OK, my Ultimate Crafter's Companion arrived the other day. Last night I made some time to sit and play with it. I cannot believe how user friendly it is! I was really enjoying using it, even with no previous experience and very little clue what I was doing initially!
At first I was confused as to what this thing was when I saw it advertised in a paper crafting magazine I enjoy. So, I'll explain it to you all the best way I can in case you're wondering as well. It is mainly a series of flat boards, all put together in a great tote style way, with a few tools stored inside as well. It has lots of lines on it, and shapes as well. There are different purposes for different areas of the box, all clearly labeled! One is with measurements for envelopes, and enveloboxes, which are envelopes, with added depth to fit larger, fancier cards that have more dimension! Another is for box making. Another is for card making, with easy labels to help when using different paper sizes and different folds and styles of cards! All over the board are different embossing shapes, some are corners, perfect for decorating envelope flaps, some are perfectly designed to be symetrical and easy to use for creating pop out and k cards. Stored inside are the tools, including pegs that go on the outside of the box to help you tie perfect bows, a paper trimmer that fits right into the center of the board, and the multi purpose tools that work for scoring and embossing, and getting a perfect crease in your work!
This even came with a VERY detailed DVD that walks you step by step through some really neat, fancy cards. I am so thrilled that I purchased this and so excited with all the possibilities it provides! Even my husband was pretty impressed when he saw me watching part of the DVD. The ideas she gives are real treasures.
Anyways, so that's what it is! It does all the measuring for you and gives you a great work surface and makes things easy to line up and make perfect! I spent very little time playigng with it, and I made a pretty little gate fold card with a coordinating envelope, and I also tried my hand at a pop out card, which came out pretty well. I used pretty crappy paper for it, so I'm not sure what I'll do with it, but I was mainly experimenting.
I am thrilled with the simple gate fold card I made! It was so simple! I think this fold really shows off the pretty paper that I chose to use. I added 3 simple stickers and I was done! I could do a lot more embellishing on it, but this is one of those things that I truly think looks better done simply. The pattern of the cardstock is so gorgeous I hate to detract from it by going too crazy decorating, which I find easy to do! I did do a touch of super simple embossing on the envelope. I couldn't resist! I wanted to try out the corner embossing designs.
So, for anyone who is interested in handmade greetings I highly recommend this product! I am so excited about it! I am hoping to spend some time making a bunch of cards very soon! My sister in law is due with her second child, a little girl, in November and I can't wait to do something really fancy and fun for a baby card! I found some super cute metal charms online I'd like to order and include somehow.
