This year everyone knows exactly what's in it. There are no surprises. Everything was pretty much previewed on Anna's site and HSN leading up to the sale. Things made in the classes might be a little different than the examples that were shown. This is the first year there was absolutely nothing hidden. You saw every single thing in each class during the previews. So I don't think I have to guard any secrets here - - - you might as well show it all anyway now. I've made several of these tags so far. They are all gorgeous! So I forged ahead!
In fact if you do a little search on YouTube you can find Create 8 box openings and see it all! If you get your box it really doesn't take away the thrill of opening and going through your own stuff. I love to look at what's in the box every year so I appreciate the previews that are done by a few gals beforehand.
How I plan to stay organized is to stand all my packets upright in one box and put things I make into the other box. As the packets get used up, I will move everything out to my drawers and storage that I've already got organized. After Create 8 my dies will get moved out into my die storage bins and so on. The boxes store all my finished projects. I do not shrine it off and try to keep the memory pristine. I use it up! I will strip the tags off the 12" x 12" see-through folders and reuse them too.
Classes I will love the most: I loved those tags. I didn't think I would use them on presents to just let people throw them away after they opened their presents but... I changed my mind. I'm going to make them reusable and tell everyone not to throw them away.
I knew I would love making the album dies and I did! I've made several types of albums over the years and these are really quick to put together.
I also loved the diorama pack. Didn't think I would like it as much as I do but I love the way the boxes come together. You could even put some little things in there if you wanted to make a present and card all rolled into one.
And I loved the ornaments. They are so much fun to make and decorate. I can see me making a dozen or so of these and wouldn't they make cute little gifts too?:
The Class I liked the least: I could not see making those huge chargers to let people drip food on them AND I just can't use up all that beautiful gold paper on something like those. I'm not crazy about the printed paper in the pack (paisley is my least favorite print) or the feather dies either. I just think they are too big to be pretty. My least favorite pack was the large feather dies. I did make one charger but I'm going to use it for a centerpiece and save the massive gold paper pack for other uses. I used a prettier blue paper for the background feather layer and metallic paint on my single feathers.
These dies are impression dies. They can be inked and imprinted. But pigment ink does not work well on metallic paper. It puddles and splotches so I used acrylic metallic paint like a rub n buff on my single gold feathers after I cut them out. I did not put paint on my dies. It's your stuff, you can do what you want with it.
And I never warmed up to the decorative edge dies. I just don't care for them. I don't have any decorative edge dies because I've never liked them enough to buy them. I don't know why I don't like them. I tried to love them, really I did - but I just don't. And that's O.K. Maybe I will like them better in the class.
The class packets that were also good.. - The birthday cards are pretty but honestly there are prettier die sets and I have one prettier than this one. But it didn't keep me from making several cards before the class ever rolled around. They are pretty but not sure I want 12 of these anyway.
I was a member of the finishing school for a while and she showed how to cut out cards to make several at once by mixing and matching the pieces and cutting every other die from the centers of the pieces that would have been covered up anyway - and do it in one pass so it's quicker. So you got more out of your paper.
She did it with the Oblong 3D Layer Concentric Dies and it can be applied to other dies like the Birthday dies. I was paying attention in those classes. That's how you can make 12 cards in 90 minutes I'm guessing. It will be fun to find out if I'm right about that class. But at any rate, you can't have too many Birthday cards on hand and these were very pretty so I went ahead. I saved some for the class.
I liked the rectangle kirigami dies but I ruined a few papers because my die would not cut all the way through with the metal shim and magnet mat alone. I finally figured out that I had to add a piece of card. Once through, if it doesn't cut, you cannot easily match it up for a second pass so you need to test first to get it right. I loved making these but they practically shredded my magnetic mat and it was almost new. I didn't like the big stickers going through the cuts to the paper underneath so I cut mine into strips and put them around the edge. The smaller kirigami dies give you enough room around the edges. These don't. You're suppose to stick them into the cuts.
Folding Screens. I liked the looks of these but I do not care for the black printed noir paper. It's just too dark for my taste and it reminds me of the 80's print dresses. Nuh Uh... I can't think that I'll ever use all that paper up. I will use other paper for the screens and may make a few more some day. I wasn't really into them all that much although I did enjoy working with the vellum see through for the middle screen and I think they are gorgeous with pastel papers. Maybe the class can turn me around on those. We'll see.
The instructions are pretty clear and they were not hard to figure out.
The Swag Bag was off the hook. Everything else was in that bag. Bows, envelope liners, tape and sticky foam, extra cutouts, extra flowers, stickers and metallic papers. BUT... I needed just a few more little things. I cut out some birds, butterflies, cats and dogs, corners and anything else I thought my cards would like on them to personalize them. I also made a bunch of large bows.
You don't have to do all that unless you want to. You have everything you need to make a big bunch of beautiful stuff right out of the box. I got my boxes about three weeks before Create 8 and I'm going to make it last until Christmas if I can. Can't wait for the classes to start! Literally - I can't wait so - I didn't wait! I have at least one of everything made before Create 8 even starts!
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