Tired of fiddly, little dies
 

It seems-at least with Stampin Up-that there are more flat style dies instead of punches these days. I find it a lot easier to use a punch than drag out dies, platforms, and cutting plates, then try to line the die up straight on the stamped image.
I just did SU's new Shooting Star and matching dies and it felt as if it took half the afternoon. Guess I simply need practice?

I like to handcut images, so I seldom bother getting dies that match stamps. I had one set a couple of years ago, from Papertrey. I had the same trouble you talked about, getting the image stamped on the die cut, so I gave up!

There are various tips and tricks to get the image properly stamped, but they are too much trouble for me.:)

I've developed a good tolerance for the fact that my cut images are not "perfect", but they are handmade, right?

I like the ease of punches as well, but dies are so much easier to store! And I like storing them right with the matching stamps. It does take practice get the hang of lining things up. The magnetic platform really helps with that though.

I am not a fan of the punches. The fuzzy edges, the weights - the multiple images, the little thingy flying off the bottom, the hand pinching. I miss the whale tales! You need washi tape or a Little B Perfect positioner. I just tape mine - easy!

ETA - I don't have the hand strength for them either.

I miss the old whale tail punches too, they were much easier to handle! I've kept all the retired ones even those replaced with the newer style. The new ones store better I will admit.
I have the magnetic platform but those tiny dies still need a bit of holding down-I use a scrap of a post it.

I wish I had thinlets dies instead of my SU and EK Success punches. The punches have such limited range....you can't punch in the middle of a card front like you can with thin dies. MUCH more freedom with the dies. No sharpening, no poking it open when it sticks in the middle of a punching!

The thing about punches that match a stamped image is that I always have to use them upside down. That makes the edges roll the wrong way, and I just can't stand it! LOL.

I hate that, too! I use my fingernail (the flat part, not the tip) to flatten the edge back down...

I hear you, Cindy - and for some things I prefer punches. I'm loving a retired Stampin' Up word window punch since I can make punch any size in a minute.

But I do love my Cuttlebug, and it often sits on the corner of my computer desk, ready to go. As Lydia pointed out, the magic word for centering is tape. Post-it tape, washi tape, other low-tack tape. Not pretty patterned duct tape that masquerades as washi. Ask me how I know.

And for removing die cuts that want to cling to the die for dear life, I put a piece of grocery store plastic bag or die cutting paper between the cardstock and the die. Some use wax paper but I've read - but have no idea if it's true - that it's not great for the dies.

Die cutting paper? Is this something new I NEED to have? I have heard about waxed paper and the plastic bags, but not a special die cutting paper to go between the cardstock and die. Hopefully there is such a thing and all of our fiddly die cutting problems will be solved!

LOL Need? I doubt it. Handy? Sure. Though maybe cutting up a bunch of grocery store bags ahead of time could work? We don't generally get bags from the grocery store, but they find their way into the house somehow.

I only use the paper on extremely thin sentiment dies and some very cranky ones, so it should last a very long time. Two rolls in a pack. I bought my Clarity brushes from Tupelo and they've been very nice.

Couture Creations Ultimate Crafts Quick Release Die Paper ? TupeloDesignsLLC

Beth

Thanks for the information Beth! I have never heard of this product. I have a few very stubborn dies that are just sitting here unused because they are so much trouble...I may have to try this paper!

I hope you like it! I sometimes still have to poke through a couple of the little die holes, but it's much, much easier for me for rebel dies.
Beth

I'm excited to try this...poking through a couple of little holes sounds much better than fighting with an entire die that is stuck and no hope of getting it out without tearing it. How did I miss this product when it arrived on the scene? Many thanks for bringing it to my attention!

It's not perfect! But it's much better. On the other hand, if you haven't tried grocery store bag pieces, they really are worth a try. And on on yet another (third?) hand, it's not expensive.

My guess is that it already exists as some common type of paper but is packaged for this purpose so costs more. I think it may remind me of unwaxed deli paper, so I'm going to try that too.

Great idea! I have some really old "delicatessen paper". It came from an aunt many years ago--500 sheets! I have no idea why she purchased that much :) It appears to be unwaxed so maybe that will do the trick. I have tried the grocery store bags but they did not work as well as the waxed paper for me. Also, I was pleasantly surprised that the site you named has free shipping in the US!
Jan

Yeah, and they're super friendly and responsive. I stumbled across them when they were the only company at the time that I could find with with Clarity brushes, but they have a wide selection of products. So enjoy!

Happy alert!!!! I just tried the delicatessen paper (at least 25-30 years old), and it worked like a charm! Who knew I would be using it many years later for crafts? Amazing! Thanks again for some great insight, Beth!

Wonderful! I think I bought unwaxed deli paper on Amazon, and later learned Costco carries it on line very inexpensively too; you don't have to be a member. I'll try mine to see if it works as well as yours.

Of course this doesn't take care of Cindy's original gripe about the set-up hassle compared to just grabbing a punch. In fact it adds another layer (literally) to the process. But at least you can get the die-cut off the blankety blank die. : )

Yes, this deli paper helps more than anything I have tried. Now getting back to Cindy's post...sorry we got off track!

Once again SCS has introduced something I'd never heard of. At least this time it was cheap. Lol And free shipping with no minimum! Thanks bjeans! :)

I never heard of that paper either. Thanks! Could we use it as a mask after? Or it gets too messed up popping it out?

Cindy-one trick I saw I thought was good was cutting the image on blank CS cut around leaving some border, and then using that as a guide for a stamped image. Once in place, you should be able to just pop the die into it as a guide and tape it all in place with washi. I hope that makes sense. You can keep it over time-store it with the die.

I love punches!!! I thought I was the only one who felt this way! I even like wood mount over foam mount or pp stamps (I buy foam mount or pp because they are cheaper) because of the extra steps with foam/pp.

Maybe if I spent less time on SCS I'd have more time to fuss with clear blocks and dies, hahaha!

I do have dies but like punches better!

I actually enjoy fussing cutting. Some things I cut yourself. Which is surprising as it's not streamlined like punching! Less steps than die cutting tho!

I have all my whale punches still but I don't mind the new style. Both work fine for me.

Good question. The die-cutting paper is very thin and flimsy. But it does come out in one piece just like the die-cut cardstock. I've even saved a few.

I've only used it for delicate, super-narrow sentiment die cuts, and don't know if those could be gently adhered for masking. And I haven't tried inking over it to see if ink bleeds through.

I'll try it with a more "normal" die cut to see what happens and report back. Remind me if I forgot!

Beth

I use wax paper in my intricate dies all the time and have noticed no effect on the die in any way. You need to remove the bits, of course, but I can't really see how wax paper is going to hurt metal dies. Anybody have more info on this subject?

One thing I recently found on ebay is a set of "nail dotting" tools- like the ball tip embossers for dry embossing. They have a range of tip sizes, down to very small (not to mention they are CHEAP!). These have been great for poking die cuts out of dies.
I also have a handful of actual dental tools, gifted to me by my wonderful dentist & staff that are good for poking and prying die cuts out, but all of the dental tools have sharp points (Boy are they handy to have- you wouldn't believe how many things you can use them for). I was delighted to find the nail dotting tools, so I'd have a ball tip to avoid making a dent in some of the die cuts.

I keep a roll of wax paper right within reach of my desk, to use with those intricate dies- between that & a couple of the tools above, I seldom have an issue getting things out of dies, and I am the Queen of fussy, detailed, intricate dies- I can't resist them!

link to nail dotting tools:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/5pcs-Profess...oAAOSwGYVW8sgl

I use the WRMK piercer and brad opener (not that I open brads) for a poker. The width feels more ergonomic than other tools I've tried because it's wider with a rubberized (?) coating. It's got a strange twist to it but I just have to turn it to find "the" spot.

I didn't buy it for this purpose but it's been my go-to tool. It has a top for the piercer part, and it's bright pink so I tend not to lose it. Well, not much.

https://www.amazon.com/We-Memory-Kee...+piercing+tool

Darn. Saw that nail dotting tool and got all excited and went to buy it. They don't ship to Hawaii. :( I was going to get some for myself and DD, who would actually use them to do her nails. I'm sure I can find them somewhere else now that I know about them.

Okay, I'm happy again. Found these. :)

I only use the one tool mentioned above for poking out dies. Am I missing out on something by not having more? I'll take any excuse to buy more tools, and figure there's a good reason for multiples.

Oops. Forgot to put the link to what "these" are

5 Nail Art Dotting Pen 15 Painting Drawing Polish Brush UV Gel Tools Set Kit | eBay

bjeans, I've only ever used the pokey end of my Spellbinder's tool n' one brush, but I figure I'm set if I need to poke out something super small if I got the nail dotting thingees. Besides, if nothing else, DD will use them.

That's exactly the set I bought. I'm thinking all the brushes will be great for my twinkling H2Os, and zentangled images and coloring book pages. You can find the neatest stuff on ebay for very little money.

An SCS friend included a set of those nail dotting styluses in my Christmas gift a couple of years ago. As well as using the finest ones for poking bits out of dies, they're also pretty good for scoring veins on leaves, and the larger ones are great for making small dots of paint or Liquid Pearls. They are one of those things that live within hand's reach on my desk.

I just love when I discover useful tools that are so inexpensive. I don't know what I'd do without all the helpful ladies here on SCS that share so many tips. :)

I love my punches for the speed but because of storage and because just don't make them like they used to it don't buy many.

I love thin dies because of the ease of storage. Using a combination of plastic bags, a metal plate, and the brush tool eliminates most problems. I dislike dies that match stamps because there is always too much white space so I have to fussy cut.

My favs are the thick dies because they cut almost anything but storage and cost are an issue.

If they could make things dies that cut as well as thick dies and didn't cost a small fortune I'd be one happy so
Camper.

Wow this thread took a left turn and forgot to turn right again! LOL ANYWAY.... I am a horrible fussy cutter!! I swear my eyes go cross.:cry: Altho I LOVE my punchs and wish they had increased the variety instead of decrease, I do use my thinlets that match certian stamps and if there is something that does not have a framelet for it and I want it cut and its complicated.......I use my Scan and Cut. I cannot live without this machine!! Sooooo many possibilities at my fimbled fingertips!:lol::lol::lol:

Try stamping first then lining up your die on top of it and holding die to paper with painters or washi tape! Works great! Or you can use the Misti to line it up. There is a YouTube on it.

That's what I do. And just one tiny piece of washi usually does the trick, even though I mostly die cut with the cutting side facing up with the cardstock on top of it (to save the more expensive Cuttlebug C plate).

The same little piece can be used over and over, if I'm die cutting a bunch, quick and easy once you get into the rhythm.

I am in love with all the new dies and matching stamps. I have spent my budget on them this year. I use deli paper when I need to. Works great. I have a large box of it for Gelli Printing and other mixed media projects...so multi-use product for me. I also use the Sizzix brush, and the Tim Holtz ionic pick that is retractable for the really fine holes.
Using the magnetic Big Shot plate is a must for the dies..save lots of time and fussing around; almost never have to use tape while using it. Thanks to all for the great ideas and experiences. Learned more again today!!!

I use whatever works best for the image I have chosen...fussy cut, punch, die...I use them all!

A magnetic plate would be so nice. But my die-cutting set-up and process needs the smaller Cuttlebug footprint in order to be out and ready to use - or I won't use it, knowing my lazy self.

It folds up and sits on a corner of my computer desk, with dies/plates/release paper to my side in an Expedit cubby. The C-bug can go in there too. Everything for die-cutting is within swivel-and-grab distance - my only smooth system.

If my space and set-up were differently, I might go for the Big Shot Plus.