SU Matchbox die

[Crafter 4 Life]

I was wondering if anyone else is having trouble with the sleeve of the matchbox being just slightly too narrow to fully cover the box? Other than using a belly band or ribbon, how do you keep the box from peeking out both ends when you slide it into the sleeve? (I don't have anything in the box.) I am trying to make some 4th of July treat containers.

I am very disappointed with other SU dies I have bought also - the pillow box & scallop envelope don't even fit a gift card and could never get the basket (Basket & Blooms) to hold anything without the bottom falling out even when I used sticky strip tape. I see OP wonderful projects and think I 'need' that die (they aren't cheap) only to be disappointed. Also, with the Basket and Blooms and Matchbox, it is best to use them with the extended cutting plates and a crease pad. Tried using just the regular cutting plates but had trouble getting the sandwich to feed into the roller area together even when I staggered the layers sligthly - was cutting the sleeve & bottom separately since I would have to dig out the extended plates. Had to use the crease pad to get the fold lines to be more visible - tried using a shim but that only caused the die to cut the fold lines.

Since I have spent the money on these dies, I want to use them but have had my problems as stated above

HELP!!!

[jactop]

I find the trick with any die is to figure out the shims. The dies and machines are all different so you need to see what works with yours.

The crease pad is a worthwhile investment. It will prevent cuts in the scorelines.

If you have a spot on your die that consistantly doesn't cut in one spot, put a small piece of masking tape on the back of the die in that area instead of shimming the whole thing.

For the pillow box, my sides bow out too if I don't crease the folds with a bone folder to crisp them up (especially the two ends you're having trouble with).

For 3D projects and sticky strip, Try to burnish the card stock with the bottom of your bone folder to really get it to stick.

Patty Bennet did a great tutorial for resizing your scallop envie die to fit a gift card. Here's the link http://pattystamps.com/pattys_stampi...gift-card.html

I hope some of these tips are helpful and you learn to love your dies.

[Crafter 4 Life]

What I meant was, how can you use the dies - matchbox, pillow box, scallop envelope, etc. without making allowance with your cardstock. I know that you can 'make' some of these dies cut c/s big enough to hold a gift card but why did they make the die too small to start with?

I tried the technique to adjust the c/s to accomodate a gift card but you have to add a layer to cover the crease made when you folded the c/s so the die would cut a larger envelope. Have not seen a technique to make the pillow box bigger but you would probably have to fold the c/s also. Can't think of a way to make the sleeve of the matchbox just a tiny bit wider since the box shows on both ends. (It is the width of the folded c/s.) I have tried pushing the ends in but they pop out especially when I added the Ghirardelli chocolate - the actual candy is smaller than the box but the wrapper has to tuck in.

I have the accessories extended cutting plates and extended crease pad these additional accessories are necessary to use these dies. I have $$$ invested in these various dies and accessories so am REALLY disappointed because they are not more useful without the adjustments.

Sorry, don't mean to whine but....