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Mine is Wishblade made by Xyron. It's hooked up to the computer and you get tons of free downloads (shapes and fonts). Initial cost is a bit high but saves $$ in shapes and fonts in long run becuase you don't have to buy them, just download from internet and use over and over if you want. The cost is $350 to $400. sizzix font would run about $150 and you can't change the size of fonts like you can on Wishblade.
I have a Spellbinder's Wizard and absolutely love it. I can set eyelets (multiple eyelets at the same time), press flowers, flatten clay, emboss flat charms, dry emboss, smash bottlecaps, emboss velvet with rubberstamps, do inkjet transfers onto mica or acetate, do iris folding, crimp tags (like from the TagMaker) plus cut dies from various companies like Sizzix and other steel ruled dies, Quickutz and other chemically etched dies, Spellbinders, etc. I can cut styrofoam, paper, craft foil, cork, chipboard, etc.
I have sizzix and craft robo (same machine as wishblade) and I really like them both, though I did just see the wizard for the first time and it was pretty cool. though I'd have to agree with the PP, I prefer my craft robo. it's just SOOOO versitile! JMHO
Michelle
I have a Quickutz and a Sizzix. I don't really like my Quickutz, as I have to stand up to use it. I only keep it because I have an alphabet that I really like and cannot use them (or cannot figure out how to use them?) in my Sizzix. I do like the Sizzix for ease of use, but the dies get expensive (although they do go 40% off at Michaels and Joann every now and then).
__________________ Heather Hawkins - Stampin' Up! Demo and new mom. I have the two best jobs ever! stampinheather.blogspot.com
I have the Cricut...I also did a lot of research before I decided...the cricut was a reasonable price $299 and I used a 50% off coupon at AC Moore (which they don't let you use anymore for the cricut or cartridges) I also got 4 cartridges (thet i used coupons for, too bad they dont let you anymore). It cuts in sizes from 1 inch to 5 1/2 inches (the xyron only does 3 sizes and sizzix and quickutz only do one size). It doesn't connect to the computer so you can bring it to crops or whatever (only around 8 pounds). They are making new cartridges all the time too. I know the wishbalde is pretty aewsome to but it was way out of my price range and it's not really portable. Good Luck!
I have a Quickutz and a Sizzix. I don't really like my Quickutz, as I have to stand up to use it. I only keep it because I have an alphabet that I really like and cannot use them (or cannot figure out how to use them?) in my Sizzix. I do like the Sizzix for ease of use, but the dies get expensive (although they do go 40% off at Michaels and Joann every now and then).
You need to get the big magnetic adaptor and put it in the sizzix then you need the thin plastic adaptors and you put it on top of the quickutz die and cut...easy...if you need a small plastic adaptor I have a few extra (i had to buy a pack of 10, who knows why?) I can mail it to you...PM me if you need it...:mrgreen:
I have used both Cricut & Wishblade (we are dealers for both where I work) and although I enjoy the portability of the Cricut, the Wishblade "cut circles" around the Cricut. So much easier to change the blade and adjust blade depth so you don't tear your paper. Also you can use all your cute downloaded fonts!
I have a Quickutz, which I love the smaller dies, and I have a Big Shot. I just the Big Shot recently after several months of thinking which bigger machine to get. I went with the BS because it takes my QK dies, Sizzix dies, and my Fiskars embossing plates.
I like the ease of the BS. It isnt hard on your arms/hands. It is not heavy like some other die cut machines (Sizzix), and it wasnt expensive, because I got it for 50% off through TAC.
I just got the Big Shot. I love the darn thing and can't stop playing with it!
I waited a long time, and decided this machine best fit my needs, because it:
is relatively compact in size, yet large enough to handle doing window cards (I'm primarily a card maker)
is non-computerized (important for Tech-Tard, doncha' know!)
requires no electricity (another plus for me; I like to be able to work anywhere, at any time)
has a handle for easy transport
offers a huge range of dies
can cut through more than card stock, but fabric, thin metal, and lightweight chipboard, when used with the appropriate steel rule dies
I've been doing a series of articles on my experiences with it, that, frankly, would be far too long, detailed and numerous to copy and paste into a post, but if you you are inclined to read it, you can see it HERE.
My only disappointment has been the Sizzlit Window Dies (Sizzix brand) which are compatible with Big Shot, but do NOT function well as window dies; the manufacturer descriptions are misleading, IMHO. I'm currently on a quest to find window dies that WILL work as they should . . .
Other than that, I've been extremely impressed with this machine's capabilities as a personal die cutting and embossing system.
BTW, there's a similar machine you might also take a close look at: The Cuttlebug by Provo Craft. I'm not sure how wide the feed is on it, but it looks to be a downright spiffy little machine itself, as well. I was highly intrigued by its "fold & store" profile (the platform)! It debuted at CHA Summer, in Chicago and I was equally impressed with its capabilities. According to the manufacturer, it is compatible with other brand dies. It appears their embossing folders will be released in November 2006.
HTH,
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
I must be challenged today.....I can not find a cuddlebug to purchase. Do they have them at Ms, HL, or Archivers? If I purchase on line - where is the best?
Ask yourself why you want a die cut machine. Do you want to emboss, make letters for scrapbooks, pictures? Window cards? Little bags and boxes? I'm a big believer in figuring out how YOU would use it and then find the one that fits your needs. Here are some things to consider
size -- my cricut takes up a fair amount of space and you need space in front of and behind it for the paper to move back and forth. It is heavy but portable. The sizzix was ridiculously heavy -- I could barely budge the darn thing. Once it sat, it wasn't going anywhere!!
connect to a computer? are you the kind that can easily figure out how to connect to a computer and do you have the space to use near your computer? Or, do you want to be able to take it with you to classes or crops?
Embossing -- a cricut or a wishblade CUT. They don't do anything else. Other machines or tools will dry emboss as well. I wasn't happy with the dry embossing results I got from the sizzix -- the edge of the folder also embossed despite lots of attempts to keep that from happening.
Price -- this is a cutthroat market (yeah) So much competition. I wouldn't buy anything until I've researched prices thoroughly. And NEVER pay full price on this stuff. Someone is always having a sale.
Ease of use -- I had a sizzix but wanted to cut out letters. Too cumbersome. the cricut or the wishblade are far preferable if you want to cut out Monograms, letters or even words. Check out the cartridges for the cricut before buying and make sure you like what they have. I tried out a wizzard at a store and found it too difficult to sandwhich all the layers and get it to work. Having someone you know who has a machine and is willing to help you out with it is worth a lot.
Choice of dies -- cricut has only 12 cartridges, I'm sure more will come and each one has many dies with lots of options (shadow, etc.). The sizzix dies are now dirt cheap. Wishblade doesn't require the purchase of any dies -- but you have to be near a computer.
What paper will it cut? The cricut will cut SU's cardstock. My sizzix was so so -- the little sizzlet dies would not cut through anything except thin paper and that really annoyed me!
Bottom line -- it is so much better if you can try out a few of these at a friends, demo's, LSS, etc. Good luck
__________________ Dear Paperlicious is my blog...with a series on how I'm learning to improve my cardmaking by studying others.
Bonnie- The only place IRL I found them was Michaels. I know they have them online at Joanns, and scrapbook101.Hope you find one.Yesterday I was quite busy cooking and hosting dinner, but found time to play with my CB, and two new embossing folders, fun, fun.
Just bought a cuttlebug at Mike's this morning. They had a quite a few, as well as a large selection of dies and embossing folders. I used my 60% off AC Moore coupon!
__________________ My Gallery Team Jasper! "Where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" Mt. 6:21
This is just what I did on Wednesday....got myself a Cuttlebug. Merry Christmas to me! (went back today and got a couple of dies, came home and played with it for the first time....I love it!...it's so easy!):mrgreen:
I bought the cuttlebug today with a coupon at Mike's--I love it! The embossing is awesome--even better than the cutting--It is sooo cool--I can't wait to go back tomorrow and get more dies!
Costco.com has the Big Shot for $54.99 with free shipping.
I always thought you had to have a membership to order from them, but you don't. They charge a 5% surcharge for non-members. My order came to $60.63 with the surcharge and my state tax.
Happy dance goin on here
Me too! I love that it is so portable and that all the dies fit into a binder! Great space saver. One of my scrappin' buddies has the cricut, one has the sizzix and one has a wishblade-together we pretty much have the bases covered. Croppin' has never been so fun!
I ordered the BigShot from Costco. Not knowing it is a membership store. I looked at my order status, and it says cancelled. So I assumed they realized I was not a member and cancelled me. I better email them.
I ordered the BigShot from Costco. Not knowing it is a membership store. I looked at my order status, and it says cancelled. So I assumed they realized I was not a member and cancelled me. I better email them.
Hmmmm. That's odd. I know for non-members there's some kind of additional surcharge--I recall someone mentioning it was 5%????
Definitely call, Karen. Even with the surcharge, it's an extremely good deal/value.
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
Hmmmm. That's odd. I know for non-members there's some kind of additional surcharge--I recall someone mentioning it was 5%????
Definitely call, Karen. Even with the surcharge, it's an extremely good deal/value.
I called, and was on hold until my phone's batteries wore out!! Now I looked again, I think...I was looking below @ definitions for their abreviations!! I am easily confused.
I think as I look again, the order indeed is being processed. . I can do no better here, at any LSS....
I tried it today at the LSS though, and it is as smooth as silk. It cuts like a dream. And, my shoulder does not hurt one bit, after cutting a whole bunch of things.
I am wondering though, do I need special pads that are not in the kit, to cut the Cuttlebug embossing folders? The store was not sure.
I called, and was on hold until my phone's batteries wore out!! Now I looked again, I think...I was looking below @ definitions for their abreviations!! I am easily confused.
Me, too! ;)
Quote:
I think as I look again, the order indeed is being processed. . I can do no better here, at any LSS....
I tried it today at the LSS though, and it is as smooth as silk. It cuts like a dream. And, my shoulder does not hurt one bit, after cutting a whole bunch of things.
I am wondering though, do I need special pads that are not in the kit, to cut the Cuttlebug embossing folders? The store was not sure.
I tried my one and only CB embossing folder, sandwiched between the 2 plates, on top of the white platform, and no sweat--beautiful, no other things required than what came packaged with the BS.
As far as DB DIES go, however, I don't actually have any yet to try in my BS. A friend told me, she had no problems using CB dies on her BS, and didn't need any other special pads, etc.
My Sizzlits (wafer style dies) all go through my BS fine without any other pads. Based on what she told me, my guess is that you won't need anything else.
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
Oh this is great news....I almost bought a $20 kit that included embossing plates by Big Shot, in order to only get the pads...that I thought I might need? One was called the embossing pad, the other the impressions cushion? or some such thing.. and there were about 6 embossing plates but none that I loved...
Oh this is great news....I almost bought a $20 kit that included embossing plates by Big Shot, in order to only get the pads...that I thought I might need? One was called the embossing pad, the other the impressions cushion? or some such thing.. and there were about 6 embossing plates but none that I loved...
I looked at that, too. Unless you really liked those 6 embossing plates, yeah, you would have paid for a lotta stuff you really didn't want. :(
If you want to emboss with non-BS/ non-CB embossing stencils that you have on hand (which are brass, and made by a wide variety of companies), then consider the Wizard Charm Embossing Kit. It's inexpensive and will work with just about anything/everything for embossing! EllenH got that and says it works marvelously on her CB, so there's no reason why it wouldn't work as well on the BS. You can check out her findings HERE.
That's what I'm getting . . . altho I sold off all my brass templates . . . :rolleyes: . . . but, if I replace 'em, I'll be *ready*!!! heh, heh, heh!!!!!
But as far as using the CB dies or embossing folderes in your BS, you should be good to go with everything that comes in that Starter Kit.
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
I am a little biased - but I love my Quickutz! (I was on their DT last year)
It is so portable and takes little space.. and non computerized. I spend all day at work on my computer I don't want to use it when I scrapbook or stamp. I just ordered the new storage system - so attractive! (always a plus in my honest opinion)
I got the sizzix right before the cuttlebug came out. I am enjoying playing with it. Sizzix.com has had some great deals on dies and embossing folders in the last week and half that have helped to fuel my new addiction....
This is a very dangerous place! In the past I've walked by the die cutters thinking I don't need one of those, especially for the hefty costs! But having read this and many other threads...I'm pretty much sold on wanting one now! It's definitely a toss up between the BS and CB. Thank you JulieHRR for the super thorough, complete and honest review/comparison of dies on your blog. I'm leaning toward the CB only because I am extremely limited on storage space. Though I want to test drive both b4 making my final decision. Thanks for all the great info! You all should get a commission...lol!
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Originally Posted by JulieHRR
My only disappointment has been the Sizzlit Window Dies (Sizzix brand) which are compatible with Big Shot, but do NOT function well as window dies; the manufacturer descriptions are misleading, IMHO. I'm currently on a quest to find window dies that WILL work as they should . . .
Julie; i have had problems with some sizzlits dies too. It seems that some of their dies are so dull that they won't cut. I have sendt some back to the store where i bought them, and i was given replacement dies.
maybe this is what happened to you?
Julie; i have had problems with some sizzlits dies too. It seems that some of their dies are so dull that they won't cut. I have sendt some back to the store where i bought them, and i was given replacement dies.
maybe this is what happened to you?
They actually cut very well. The problem I'm finding is that the outer perimeter of the die itself is "embossed" into a card front at the same time and there appears to be no way to avoid that happening.
Not even removing the foam along the perimeter helped, which I decided to try at someone's suggestion, which means now the warranty is voided. I knew that it would void the warranty when I did it, but I was so desperate for the suggestion to work, that I risked it. BAD RISK. :( Now I'm stuck with 'em.
They work very well if all you want are the shapes; they suck for "windows" and I don't know why the manufacturer ever touted them as "window" dies!
__________________ Julie Ebersole (JulieHRR once upon a time . . . )julieebersole.com"So shines a good deed in a weary world." -Willy Wonka
I am a little biased - but I love my Quickutz! (I was on their DT last year)
It is so portable and takes little space.. and non computerized. I spend all day at work on my computer I don't want to use it when I scrapbook or stamp. I just ordered the new storage system - so attractive! (always a plus in my honest opinion)
Wow, that is so cool! I often go the the QK website to look at their samples for inspiration. they have a great DT, so you must ROCK!
Wow, that is so cool! I often go the the QK website to look at their samples for inspiration. they have a great DT, so you must ROCK!
That is great feedback! I am so happy that you are inspired there - we never really received much as the DT... unless the staff got something extra special they wanted to pass along. It was a great experience though!
I have to agree. I have been shopping Alphabets, and QK has some very cool ones. Also, some of the shapes and designs are just so cute and adorable, you just have to love them.
I looked at that, too. Unless you really liked those 6 embossing plates, yeah, you would have paid for a lotta stuff you really didn't want. :(
If you want to emboss with non-BS/ non-CB embossing stencils that you have on hand (which are brass, and made by a wide variety of companies), then consider the Wizard Charm Embossing Kit. It's inexpensive and will work with just about anything/everything for embossing! EllenH got that and says it works marvelously on her CB, so there's no reason why it wouldn't work as well on the BS. You can check out her findings HERE.
which die cut system?
