Hello Readers! I had another post in mind today but I am so lost in my search for a die cutting machine that I thought I would put it out there for your considerations, in hope that some of you are accomplished mixed media artists and or scrapbookers.
I was able to borrow a cricut expression for a month or two and it was great fun but now I know electronic cutting is completely overkill when it comes to what gets done over here. In short all I want to cut is gift tags, round tags, little flags, scalloped circles and ovals, you get the idea.
I have so far only found these 4 options:
Sizix big shot, Sixxiz big kick, Fiskar Fuse and Cuttlebug from Provo Craft.
They are all fairly cheap expect the Fiskar who is ridiculously pricey but apparently can letterpress (which would be fantastic on tags...). As far as I can tell the Big Shot is a versatile option but not very durable (I plan on using this with Finn), but the look is so kindergarten that I cringe at the idea of looking at it everyday in all its pinkness. That is the best design they could come up with? really! That way the Cuttlebug is a little less horrible. The Fiskar's design is perfectly neutral of course but also cost $199 on sale so maybe not!
Clearly I need help, please!
You can follow this conversation by subscribing to the comment feed for this post.
Subscribe in a reader
My mom has heavily used her big shot for tons of paper crafts and it is still shining brightly. I'd go with it. It will creak, but still cuts beautifully.
Posted by: Sharon | January 22, 2013 at 01:26 PM
If you want a simple machine that gets it done with not much of an investment I would go with the Provocraft Cuttlebug. You can also use other die cuts from other product lines with this machine. I personally love that it folds up nicely and takes very little space when not in use. Hope this helps.
Posted by: Jamie Marie | January 22, 2013 at 03:27 PM
I have the old style cuttlebug. It serves my purpose (I bought it for papercrafting, now use it to cut felt shapes) and was the cheapest product, at the time. It's sturdy, although, I did break the C plate b/c I used it as a top plate. Use it as the bottom when needed. It is versatile with competitor's products also. I even used the old, thick Sizzix dies in it. Good luck. Happy Spending! You'll be hooked.
Posted by: Amanda | January 22, 2013 at 05:09 PM
I don't know what size(s) of circles and such you need, but have you considered the super-cheap (relative to these machines) Fiskars and Martha Stewart big punches?
Say like: http://www.amazon.com/Fiskars-01-005566-Everywhere-Refill-Scalloped/dp/B003UO3DRK/ref=sr_1_13?s=arts-crafts&ie=UTF8&qid=1358911638&sr=1-13&keywords=fiskar+circle+punch
Posted by: YC | January 22, 2013 at 07:28 PM
I bought the Big Shot through Stampin' Up and I LOVE it. I have a Cricut, don't use it, have a cuttlebug, don't use it...but the big shot can cut, emboss and do a variety of materials including fabric with the bigz dies....It is my favorite machine.
Hope this helps
Hugs
Julie
Posted by: Julie | January 25, 2013 at 06:13 PM