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Oh my....we need to start a thread for card makers or better yet....paper crafters anonymous...although the support would be to keep on buyin'....! LOL!!
...(Me too...) Just got a NICE stampin' up order....
kg
Manual Die advantages -- the result is a more finished edge -- often rounded down. Looks nicer (but I often get a dirty mark if I don't use wax paper). And some, like Spellbinders, produces the beautiful embossed edge. Faster if you only want one image.
disadvantages -- money, storage, limited to size of die, time consuming if you want multiples of one image.
Sihouette -- LOVE this machine. I can make multiples of tags, change the size and shape of any image, make my own images, cut out any size letters in any font I have, make words, make any shaped card, etc. I just LOVE this machine. The best money I've spend on papercrafting in a very long time.
However, it isn't perfect -- no machine is. It can be wonky, sometimes the cuts are not clean and there is the cost of blades and mats. Nothing is free.
It's personal preference. I don't see myself buying a lot of dies in the future.
I was going back and was reading these post and really like your fair honest review!
I totally agree about how some of the dies are just the best for the edges!! I think of Spellbinders sealing the edge nice! haha
I bought a used Cricut Create and absolutly love it!! But also agree that I think no matter which machine you go with, your going to experience at times a rough edge or something because you don't get blade setting or pressure just right for type of paper or card stock being used. I would love a have a Silhouette too if I can find a good deal on a used one. Let me know if anybody has a good working one they want to sell.
As far as the Cricut cartridges taking up space(other comments above)...that's only because the collectors want them. ;) I have found out quickly there are only a few cartridges that are needed to really have a huge selection of patterns. So if I end up buying anymore than those it's my own fault for lacking self control. haha I really love what I have and can use it along with my stamping and other projects.
Oh my....we need to start a thread for card makers or better yet....paper crafters anonymous...although the support would be to keep on buyin'....! LOL!!
...(Me too...) Just got a NICE stampin' up order....
kg
I was going back and was reading these post and really like your fair honest review!
I totally agree about how some of the dies are just the best for the edges!! I think of Spellbinders sealing the edge nice! haha
I bought a used Cricut Create and absolutly love it!! But also agree that I think no matter which machine you go with, your going to experience at times a rough edge or something because you don't get blade setting or pressure just right for type of paper or card stock being used. I would love a have a Silhouette too if I can find a good deal on a used one. Let me know if anybody has a good working one they want to sell.
As far as the Cricut cartridges taking up space(other comments above)...that's only because the collectors want them. ;) I have found out quickly there are only a few cartridges that are needed to really have a huge selection of patterns. So if I end up buying anymore than those it's my own fault for lacking self control. haha I really love what I have and can use it along with my stamping and other projects.
Paige, I had to laugh when I read your reply about self control. If that is the case, then my Cricut friends are ALL addicts....LOL. I use the Pazzles Inspiration and Martha Stewart punches....depending on circumstances at crops. Sometimes, there is room form my machine while at other times, there isn't...and so I use the punches. When I got my cutting machine, I didn't throw the babies (punches) out with the bath water. As a result, I have been redoing my craftroom to make room for MY addictions...papercrafting, sewing, knitting, and painting...an all purpose room full of addictions! :cool:
That sounds like a dream come true. To have everything in one room........ oh!
My sewing room is in my sons old bedroom. It's packed. I have 11 sewing machine, 3 sergers and an embroidery machine. Not to mention the fabric.
My paper crafting is in my daughters old bedroom. It has more space than my sewing room, but it also houses my yarns, more fabric and then of course all the desk space for paper crafting.
My tarot deck collection is in my enormous hutch in my dining room. Also there is a large assortment of tarot related books..... plus of course the dining room table.
Finally my piano, keyboard, 3 guitars, Irish whistles, zither and stacks of sheet music are in my "living room". Plus one of my daughters cellos. No tv's. All music.
It would be wonderful to at least combine my sewing and paper crafting together in one room
On topic of the original post - I haven't bought a die or a punch since I got my Cricuts. I still have all the one's I've bought - but I really don't use them. And I don't even glance at them in the stores anymore. I love my Cricuts. But I need to get faster at using them. The Gypsy does a pretty good job, and I love Cricut Craft Room - but I can waste alot of time just browsing through the handbooks to pick a design. That never happened when I was using Nesties. I knew what I had, and I grabbed it.
__________________ A good dog, a sewing machine, and an old guitar......
Paige, I had to laugh when I read your reply about self control. If that is the case, then my Cricut friends are ALL addicts....LOL. I use the Pazzles Inspiration and Martha Stewart punches....depending on circumstances at crops. Sometimes, there is room form my machine while at other times, there isn't...and so I use the punches. When I got my cutting machine, I didn't throw the babies (punches) out with the bath water. As a result, I have been redoing my craftroom to make room for MY addictions...papercrafting, sewing, knitting, and painting...an all purpose room full of addictions! :cool:
Me too! I love everything!! I really can not part with anything I have.That's why I TRY to use self control with things. Sometimes I succeed, sometimes I don't. :? I just make sure I use it and then I do not feel guilty! ;)
My patient husband smiled one day and said are these the new room decorations pointing to my Cricut and Babylock sewing machine stored on top of the file cabinet. lol
Uh huh with a smile
Paige, I had to laugh when I read your reply about self control. If that is the case, then my Cricut friends are ALL addicts....LOL. I use the Pazzles Inspiration and Martha Stewart punches....depending on circumstances at crops. Sometimes, there is room form my machine while at other times, there isn't...and so I use the punches. When I got my cutting machine, I didn't throw the babies (punches) out with the bath water. As a result, I have been redoing my craftroom to make room for MY addictions...papercrafting, sewing, knitting, and painting...an all purpose room full of addictions! :cool:
Your not a real Cricut user if your not an addict, ROFL! Your not a real Martha Stewart punch user if your not an addict, lol. You know, I have one of the Martha Stewart cake cartridges, lol. I prefer her punches. It's that clean edge thing. I adore her punches.
Disclaimer- I am teasing Cricut girls. I know a lot of Cricut girls who only own five cartridges and make stunning things. I know girls who own all three hundred and hardly use the cartridges.
I own a lot of cartridges but I have been collecting seven years. I use my Cricut differently than most Cricut users. Hence big cartridge collection because it was a need in my arsenal toolbox. My friends RPG so I take my Cricut with me and make the displays. I make Jolees' embellishments. I make other embellishments, Kawaii artwork, Mixed Media, etc....
I have a friend who scrapbooks and she has three cartridges and her creations are just WOW! She would find it silly to own a Hello Kitty cartridge when all she does is titles. She uses DS and manipulates her designs when she wants something custom.
I love collections. I love my art studio. My DH & I are buying a home soon and the first remodel project will be a greenhouse. We collect plants.
Paige- Jealous of your Tarot collection. I love to see it. I have a Brian Froud set. Did you see the Jasmine Beckett Griffith set? It's at Barnes & Noble.
Your not a real Cricut user if your not an addict, ROFL! Your not a real Martha Stewart punch user if your not an addict, lol. You know, I have one of the Martha Stewart cake cartridges, lol. I prefer her punches. It's that clean edge thing. I adore her punches.
Disclaimer- I am teasing Cricut girls. I know a lot of Cricut girls who only own five cartridges and make stunning things. I know girls who own all three hundred and hardly use the cartridges.
I own a lot of cartridges but I have been collecting seven years. I use my Cricut differently than most Cricut users. Hence big cartridge collection because it was a need in my arsenal toolbox. My friends RPG so I take my Cricut with me and make the displays. I make Jolees' embellishments. I make other embellishments, Kawaii artwork, Mixed Media, etc....
I have a friend who scrapbooks and she has three cartridges and her creations are just WOW! She would find it silly to own a Hello Kitty cartridge when all she does is titles. She uses DS and manipulates her designs when she wants something custom.
I love collections. I love my art studio. My DH & I are buying a home soon and the first remodel project will be a greenhouse. We collect plants.
Paige- Jealous of your Tarot collection. I love to see it. I have a Brian Froud set. Did you see the Jasmine Beckett Griffith set? It's at Barnes & Noble.
Hi
That was sewnmachine with the T cards. Not to step on anybodys toes but I stay away from that kind of thing.
There are so many beautiful cartridges you can't blame a person for wanting them! I was mostly saying that if a person is hung up on the cartridge purchasing, only a few really are needed.
You really had my attention with the M.S. punches! I was almost at a ban situation with them. haha A few friends of mine were experiencing theirs going dull before other punches would(even with foil or wax paper)so I feared investing in them for myself. I was an EK and Fiskars fan and then found out EK also makes the M.S punches! I don't know if EK slacks in the design change between the 2 or if maybe they really have improved. So anyway, I have been thinking lately maybe I should give them a try because I think they are beautiful.
Hi
That was sewnmachine with the T cards. Not to step on anybodys toes but I stay away from that kind of thing.
There are so many beautiful cartridges you can't blame a person for wanting them! I was mostly saying that if a person is hung up on the cartridge purchasing, only a few really are needed.
You really had my attention with the M.S. punches! I was almost at a ban situation with them. haha A few friends of mine were experiencing theirs going dull before other punches would(even with foil or wax paper)so I feared investing in them for myself. I was an EK and Fiskars fan and then found out EK also makes the M.S punches! I don't know if EK slacks in the design change between the 2 or if maybe they really have improved. So anyway, I have been thinking lately maybe I should give them a try because I think they are beautiful.
Oh sewn I am sorry. I want to see your Tarot collection. I know how to read. I was really sick. When I am sick I don't know how to read.
MS Punches- I loves them. I don't have a huge collection like some of my friends. I have quite a few.
My DH & I were talking about punches the other day. Actually we were talking about how nice Tim Holtz stuff is made and then we went to punches.
My favorite punch lines hands down are Stampin Up & Martha Stewart. Both are made my EK Success. The punches are well made, can do heavy duty work. Heavy duty is a must when I buy tools. I am very frugal. This is where spending more money is better than hitting the cheaper route.
I have some EK Success punches. I don't like their border punches. I think they are made flimsy. The metal seems flimsy. I do have some regular hand punches. The hand punches are better made but the quality is still not up to par like SU & MS.
Fiskars- Forget it! Most horrible punches I have ever owned. I have a few Fiskars punches but no borders.
I have donated a lot of punches or gave them away due to bad quality. The punch shatters on me. I had a lovely Fiskars border punch that shattered on me, shot a spring in my eye and cut open my finger. I was cutting vellum. Vellum? Seriously? A punch breaks on vellum.
i am still on the fence with an electronic/computerized cutter. i was at a craft show last weekend and a booth had old doors, some with new/distressed paint. but they all had quotes across them in vinyl letters. for the cost of one door, i could buy a $300 cutter and do it myself. which one does long strings of words (maybe not the whole phrase, but not just one letter at a time), manipulates the size, etc. best. not a cartridge system. and will i always need my laptop on my computer table. i've never seen one up close and personal in use. i have tons of questions and watch this forum for discussion on them all the time.
i am still on the fence with an electronic/computerized cutter. i was at a craft show last weekend and a booth had old doors, some with new/distressed paint. but they all had quotes across them in vinyl letters. for the cost of one door, i could buy a $300 cutter and do it myself. which one does long strings of words (maybe not the whole phrase, but not just one letter at a time), manipulates the size, etc. best. not a cartridge system. and will i always need my laptop on my computer table. i've never seen one up close and personal in use. i have tons of questions and watch this forum for discussion on them all the time.
ecraft by Craftwell has attachment on back of machine that will hold a roll allowing for a continuous cut. And since machine doesn't use a mat so you can continue without having to change the mat.
The Cricut of course does use cartridges, but they do have the 12x24 mat allowing larger cuts. I really like my cricut a lot! I just made a card with words (smaller scale) and I thought it did a really good job. I just posted a picture of it. Everything was cut using my Cricut. paigewithpanache.blogspot.com
I have a Cricut Imagine. It was a wonderful gift from my hubby. He thought the more expensive Cricut would be the better one. I actually wanted a Cricut Expression. But you never kick a gift horse in the mouth especially when DH thought it would be exactly what I wanted. I like my Imagine, but it is a little tricky to operate perfectly. I have more fun with it when I scrapbook. I like big letters on my scrapbook pages. I like different fonts too. I also love that I can update my Cricut at Cricut.com and get cool new features. I also like Cricut Craftroom.com and link my Cricut to the online craftroom and design away! That being said, I don't use the Cricut that much for my cards. It can help make a bunch of one design for mass productions such as Christmas cards. They have such cute Christmas designs. For my cards, I love my stamps, punches, tools and papers. Textures are so fun on cards. Spellbinders are my favorite dies for cards. Maybe it's the sizes, but they work so well with card making. I budget my stuff too, so I don't have every Spellbinder I really want, so maybe for Christmas I'll ask for some specific Spellbinders and some specific Cricut cartridges. I just have fun with both!!
I have a Cricut Imagine. It was a wonderful gift from my hubby. He thought the more expensive Cricut would be the better one. I actually wanted a Cricut Expression. But you never kick a gift horse in the mouth especially when DH thought it would be exactly what I wanted. I like my Imagine, but it is a little tricky to operate perfectly. I have more fun with it when I scrapbook. I like big letters on my scrapbook pages. I like different fonts too. I also love that I can update my Cricut at Cricut.com and get cool new features. I also like Cricut Craftroom.com and link my Cricut to the online craftroom and design away! That being said, I don't use the Cricut that much for my cards. It can help make a bunch of one design for mass productions such as Christmas cards. They have such cute Christmas designs. For my cards, I love my stamps, punches, tools and papers. Textures are so fun on cards. Spellbinders are my favorite dies for cards. Maybe it's the sizes, but they work so well with card making. I budget my stuff too, so I don't have every Spellbinder I really want, so maybe for Christmas I'll ask for some specific Spellbinders and some specific Cricut cartridges. I just have fun with both!!
Hi Gillian, Your almost a neighbor! About 21/2 hours away. Have a doctors appointment soon and plan for the Spag. Factory ( a pre 50th anniversary with my parents Any good LSS there? (If I can convince family for a pit stop)
i am still on the fence with an electronic/computerized cutter. i was at a craft show last weekend and a booth had old doors, some with new/distressed paint. but they all had quotes across them in vinyl letters. for the cost of one door, i could buy a $300 cutter and do it myself. which one does long strings of words (maybe not the whole phrase, but not just one letter at a time), manipulates the size, etc. best. not a cartridge system. and will i always need my laptop on my computer table. i've never seen one up close and personal in use. i have tons of questions and watch this forum for discussion on them all the time.
Most of the cutters on the market will do what you want. Silhouette Cameo is made for a constant feed. I have friends who use vinyl without a mat and some of their fabrics. I know the Cameo has tutorials how to do this.
I have a lot of posts on die cutters. If you do a search for your choice die cutter and my screen name in the advanced search box you can find a lot of my posts.
I am going to be backing away from discussing die cutters. I know some of you are celebrating, lol. I answer about three hundred questions per week on various forums, e-mail and private PM's on die cutters. I have lupus and it's been flaring up worse than ever. I have been really sick lately. I am taking a break from a few things to get lots of rest.
where would i go to see them in person? our local craft stores have very limited knowledge. i am 90 minutes to chicago, are there bigger places in the city that would carry them and have knowledge of them? its too big an investment for me to buy sight unseen.
DeeAnn- I can completely relate because I too have Lupus among other problems. We were worried for a while I also had M.S, but finally ruled that out but have a lot of the same symptoms. Haven't been doing well either. Hang in there.
Lori- I am at the opposite end of State from you and have the same problem. :( I would have loved to have been able to (try out) a machine so I would know better which one to go with for my needs. Gale is right, there are fantastic videos to watch that are very helpful, but I ended up getting frustrated because of so much back and forth opinions, and basically , threw my hands up and just bought a used Cricut Create online and thankfully it has been great! I would still like to get a print and cut machine though. I probably will eventually. But I have no complaints with myCricut so far.
they all arent print and cut? geez. i am afraid if the learning curve just to buy one is this steep, i'll never be able to actually figure it out. it will make a mighty expensive paper weight!
No, they aren't. The print & cut machines have some method of registering where it is to cut on the page. I have a CraftRobo and it uses an "optical eye" to read where the registration marks are and then it knows where to cut in relation to those registration marks. There are ways to get around it though. There are youtube videos showing how to do it with a Pazzles machine (one that doesn't have the optical eye). You could follow the same process for any machine that doesn't print & cut. I was almost going to resort to this method because Silhouette Studio just can't seem to line up the cut with the printed image. I've since sorted it out and won't have to go this route.
DeeAnn-I'm sorry your lupus is flaring up. :( You've always been very helpful and I think everyone here will miss your posts until you're feeling better.
Gale- Thank you so much for the kind words. I will still be around. I am just taking a break from die cutter talk. I just can't take doing 300 PM's a week on die cutters, lol. It's really tiring.
I have a Pazzles. Love it for rhinestones and vinyl. I do use it for die cuts but its not my preference. I had an expressions before that...
I have a grand calibur. I love how it cuts and embossed. Is simple and quick. The expressions or the Pazzles is to much work when I am busy, wanting to just create a card....I like the hands on and the "instant gratification" I guess. it pisses me off on an electronic die cutter, when it does not cut perfect or I have to spend time because they all don't "punch out".
This weekend my aunt bought a vintage sizzix. And a friend brought over the cutest dies...what impressed me was I wanted the cuts out of chipboard...my grand calibur won't do it....my Pazzles is a pain. At least 4-5 passes.....this was sooooo simple. my aunt thought it would be 8.5 wide, but I think it was 6" wide...I did some research and it appears the sizzix has a cutter that is wider than my grand calibur...so here is the question, which sizzix should I get, I really don't think I would cut anything that big, but I could sell the grand calibur keep the dies and go with the sizzix, IF it will cut all dies! The grand calibur will not do the thick sizzix dies...her machine only took a few winds, my grand calibur works you to death.....what's your suggestions? What would I need to cut my spellbinders dies on the sizzix?
I agree with the last three posters- IF you have the money, and IF you have a place to set it out & leave it, go with the Pro. It will cut/emboss anything you throw at it. You can emboss 4 'normal' sized cuttlebug folders at once, equally, you can get 3 or 4 dies of the same thickness on it at once. It is 24" wide including the handle, and you need around 30" in length to allow you to pull the tray towards you to put dies on etc. And it is REALLY heavy, so you do not want to be moving it around.You can get a Big Shot Pro adapter kit, that includes other plates, shims etc, so with that and what comes with it, you can do anything. I went with mine because I got fed up with dies etc coming out that were getting bigger & bigger. I figured that nothing any bigger than this can handle will be either be available commercially, or I would actually want to use!lol.
I'm sure you will get a million and one answers to this query. My "vote" is for the Big Shot. It will use any die cut from any company up to 6" wide. I'm sure I'm not the first one to figure out that I can use some of the Spellbinders Grands. Some of them do not exceed the 6" mark. I am so, so happy with my Big Shot! I absolutely love it and it is small enough that I don't mind carrying it to different locations. Good luck deciding!
I adore my Big Shot, but I am currently waiting for my Ebosser. The Big Shot does everything I want and is a tough machine, but I have difficulty with even the few turns it takes to cut. I am only 50, but my hands have taken a beating. I have to do whatever I can to keep crafting (or lose my sanity LOL), and this looks like it will fit the bill. I will keep my Big Shot out and don't imagine I won't use it.
I started out with a Quickutz Revolution which is a 4" wide cutter and was pretty impressed with it at the time! I quickly outgrew it though and it sits in it's case.
In past posts I already expressed how much I love my Cuttlebug and it cuts and embosses everything beautifully and so portable. Very happy with it. I saw the video on the Ebosser and it does look like a great machine. Wish it didn't have the price tag tough that it has . :/
Tell us how you like it after you get it.
Do can one buy silhouette dies that match the spellbinder nesties etc??
The Silhouette store has some cut files that are similar to Spellbinders, but , but not elaborate like them. I still use my Spellbinder dies and no doubt always will. I love the embossed effect that I get with Spellbinders and that is not possible with cut files. I am sure I will continue to buy Spellbinders.
What I have stopped buying are the flat dies from other companies . I can find those in the Silhouette store. The plus with cut files is they can be resized to any size I need.
This is my first electronic cutter and I think it is an additional tool but not a replacement for ALL dies
__________________ "I have not failed . I've just found 10,000 ways that won't work" --Thomas A. Edison
I have a both a Bigshot and a Cuttlebug. Love the thick dies the big shot handles...and find I use both machines a lot for cutting and embossing. Only do cards...no scrapbooking... So don't really need anything wider and felt I made a good decision when I bought the Bigshot last summer to add to my "tools" Also I have a cricuit but find it is too much of a hassle to set up, and not always happy with the results. Don't have a room where I can leave things out...which could be part of THAT problem.
Now that I've finally seen the Silhouette in action live, I have major envy. My Cricut doesn't even come remotely close to the intricate cuts I've seen this machine do. I'm saving my money for this baby and will sell my Cricut when the time comes. I'm lucky enough to have SCAL2 so I can cut SVG files on it but not the super duper intricate ones.
__________________ Leslie Harnish
Sambro, Nova Scotia
Canada
I had a lot of manual dies...I really liked using them but they took up so much space. Plus they were expensive. I also had a Cricut and a ton of cartridges. I have since sold most of manual dies...kept a few loved/universal ones and sold my Cricut stuff. I bought a Cameo a few months back....I LOVE IT !!!!
So part with some of your dies...you will be surprised how much money you can earn selling supplies you don't need. then buy your machine of choice.
I started with a Quickutz pink Squeeze - yeah. Punches followed and finally a Big Shot [now naturally, my eye's on a Big SHot Pro] And through the years I've watched from the sidelines hoping one electronic machine would emerge as the ultimate winner - but everyone I talk to has plus/minuses about each brand of electronic machines. . . so it seems I am no further ahead on that.
BUT...you know how you watch those public television channels that feature old school techniques of some craft? I have the sneaky suspicion that I will treasure my old manual machines and my " vintage " dies one day - playing with them like the old wizened craftswomen I'll have become!
They may have convinced me to buy an electronic machine but I feel they'll become outdated like my all my old hard drives and fat tvs whereas my manual machines will just get better looking with age.
I've already purchased my back-ups. Guess I'd better buy more cutting plates.
On a more serious side - I DO love the fact that I can take my Big SHot easily to workshops I provide for young teens and elderly - they love the feeling cranking out those dies the first time! So I guess I'll always love the hands-on machine style!
