Splitcoaststampers.com - the world's #1 papercrafting community
You're currently viewing Splitcoaststampers as a GUEST. We pride ourselves on being great hosts, but guests have limited access to some of our incredible artwork, our lively forums and other super cool features of the site! You can join our incredible papercrafting community at NO COST. So what are you waiting for?
I haven't purchased new embossing folders for my Big Shot in a few years and notice that there are a number of third party manufacturers offering them these days. I'm wondering if they are as effective as the original Cricut versions. Darice and Kaisercraft are brands in particular that I'm coming across frequently. Can anyone comment on the quality of these non-Cricut brands? Thanks!
Darice embossing folders work great. I've never used Kaiserkraft so can't comment on them. Other brands that work great that I have are: Couture Creations, Craft Concepts [I get these from CreativePlayStamps.com], Taylored Expressions, Lifestyle Crafts and WeRMemory Keepers and Sizzix. The Sizzix embossing folders sometimes cut through so I use two pieces of card stock on these.
Size is the biggest difference I see. Some don't fill the entire card front. Others are too big for A2 when they appear to be an A2 size folder and some have a short front or uneven margins/borders and must be trimmed for layering. Most emboss well. I sometimes think many of these products are made by designers who are not card makers. I make a sample of each new folder I buy and add notes of any differences I need to pay attention to when designing a card.
I have neverrr used an embossing folder of any brand that wasn't as good as any othe.. There are so many brands and the cheaper brands seem to work as well as thee pricier brands.
I have used kaisercraft embossing folders and they definitely work as good as darice which i have also used though i have a cut n boss machine (no idea if the type of machine you have makes a difference) I did watch a video which had a suggestion on how to stop the folders cutting the cardstock it might have been to run it through a couple of times with really thick like 250gsm (dont quote me but i think its around 100 pound) cardstock or soemthing like that it just blunts it down.
The folders that came with my machine made by crafters companion also did the same thing and it was on 200 gsm cardstock which is reasonably thick cardstock but definitely not the heaviest. I thought id done something wrong as these came with the machine but then i saw that video and thought oh i didnt!!! LOL
to be honest i cant recall exactly what they said to fix it but i think its what I said above.
one thing as i mentioned in another post is that cos i am from australia and US A2 size isnt our standard card size but our card size is slightly taller and slighter narrower than that so it makes it really hard when the folders dont match our cardstock but if they are not even matching your cards then that is definitely a worry.
if they have both the A2 and the 5 x 7 inch size i tend to buy the bigger size to give me a choice of both sizes
if any of you are also from australia i tend to make the embossing a matt rather than emboss directly onto the card front itself and just stick it on with double sided tape that way the difference between US A2 (51/2 x 41/4 inch) compared to Australian A6 which is our standard card size (approx 6 x 4 inch) doesnt matter.
I will be much happier once i get the card creations matting basics sets because then i will be able to cut these matts with a die cos quite honestly all of my cutting is not the most straightest!!!
other than the size difference between our paper and yours i have noticed much difference in folders
What I had a major problem with was spellbinders imbossibilities-someone gave me sone. They are ultra thin (I have plastic stencils that are thicker) metal cut outs that look like stencils to me, but you are supposed to be able to emboss with them. I may have the sandwich wrong but they barely make an impression so I just kept them now as stencils.
I really like the new 3D effects ones from spellbinders though-these are traditional plastic kind. Very detailed and high rise. So there you go-2 products, one company. Could not be more different imho.
I can also vouch for Tim Holtz/Sizzix folders, Darice, Craft Concepts, Couture Creations, Cuttlebug, Crafters Companion and in fact I've never yet bought any folder I've had a problem with. I use them all in either my BS Pro, or Cuttlebug.
Are the spellbinders mbossibilities the stencil type are they meant to be embossed just like you use a stencil to emboss? The sandwich would be different with different machines. But for my machine i have to use a rubber embossing mat over the top it took a bit of fiddling to get it to work i actually had to use cardstock to create a shim the right thickness but i did get it to work
Ive never used them but thought i would suggest this to try?
I was actually looking at some to get with my grant money
No, they are an embossing folder just like the rest, but depending which way you fold it, there is a different pattern. Thats why they're so much thicker- effectively 2 folders in one. But yes, you are right, they do require a different sandwich set up, due to that extra thickness. My advice with trying out new sandwiches is always start with one thin enough to roll straight through, then start shimming. When you get an acceptable emboss, see if you can switch out any plates for maybe a thicker one and less shims.
I've not come across a 'bad' folder yet. Some make a much deeper impression, so you have to be aware of the thickness of card.you use in them.
As.for strange sizes, you have to remember that both american and european companies make them and they make them to fit the card sizes in their area.
US A2 cards are.4.25" x 5.5" whereas the equivalent in europe is about 4.125" x 5.75". 6x6 cards are also popular in europe.
I think that may be because we can send square cards without incurring any extra postage. I think I remember reading on a thread here somewhere that in the US, you get charged extra for square?
Most common sizes over here are DL- which is a card folded to a third of an A4 sheet, or 8.3 x 3.7".
A5,8.3x5.8".( Folded A4).
A6, 5.8x4.1"(Folded half A4, or A5.)
These are the front size, after they've been folded.
After that, the square ones, everything from 4x4" to 8x8" are popular.
We R Memory Keepers' Next Level embossing folders are deeper embossing for a more 3D look that is very cool.
I love these folders One of the few "new" items that I buy without waiting for them to go on sale somewhere. The dimension on them is really something.
Spellbinders did have some embossing thingies that looked like metal stencils (I think they're discontinued now) that you needed to use a rubber mat and shims to get them to emboss. I have a few of those, too. They're kind of fiddly and not nearly as easy to use as a folder, but some of the designs were really pretty.
I think that may be because we can send square cards without incurring any extra postage. I think I remember reading on a thread here somewhere that in the US, you get charged extra for square?
Most common sizes over here are DL- which is a card folded to a third of an A4 sheet, or 8.3 x 3.7".
A5,8.3x5.8".( Folded A4).
A6, 5.8x4.1"(Folded half A4, or A5.)
These are the front size, after they've been folded.
After that, the square ones, everything from 4x4" to 8x8" are popular.
Yes we are charged extra for square cards in the US.
I love these folders One of the few "new" items that I buy without waiting for them to go on sale somewhere. The dimension on them is really something.
Spellbinders did have some embossing thingies that looked like metal stencils (I think they're discontinued now) that you needed to use a rubber mat and shims to get them to emboss. I have a few of those, too. They're kind of fiddly and not nearly as easy to use as a folder, but some of the designs were really pretty.
I have a really neat one of those too but not sure if I tried the rubber mat with them. Will give that a try and shims if I need them. Thanks
Embossing folders - all created alike?
