Word Is Out....

Okay, so much for trying to keep this quiet! I'm way too excited to keep it to myself any ways! I BOUGHT a vinyl lettering machine! And judging by how everyone's face lights up at the news, I am pretty sure I have friends who will enjoy that I have a machine, too!

First, let me say if you want lettering, you are all going to be victims of my insistance on professional-quality products. LOL! I can't stand crappy things that don't work. I have ordered top of the line MATTE vinyl intended for home decor use. I have also ordered premier quality glossy vinyl that is intended for outdoor use (for applying on doors, windows & vehicles) and will hold up to rugged indoor use. These are the exact same vinyls that UppercaseLiving, Wonderful Graffiti and Pottery Barn Kids use in their designs!

In addition to high quality vinyl, I have purchased the most reliable application tapes on the market so your walls won't be ruined like mine were. In 2006, when I knew nothing about vinyl, I ordered some lettering online at the "usual" price. I was thrilled with the lettering until we tried to apply it to our eggshell finished walls. It was a nightmare to apply (about ONE HOUR of rubbing per foot) and while it did eventually make it onto what was left of the wall after the tape ripped it up, the letters are peeling off less than 15 months after being applied. I didn't know that the vinyl and application tape were economy grade, which is why the price was so cheap and why we had such difficulty. MY tape is suitable for eggshell walls - no paint removal as you peel it away. (Cheap vinyl works just fine on satin walls, mirrors and tiles, which is why everyone still uses it. If you're like me and you adore eggshell paint and want vinyl wall quotes, you have to use the good stuff!) On a side note, the tape is also humidity resistant, meaning you can store your lettering for up to a year in Houston and it will go on as easily as the day it was cut. (Or you can apply it to your front door in August without any adhesive failure! LOL!)

So you know, this adds up to my supplies being 2-3 times more expensive than the vinyl most other people use. And that doesn't include my design time. (At least you wouldn't have to pay shipping!) I am NOT starting a vinyl business and I don't ship. This is just another one of my many craft hobbies. But since I bought the machine, all the tools & supplies and several of the most gorgeous fonts I've ever seen, I'd like to recoup a bit of that money and fund another order so I can buy more vinyl colors. The machine won't be delivered until the end of the week and I'll need time to install the software, design the flourished quotes in photoshop and figure out how it all works. But once I have the hang of it, I'll be looking to do some short-term sales. Who's interested?

P.S. In case you were wondering, I have played around with applying and removing several samples from my own walls. The vinyl I bought comes off even the thinnest coats of builder-applied eggshell paint very, very easily with the help of a hairdryer on low. It took me about 10 seconds to get the sample letter off and left ZERO residue or damage! LOVE it!