Saturday 5 January 2013

i love you smackers - a special early post

Thank you to all who told the lazy one(s) to scroll... I dedicate this post to the non-lazy and hope everyone is having a great year so far!!

How is the international order now from PTI or did we all jump ship.. I feel like my box will end up in a forgotten corner of their warehouse ;)

196 comments:

Anonymous said...

first!!!!

Thanks for posting for us NONlazy smackers :)

Anonymous said...

Okay...I have to admit that I love today's sneak peeks. First time in a LONG time.

Anonymous said...

And thanks for the space, smacker!

The whining about new space and scrolling is so tiresome.

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Anonymous said...

I hate spammers.

Anonymous said...

Me, too! My blog has been getting a ton of spam comments lately and it is driving me crazy.

Anonymous said...

I am loving sneak peek 3.

Anonymous said...

Shoot. I've been waiting for a non-holiday set of photo finisher stamps. I am going to bite the bullet and order this month. Fingers crossed...

Anonymous said...

The world map stamp would be so cool with vintage colors and craft paper. I would love and old ship to go with it.

Anonymous said...

Sneak Peek 3 isn't up until tomorrow.

Anonymous said...

Oh, I get it--DAY 2, PEAK 3.

Anonymous said...

Liking the updated look of Gina's new release stamps!

Anonymous said...

I agree about Gina Ks new designs. Much improved and she mentioned on her blog awhile ago she is coming out with inks this month. I am a bit skeptical about the colors (not a big fan of Gina's color palette), but am willing to give them a try.

PTI who???

Anonymous said...

I'm glad that someone pointed out to Erin that sentiments such as "time heals all woulds" or "God has a plan" or whatever are not helpful to those that are grieving. Thinking of you is infinitely more appropriate.

Anonymous said...

LOL! A die to cut squares!! LOL!

Anonymous said...

Yes, a die to cut a few squares at a time. If I like the stamp set, that die will be in my cart.

Anonymous said...

Yawn!

Anonymous said...

The die is so cheap and if you mass produce cards, it is well worth it if you place value on time.

Anonymous said...

I was thinking the same thing 16:26.

Anonymous said...

And yet how many people have a $15-20 square punch in their supplies? A die makes much more sense price-wise, for space, for ease, for durability.

Anonymous said...

^^17:08 When I'm mass producing cards, I would really aggravate my carpal-tunnel if I punched a shape or two for each card. That's a situation where I'd appreciate a die that could cut multiples. I also prefer dies because I have limited storage space.

Anonymous said...

I'm in the same boat with 19:12. My hands can't take all the punching required for any card and do appreciate a die that would cut multiples. I bought the heart to heart die that can cut 3 hearts at a time.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone noticed that MFT's international shipping charges (both Canada and overseas) have just been increased so that they are now almost as bad as PTI? It used to be that if you ordered stamps and dies only it shipped at a very reasonable cost, but not so much anymore!!

Anonymous said...

Because like PTI, they probably had a bunch of irate customers when packages didn't show up and insurance was not available.

Anonymous said...

Maybe MFT didn't realize people like you would notice the shipping increase? I sure didn't.

Anonymous said...

In many cases, shipping costs (especially international shipping) seem outrageously high until you look at the actual shipping costs.

Even shipping via the USPS has become quite expensive.

I understand that many businesses just can't afford to absorb that cost.

I do not think it's right to charge more than you pay for shipping, however, and found MFT's shipping costs to be reasonable for what I purchased the last time I ordred (about $12 to CA).

Anonymous said...

So, MFT and PTI have the same shipping price for internationals now?

Anonymous said...

Spam Central. AKA PTI Defense Blog.

Goodbye.

Anonymous said...

To the smacker who posted the link to Michael Strong stamps - the stamps are beautiful to work with. They are very deeply etched rubber. Pretty intricate and definitely not the PTI style. He also has great videos and techniques. Michael was frequently featured on the Carol Duval show. I see he also has some interesting tools and supplies. Thanks for reminding me about him!

Anonymous said...

LOL 4:47! Goodbye!

Anonymous said...

I believe USPS rates increased again recently. I send stuff to family overseas and the $16.95 priority envelope is going up to $24.95 early this month. I doubt MFT wants to just eat a $8 increase if that is who they ship with.

Anonymous said...

MIM: How cute is Hannah?!
Liked the concept, but the rainbow inked card just looked muddy with the additions of the greens.

Anonymous said...

0447. Ta Ta. I hope you find some other place to have fun. Keep it real

Anonymous said...

I didn't realize that USPS charges went up recently. Right now the minimumm charge at PTI to Canada is $23.95. At MFT it just went up from $7 to $19 (for stamps and dies only) and to $30 for orders containing anything else other than stamps and dies. That's life and I know it's not the fault of business owners. I wouldn't want to absorb shipping charges either.

Anonymous said...

I like the MIM video too.

Anonymous said...

The MIM video was great. Nichole's tapping though, argghhh, along with her nose snuffling. Maybe she should record when she doesn't have a cold. Hannah is adorable!!

Anonymous said...

Nichole always sounds stuffed up in her videos. It's one of the reasons I stopped watching them.

Anonymous said...

Maybe she has a cold? I was laughing while watching the video as I was expecting to read a comment about her ink tapping.

Anonymous said...

First the map and now the clock faces. I love vintage and will probably be ordering.

Anonymous said...

No interest in vintage or clock faces. Maile's stamps have potential, but not in love with them.

And another quick vent about MFT. Love their dies and some stamps, but their DT choices are terrible! Let me rephrase because that sounded mean. The DT seem to make "nice" cards (although I'm not a fan of that style), but they make the same card over and over and over again. Even between designers! And there's ton of them! I don't get it.

I only look at the MFT blog to see what's being released. I practically never click through to the DT sites because I can't even tell them apart and the cards look the same every month. Why don't they even try to appeal to other types of cardmakers, particularly CAS and freestyle collage? They need a modern makeover stat! On the upside, I like a lot of the new MFT products!!

Anonymous said...

a lot of companies make the same mistake and have DT's with very similar styles. Gina K is like that also. I think it undercuts the sales pitch!

Anonymous said...

Agree, GinaK does it as well. Not to be mean, but what's the point in 19 DT members (from my quick count off the first page of the blog)? There's no benefit to having that many (especially when only 1 or 2 are well known). I'm not trying to rag on the DT, I'm just trying to see it from a business perspective. That's a lot of free product going out. Why not keep some of the DT for some release products (like the little girl stamps or the cutesy lady stamps) and create another subteam for other projects. I have bought a lot from MFT and have gotten those free cutesy stamps. I can't even give those things away (I've tried).

Anonymous said...

I completely agree about MFT's team. Each and every designer have the "old school" layered look to their cards. Very 5 years ago. I stopped looking at their stuff a long time ago

I don't follow Gina Ks team that well, so I went to StampTV and she has a new team as of January. http://stamptv.ning.com/
Looks like 10 team members and 8 illustrators. I recognize some of the DT their styles are different. Glad she added Laurie Schmidlin, she is amazing.

Anonymous said...

I also dislike seeing the pictures of every single MFT product used at the end of the blog posts. My scrolling fingers get so sore! Lol! I am ready to take all of the MFT dr off of my Google Reader.

Anonymous said...

I agree about the MFT product boxes at the end of each project and about their dt's all making the same style product. How often do they have a release anyway? Seems like every other day.

Anonymous said...

it's not a cold, it's extra tissues rattling. thats why obesity is linked with snoring.

Anonymous said...

Ouch 17:53 that's mean... I'm not so slim myself.

Anonymous said...

I sure hope most of the new PTI sets are $15 and $5.

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, looks like Funky Florals wasn't as popular as they were hoping! I wonder how many of those sets PTI will be left holding when the promo is over.

I love MFT, but agree about wishing they had some different styles on their DT. Not every customer uses 25 layers on their cards. Would be nice to see a CAS designer or two on the team. That's one thing PTI did right, at least.

Anonymous said...

But Funky Florals was free, you got it regardless. You cant gauge popularity when it was a freebie

Anonymous said...

I guess not so many $100 purchases. No surprise. The style of FF is not what I would call classic PTI, so it's probably not an incentive to half of the PTI crowd. Back in the heyday, those things would be sold out in one week (regardless of the design). I miss those days!

I'm sure some one here knows the folks at MFT. Please pass the feedback from this board along, seriously! New designers, less designers, new/fresh/more modern card designs, no DT pics on each blog post, don't email me every dang week. Please!!!

Take a hint from GinaK. Love that she redid her DT. Lots of diversity and good designers added.

Anonymous said...

The only thing that interests me at MFT is the dies and the CS... those cutesy stamps are awful. Even their sentiment stamps are mediocre.

Has anyone seen the Flourishes release sneak peeks? I'm pleased to see that they're finally going to get some sentiment sets that don't look so old-lady-ish. None of their sentiments have any style to them whatsoever.

Anonymous said...

Speaking of MFT, one of the things I like about Lisa Johnson is how she decorates the inside of her cards, too. I need to do that more often. Her stamps are just about the only ones I'm attracted to on their site.

Anonymous said...

Placed a PTI order Saturday at 6PM. Just arrived at my doorstep today in California.

Anonymous said...

I also live in California. I placed a PTI order on Thursday, and it's sitting in the PO in Cincinnati. Go figure...

Anonymous said...

Betsy made the Funky Florals look really cute today. Liked what Maile did with it. Liked what Jess did with it. gave me some ideas for using the set I got.

Anonymous said...

Finally inked up Funky Florals today. Love it. What a fun set!!

Anonymous said...

GinaK and MFT could copy PTI down to the itty bitty but my money would still go to the original.

Anonymous said...

Funky Florals is not appealing. I hate the distressed look, but I guess PTI does that to cover up their terrible inks.

Anonymous said...

I think Funky Florals are ugly. Even if I had gotten a free set with an order I would have ebay'd them.
I agree about MFT and I really hate those big headed little girls with the sparse hair. Hoping Gina continues to make progress toward more modern, trendy looking stamps. I am holding out in hopes she will be the one to fill the PTI void.

Anonymous said...

I don't get the blind love for PTI. Funky Florals and all the peeks this month are not good. I've recently put in orders with CSS, MFT, and Simon Says Stamp.

InkStink said...

I agree about the MFT designers. All cards look the same. If you are not a multi-layer cardmaker, there is not a lot of inspiration there.

I'm also not a fan of their stamps (with the exception of some of the PL ones and those from Lisa). I do love their dies, cardstock and ink.

Anonymous said...

I think the Funky Florals set is hideous.

I love the map sneak peek, though. I'm really underwhelmed by the rest of the sneaks so far.

Anonymous said...

I love the rest of the sneak peaks and thought the map was meh.

Anonymous said...

The thrill is officially gone. New releases and DT projects today are nice, but just nice. Nothing jumps out at me (except Betsy's stuff).

The map is OK but Hero Arts just released a nicer one.

Anonymous said...

Boring stuff again today.

Anonymous said...

Ugh... why would they give Betsy, who is arguably their most talented and creative DT member, the measly $5 sets to showcase?? I understand wanting to give the sad little stamps the best chance possible by giving them to the best DT member, but still... her talents should have gone to to better sets. H2H and Framed Out are awful; I'll be so glad to see them go.

Anonymous said...

February is anniversary month. Any predictions for the big festivities?

Anonymous said...

@17:10

I don't think that it's a "blind love" that keeps people going back to PTI to brave the potential CS shit storm if something goes wrong... I, too, have ordered from several different companies (Flourishes, MSS, MFT) in an attempt to not monopolize my funds at PTI, and while their stamps are nice, none of them have the classic style and sophistication that PTI pretty much always brings to the table. They each excel in certain areas (Flourishes-detailed Copic-oriented images, MFT-CS and dies, etc) but on the whole, I don't find them to be that inspiring. I keep going back to PTI, hoping and praying that the other shoe doesn't drop, because the value and the quality of products is unmatched in this industry. At least that's my opinion.

Anonymous said...

Can we talk about Dr.Amber for a minute? I've really always liked her and thought she seemed genuinely nice, but lately I just feel like she is trying way too hard! And have you read this interview?
http://prettypinkposh.com/2013/01/featured-blogger-amber-kemp-gerstel.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=featured-blogger-amber-kemp-gerstel
(Sorry for the long link)She really doesn't know when to use a vs. an? Really?

Anonymous said...

Gina K showed her new line of inks, buttons and ribbons.
http://ginakdesigns.blogspot.com/

Looks pretty cool. Big question will be the quality of the inks. Who plans to buy them and will you post a review here?

Anonymous said...

Re: February anniversary, my biggest curiosity is about the design team. What kind of changes will we see? Who's staying and who's leaving? And where will they go?

As for products, I'm not all that excited/interested. I approach everything with a big dose of skepticism due to sitting on a stack of increasingly useless ink pads. While I love their colors, I'm not anxious to spend my money on worthless products (again).

Today's featured products: completely uninteresting to me. I spent more time on the Gina K DT blogs than I did PTI.

Anonymous said...

Has anyone heard who is manufacturing the ink for Gina K?

Anonymous said...

GinaK inks - they look like the same as Hero Arts inks.

Anonymous said...

Spent some time on the Gina K blogs today too. Looks like a few good things coming and maybe some new faces. time will tell i suppose.

Anonymous said...

GinaK inks - Stewart Superior

Anonymous said...

To 7:57

I agree that PTI (particularly Nichole) is good at choosing designs (because we all know a lot of the designs are stock) and she's good at putting together sets. I appreciate that the sets are put together by a stamper for stampers. BUT, I don't agree that they are way ahead of the pack. Many of the designs are repetitive (more flowers?) and in many cases they're just upsized versions of existing designs. With the exception of Maile's designs I feel like PTI is going the way of Stampin Up. Very popular for a time, but now kind of old-ladyish and passe. I'm not a young woman, but even I think a lot of the PTI designs are for a more mature crowd. There will always be some items that I love, but I could say that for many companies. I used to *think* that I loved everything PTI, but now I just realize that I was caught up in the hype.

Anonymous said...

No - not Stewart Superior.

Anonymous said...

While I appreciate her charity work, Amber is tiresome. I like what she does craft-wise for the most part, but I don't like the used car salesman vibe on her site. I think she fancies herself an up and coming Martha, but I don't think she has the chops just yet. Take some time girl! Be real, be open to failure, work up to it! Reminds me of a friend who when she got married was an expert on everything wedding. And when she got pregnant, she was an expert on all things baby. Some folks need projects.

Anonymous said...

"Has anyone noticed that MFT's international shipping charges (both Canada and overseas) have just been increased so that they are now almost as bad as PTI? It used to be that if you ordered stamps and dies only it shipped at a very reasonable cost, but not so much anymore!!"

Shipping rates going up for everything, so be prepared to see more increases from lots of places, not just craft sellers.

Anonymous said...

To 9:29

I agree with alot you say - think some of the newer companies are the freshest designs. I don't think PTI is ahead of the game anymore. Especially when they take pieces of former sets and resize them or when they just keep adding to previous series. One or two additions ok - but not much more than that and I get bored.

Anonymous said...

Re MFT - I had to unsubscribe at one point 'cause I was getting too many e-mails. AFter awhile I subscribed and it's much better now. However, they don't come up with much in my style of stamps. I have my eye more on dies and felt.

Anonymous said...

So another impression plate problem, this time simple stripes. No recall though. I guess they are hoping some of those crafters who buy buy buy will never get around to using it so they won't have to refund it.

Anonymous said...

@ 9:29

I agree that lately, they have been "super sizing" a lot of their older classic sets, but I have done plenty of ordering from other companies (Verve, MSS, MFT, Flourishes, Simon Says Stamp), and unless I want to color with my Copics, I reach for PTI 8/10 times. I am only in my mid-20's, so I have a pretty good eye for trends, but I think I have pretty decent taste for what's classic and timeless, too.

I will admit that the majority of the PTI sets for which I consistently reach are not the brand spankin' new sets, so I agree that PTI's designs are getting somewhat tired. I am hoping that that is due to the fact that they are saving their best designs for the anniversary release. I guess my point is that I haven't found any designs anywhere else that I like better than the PTI designs (which is somewhat unfortunate), but ultimately down to my own taste. Most of the stamps that I've picked up from other designers have been something completely different and unseen in the PTI store.

Anonymous said...

I find Amber super annoying... I agree that I think that she's trying too hard to be a "superstar," and her projects reflect that. I've not been impressed with any of the new stuff on her "new" blog, and I think it's because she spends so much time on the upkeep of her blog that she doesn't have time to work on projects...

Anonymous said...

My favorite PTI sets are still Michelle W.'s and Lisa Johnson's. I also like a lot of what Nichole designs. As for the rest, no thank you.

It has been a long time since I have liked enough of a release to want to put in an order. If I like 1 or 2 sets, it's a stretch. By the time the hype of the month is over, I am already no longer interested.

With shipping to Canada being what it is, I will only buy really good deals on the for sale board.

Anonymous said...

Day one of the countdown is a snoozfest. I thought the map would be good but it's just a mess of ink with itty bitty lines. Epic fail by Heather!

Anonymous said...

When I read what Nichole said about Dawn's new sentiment set, my mind, thinking of Dawn's over-cheery blog persona, translated it to "over-cheery sentiments". Do you think the old-fashioned 'retro' font Dawn chose is still hip and trendy, or is it now tired and passe? It didn't really scream cheery to me. Especially on Nichole's second card with it, where she stamped it in grey and the smaller font of the word "brighter" seems like an anti-climatic afterthought.

Anonymous said...

This blog has officially jumped the shark.

Anonymous said...

this blog jumped the shark a loonng time ago.

Love Amber. she has tons of talent, is open about her ambitions. So what?

Anonymous said...

This blog has long since jumped the shark. Don't like it? Don't read.

Not a fan of Amber, sorry. She has some nice cards but her attitude is off putting.

Anonymous said...

I have liked the Think Big sentiments and have a lot of them. I have purchased one or two of the Heart 2 Heart series. This is the first time I will buy the fillable frames series -- just the die only.

I'm looking forward to seeing more of the map/travel set. Should be perfect for some mini-scrapbooks.

Anonymous said...

16:24 Who said I didn't like it. I like the fact that it has jumped the shark. Just making a statement.

Anonymous said...

forgive me for asking but what does jump the shark mean?

Anonymous said...

The usage of "jump the shark" indicates the moment in its evolution when a brand, design, or creative effort moves beyond the essential qualities that initially defined its success, beyond relevance or recovery.

Anonymous said...

and for bonus points, without looking it up, do you know which TV show coined the phrase?

Anonymous said...

Happy Days. When Fonzie "jumped the shark".

Anonymous said...

Betsy can almost sell me every PTI stuff she uses. H2H, Fillable Frames and tremendous tags die are sure to be in my cart on the 15th.

Anonymous said...

^^oops I meant to say Framed out 12

Anonymous said...

I like the knitted frame.

Anonymous said...

To the earlier posters, what would you say are the newest companies with the freshest designs?

Some of them seem similar, but not fresher than PTI (WPlus9, Avery Elle, Mama Elephant, etc.)

Other newer companies that I like (Paper Smooches, Fawn Lawn) are cute and fun, but without the design sophistication of PTI.

What companies do you think have better, fresher designs than PTI?

Anonymous said...

Honestly? There isn't a company that has better, fresher designs than PTI as of today.

InkStink said...

Hello, Lovely???? Seriously??? I would NEVER use this sentiment. Where does Dawn come up with these?

And I agree about the old lady look to many of PTI's new stamps. This is coming from an old lady.

Avery Elle, Mama Elephant, CAS-ual Friday stamps - all have a much cleaner, more graphic and updated look. I'm also a big fan of Kelly Purkey stamps from Simon Says Stamp.

I'll be ordering some Gina K ink and will post a review.

Anonymous said...

I have to say today's preview of the map and world map sets took me by surprise. I really liked NH's Bon voyage card

Anonymous said...

I agree with poster above and I'm an old lady too! PTI is no longer new or fresh. Honestly, it never was fresh but the did make stamps ith matching dies popular. Srsly embroidery, flowers, knitting, winter hills, pine cones...fresh? Um no. I think they are trying to update their appeal (why they pulled in Cristina), but PTIs bread and butter are the unimaginative masses that just CASE the DT.

Anonymous said...

I like Nichole's cards today and really like what she did with the map stamp and I haven't said that in a long time. I like the font of Dawn's sentiments but they are way too cheesy and I wouldn't use them - if she could do something more generic that would be more appealing :P

Anonymous said...

Love life? Who would put that on a card?

Anonymous said...

So much for the map stamp being 4"x 6". $15 is a lot of money for a stamp that is just over 4 3/4” wide and just under 3 1/2” tall.

Anonymous said...

06:02 - They only seem to have three pricepoints for stamps: $5, $15, and $24. I'm not sure if other small companies are like that too. It might have been better to combine the two map/travel sets into a $24 set.

Anonymous said...

I really like the newer stamp companies especially Mama Elephant, they appeal to me more. And I'm in my late 20's. I have to say that the only thing is their stamps aren't as intricate as PTI but that's part of their style as well. Plus it helps that all the owners of the newer companies are more likeable as PEOPLE.

Anonymous said...

They also have $18 sets.

I love the map and it is big enough for me to consider it a background stamp.

Anonymous said...

So, I REALLY want to place an order with WMS, but half of the stuff I want is out of stock, and has been for what seems like forever!!! Does anyone know how long they take to re-stock items?

Anonymous said...

I would like to see Michelle Wooderson on a stamping design team. I don't like scrapbooking or Project Life but I have always liked her cards.

Anonymous said...

I am surprised that Michelle Wooderson isn't on the new Studio Calico Project Life team or card kit team. Maybe it only includes current PTI dt members or maybe she was asked but declined?

Anonymous said...

Heather explains why the map stamp isn't any bigger.



Re: Destination & World Map
by pinefeather » Fri Jan 11, 2013 1:56 pm
The World Map stamp measures 3.5" x 4.75" - I did as big as I could go with how big our manufacturing plates are and the horizontal orientation of the map.

Anonymous said...

PTI discontinued the sunshine impression plate and the stripes impression plate. No announcement, with a promise of selling single sided impression plates in the future. Thoughts? Wouldn't they cost the same to print on one side instead of two?

Anonymous said...

Wow. Guess the newer IP's aren't selling well. They don't discontinue crappy products coughinkcough unless they are losing money or stuck holding the bag. I know I haven't bought any since the first fiasco where they blamed the customer who used the wrong "sandwich" and the machine calibration. The fact that the IP's were as thin as dies and one side peeked through the other when it was NIP should've made them admit that the product was substandard.

Anonymous said...

^^ cost wise, they won't be much cheaper. A second runthrough can't affect the manufacturing costs that much. One sided plates will use the same amount of steel which is the driving factor behind the retail price. Or is that greed?

Anonymous said...

Idiots abound.

Anonymous said...

I take it that means all the IPs manufactured (both new release and restock) once they started using the new formulation (i.e. less steel) might have "performance issues?" Great. I knew I should have purchased the Canvas IP a long time ago.

Anonymous said...

With the double sided ones, the back ones had the other side coming through. They never would admit it---customer error you know, but now they are addressing it people should be able to get refunds on the old defective ones. They are admitting as much.

Anonymous said...

I wonder if they'll accept to exchange my double sided ip when the single sided ones come out.

Anonymous said...

Sentiment used on NH card today "Sending thoughts of you". WTF???

Anonymous said...

i don't buy things i don't like. but i also don't go around mocking them on the internet. it is so 7th grade.























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Anonymous said...

The origin of the candy cane goes back over 350 years, when candy-ma
Birth of the Candy Cane
Aference to the familiar cane shape goe
The clergymen's custom of handing out candy canes during Christmas services spread tdd sugar-roses to decorate the canes further.

The first historical reference to the candy cane being in America goes back to 1847, when a German immigrant called August Imgard decorated the Christmas tree in his Wooster, Ohio home with candy canes.

The Stripes
About fifty years later the first red-and-white striped candy canes appeared. No one knows who exactly invented the stripes, but Christmas cards prior to the year 1900 showed only
Sweet Secrets of the Candy Cane
There are many other legends and beliefs surrounding the humble candy cane. Many of them depict the candy cane as a secret symbol for Christianity used during the times when Christian were living under more oppressive circumstances. It was said that the cane was shaped like a "J" for Jesus. The red-and-white stripes represented Christ's blood and purity. The three red stripes symbolized the Holy Trinity. The hardness of the cand
A Catholic priest called Gregory Keller invented a machine to automate candy cane production during
Candy

Shopping For Candy Canes - Compare Prices

Candy Cane - Decorations
Candy Cane - Food & Candy
Candy Cane - Tableware

Related Articles

Candy Canes - Traditional Christmas Candy Cane History
On The Ninth Day of Christmas - 12 Days of Christmas Gifts
Free Pattern and Directions to Sew a Candy Cane Christmas Tree Ornament
Candy Cane Recipes for Christmas - How to Make Candy Cane Christmas Candies...
The Tradition of Candy Canes

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Mary Bellis
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Anonymous said...

Loved Nichole's cards this morning and really loving the squares set. I am so over Pinefeather style and colors that I just cannot even look at those drab things anymore.

Anonymous said...

Not going to need the squares die at all. I have a 3/4" square punch and so I won't have to be forced to do 6 at a time in a rectangle pattern. I will be free to punch however I want AFTER I stamp.

Anonymous said...

7:18 I agree with you. Thanks for speaking up.

Anonymous said...

The squares are something I thought I'd like, but I'm not feeling it now that I've seen them. I do like the tags and small frame but that's it.

The PTI defenders are laughable. What's juvenile is thinking Nichole et al are your BFFs. They could give a rats ass about you. I guarantee in private they laugh at your lame blog creations. So if this site is full of 7th graders, you all fit right in.

Anonymous said...

0848. I am just sorry you feel forced to punch at all. "Forced" to punch six? Even if you would buy the die you clearly dont like, you still would not be forced to use it.

A bit of a stretch there just to bitch about something.

Anonymous said...

Because I don't like to waste paper, that is why I don't want to have to cut 6 every time I want one.

Anonymous said...

Maybe people don't want to have to cut 6 in that exact pattern when they could punch individually anywhere they want.

Anonymous said...

The point is you dont have to purchase anything you dont want to use

Or am I missing something? Is it coming packaged with some other item and that is increasing the price of the item?

Anonymous said...

 

Now that I've made all of the formal introductions, let's get onto the projects!

Space for Nichole's projects

I hope you have enjoyed all the creations that I have shared with you today!  .  We would love to hear your initial thoughts on everything we introduced!  Please leave a comment on this post to tell us what you think of the new products and you will be eligible to win big!



-------------

Sausage fingers inability to proofread bites heroin the ass here! I'm sure the sentence between the < >was supposed to be deleted!

Anonymous said...

 

Now that I've made all of the formal introductions, let's get onto the projects!

Space for Nichole's projects

I hope you have enjoyed all the creations that I have shared with you today!  < insert a few happy/cheery sentences about product introduced today >.  We would love to hear your initial thoughts on everything we introduced!  Please leave a comment on this post to tell us what you think of the new products and you will be eligible to win big!

Anonymous said...

not a PTI defender. even saying that proves that you are missing my point. I am boycotting buying from PTI because I do not like the company's policies. Period.

but calling someone names on the internet is 7th grade. Period.

Anonymous said...

^^^
Hmmm. Coming here and stomping your feet calling everyone meanies goes to show that there are 7th graders on both sides. I don't see the difference was my point. Both sides are equally tiresome and immature.

I come here for the truthful discussion of policies and product. Granted you have to wade through some nonsense but where else can you get the uncensored truth? Who says we have love everything PTI puts out? If I came here and said that I hate Walmart no one would bat an eye. People really think that PTI cares about them. I'm not as naive.

Anonymous said...

Sending thoughts OF you?? Ridiculous sentiment, I don't know what that means.

Anonymous said...

I actually really like Maile's new set, but Nichole's cards are terrible. They are boring! She tried to make CAS cards, but they fall flat.

Anonymous said...

Awkward is the word for Nichole's sentiments. Kind of like her "come home safe and sound to us". Who speaks this way?

Anonymous said...

I was just thinking that about that sentiment yesterday. Plus it has a period at the end. What's up with that?

Anonymous said...

And I HATE sentiments like "Love Life". Who am I going to send that too? And I don't think it's polite to order around the recipient of my card. ;)

Anonymous said...

When is the next WMS release?

Anonymous said...

I, for one, really like the font that Dawn used for her $5 set, but I'm not particularly thrilled with some of the phrasing, either. I've always felt like that with her sentiment sets... some of the sentiments are fantastic, but some of them (hello, lovely; peanut butter and jelly; cell phone and coffee; etc.) are just plain weird. I know I'd be like "wtf?" if I received a card with one of those sentiments.

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry, "sending thoughts of you" is beyond awful. Like so many things PTI does, nice in theory, awful in execution.

Anonymous said...

Anyone else notice that Think Big used to have 3 images for $5 and now it is down to 2 images?

Anonymous said...

I guess they're trying to fit as much as they can in the small space allotted for the $5 set?

Anonymous said...

again and again, you miss my point. I have no problem with a smack board that discusses a company's policies and products. IT'S THE PERSONAL INSULTS that are 7th grade.

Yes, they are few, but they exist.

Anonymous said...

again and again, you miss my point. I have no problem with a smack board that discusses a company's policies and products. IT'S THE PERSONAL INSULTS that are 7th grade.

Yes, they are few, but they exist.

-----

Well, in case you've missed it, everyone but the people issuing those personal insults has a problem with them.

So what is your point?

Idiots and assholes abound in the world. Do you run around blaming everyone else for their actions?

Anonymous said...

I really wanted to like the clock set but it's way over-sized :P

Anonymous said...

22:22 - There have been other Think Bigs with just two sentiments. I think it depends on the height of the sentiment compared to the width. There have also been a few Think Bigs with four sentiments for a similar reason.

Anonymous said...

I think that most recipients of cards are gracious and happy with the thought and aesthetics of the card that they are not analyzing them to the extent smackers too.

And in years back when you all were having the love fest was the sentiments wrong? Or is this something new that is happening cuz there is only a few ways to express the sentiment?

Anonymous said...

It appears to me that the sentiment Nichole used is actually 2 separate phrases. I'm guessing "thoughts of you" is a smaller sub-line stamp...it just so happens that she used them together, when maybe she shouldn't have...

I came to this conclusion because Erin used the same large "Sending" stamp on a card on her blog yesterday, but her sub-line was "get well wishes" which works much better.

Anonymous said...

06:14 - I agree that we stampers tend to over analyze things. I might be wrong, but I also think that we have a lot of teachers, editors, and technical writers who are into stamping and card making. It seems we have a lot of people who are "word sensitive," myself included.

Anonymous said...

I really like the clock stamps and dies but will hold off ordering for a month or so and see if I still want them. The feeling usually passes when I think of all of the other stamps that I had to have that sit unused.

Anonymous said...

^^ 21:10 Regarding WMS release. I don't know when it will be, but I think it's usually every other month. You might want to follow the blog to see first announcements. I'd encourage your interest, as Claire, the owner, is a wonderful lady who works her business in the best possible way. That isn't to say there aren't glitches, it's just that she deals with them as if it's important!

Anonymous said...

@00:42
I got your point the first 2 times. Get back on the middle school bus with the name callers. Idiots abound is right!

The clock face stamps remind me of Uniko. Maybe it's more of a scrapping thing.

Anonymous said...

This is by no means intended to be a negative thing, but is Nichole's oldest son adopted or something?

Anonymous said...

Why do you think he is adopted? I thought she only had 2 kids to begin with.

Anonymous said...

He looks just like her husband.

I have a very blonde,blue eyed, very fair skinned son and the other is mistaken for Hispanic all the time. It get so sick of being asked if one or the other is adopted.

Anonymous said...

I for one am thankful you angry people come here to let some of this anger out.

Its healthier than other options.

Anonymous said...

Another month of DT's (some of them) not receiving their stuff in time to do posts. If they cannot even get the stuff to the DT's in a timely manner do you really think they are doing any better dealing with customers? No, they have just become masters of shutting people up and hiding problems.

Anonymous said...

People's kids should be off limits here.

Anonymous said...

@00:42
I got your point the first 2 times. Get back on the middle school bus with the name callers. Idiots abound is right!

The clock face stamps remind me of Uniko. Maybe it's more of a scrapping thing.

13 January 2013 08:29

_______


I'm not even the person you were arguing with initially.

I just don't see the point of handslapping others for the misdeeds of the few jerks who post here.

And, if you got the point the first two times....why continue to post?

Oh, because it makes you feel good to handslap and act superior.

Anonymous said...

^^^
Looks like someone wants to handslap and feel superior too!

Anonymous said...

Why does PTI schedule their manufacturing so close to the release date? $ flow issues? Bad planning? Seems like asking for trouble.

Anonymous said...

This is a little off topic, but I enjoy the CAS-ual Fridays challenge blog and occasionally participate. Lately the CAS-ual Fridays stamps have been the prize (which I find ugly), but this week they are offering a $20 gift certificate to their store. All of their stamps are $15.00, and shipping is $2.50. So... you have to spend $30 + shipping to get two sets, or $15 + $2.50 shipping to get one, leaving $2.50 on the certificate. Doesn't that seam weird? I think they don't want to give away stamps completely free, so they expect people to buy 2 stamps for $30.

Anonymous said...

No. it doesn't "seam" weird to me. Why look a gift horse in the mouth?

Anonymous said...

Sorry for the typo... seem, not seam.

Anonymous said...

I used to enjoy that challenge but don't like that they use/give away CF stamps. I enjoyed it much more before. CASology and CASe this sketch are better subs. CASology is a bit on the austere side, but better than a vendor challenge. The amount thing is weird but I'm sure it's just a compromise for US and intl winners. The can't say free shipping with intl shipping being what it is these days.

Poster above. You "seam" like a real putz.

Anonymous said...

The putz comment is for 15:50.

Anonymous said...

The clock looks wonderful as a background stamp too.

Anonymous said...

just don't use the remainder of the prize.

Anonymous said...

15:58 give the poster a break - she is "trying" to be a smacker

Anonymous said...

The clock stamps are tired and not original.

Anonymous said...

Does anyone else think birth control pill pack when they see the clock die?

Anonymous said...

Actually no, it reminded me of an old-fashioned rotary telephone.

I think all the clock stuff is pretty cool, and it would have been even more awesome to release it before the new year. Oh well.

Anonymous said...

I thought rotary phone too, but now that you mention it, I can totally see the birth control pills.

The clocks are nice but I'll pass. I have the uniko studio set already.

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Anonymous said...

Boring all around! I don't have high hopes for Feb. I used to enjoy anniversary month.

Anonymous said...

That's weird. I actually liked/loved everything this month. Gah! If I had all the money...

Anonymous said...

I really liked Debbie Olson's just rite card, buntings and banners, but the price for the stamps and die turned me off.

Anonymous said...

Nothing new or innovative this month. Those squares look like a pain to line up! And the flowers today looked, for lack of a better word, weird. I've seen Aga and Chupa do better interpretations of the folk art look but this PTI version is too cartoony. Those tulip shaped flowers make me think of that Little Shop of Horrors flower. Everything else this month was old ladyish.

Anonymous said...

Nothing from DT Ashley???

Anonymous said...

Ashley didn't get her package on time. Again. She's in northern VA for goodness sake! What's the deal?

Anonymous said...

When DT's don't get packages time after time, it reinforces the very reason some of us don't trust the company.

Anonymous said...

You'd think that NH would be able to get enough sample sets during the manufacturers first run to send her DT. I'm assuming a quality control batch is run once, sent to her for testing/approval before mass producing the release order. However, given the errors in sets and late packages, I doubt it. What I can't figure out is, Northern VA isn't that far away. Would a USPS priority pack get there fast enough? Afterall, isn't Maille on the other side of the continent?

Anonymous said...

Smells fishy to me.

Anonymous said...

Ashley is on double secret probation.

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