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I've decided that I have soooo much stuff, as far as, paper, stamps, embellies, etc. But since i have some holiday gift cards and coupons to burn, I think its time I upgrade some of my everyday tools a little.
I have a cheesy, rubbery cutting mat that came with a Fiskars rotary cutter. I'm wondering if I should go for the glass mat, as that's all i really see sold separately as far as cutting mats go. I saw the Cutterbee one, is that good? Any other suggestions on that? Does anyone know if it lays flat on your surface?
The other thing is a trimmer...i have the 12" Fiskars one, which its ok, but it def isn't perfectly straight. I do like the scoring function and may just keep it for that. I've searched a read a lot of threads on here, and see a lot of people like Tonic Guillotine and Making Memories. I think i prefer the sliding blade v. the guillotine. I'm leaning towards the MM one? Any reason not to? I also saw the Purple Cow one that is the 2-in-1, does that work well?
I've decided that I have soooo much stuff, as far as, paper, stamps, embellies, etc. But since i have some holiday gift cards and coupons to burn, I think its time I upgrade some of my everyday tools a little.
I have a cheesy, rubbery cutting mat that came with a Fiskars rotary cutter. I'm wondering if I should go for the glass mat, as that's all i really see sold separately as far as cutting mats go. I saw the Cutterbee one, is that good? Any other suggestions on that? Does anyone know if it lays flat on your surface?
The other thing is a trimmer...i have the 12" Fiskars one, which its ok, but it def isn't perfectly straight. I do like the scoring function and may just keep it for that. I've searched a read a lot of threads on here, and see a lot of people like Tonic Guillotine and Making Memories. I think i prefer the sliding blade v. the guillotine. I'm leaning towards the MM one? Any reason not to? I also saw the Purple Cow one that is the 2-in-1, does that work well?
Any advice is greatly appreciated.
For a trimmer, I definitely recommend the MM one. I've had several different trimmers, and it's my all time favorite. You can usually find it at Michaels for about $50 and with a coupon, it's pretty reasonable. What I really like about it, is that you can use it folded most of the time, and it doesn't take up much room on the table. Then you can unfold it if you want to cut 12 x 12 paper. Also, you can't beat that the blade is self-sharpening.
As far as a glass mat, I have never wanted one. It seems like it would be cumbersome to use and move around from spot to spot. Also, I am kind of phobic about anything glass as I have small grandchildren who come visit me often. Glass things in general don't appeal to me, as I'm always afraid they will break.
I would highly recommend the Score Pal for a new tool. I used the scoring blade and groove in an old Fiskars trimmer for quite a while, and didn't think I needed the Score Pal. But I was so wrong! It is one of the things I use the most when I'm making cards or any other paper item, like the cute little bags and stuff. It's not a necessity, but really does make cardmaking go easier.
Now, I really want the Score Pal mat. It is self-healing, and I think I would really love all the measurements and diagonal lines it has.
Have fun spending your holiday gift cards!
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
I have an older glass mat from EK Success (ok, I have two of them because I liked the first one so much and I saw the 2nd on clearance for $5 and I was going to give it to my mother, but she already had gotten her own) and I love, love LOVE it. I had been using a piece of glass from a dollar store frame just to try it out, but that didn't compare to the real thing. The EK Success mats are nice, thick, strong glass with finished edges. Mine has small feltish pads on the bottom to keep it from scratching the desk. It seems more like glass from a Corning Ware casserole than window glass, if that makes any sense. My circle cutter works 1000% better on the glass mat than it did on the self-healing one; using a craft knife on it makes the knife just glide along the cut.
Didn't mean to get quite so enthusiastic there - it's just that this was one of those tools that I didn't know if I wanted, but I had a coupon . . . and now I wouldn't be without it.
Thank you for your suggestions! Those are two very good opinions. Now I just have to decide which route to go.
bug - I am def leaning towards the MM trimmer, and JoAnns has MM stuff 40% off online this week, so if I can find a shipping code, i may try that. I am thinking about the scor pal, but just not sure on that one.
cbet - thanks for the confirmation on EK success.
My thing is I like to have things handy on my table or right next to me on top of cubes, and sometimes its hard to have everything and still have room to work! I am trying to make things go smoother, without all the constant, getting out, cleaning up, putting back nonsense.
Thank you for your suggestions! Those are two very good opinions. Now I just have to decide which route to go.
bug - I am def leaning towards the MM trimmer, and JoAnns has MM stuff 40% off online this week, so if I can find a shipping code, i may try that. I am thinking about the scor pal, but just not sure on that one.
cbet - thanks for the confirmation on EK success.
My thing is I like to have things handy on my table or right next to me on top of cubes, and sometimes its hard to have everything and still have room to work! I am trying to make things go smoother, without all the constant, getting out, cleaning up, putting back nonsense.
Thanks again!
That is my thing, too. I keep all my stuff in a spare bedroom, and lug out whatever I need to a table in my living room to stamp. So, what's nice about the MM Trimmer, is that I can use it (mostly in the folded mode, and then just stand it on end next to my chair, or table leg, to get it out of the way. If I need it again, it's right there and easy to put back on the table. Same thing goes for the Score Pal. It's easy to stand on end on the floor and is handy when I need it.
Also, another way I use the Score Pal....It is a nice size, and rigid plastic. I use it as a "tray". When I'm making multiple cards for an occasion, I line them all up on the Score Pal, and then if I need to add Stickles as the finishing touch, I can do so, and then take them all somewhere to dry, safe from my kittycats.
__________________ Bugga in OK
"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." Dalai Lama
If you're looking for a new mat, I would highly recommend the Basic Grey magnetic mat. I can make the straightest cuts with just this mat, the magnetic ruler and magnets that come with it, and a craft knife. I bought it for $12.50 ($24.99 with a 50% off coupon) at A.C. Moore.
New Cutting Mat and Trimmer
