Saturday, February 8, 2014

Saturday, February 8, 2014

97 comments:

  1. i'm taking lots of pictures of monkeys!!!

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  2. Someone in the previous thread said, "$8 journaling die? Too lazy to cut a square and round the corners?"

    I checked around and actually the price is not too bad in comparison to other companies if you are not willing to do some cutting and corner rounding.

    MFT Insert it PL style dies $12.99 - $15.99
    SP and Co Journaling shapes and pocket die $13.50
    Lawn Fawn Stitched Journaling card $15

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  3. WTH? Any other company would have taken a few dollars off the kit price.
    PTI just adds all the individual prices together. Because they are saving you a few clicks at release time.
    SMH

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  4. I think a stitched one IS worth it, but a plain one? Nope. I have the Lawn Fawn one and it is lovely.

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  5. Kit price is a concrete indication of the PTI's greed.

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  6. you are a fool. PTI doesn't price their products because they are greedy. They price them to make a profit. Like ANY company, too high and the product won't sell. Too low and they make less than they could have. It is a novel idea called capitalism.

    Grow up.

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  7. Then just stupid. To price a kit the same as if the individual items without a break. Only an idiot would buy the whole kit.

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  8. It's the same as their old 'one click for the whole month's supplies' button they had - it is not a discount (and they never advertised it as being one!!), it's just to make it easier to purchase if you DO want the whole line for that month.

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  9. Anyone tried the Avery Elle or Mama Elephant inks yet? How do they compare to other pigment inks??

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    1. I tried the Avery Elle at CHA and brought them into my store. They are very smooth, very bright inks. I got great coverage. I brought them in to compliment my line of Tsukeninko Memento Luxe inks. The Luxe are more earth tones and the AE are brighter. They both work well for pigment inks and solid images. Not better or worse, just to compliment my color selections.

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  10. Quoted from above: "Only an idiot would buy the whole kit."

    You're incredibly judgmental. If someone wants everything included in the kit, then they can just use one order button instead of several.

    I don't scrap, so won't be buying the kit, but would never be rude enough to say that someone who does is an idiot. Come on!

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  11. I have all the Mama inks and love them. Colors are beautiful and they stamp very nicely. Very crisp, clear images and no blotching (can't stand that). Get it! You won't regret it!

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  12. 6;39 That's an ignorant statement. Your disdain for PTI is obvious and you probably won't be ordering so why should you care what the price is? Or is it that you just have to have something to complain about.

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    1. I think 6:39's statement is a valid interpretation of PTI's actions. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

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  13. When I order a "kit" of anything, I expect a price break. If I buy one cookie at the bakery, it is $2, but if I buy a dozen it is $11.

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  14. that's a big price break...from $24 to $11 at the bakery.

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  15. Try buying a serving of popcorn at the movie's versus buying a bag of popcorn at the popcorn shop. At the movie it is $8, you get 50 times that for $12 at the Pop Stop.

    A kit, or multiples in a kit should always be cheaper.

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  16. sorry the kit pricing bothers you so much. your reaction seems out of proportion to the issue. are you planning on buying the kit? perhaps you should look at the kit as simply the opportunity to ensure that you get all the items in stock with one click. try and look at the glass half full. i will not be buying the kit. i don't have money for crafting. i wish you well though

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  17. Does PTI save any money by selling the kit vs. selling the products individually? I could see why it would sell for less if it saved them money, but the cost to them is the same, so why would you expect a discount? Thanks Obama!

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  18. Everyone is entitled to their opinion.

    Actually, everyone is entitled to his or her opinion.

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  19. 10:41-Re. Mama Elephant Inks
    How is the drying time? Do you have to heat set so they don't smudge? I have a white pigment ink from Wplus9 that I really love but if I don't heat set it I end up smudging it because it takes so long to dry. I am tempted to try them for coverage issues that I always have with dye ink. Thanks!

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  20. It is advertised as a 'kit'. It is not advertised as 'click here to buy everything in the new release'.

    I think criticizing the kit's pricing is valid. Kits should be priced at less than the total of all the items.

    Does no-one at PTI know how to communicate clearly and market products? Hire someone who does. SMH

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  21. So PTI makes a ton of money according to this blog -- the house that stamps built, etc. but they do not know how to market. Dream on honey. the sound you hear every 15th of the month is credit cards transferring $$ to PTI from your and your fellow crafters wallets. if you think you can do better marketing, go for it.

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  22. Today's PTI peeks convinced me to order my Cameo. It will be here Thursday!

    Any other stamp/scrap company out there sells their kits at a discount. They make more profit on a kit because the average person would buy maybe half of it. If they are convinced to buy all of it, because it is a kit, the company sells higher quantity. PTI is just so stupid. This is marketing 101 (again).

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  23. I see some potential in some of these new products but it all came to a screeching halt with Nichole's pink and yellow disaster with the text block die. Oh. My. Goodness. In the top ten of ugliest cards ever. She comes so close to having impeccable taste and then... BAM!

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  24. 12:04, I have a Silhouette Portrait and every time I see those word dies and cool backgrounds dies, I think, oh - I could do that on the Silhouette! I don't use it enough but these are good reminders. I know when I see where people have hundreds of dies and then have these elaborate storage and filing systems, I just don't see why they don't by an electronic cutter instead. Seems a little crazy to me.

    And you have it right on the kit thing, too. I don't know that it's greed, but just not bright thinking. With a kit, you offer a tiny discount and someone who was thinking of getting only two or three of the products may figure that there's one they are waffling on and another they don't think they *need* -- but to save a few bucks, yeah, get the whole thing.

    As I said about the dies, I wouldn't really need those, but if they came in a kit at a discount... and maybe I'm up in the air about the preprinted cards, too... I'd think, well, it would be easy to whip one out without getting my machine out, so with the kit discount it doesn't cost so much: Yep, I'll get the kit.

    Sure one-click shopping is easy if you wanted it all anyway but really is it such a big deal? Are we that lazy? When I saw the kit was the same price as a la carte, I start thinking how can I save myself a few bucks -- and really examine which parts I want/need and which ones I don't.

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  25. ^^^^^^^ Exactly. All your points are excellent. Getting a machine soon.

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  26. I thought that gray with the gold stars was the most hideous of the bunch... The pink and yellow was meh, but I don't know that I would classify it as hideous.

    I am honestly excited at he prospect of that happy birthday die. I know this is a hot topic when it comes to dies vs cutting machines, but the crisp edges you get from a die just can't be replicated no matter how awesome your machine is.

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  27. 9:14 am, you are an idiot. Or you are Rick.
    You just blindly support PTI without thinking.
    Try actually reading the posts to see why the kit criticisms are legitimate and why the price should be lower.
    SMH

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  28. I thought the star one was horrible.

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  29. I like the textblock die. Her cards were not that bad. Not the best I've seen, but not ugly either.
    I'm not a fan or a uni.

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  30. 9:14 here. I guess I am an idiot because I am not Rick. I do not ever buy from PTI. Not since the 2nd ink debacle. I do not trust them. You all apparently do and want a kit that I would never buy to save a buck or two. Good luck. You are not seeing my point. I see yours. It makes some sense. But not in PTI world where the customers will do anything to get a complete set of product. Enjoy your products.

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  31. I don't want the kit. I just think that PTI are stupid for not pricing it properly. I rarely buy from PTI, maybe once a year if I can find enough that I want in to justify the shipping.
    If PTI priced the kit better, then more people would buy the whole kit. Otherwise, unless they are blind unis, they are going to pick and choose only some of the items.

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  32. Why do ALL the other companies give a price cut on kit/sets? Think about it.

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  33. because the OTHER companies don't have the slavish followers that PTI has. that is why. and why do you care? seriously. are you buying the entire kit and annoyed at not getting a buck off. because if you are you are likely a huge PTI fan. suck it up, this is how they do business. it isn't fraud. it's a price tag. does it bother you that they are not customer friendly? DUH. they aren't.

    let's go over this again.Nichole is posting on the forum NOW to get you to buy. She isn't your friend. In fact I suspect she thinks most of her customers make crap.
    The DT isn't your friend. They aren't looking at your blog and admiring your work. Rick is trying to be the friendly face because god help them he is the friendliest.

    Grow up. None of these people care about you. They aren't bad people. They are just trying to make a buck. You want the kit but want to spend less? Sorry. I want a jaguar and can't have that either.

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  34. You said it all. Capitalism at it's finest. We are not even human to them.

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  35. You know what? There are other companies that offer kits and I'm not buying them. I've bought the SSS Card Kit - but no more. It isn't that big of a savings. I bet they are making money on me. They pay wholesale, sell it to me at retail - and only part of a paper pad, plus a yard of ribbon and a few of some embellishment and a few pages of card stock. They are absolutely making a buck on my back. I'm not paying them for it any more. For $35 I can get stamps, a pack of journaling cards, and some dies that I would buy anyway. I don't care that I'm not getting a break. I'm not with any other company, either. If you think you are, you are wildly delusional. I am not a unicorn. I know what I'm doing. I know what I'm getting into. I like the product. I am going into it with my eyes open. At this point, I'm okay with that. If I get bit in the butt, I know it is my own issue. Have a good day. I'm off to make a birthday card and maybe win a $70 gift certificate. Or maybe not. But the people in their warehouse work their asses off. I'm sending them a card.

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  36. Haters say PTI doesn't care about their customers. They are giving away over $5K in prizes this month. Does that sound like a company that doesn't care?

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  37. 3:32 Kudos to you using common sense. Haters on this forum seem to lack that quality. I hope you win that gift certificate.:)

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  38. 3:32 - well said. I've never bought a kit, but it seems most of them, at least the ones that I've seen, break apart packs of things to put in the kit. Like having just a few buttons, clips, rhinestones, dots, a couple of papers taken out of a whole pad, a few feet of ribbon, etc.

    I don't want just a couple of anything - I want the whole pack! When you look at it that way, even a reduced kit price isn't really that good a deal for the customer. The makers of the kit in some instances make more profit by splitting product up for kit contents than otherwise.

    But somebody has a bee in their bonnet, so we'll continue to debate...

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  39. It's all business. Yes, they are in it to make a buck. There's no other reason. Now how you handle the business is a whole 'nother animal. I know there are some out there who think store owners are their buddies. And it's entirely naive.

    But - there are store owners who do actually like to have a good relationship with their customer. It pays off both ways.

    PTI has a PR problem because of how they've handled customer service issues in the past. That's why this blog is here. That's why a lot of people just don't trust them. It will be a long time before a lot of people let bygones be bygones.

    This discussion about the kits isn't really about the kits (except that most companies do it differently). It's about cynicism toward PTI. And people didn't just come up with that out of the blue. Personally, I think it's time to stop being quite so cynical. We all know their history. Just make the decision to give them another chance or give up on them. It's pretty simple.

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  40. Just got a pack of the Recollections 110lb weight paper. Thanks for the recommendation! $13 for 100 sheets, plus a 30% off coupon. I think it's as good as the PTI white.

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  41. I might just try out the photo scrapbooking thing. :)

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  42. 8:25- I found that paper too and agree, just as good as PTI. The white color isn't exact but the weight is and for all the $$$ it saves me I am very happy! Wish they had other colors...

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  43. ^I agree that the color is actually whiter than PTI (which is good) and the weight is comparable. I bought a pack of cream. I don't use much cream but I had a coupon. I bought the last pack of white, so folks must be discovering how good it is!

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  44. I have to have that new MFT zipper!

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  45. They must be gearing the heavyweight Recollections paper to wedding invitation makers. They had not only white, but cream, shimmer white, and shimmer silver/champagne. They also had kraft, but the color looked a bit dark to me. I will definitely buy again.

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  46. The whole point of giving a discount for a "kit" is that someone would over buy and spend more money. I've done it. If I'm not going to get a discount, I get things piece meal and that most likely means I'm getting way less than the full kit. So PTI takes a $2-3 hit per bundle, but sells more bundles. That's business 101.

    Also, to the person upstream talking about kits. We're not talking Studio Calico type kits. We're talking more like bundled or bulk purchasing, so your argument makes no sense.

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  47. That star die set is absolutely atrocious. I am highly unimpressed by everything previewed today. Blech.

    And good lord, get over the kit thing already. You think it's dumb, it's bad business, blah blah blah. Mooooooove on.

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  48. I looked at the description for the PTI monthly kit... it includes a digital calendar PDF file to print a monthly calendar card. I don't see that anywhere for "sale" so I'm guessing that's the bonus you get for buying the whole kit.

    I know though, while I will probably buy the basic die, month name die & maybe a stamp set here or there if I like it... I usually won't buy the pre-printed cards at $8 for the pad, if I'm getting the stamps (to make my own cards for the month), OR if I like the card pad, I might not be sold on getting the stamps too...

    IF they offered a $3 discount for buying the whole kit... I probably would buy the kit more often, which is $6 more than I would have spent without the discount (if I liked the stamps, but didn't buy the pre-printed card pad), and $12 more than I would have spent if I liked the pre-printed card pad but wasn't sure about the stamps.

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  49. Some of the sets today look great ... Maile would've rocked those scribbled circles!!

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  50. Why would anyone BUY those stupid circles. If you like the look, scribble them yourself!

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  51. OMG--Betsy's stuff is starting to look like Dawn's,.

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  52. Actually, they have all caught Dawn's disease it seems. It is like some of them are trying to see who can make the ugliest combination.

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  53. I think you'll see more of those awful Dawn color combos now with the new teal. Nice color but they are going to push the limits with weird combinations, I think.

    As for the scribbled circles - I thought the same thing at first. Anyone can doodle/scribble. But ... you know, it has all the advantages of a stamp: emboss, inks, identical repetition... Sure, every now and then each of us could hit on just the right effect, but it wouldn't be predictable. I know I can draw those circles - if you want to try, use your whole arm in a circular motion. But would I? Would I bother and would I get as nice of an effect? Probably not consistently.

    Honestly, I laughed at them at first but I think they could be fun to play with. I'm just finding that I'm not that good with designing with stamped elements and better with actual complete images.

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  54. I did draw them with a Versamark pen this morning and embossed them. The truth is if I sent the card, people would think it was made by a 3 year old. Really, you want a handmade card with scribbles? Get a monkey (I am not the monkey poster) to do it for you.

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  55. I don't think the ones shown today look like a 3-year-old did them.

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  56. You think they look worth the time to do?

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  57. Can someone direct me to the Cameo files that resemble these new PTI word blocks, please? I am nowhere near good enough to design my own yet.

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  58. If you search "life cards" a lot of them pop up on the Silhouette site. Of course none will be identical but they give a similar look. Here's a link to start you:
    http://www.silhouetteonlinestore.com/?page=search-designs&search_designs=true&q=life+cards

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  59. Love me my Silhouette life cards! You can get 4 for $1 and use them as many times as you like. Not sure how I lived before my Silhouette!

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  60. I hope this doesn't turn into project life blog. ;-(

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  61. I ordered a Memento Luxe pad to try- Teal Zeal. Holy moly....what an awesome ink formula!! No staining on clear stamps, at least not with that color ink. I highly recommend everyone try a pad. I can see myself ordering every color the next time I come across a sale. I have fingers crossed that Tropical Teal is a decent match although Teal Zeal seems a bit dark. I do love that new color.

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  62. Does anyone know how these compare to SU Taken With Teal? Always loved that color.

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  63. 9:38 where did you buy your memento luxe pad?

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  64. They are my favorite too and seem to be gaining in popularity.

    I got mine from 123 stitch. They have them also at Create for Less and Scrapbooking Warehouse.

    (I'm not 9:38)

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  65. Amazon has them in all colors. They are just like Fresh Ink from Impress, if you ask me.

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  66. Do they stain? I know the pp stated that the teal one she used doesn't stain, but does anybody have any input on the rest of them?

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  67. Memento Luxe's Teal Zeal doesn't look very teal according to this ink swatch. It looks more blue than teal here:
    http://www.jennifermcguireink.com/2013/07/video-ink-comparison-hero-arts-shadow-my-favorite-things-and-memento-luxe.html

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  68. Thank you for the replies. I'll wait for a sale. I have the impress inks and they will have to do.

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  69. Does anyone have any input on how much they like or dislike MFT dye inks? They are so reasonably priced!

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  70. 9:38 here. I bought my pad from Joann.com when they had all their ink pads 50% off a week or so ago. I also tried some of the Hero Arts shadow inks. I love the way they stamp BUT they did stain my stamps some. Not terribly, but staining is something that really annoys me. The solid images are slightly blotchy at first but then they really smooth out as it dries, very nice. Too bad about the staining. :(

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  71. Memento Luxe is nothing like Impress inks.

    I tried a couple of MFT pads and didn't like them at all - blotchy.

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  72. PS : Love Memento Luxe

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  73. 8:51 - "Memento Luxe is nothing like Impress inks" -

    In a good way or a bad?

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  74. Impress/Amuse/Versamagic all have a chalky finish. Memento Luxe doesn't. So it depends on what you like. I like Versamagic but I don't always want a soft chalky look.

    Memento Luxe are terrific. The pads are good and wet, raised foam, and have good coverage with nice clean stamped lines. The colors are vibrant. They even do well with fine lines and sentiments.

    10:15 suggested that they're just like Impress but I strongly disagree.

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  75. Not the poster above, but ML are diff than Fresh/Amuse/AE/ME. Personally, I prefer Fresh/Amuse/AE/ME. The ML pads are too juicy and the foam has huge pores. It makes it really squishy which does not do well when the pads are also juicy. It loads up too much ink and you get a blobby image. I haven't totally counted them out yet, but I still prefer the others for pigment and Hero Arts for dye.

    When it comes down to it, it really is how you stamp and what kind of stamps you use. There is a learning curve for each type of ink pad. People keep looking for the one-size-fits-all, holy grail of inks and it just ain't gonna happen.

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  76. Nichole seems to have delayed posts quite often! That really sucks in the middle of anniversary release time. They really need to tighten up that ship!

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  77. Seriously considering getting almost all the colors in the Memento Luxe line. Wondering what opinions there are in how quickly they would need to be re-inked. Wondering if I should also buy all the re-inkers right away so I have them or will they last a long time without needing to be re-inked?

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  78. Tried one ML and found it kind of sloppy. I agree that you get a "blobby" image.

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  79. The ML are definitely juicier than Fresh/A Muse. It just takes a much lighter touch to ink up a stamp. If you are accustomed to the smashing you have to do with Fresh/A Muse, you will make a complete mess with ML. It requires a different approach, but I can't imagine that they would have to be reinked nearly as often. I love Fresh/ A Muse and ML but they are different. ML is bolder and not chalky. And very juicy. ML gives an awesome impression and not gloppy at all if you ink it up right. It just takes some practice to learn how heavy or light your hand needs to be.

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  80. 10:27 - you wrote my post ;) ... exactly right. If you have a really juicy pad, you have to use a light touch.

    As for the delay, I think it's bizarre. The time leading up to a new release is BIG for PTI, and this is the anniversary. What in the world could go so wrong that her post wouldn't be written at least two or three days ago?

    Sometimes I think I'd be better off not looking at anything on Nichole's blog until the full reveal. If I love something and know I'll use it, then it would go in my cart. If something looks interesting but I need inspiration to know if I want to buy it, then go back and look at the posts. It seems that I often think I'm going to love something by the peeks, and then when I see the total thing there is too much that I don't like.

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  81. Nichole must live on the edge. This should have been planned 6 months ago and completely ready 2 months ago.

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  82. I've used some pigment inks before such as white from Wplus9, are the Memento Luxe more squishy than that? From watching some video review on them many people were saying how they weren't quite as juicy as MFT inks or SU! Thoughts?

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  83. MFT dye inks are by Colorbox. They are exactly like the old Vivid pads, which to me is a great thing. Stamps of Life pads are the same ones as well. The pads are like the new SU! pads in that they are the vey smooth foam pads, not the linen or canvas pads. Although they are different formluas (dye vs. pigment), I think Memento Luxe are about the same juiciness as the new SU. MFT/Colorbox are just a bit less juicy.

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  84. Nichole's creativity never ceases to amaze me. She is so inventive she creates new phrases I've never heard of before. "...so I could next the two together." Brilliant!

    That being said, I do really love those button dies, and everything she and Danielle did with them today.

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  85. JJ Bolton dissed PTI inks on her blog. Whoa. "I also don't have a link for the PTI inks. I've heard of quality issues, so I didn't want to point you down that road:)" On her chart, she has one PTI ink, Enchanted Evening. I though the quality issues were just with the pinks and red families?

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  86. Wow, new Project Life stuff and speech bubbles! PTI is certain cutting edge, lol!!!

    Why wouldn't I just buy buttons? I have to assemble them and coat them with glossy accents? Um, no. And I have to stamp scribbled circles? Um, no. Nobody I give cards to wants the scribbled circles. I've seen artsy hand drawn circles and those are not them.

    The only thing I kinda like is the new color. Too bad they don't have a good ink.

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  87. I'm guessing she probably meant that she could "nest" the two together. It was probably just a typo. The s and x keys are pretty close together. Lord knows I've made bigger mistakes. How about giving her a little bit of a break? Just a little one.

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  88. Sometimes we do sound a little bit nitpicky but you just would think by now that she'd review her posts more carefully. It's to the point of distraction sometimes.

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  89. Can you use memento luxe for copic coloring?

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  90. Yes, you can use it with alcohol markers/Copics. I honestly did not know - I always use Memento black or brown dye ink for my Spectrum Noir markers. But I was curious and I'm sitting right here so I gave it a try.

    Didn't even heat set or really wait at all for extra drying time. I used the Teal Zeal with several Copics - no smearing or dissolving at all.

    3:11, I was just thinking today how Nichole makes everything they release sound like it's the latest and greatest, trendiest, and most popular thing going right now. Well, I've been loving stripes for years now, lol. But as for the buttons - I like that they aren't just button shapes (they had an older die of buttons that was pretty standard), and frankly I don't like to keep a ton of buttons on hand. I don't have the space for it and don't like wading through a pile of them to find what's "just right." So I can see where having a small die that you can use to create exactly what you want "on demand" would be a pretty cool thing. There are a lot more options and no storage space to speak of.

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  91. While layering the button die cuts and covering them with glossy accents may be fussy and time consuming, I cannot deny that the result is really freaking cool looking. I will definitely be purchasing. Love those striped plates, too.

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  92. My glossy accents never look that even, smooth, and perfect. What am I doing wrong?

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  93. Thanks for your ink reply 8:53.

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