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After Beate's sketch challenge a while back that required a big circle I found out I was deficient a circle cutting system. Seems like alot of people use the coluzze so I ordered it from SU. I just got it out to use it and it doesn't seem to work at all. I am confused. Is the little blad supposed to move all around or is there something wrong with mine?
Thanks in advance for any help you could give me on this!
Yes, the blade is supposed to move all around - except for two points where there are those places ( one on each side ) in each channel where the plastic is present . You need to have the blade correctly postioned and apply a fair bit of pressure. Now, I am afraid I don't know the * correct * position - but my husband and teenage son seemed to grasp that. I have to say it took me a lot of unsuccessful attempts to use my colluzle without a problem - and I mean I put it away in frustration for a month at a time ... but somehow I finally just caught on... it does work - but give yourself a little time with it ( or lot if you are like me! ). One thing that helped me was to tape the colluze template in place on my paper with removable tape - and then that way if if I didn't cut through in areas of the channel - I could just lift a small area of the colluzle template and have a peek - and then go back and re do the areas that I didn't cut.
You are always left with two little tabs of paper after using the the colluzzle to cut and I just cut those with a pair of scissors or a craft knife and hope for the best. But as I 've caught on I am more and more pleased with it!
good luck - it does work - even I've caught on! Best wishes to you!
Definitely make sure that you have removed the plastic wrap on the template. It is hard to see, but it is there and HAS to be removed to work properly. Some people have a learning curve with Coluzzle, others dont. I found it to be easy to use immediately. Hold the knife straight up and down. That will help to get a clean cut. Good luck!
It does take some people a little bit to get the hang of using it, others take to it right away--hang in there.
Here's a hint if you find yourself going to the wrong channel of template (starting on one size and then cutting from another size on the other half of the template). You can use permanent markers to color the channels different colors.
If you look at the knife when you're not using it, the blade should swivel all the way around - it needs to be able to follow the channel of the guide.
Like the other posters mentioned, you absolutely have to use the white cutting mat that came with the set; if you try using a self-healing mat, it won't let the blade swivel like it needs to. And a glass mat won't let you get the knife far enough down into the guide for it to follow.
When you first use it, if you're having problems getting the knife to follow the guide, try holding the knife like you held a pencil when you were little and didn't know the right way to do it - hold it in your fist. It helps you keep the knife straight up and down and helps you get a feel for how the knife should feel when it follows the guide.
And finally, if your knife doesn't feel like it's gliding along, try holding the template up in the air and following thru the cutting tracks with your knife held backwards (so you're "cutting" with the dull side of the knife.) You'd be amazed at the amount of plastic residue that comes up out of those tracks. Especially on some of the more detailed templates like the alphabets, it makes your knife less likely to catch on the template.
Thank you so much, ladies, for your expedient and thorough advice! I did finally figure it out. But, all these tips are going to be very helpful to me as I continue to try to figure this thing out. I didn't notice any film so I will have to check that out. I had the blade going the wrong way and I did, as someone mentionned) think that mat was packing material! lol! I find myself thinking that the internet is so amazing! Thank you all for taknig the the time to answer my questions!!!
Coluzzle question
