questions all the time that never get answered. And I'm talking real questions. It's irritating that 1) she only shows up at release/$ time and 2) her answer is unhelpful and snippy.
I agree with 12:52 and I agree that PTI's dies, all their dies are extremely hard to get centered. I am buying the LifeStyle Hex dies and the SOL stamps. May not use them together but they are sure better deals for a lot less money.
I was all set to buy the wplus9 berry set but when I saw the full reveal, I didn't like it much. Go figure.
Am I the only one who wishes PTI would get rid of the two week Pre-release nonsense? Don't see the point of it anymore. Just do the week of releases and get it over with. And i get that other companies do this too, it bugs me when they do too. The peak raises questions that they won't/don't wann to answer which just pisses off some customers. You'd think Nichols would want to avoid doing that now.
I think dies matching stamps is a whole lot of hooey. I bet I could cut out most stamp shapes just as nicely and faster than it takes to line these things up. Especially straight edge stamps like hexes. So many people seem obsessed with the matching die concept and have forgotten how easy it can be to just cut them out. And do you really have to cut it out every time?
If I knew I was mass-producing something, I'd go for it. Other than that, for the number of times I want to cut out a stamp shape, my trusty snips are all I need.
17:39, it's so refreshing to see your post. I usually feel like the only one thinking things like that.
The dies without the stamps are a good deal. You can then cut many pieces of pattern paper and get a nice result. The flip flop dies and others are a good example of why you need the dies but not the stamps (unless you really want the stamps too).
I ordered from WPlus9 the first time Tuesday, and I got the package today. I couldn't be happier!
What's the deal with the sweet stamp?
Dies give such a nice finished edge. Plus many of them can be used alone with patterned paper. They're also great for creating negative space. I love them and think they're a lot of value for the buck.
Plus dies make it so easy to cut felt, cork, metal... they do have their place. But I also think it's kind of stupid to have matching dies for every stamp. Do any of y'all remember the Carol Duvall episode where she taught how to cut a perfect circle with a pair of scissors? LOL I must admit I prefer to use nesties or a circle cutter for that job, HA!
(*sniff* I miss Carol.)
From what i gather the berry sentiment index page showed a small font word sweet but the actual stamp was not in the set. PTI said that the printer printed the wrong page and it should not have had a small font "sweet". So in an attempt to make it right the people who got the incorrect index sheet in their stamps received the word "sweet" in the mail.
Nichole Heady = BITCH
I have stayed away pretty much from the forum and just check in there and here every now and then as i am over PTI. I have been considering placing an order on the SAF day to get the free set but after reading Nichole's responses to people today I see nothing has changed.
I'm really enjoying buying products from everyone else EXCEPT PTI!
^^^^ please elaborate??
I don't understand the "sweet" fiasco. So the printer made an error. And it was also "displayed for a brief amount of time online". So anyone who emails CS will get the actual stamp. So not only was it printed, added to the blog, a stamp was created. I call BS on the whole situation. Lying to cover up your mess up for one tiny stamp that probably costs you 25 cents is so beyond ridiculous.
Me thinks Nichole takes her customers for idyuts.
I am 5:41...sorry I jumped to conclusions. I see that the sweet stamp is included in the strawberry set, NOT the sentiment set. That's the confusion.
And see, any other company I wouldn't be so quick to point the finger.
PTI=loss of credibility
Sucks because I do like their stamps. :(
I found nichole's response about Michelle Wooderson designing for PTI to be odd.
There's a thread in the forum about the new medallion set previewed today. Someone asked if there is a grid or something to help line things up.
I'm not meaning to smack the woman who asked, but for cripes sake....can't anyone just eyeball crap any more??? Does it need to be a perfect medallion? The need for precision in crafting just makes me laugh.
Rolodex dies? Nichole makes it sound like she and Dawn are doing something revolutionary. Um, news flash- PTI is not the first. Stampin Up/Sizzix had a rolodex die (retired).
Regardless, I can already hear all the PTI fans gushing over it. (Eyes rolling...)
Here's a quote from the forum, since not everyone reads there:
I wonder if Ted is ripping on MFT? LOL
"I would venture to say that just as not all guys like working on cars, not all girls like lying in claw-footed bath tubs with a wash cloth over their face as bubbles spill out"
I was just poking around the thread where Nichole asks for winter/christmas product ideas. I have ideas but I don't want to just GIVE them to a company to profit from.
Lots of the ladies in that thread have EXCELLENT ideas and I wish they could profist from their own creativity instead of PTI.
I also wonder if people working for other companies have forum accounts at PTI and can sneak in and see these ideas and run with them. If that happens it solves the mystery of how different companies release similar items around the same time.
Thoughts?
I have a Boss Kut Rolodex die that I have had for years. Mine does not have the file tab at the top though. Do you really want a file tab at the top of every card?
So Erin starts a thread in the forum about the new stamp sets... asks what we think about something we haven't seen but a one image peek of, refuses to answer questions about the set, and says she can't really divulge more information about any other images in the set... then why did she bring it up to begin with?
She's being dodgy about answering the questions about the hexagons too... WTH?
5:47, I just saw the thread you are referring to. Yes, NH's reply was weird. Well, not really. I'm used to her non-answers. Again, just don't say anything. I think she writes to see herself speak.
The small script "sweet" is included in Strawberry Patch. The questions have been about the small blockish "sweet" that was previewed in the Strawberry Patch Sents set.
No way am I going to start a whole stamp company to use my own ideas. I like that PTI listens to customer ideas and then makes the stamps. I used SU for years but was not going to go to the work and expense of becoming a demo just to save 20%. The same thing goes for my ideas. I will share them in hopes that an established company makes them.
I don't see the Nichole response you ladies are referring to.
The rolodex isn't new but NH and DM think they are being clever by utilizing that shape in what sounds like a supply organizational system.
I don't think it will go over well with seasoned crafters. I know I already have my system down...it's unlikely I will convert to using a rolodex for my supplies.
There is a reason people don't use the rolodex any more for phone numbers. Hello, digital age!
I'm not putting a frickin rolodex in my purse on my way to Joann's to make sure I don't buy duplicates of the Tsukineko Night Sky ink refill.
But if you are into making stuff for your craft area just because it's pretty, I can see people buying into it for that reason. Especially if they see it done in Nichole's craft roon. The Unicorns will be all over that crap.
7:22, I"m not saying to go start your own company.
I guess I'm wishing PTI would share the credit and maybe kick back some kind of reward to the person who inspired a future set. I know it would be hard to determine who came up with it first, but it would be nice.
Maybe if they had a contest where customers email their ideas privately and if PTI uses one of the ideas the customer could get like $100. I know this would take dedicated man power to sort through the emails and tally which ideas were repeats etc. I'm just thinking out loud.
No way are they going to pay for ideas, when customers throw ideas at them with delight.
The small script "sweet" is included in Strawberry Patch. The questions have been about the small blockish "sweet" that was previewed in the Strawberry Patch Sents set.
-----------------------------------
By blockish do you mean similar to the typewriter font in the sentiment set??
yes
Taking the customers ideas is the 1 thing that PTI does right! They pay $0 market research and gain profits from someone else's idea. Par for the course!
A long time ago there was a thread where someone mentioned a "focus group" so that a very small group could look at potential stamp sets and see if there could be any improvements or if something was missing. Or to help with SPELLING!!! That thread became very heated by the forum members because so many people were outraged at the thought of a group of other people having access to potential sets. They thought it would be unfair to choose a small group. Who would choose? Why would they be chosen? What would they get? Oh no!!! Isn't the DT a small select group of people!
Anyway, the haters of the idea just kept talking about how thankful they were that PTI was such an awesome company that listened (used) to thier ideas and suggestions and actually made them a reality. It was disgusting!
I was part of an SU "focus" group for a year. In return I got about $400 in product over that year. They DID listen to us. They told us our group was one of the reasons they went to an unmounted option.
This is a load of crap by PTI:
In regards to the threads in question being locked, we announced with the opening of ZenDesk that Customer Service issues would not be permitted within this forum and when they appeared, they would be removed or locked. While we definitely appreciate suggestions & input from customers, it is important to note that there is a line between offering suggestions and airing customer service related issues. We are making our best efforts to keep this forum a positive place to visit for all involved and moderating these types of threads is the best way to do so. In the future, if you have an issue with Customer Service, just send a note off to them directly and someone will be able to respond to your specific situation in a prompt effective way.
They just want to bury the negative. Fuckers!
Basically, if you have a question or question anything, expect it to be one of the following: 1. ignored, 2. answered with a non-answer, 3. turned around so that the question is on you or 4. locked without further discussion.
I can understand that they created a "hub" for CS issues. BUT - what about all of us who refuse to shop there until we find out that they've vastly improved CS? We'll never know, so we can never go back. That's stupid.
It's not just Rolodex dies. It's a whole system!
I don't see the Nichole response you ladies are referring to.
It was at the bottom of this post-
http://forum.papertreyink.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=36206
Not just dies but a whole system? PUHLEASE. They are selling dies and maybe stamps that have little boxes and blank lines. That's it.
What's next? A closet system?
Sorry, my Rolodex system comment should have included the sarcastic wink emoticon. ;-p
I was being sarcastic (and I should know better!). :-)
I love it when PTI blames the printer -um hello??? You ARE the printer!
^^^^^ Awesome.
Nichole, I don't need a rolodex system for my inspiration because I already have one. It's called PINTEREST. Have you met?
9:04/10:42, I was picking up what you were laying down...and laughing too!
Word usage smack here. In the blog, Nichole states she'll tell us how to attain the Camp set. How about obtain? Or just use a simple word choice like get.
I agree with many of the posters regarding rolodex and the medallion. How many medallion and guide lines type of stamps will we need?. I have also recently spent quite some money on Stamps of Life. Loved them. I met Stephanie at the GASC in Arlington, TX. So down to earth and easy to talk to. Very nice.
What the fuck is up with Dawn's color choices lately. Does she know of a website that pairs the ugliest colors together or something?
Also, a few of the Natural beauties cards have yet unreased product on them
Bet they weren't supposed to post yet, and NH panicked there were still unsold SAF kits and got then to post ASAP to get those moving...
I just can't seem to get into the Natural Beauties set. I wanted to like it. I originally intended to get the SAF tote until I realized I wasn't loving the stamp set. So I figured I'd wait 'til July & place an order to get it. Now I'm looking at the DT cards and, meh...
I cannot understand Nichole's post about the Stamp-a-fairie stamp set. First she says it will not be available for sale and then she says it is available for immediate sale. LOL..
*********
Natural Beauties is limited edition for this years Stamp-a-faire event. It will never be made available for sale.
This set is included in the Stamp-a-Faire Tote Collection, which was available for pre-order last month and it is now available for immediate sale HERE (while supplies last).
Natural Beauties will be made available for the last time on Stamp-a-faire Day, July 21st as a freebie to all customers placing an order of $100 or more, limit one set per customer.
Yes, Nichole does have a way with words! LOL!
The tote set is now available for general sale but the stamp set will never be sold by itself. It will however be included for free for anyone that places a qualifying order on July 21st.
Maybe she could have just said that.
I don't like the SAF stamp set.
I don't like it, either. No need to place an order to earn that.
I also don't get the Rolodex "system". Had they made it part of an office supplies stamp set, maybe. I have no desire to organize my favorite colors, stamps that way. I'll use my IPad.
I would like to see Dawn do a card in a soft color scheme. It seems like she's stuck. I get that she likes the Raspberry Fizz but it is like that's all she uses.
Wow, Shit-A-Flop is geard towards the 8-13 year old range! Nichole, realizes her audience consists of adults, right???
I'm loving all of the comments today! Smackers are on a roll!
Where/when did she give that age range?! LOL! I am wondering if it was just an excuse she made up when people started to make fun of the badges and pencil case.
Missed Natural Beauties samples - must be the not caring ;).
Dawn and color. Now there's a crazy subject. Dawn has the worst combinations yet she came up with that binder with all her color stuff - remember those "diecuts" and most of them weren't really diecuts? Is that whole product done with now? She thinks she's the color guru but SO not.
lol 11:05!!
oh shit, I can't *wait* to post a picture of myself "arriving" at my destination. Smackers, let's post a picture of ourselves on the morning throne shall we?
ahh the rolodex system...whatever happened to the recipe system? color couture thing?
Nichole did not actually say that she is gearing SAF towards the 8-13 year old age range. I took 15:01 to mean that it appears that Nichole geared (or geard, depending on where you're from ;-p) it towards that age range.
I am excited to see the flurry of "I got pinefeather" posts when the SAF kits arrive!
I hate the phrase "so on trend" it makes me want to vomit. I don't know why, I just do.
17:22 - me too!
Natural beauties - ick.
I'm really tired of all the "swooning" NH experiences during each release. Maybe she has a list of words/phrases that she must use every month.
I cannot believe there is a die to make paper beads - my great grandma made those beads with magazines and scissors when I was a kid...i hope no one is dumb enough to buy that...just cut strips of paper and taper the ends. ugh.
I don't mind Pinefeather, the color. I think I'm the only one ;) .
Too bad I don't use PTI anymore!
And "color couture" that's it! I couldn't remember that name. It stunk.
I actually don't mind Pinefeather either. I don't use a lot of it, but I don't use a lot of dark colors anyway. My color palette tends to be on the lighter side because I do shabby/vintage stuff.
I actually like the SAF set. It's not the best set ever but it's ok.
I like the SAF set too.
Just saw the Natural Beauties samples.
Wow.
Obviously they really want to get people interested in this special set - maybe some of them were trying too hard?
The only ones that I thought looked good were Nichole's first one, Betsy's, Maile's and Danielle's. The rest were really off the mark. Think they were rushed to do it?
Hexagon die chatter on SCS:
http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/tool-product-talk-f128/hexagon-punch-t500108.html#post19482075
^^^ post #25 cracks me up.
I like the MFT hexagon dies!
Sunbursts----
PTI: http://nicholeheady.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341c64e753ef016767118993970b-pi
Studio Calico: http://www.twopeasinabucket.com/shop/hero-arts/129085-starburst-cling-stamp-co-branded-wstudio-calico/
They are not the same.
i kinda like the new little heart 2 heart set. if shipping for a $5 set wasn't a zillion dollars, and they just put it in a regular envelope like other companies, I'd probably buy it.
I feel the same way about the new frame stamps and dies (whatever they're called).
I have a feeling there are quite a few smackers who would break their PTI spending freeze if they went to envelopes and shipping for a couple of items were more reasonable.
Has anyone been curious enough to get a zendesk login? I'm curious if there's any indication in that forum as to whether things have improved CS-wise.
I also have never bought anything with the new packaging - what's that like?
I like hexagons but I think that by the time I buy the stamps and dies and actually use them, the fad will be over.
LOL! 07:22!
Is it a personal procrastination thing or do you think it will take that long to get them from PTI?
I think it's a good shape and will stick around but what do I know. I liked the PTI triangular set.
06:55 - there's slightly less packaging but there's still packaging. The longish border stamps come packaged in a cellophane bag, which is great. No more cd cases. The regular stamps sets still come in a clear box. All the new sets have flat labels, which is nice. It doesn't make sense why all the new sets can't be packaged in bags instead of boxes. There's still quite a bit of printed material involved in the packaging, which I guess is the point.
On a separate note, I had such a seamless experience with MFT stamps that I just ordered their hexagon dies. I think I can stop ordering hexagons now.
MFT's shipping is kind of slow these days. I think Hexagons are here to stay so I got the LifeStyle Crafts set from Amazon and they were here in less than 48 hours. They cut really well and cut thick things too.
The frustrated with PTI thread is back on page one on SCS.
http://www.splitcoaststampers.com/forums/general-stamping-talk-f17/frustrated-pti-t547056.html
129 tote bags of junk left...I wonder how many they have sold???
In this thread: http://forum.papertreyink.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=36143 Nichole mentions that Julie is trying to improve CS response times. I know I was pretty shocked at my CS response times (in a good way). Maybe Julie's finally getting it? And if so, good for her. Truly mean that. No sarcasm.
Julie's trying to improve CS response times? What happened to Dave? Or is she standing over his shoulder screaming, "Faster dammit. Faster!" Personally, I want to know if the QUALITY of CS response have improved. Faster is good, but a quick response that tells a customer nothing new or of value is as useless as most of the PTI packaging.
My customer service story:
Back story – Stupid me ordered the strawberry set, missing the sweet stamp. I emailed, asking about it and was told to give them at least 3 weeks. So I waited. And then here’s my exchange with Julie. This exchange occurred over a 2 day period.
Me:
It's now been over 3 weeks since I filed my initial request. What is the status of sending out the missing stamp?
Julie:
Just so you know, we had to have that sentiment manufactured by itself due to the fact it was not included in the final version of the set. The printer accidentally printed the unrevised packaging, and we didn't realize it until a customer pointed it out. In order to get that one stamp manufactured, it takes a bit of time. I hope that helps!!
Me:
I understand that, Julie. In your last email to me, you said to wait 3 weeks. It's now over 3 weeks. When do you expect an order from the manufacturer and when can I expect my stamp?
Julie:
Thanks again for your email. As I said when I answered your previous ticket, it would take a minimum of 3 weeks to get the stamp. Please understand that the problem was that we didn't order it until we after the stamp set had been on sale for a while. Because the stamp did not appear on the web view (which is what I look at when I am preparing the website), I (or anyone else for that matter) didn't bother to look at the packaging. We have not had this issue happen before. When you purchased the set, you did not purchase it based on the "sweet" sentiment being included because it did not appear on the webview. That is why we didn't order it until we were made aware of the situation by a customer. It takes a while for these things to get manufactured and shipped to us.
Me:
Julie, really, I don't want reasons or excuses. I want an answer to my question: When do you expect an order from the manufacturer and when can I expect my stamp?
That means I want a timetable. As in, "we expect to receive the stamps around June X and we need Y days to get the mailing out to our customers."
Epilogue
The day after my last email to Julie, the stamp showed up. Which means it was sent before this dialog even began. Why couldn’t she have said “it’s in the mail” from the start???? Perhaps because she didn’t have an f’ing clue on what was going on in her own company?????
Good grief. That is simply outrageous that she had NO idea what was going on but went on and on and on about it without even checking? Think of all the wasted time they spend doing things like this. No wonder things are such a mess.
we've established that customer relations is not this company's strong suit, no?
but you ordered anyway knowing that and got the stamp.
hardly smack worthy material,honey
11:43, bless your little heart.
I'm not 10:49 but if you don't see what is glaringly smackable about her interaction with Julie AND 11:01's comment about how much time they waste doing this over and over, then YOU are smackable....honey.
No surprise but interesting reading.
You are entitled to your opinion as to if that is smack worthy or not.
I appreciated reading the dialogue as I am still waiting for things to improve before ordering.
If people don't come here and tell us what is happening, we have no way to know the true story. According to the board, they make it look like CS is all fixed now.
I'm glad you told your CS story. It confirms that things aren't fixed yet, in spite of what PTI would want us to believe.
According to a post by Steph, Julie is incorrect in saying that the set with the sweet stamp did not appear on the webview. The set with the sweet stamp DID appear on the webview so she can't say whether or not a person ordered the set based on that stamp. Steph posted the pictures that she had copied from the store on the release that show the sweet stamp included with the set.
So not only is J arguing with a customer and avoiding an answer, she is wrong.
The thing that is eventually going to get me to order is all the pattern paper packs. I love them!
Thanks for your recent CS experience, 10:49.
Sounds like the only thing that's improved is their ability to sweep problems and useless, uninformed responses under the rug. Julie and Nichole need to be banned from communicating with customers who are trying to get problems resolved or additional information. They are clearly masters at making a minor problem morph into something big and ugly. Not to mention, clueless.
Does anyone know the font used for the YOU MAKE ME HAPPY set? The capital one.
TIA!
I am an early bird and I'm sure that it will be taken down soon but when you click on "click here to see more from Melissa Bickford" from Nichole's blog, it brings you to a post that is selling Melissa's old PTI stamps. LOL.
It really irks me that NH posts 'inspiration' photos from Pinterest that don't even link back to the original source. It's not right to link PINTEREST as the photo credit, they didn't take the picture, and the pin doesn't even list the original source!
If a picture doesn't list the original source, you should not be using it, IMO.
(The Art Deco photo from today's post sparked this rant, sorry. I tried to find the source, and could not.)
I love the coverplate and the hexagon stamp set is only $5. Damn.
That was fast. Melissa Bickford had a post filled with old PTI sets for sale (they were all sold) at really cheap prices - like $6 for Teacher's Apple, and it's gone now. That was the post that was originally linked from Nichole's blog. lol.
Could someone please explain the four colour theorem to NH, please. Would make the hexagon placement map much simpler.
Well the cover plate might be $16 and the stamp set $5 but for a $21 order, the shipping to me would be $23. No thank you.
Umm, 6:21, perhaps you could explain it to us – in a way that tells us non-math types how we apply it to our papercrafting projects. I tried reading the Wikipedia entry, but I couldn't make it all the way through. I don't speak geek (wish I did).
I was pleasantly surprised by Nichole's projects today.
The four colour theorem basically means that you can "tile" any plane (flat) surface with only four colours, with no two colours being adjacent to each other.
It is also referred to as the colour map theorem, meaning that you can colour a map using only four colours (not including the oceans, of course).
If you want to play with this idea, take a piece of paper and cut it into sections. You will find that the maximum number of adjacent colours is 3, so you will be forced to pick the fourth to fill in a blank spot.
It can be a fun idea to play around with.
I wish I were more adept at using my Cameo.I'd whip up a hexagon template. I need to sit down and go through all my Kerri Bradford classes so I can figure it out. And no, I realize I can't emboss or cut the template out of various mediums with a Studio file. I'd likely not do that with the PTI template....
I don't know much about using a cameo, but if it helps, I can tell you that a regular hexagon can be made using 6 equilateral triangles. Also, the angles between adjacent sides measure 60 degrees. Maybe that can help you "build" the template. :)
Here is a link to a hexagon grid:
http://gwydir.demon.co.uk/jo/tess/bighex.htm
Thanks for sharing the four color theorem with us - I think it's fascinating and will probably look into that more closely. Interesting!
LOL about the link to the PTI stamps for sale!!! Love it!
I agree about the "inspiration photos" not being linked to the original source - I noticed that awhile back and it's incredibly rude and annoying. I think she could do without those anyway.
I have not read the whole post from NH today and have not watched the video yet. I've gotten as far as the color chart for the hexagons and I have to say I think she put a tremendous amount of time into this so that it's less intimidating for people. BUT.....
The day I go to this kind of trouble for a card is the day you can lock me in the loony bin. Especially when there is hex-patterned paper out there, and it looks like there are more patterns, stamps, etc. coming out everywhere. I got as far as that 6-color chart and the head-scratching began. MAYBE for a framed project - something more permanent. But a card?! Nuts.
p.s. from 8:22, I also have to add, now that I've finished looking at NH's post, that the samples from her today are really beautiful.
Betsy's never been my favorite but I love her cards today. I could see using the hex impress thing and then partially adding the colors as in her first one.
And of course the hex pattern is great for masculine cards -- using just about any patterns vs. images is the easiest way to make a masculine style card.
Love her red white & blue one!
Wow, just wow:
http://www.ebay.ca/itm/Papertrey-Ink-Pretty-Peonies-and-coordinating-Dies-/280898328025?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item4166d855d9
And the biggest loony bin day for me is when I gift wrap a PB&J sandwich.
8:39, guess that's the way to make the most of your reward points!
If you do a search in the Silhouette store for honeycomb it will bring up a bunch of hexagon templates.
I could not wade through 30 minutes of hexagon instruction. I can make something nice in far less time that does not require an engineering degree.
Why would anyone buy the hex stamps if they are bigger than the cut outs. Why not just use any background stamp? Maybe some of those strips that no one can line up would work.
I am very glad I bought the LifeStyle Hex dies because I can get a look almost identical to Nichole Heady's with very little work. I don't need the cover plate to lay them out. A ruler will do.
To the Cameo user...
Download svg from Wikipedia here:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/41/Regular_hexagon.svg
Open in Silhouette Studio, cut hexagons to your hearts content. For free.
A few comments from todays peeks:
1) Nichole has some serious sausage fingers! Damn!
2) Nichole needs to watch her videos and realize she says "um" way too much!
3) Nichole tapping her stamp on the ink pad 50 gazzillion times = nails on a chalk board to me.
4) Damn that Nichole, I LOVE that hexagon die and stamp set.
I'm going to have to find something equivalent in the silhouette store to keep me from buying.
http://incompetech.com/graphpaper/
Here is a website that allows you to change the size of your hexagons. There are also a ton of free grid, graph and lined papers.
The hexagon stamps are NOT bigger than the dies - NH explained that the largest hexagon from Rosie Posie is too big for the dies. the new hexagon stamps coordinate with the dies.
Just thumbed thru the new PC mag - and something irks me - there is a card in there that is literally a printed sentiment and image (not even hand colored). In fact the directions say, "print image and sentiment, fold card" How is this papercrafts? This isn't inspirational or unique. Might as well dust off my old PrintShop software and start making cards.
Dang that Betsy! She's going to be the one to break my no-buying streak. I love her hexagon cards!
The new hexagon stamps are LARGER than the die cuts. Nichole says that as she stamps the hexagons that she has cut.
The new hexagon stamps are just slightly larger than the cut outs. But not by much ... you can tell this by where she stamps them over the impressed cover plate design.
PB & J sentiment. Really??
So you don't really need the hexagon stamps if you just use die cuts and any backgrounds you already have.
So what IS a coverplate? Is it a die or an impression plate?
So it is just like the quatrefoil but she is showing that you can reinsert the little pieces?
The cover plate can be used as a die OR an impression plate.
Just saw Melissa B cards. VERY LAME! and so is her website. I won't be going back there. Betsy on the other hand was really good! And very inspiring. Melissa should take some lessons from her.
Can't you use Quatrefoil both ways?
I love Melissa's phone card and her HERO cards.
I didn't care for Melissa's cards either.
Finding lots of things to do with my hex dies. Not sure I would even need the PTI ones. My SOL set should be here tomorrow. This is what I did today:
rubystamper.blogspot.com
Lookie here! Quatrefoil does the same thing:
http://baseret.blogspot.com/2012/06/quatrefoil-birthday-card.html
You just may convince me to buy those hex dies, Donna!!!
Donna I clicked on your blog link and saw your picture. I didn't know, you were Donna C. Weird to put a face with a name.
Yep, that is me. That picture was about 2 years ago.
This is the BEST she can do, and with her own stamp set? VERY blaaaaah!
http://pinefeather.typepad.com/pine_is_here/2012/06/introducing-framed-out-5.html
I tend to like Heather's stamp sets (not the series though) but not what she does with them.
I wish that the stupid SAF crap was not the first thing you see on the Papertrey web page.. It is so lame it bugs me so bad
I can be a sucker for things but that didnt even spark a bit of interest.
Tap, tap, tapping until it feels like Chinese water torture. Just out of curiousity at around 27:40 on her video I put it in slow motion and counted. She tapped 51 (SERIOUSLY) times for ONE hexagon on one ink pad. 51 taps to get it inked ONCE. I could lose my mind watching it!
1659 You must be bored if that is how you spent your time today
It only took 20 seconds and I am curious about lots of things. Sure tells me how good (NOT) those ink pads are.
51? Please tell me you are kidding!
I count 49.
Wow, I usually tap 7 times (habit), and I think even that seems excessive most of the time! You're going to make me watch at least part of the video now.
I could not bear to watch this video - I did not have 30 min. to spare today. But I remember that other video she did and it was tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap tap.... sad, sad, torture. Not a good ad for their ink pads!
Putting the video in slow motion, so you can count the number of times she taps the ink pad is not at all Looney Tunes!
I couldn't listen to her nasally, slow, southern voice so i just drug the curser along to speed up the video. I watch all 30 minutes in about 2.
Go look at the "Should I be offended?" post on the forum about the hexagon cover plate.
oops, wrong title. http://forum.papertreyink.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=36278
damn...spot on copy.
I don't think either of them are the first ones to come up with the idea ... and doesn't Nichole have to submit her designs way in advance of them being produced for release and DT projects anyhow?
HAD to watch the tapping video! My son and I had a blast counting the machine-gun tapping. HOLY S&^T!!
"I hope you learned a few things today.."
Yes I did! The proper way to stamp my stamps! I had NO IDEA I was supposed to tap my stamps 50+ times to get good ink coverage... Thanks Nichole!
anyone watching true blood?
Uh oh! This is not going to go over to well on the "happy positive place". I cannot wait to see how bad Nichole's response is to this. I'm actually surprised 2 hours has gone by and it has not been locked yet!
http://forum.papertreyink.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=36278
With all that tap-tap- tapping to ink a hexagon, multiplied by the number of hexagons to stamp- man, that works out to be lots of tapping. Repetitive strain injury comes to mind!!
And, not a good adv for the stamp pads.
"Cameo user's" post actually inspired me to use Make the Cut (MTC) to make my own hexagon grid. It came out quite similar to Shelly's cut file and Nichole's cover plate. If I had seen Shelly's post, I probably would have considered buying her cut file rather than making my own.
I think some of the sets (especially those from designers other than Nichole) are done well in advance. However, they seem to have the ability to add something at the last minute for things they deem to be "on trend" (aka "hot" or a fad). It wouldn't surprise me at all if this one was done in the last 6-8 weeks.
Blech, I hate that phrase "on trend" so much. Watching how so many people follow trends just because they are popular drives me nuts sometimes. Even saying "on trend" feels like the "trendy" way to say it. Gag.
@9:38 you need to look at yourself before you say ugly things about Nicole or anyone else for that matter.
It's not nice to make fun of people's weight. I am more interested in what caused the weight gain. Nichole gained a lot of weight in a short period of time. It surprises me every time I see her hands in her videos because she didn't use to be like that. I feel bad for her, actually, but it bothers me because the weight gain coincided with PTI's push to sell more and more during every release. It's like this greedy mindset of "more, more, more!" caused Nichole to gain weight like crazy at the same time they were pushing to earn more money like crazy. Nichole bloated along with PTI (that's just a fact, I'm not saying it to be mean) and whenever I see it on her that's what it makes me think of. Whether or not that was the cause of her weight gain. I know this is crazy, right? And I am not thin myself so don't think I am thinking I am better than her in that regard. (Also I am not the person who made the "sausage fingers" comment yesterday.)
Referring to the foul mouthed, lying piece of crap, Angela Holt, she did not shut down any of what she said....she was SHUT DOWN, only to start up other social sites more recently. There is an old saying....
"If it walks like a duck, if it quacks like a duck...then it's a duck." Now, I will never insult a duck, but Angela Holt IS and WAS THE LIAR, BULLY and perpetrator in every instance. SHE photoshopped every nasty image and posted them herself. THE IS PROOF and LOTS OF IT. So, do not be duped or deceived, for Angela Holt is most certainly the "duck" in this case and not at all the injured party.
I like the MFT hexagon dies!
An impressive share! I have just forwarded this onto
a co-worker who had been doing a little research on this. And he
in fact bought me dinner due to the fact that I discovered it
for him... lol. So let me reword this.... Thank YOU for the meal!
! But yeah, thanks for spending time to discuss this
topic here on your web page.
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