cuttlebug folders in zipemate?
 

Hi!

Does anybody know if the cuttlebug embossing folders will fit in a zipemate?

Or, can somebody tell me the dimensions of the folder?

I keep seeing fabulous things done with the folders and want them, but not sure if I want to buy another die machine HEHE!

TIA!
-Karen

Cuttlebug embossing folders are 4.25" x 5.75"

If thickness is the issue, you may have to buy just one folder and give it a test run.

I did a quick search and found this thread--looks helpful to me ;)

http:////www.splitcoaststampers.com/...light=zipemate

hope that helps

Cool! I think I'll have to get a folder and try it! Thanks so much for the replies!!

-Karen

Yes, no problem - I have a Zip and several of the large folders and they work just fine.

Ditto! I love the embossing folders and though I have a Wishblade, I will never part with my Zip'E Mate.

I have a ZIP e' mate also. Where do you find supplies for it, since accucut has discontinued it? This really concerns me, but I do not want to spend money for another system since I have this one. Also, where do you find the sizzlets platform now for the ZEM now? I'm pretty sure that was an accessory purchase that I never got.

Thanks.

I don't use my ZEM that often anymore but did take the 13-inch plastic covers (for long dies) to a local plastic company and had them cut some extras. It was very reasonable. I bet they could match the ZEM items, too.

Julie -

Let me ask this way - I have the big white platform, the slimline/Sizzix platform (ZIPSZXP), the full cutting mat (ZIPCMF), and the embossing mat (ZEF12) and the black embossing form. Do I have everything necessary to do the cuttlebug embossing folders in the ZEM?

I'm not Julie but I do have a ZEM and my answer would be yes, you have everything you need Pigtailpat. I run through the big white platform, the folder with cardstock inside and the black rubbery mat - works fine for me! I only have A2 CBug folders, I don't think the new larger (5 x 7) size will fit.

HTH!

Ditto! I used the big platform, the CB embossing folder (with C/S inside) and the black rubbery mat.

One thing the ZEM won't allow? Partial use of CB embossing folders - because of the direction of the platform, you can't partially emboss cardstock as you can with the CB which allows the folders to be inserted side-to-side instead of lengthwise.

I had to research...I found this listing on ebay for GrandeMark cutting pads and the seller indicated that an Accucut rep told her they would also fit in the ZEM.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...=263602_263622

Thank you! I was a little confused as I thought I would have to have the extra sizzlets platform that wasn't included in the machine. And thank you Angel for the warning about using only the A2 size, I measured and you are absolutely right, the new 5 x 7 will not fit the ZEM. My only problem now is where to find the replacement black embossing foam. Right now, my foam was never used, so it is new, but still, eventually it needs to replaced and I have no sources for it. Julie - I came across that link for the cutting mat replacements which is great to know. Because I have the cricut expression, I doubt if I am going to get back into cutting with the ZEM, but I never did embossing with it, and the cuttlebug folders really look lovely, and they are not that expensive to try. It's unfortunate that the 5 x 7 won't work, as they really look nice, but I would rather not spend money on a big shot at this time, as it would render the ZEM really useless, and I hate throwing money away. I want to try find a use for the ZEM, and I think embossing would be it. One source suggested that the wizard's tan embossing foam could be cut down and a good replacement for the embossing foam that came with the ZEM machine. Is anyone doing that - or found something else?

I use the tan mat when I'm embossing Nestabilities - the only reason I still reach for the black mat when I use the CBug folders is that it's in the box I store them in. I can't see any reason the tan stuff wouldn't work for anything the black mat does. The tan stuff is not foam-like by the way, it's very dense but strong and stretchy! Just don't want you to be surprised by it if you do get some!

At a pinch, a couple of layers of craft foam (fun foam, funky foam, whatever it's called where you are!) makes a reasonable emergency substitute for embossing in the ZEM - you just need something squashy that will go through the machine with the other stuff in the sandwich.

Angel -

Thanks so much for that reply! I am also investigating the emboss foam that is included in the big shot machine. That could be another possibility. My friend has a big shot, so I am going to compare my foam to hers, to see if there's close match. The big shot is made by sizzix with the ZEM by Accucut, both of which are owned by Ellison. So I'm making a guess that they may be using similar materials. I hope there's a match.

I also found the sizzix textured impressions, and it seems that those folders should also work in the ZEM with the dimensions they gave (I hope I got this right 5 3/4 on the length and 4 1/2 on the width - I have an email into sizzix to make sure).

I sort of have a feeling that accucut may have dumped the ZEM, because Ellison wanted the big shot to dominate, meanwhile they left ZEM owners struggling for supplies. That isn't right........well.. I hope I can straighten out supplies soon. Again, thanks for your input!

Pat

It doesn't really matter what they call length and width, if you have one dimension that will fit through the width of the ZEM and the other fits on the length of the platform then you're good to go - you just feed it in that way round! I haven't used the Sizzix texture things but I have the impression they are plates rather than folders, are they? Not sure whether they give such a crisp impression in any machine - perhaps somebody with experience of them can help.

Thanks again for your valuable advice. That will be another question to sizzix then, because if they are more plate-ish (like brass stencils) instead of like true folders (plastic), I would need to cover them with the embossing mat to protect the rollers of the ZEM machine - and I do have that mat as well.

I have both the Grande Mark and the ZipeMate. I can confirm that the 5" x 6" cutting plastic from Accucut will work for cutting in the ZipeMate. Also, the new style cutting mats (purple ones) will work as well.

For a substitute for the black foam, I found a (Yoga) exercise mat and cut it down to size. The foam thickness is the same. It works great. It does wear out after awhile, but I got a 2 foot by 6 foot piece for $5.

Just to let everyone know, I saw my friend's foam for the big shot, and it is NOT the same thickness, and I do not think it will work in the ZEM. So I went with the Wizard's 12 x 12 foam, and hope it works. Also, I did more research on the sizzix folders, it seems like the "Texturz" line is the one that does the bad impressions and not the Texture Impressions ones - which are distinctly different. I fell in love with two of the texture impressions - so I literally have my fingers crossed and hope it works well - I'll report back here if you guys want to see a report of that in the ZEM. I also got 1 cuttlebug folder, as it was so much cheaper, but I have seen complaints that the cuttlebug folders do not do true A2 to the edges. For $3 and change, I figured it was worth the risk to see for myself.

I want to thank you all for your help!

I got my embossing folders and the wizard mat. The folders work wonderful in the ZEM! I think the textured impressions work just as well as the cuttlebug. The cuttlebug impression is just a tiny weeny, very little bit deeper - but that's all. The trade off is that the cuttlebug A2 is not really an A2, the image on the sizzix A2 is a wee bit wider, and I think the reviewers are probably right the cuttlebug is not a true A2 to the edges. But they both work wonderful in the ZEM. So far, I used them with the original ZEM mat (which is practically brand new - I never used mine). The wizard's mat, looks to my eye - just a little thinner than the original ZEM mat, but because of the dense heavier weight (and it is denser and heavier than the sizzix big shot mat), I think it probably should work just as well. If worst comes to worst, I can use the shim that came with the ZEM to pad up the emboss folder to make up for the lack of depth on the mat if that is an issue. I want to thank all of you again for giving me the courage to take a risk on these embossing folders. Now I am using my ZEM again and loving it!

Good to hear it worked out well for you, have fun with your new toys!