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I'm new to the forum and honestly don't plan to spend much time making crafts, but hoping my girlfriend will!
I was given a Sizzix Big Shot in slight disrepair (bad bearings and crank shaft). I'm nearly done cleaning and replacing parts on the Big Shot and would like to buy a few things for it, as Christmas gifts, for my girlfriend.
Problem is, I have no idea what to buy. I'm interested in getting her some things that are "must haves" and was hoping some of you would chime in with dies, tools, guides, materials, etc that you use often and highly recommend.
For what it is worth, she loves making cards, especially using thick, coarse, textured paper (like what you might expect recycled paper or papyrus to feel like), she also likes burlap a lot.
Well...you might be able to start a side business fixing Big shots LOL She is lucky to have you!
Ok...can you tell us what kind of cards she makes-or better yet, give us pics? Esp of one she really liked? The big shot is particularly for embossing and die cutting. There are literally thousands of products for it so we need to zero in on her style/likes if we can.
What is she doing now? Is she hand cutting shapes for her cards? You mentioned she likes thick materials like burlap.
Also-do you have the parts for it? Like the platform-it is a plastic thing with two flaps with hinges. This acts as the base. The flaps determine height. Also she will need clear plates that everything gets sandwiched between. There is also an embossing piece and a metal shim accessory. Down the road, if she decides she likes it, but only then-I might invest in the magnetic platform. If you You tube the Big shot -ask for "how to use a big shot" you will see vids that show these accessories so you know what they are. She will have to have them to use it.
Great idea. She's going to love it! Since she loves cutting thicker materials, steel rule dies are a good way to go. They cut through leather, burlap, chipboard, a wide variety of thick materials!
Sizzix makes the Big Shot machine, and a bunch of dies and other accessories. I did a search there for "steel rule dies":
To start, she'll need a pair of cutting pads (which you'll see in those search results), a multipurpose platform (also on that site), and then dies to cut materials, or embossing folders to add texture to paper and other thinner materials. If you are up for it, definitely shop around because prices do vary on a lot of the stuff.
Or you could always get her a Sizzix gift card and let her decide!
I agree it's difficult to make suggestions without knowing her style. Does she already have tools? Is she just starting out? Does she use stamps and if so, does she use colored ink pads? Does she like to color or have an interest in markers, pencils, watercolor? Does she paper piece? Since you have a Big Shot I would suggest maybe getting some embossing folders and some basic nesting dies in square, rectangle and circle shapes. Maybe even some flower shapes. For stamping, a tool I don't know how I lived without before is my Misti stamp tool.
Poppy we are on the same wavelength...I was just thinking I needed to come back and say once Daniel is sure he has all the parts...a gift cert to a good general supplier would be a good idea and let her just pick. Maybe Joann's-Daniel they usually have good sales going on online vs the store. Or Elizabeth crafts, or Simon Says. All would have a good variety of choices. Probably carry Sizzix too.
Ok, so the person that gave me the machine bought themselves a new one and gave me all of the new accessories that came with the new Big Shot. So I have the platform, plates, etc that come standard with a new one, so it is best to think of it as if I bought a brand new Big Shot in the box.
As far as what she uses now, it is all by hand with scissors, etc, but she has always wanted a Big Shot to kinda take things to the next level. So she's new to these types of tools.
I don't have photos of cards she has made, but I can try and find some styles that I think are representative. But to be honest, that's going to be very limiting. I think she's interested in all kinds of styles, so I don't think she would be disappointed in anything.
At this point, I'm just not sure if there are critical tools that people all generally will have, so I'm interested in that kind of stuff, if there is such a thing. If not, then I'm interested in helpful advice so I don't buy poorly made dies and/or items that don't work well or at all with the Big Shot.
With all that said, the person that gave me the Big Shot had some items, like a board that allows you to cut and fold an envelope of just about any size, that I thought was a great tool to have. It isn't specifically related to Big Shots, but it seems like a great compliment to the Big Shot. Since making cards is the current goal for this equipment, I'm also open to advice concerning items that aren't specifically for a Big Shot, but are general must haves.
Sorry for not narrowing it down much, I don't really know enough at this point to be too specific.
Apparently I can't post links until I've made three or more forum posts, so the examples I tried to send won't show up... but this is #3, so hopefully they'll show up on the next one.
So she didn't make these, but some are similar to what I've seen her do by hand, some are cards similar to what she's said she would like to do.
Besides these examples, she loves butterflies, casablanca lilies and flowers in general.
I don't think she would mind coloring by hand with markers, but I think she would prefer ink stamps to start out if she had to chose one over the other.
If she likes butterflies and flowers, then start there - there are lots of butterfly and flower dies, and it would be easy to find a couple that you think would fit her style.
Basic circles and ovals, in plain and scalloped, are always very useful. I also like having a set of stars. Pretty much every company that sells dies makes some version of those, so they are not hard to find.
On the basis of the card samples you showed, you might want to look for a doily die as that will often give that elegant, lacy look that I see on some of the samples you picked. Again, lots of companies make them, so pick one you like.
If you buy any dies with small holes or bits to be picked out, like a doily die, then I highly recommend the Spellbinders Tool n One - http://www.amazon.com/Spellbinders-C.../dp/B00JURW1JW It makes life so much easier when it comes to getting out those little bits!
Several of the card samples you picked of what she might like showed texture done with embossing folders - again, so many companies make those and for the most part none are better than another - so pick patterns you think she might like and buy a couple. And watch your prices - for sure should not be more than $10, and there are lots you can find in the $3-5 range.
__________________ "You may not have lost all your marbles, but there's definitely a hole in the bag." Grumpy Cat
At this point, I'm just not sure if there are critical tools that people all generally will have, so I'm interested in that kind of stuff, if there is such a thing. If not, then I'm interested in helpful advice so I don't buy poorly made dies and/or items that don't work well or at all with the Big Shot.
With all that said, the person that gave me the Big Shot had some items, like a board that allows you to cut and fold an envelope of just about any size, that I thought was a great tool to have. It isn't specifically related to Big Shots, but it seems like a great compliment to the Big Shot.
There are thousands and thousands of choices in everything from dies to paper to tools and inks and embellishments, and people spend a lifetime collecting them.
Here is a great thread with suggestions for what to invest in when starting out:
Those card examples are beautiful � maybe pick one of them and give her all of the elements she'd need to make a similar card? Sort of like your own card kit. So with that first example, you would buy her kraft paper, white card stock, a greeting stamp, ink, doilies and some twine or jute string. Then maybe buy her some wafer thin dies in a rectangle shape, and some flower dies, so she can cut a card front on her Big Shot, and embellish it with her own paper flowers.
You could buy her a paper trimmer so she can cut any card size she wants, and a scoreboard or envelope punch board, so she can score the cards and make her own envelopes, too.
Take a look at stampinup.com for more ideas -- loads of beautiful stamps, papers, inks, supplies and tools plus card ideas, all color coordinated.
Kudos to you Daniel for joining this site so that you can learn more about some things to get your girlfriend. What a lucky lady she is!
So, there are what are called steel rule dies, these are thick and can cut through several layers of card stock or other thick materials.
Then there are wafer thin dies. Thsee dies are thin and usually come in nesting sets, or coordinating sets. They are sometimes referred to as thinlets or framelits. These will typically only cut through 1 layer of card stock at a time.
I would recommend getting her some embossing folders
One with some nice flourishes
One or two with an all over background pattern
Maybe something like a woodgrain pattern as well
As far as dies go, if she likes butterflies and flowers then you'll have lots to choose from.
Stampin Up sells a steel rule die with several different flowers and they also have a flower stamp set or two that have coordinating wafer thin dies.
At any rate there are MANY, MANY companies that have all kinds of dies to choose from. Have fun shopping!
My 2 cents - buy a gift card to an online store like Simon says stamp so she can pick out dies she likes / paper etc AND you should buy a MISTI. This is an amazing tool that will make her a very good stamper. This MISTI makes a great gift and something that she might think she should put off buying BUT it's so amazing and helpful that anyone who has knows how amazing and helpful it is. Sorry for being long winded ...
And of course you could also get a silhouette machine - it's expensive but worth the money --- you didn't mention your budget and you don't need to but thought I would give some price points. ( silhouette approx $200). Misti approx $50.
Ps silhouette is an electronic die cutter. Let me know if you want links
__________________ Creativity is intelligence having fun. - Albert Einstein
If you haven't guessed by now, everyone has a different 'starter list' of things you will need. And there are a ton of products out there. The more you do this craft, the more all this stuff becomes necessary LOL.
You have a great start - a Big Shot with all the accessories.
Now I would give her a loaded debit card with the $$ you have in your budget and let her shop for herself. If you want just a few things to give with the Big so she has something to play with on Christmas, I would give one embossing folder in a 6x6 size and the Sizzix set of round dies (she can always cut a straight edge with a ruler, but cutting a circle by hand is hard). Both of these items can be obtained on Amazon.
Picking out stamps and ink and other bits and pieces is subjective, and beauty is in the eye of the beholder. What I would pull together for stamps and sentiments is not going to match someone else's idea of what matches. Therefore, the debit card would give you the biggest bang for your money. And she will be happy with everything because she picked it out herself.
Congrats on your new title of BOTY. Not too many guys would jump in the middle of all this to please his love.
As others have said, some basic shape dies and embossing folders would be a great place to start. My guess is that money is limited, otherwise she'd probably have bought a new Big Shot. So, my recommendations are items that are available in most JoAnn, Hobby Lobby or Michael's stores.
HINT: Always, always, always take a coupon with you. You can print it off the site or get them on your phone. Coupons will usually get your 40% off one regular priced item (some restrictions, yada yada). If you want to get her several things, take a friend with you and give him a coupon and some cash and have him stand in line with you or go back several days in a row.
Wow Daniel, I thought my husband was great asking my craft girlfriends what gifts to buy....you joined SCS, I am so impressed LOL.
This is a must have and will save your GF a fortune in buying stupid acrylic blocks. MISTI is a stamping positioner, all you need to know is...everyone either has one or wants one. Here is the link My Sweet Petunia
Judging from the style of the cards you showed, I think she might like the products from Heartfelt Creations - they have a really elegant style, and beautiful collections which include coordinating papers, stamps and dies that match, etc. They also have quite a few tutorials on their Youtube channel for using their products together.
I'm back. Wow-they gave you all the new accessories instead of the ones from the used one? Lucky dog!
I know what that envelope tool is. Nice! Over time I suspect she may want to buy standard sizes but that guy will allow her total freedom to make whatever size card she wants and would be much thriftier.
Flowers and butterflies are good. VERY popular so there are tons of them.
I agree with the Tool In One. I have one. Very helpful. Pertains directly to dies. After you cut them, often there are lots of chads and this gets them out.
Ok. Think about this: What kind of personality is she?
Why? She will need to learn which we dont do overnight. Will she go to local live classes or you can see a million You tubes but when you dont know what you dont know-it's hard to know what to ask for. There are online classes though and often once bought you can go back and watch again forever. (look for that quality in them)
There are tutorials here and one of the best gifts you can give her is here.
Basic supplies:
Michaels-Recollections paper. 110lb. 8 1/2 x 11. White and ivory. NOT lesser weight. You need a good heavy base layer to make the cards out of. Took me years to discover this. You can thank us later.
Paper Cutter.
You dont need to go top flight (hundred of dollars) immediately. Search here and you will see discussions of them. You want one that can handle 12 x 12 paper.
Adhesives. She needs to be able to stick the die cuts to the card base.
Double sided tape. Scor-tape is excellent. Start with 1/8 and 1/4 inch. Down the road like next xmas maybe you get her a good tape gun.
Glues: Ranger matter multi medium and Glossy accents.
Work surfaces.
Ranger craft sheet. Washable, heatable. Can take it with you. http://www.amazon.com/Ranger-15-Inch.../dp/B000S17ZAY
Self healing grid mats. 24 x 36 should be good. Check art stores.
Pressable mats-very good for stamping. LIke a mouse pad but bigger.
I just grabbed links...you probably can do much better on pricing. So now you will have a work surface and base tools. There are a lot more...the MISTI, heat gun and powders, the tape gun, etc etc etc. I would wait on all that till you know she is all in.
I am still going with GCs after that. She will want a general set of sentiments in stamps. All kinds of fonts out there. She has to pick that. As well as
Tips: Be thrifty. Not a cheap hobby and we all talk non-stop of who has what on sale, how to DIY storage or tools...it is not a bad thing. It is a very good thing. We shop sales online, garage sales, etc. Make a plan and stay the course. You need sentiments stamps then just look at those. Otherwise you will fall off the yellow brick road and buy a lot of fun stuff but cha-ching.
She will need to have a place to work and to store her stuff. Start thinking about that. This can take up quite a bit of space over time, depending how into it she gets.
I vote for getting her an ATG (tape gun), an envelope punch board, and a gift card to let her decide which dies and embossing folders she'll love the most, and which papers she'll use the most. As already mentioned, Recollections 110 lb (from Michael's) is a good choice, regardless of color, but if she wants kraft like your samples, she should shop around for a heavy one - or you should, lol.
There are so many choices that it can be baffling/confusing/overwhelming. If you want the wafer thin dies in basic shapes (as opposed to steel-rule), then look at Lifestyle Crafts nesting dies - way more sizes included than with Spellbinders. Here's an example: Lifestyle Crafts Quickutz Nesting Circles
__________________ ~ Sue Happy for no reason...
Last edited by gregzgurl; 10-30-2015 at 04:47 AM..
Reason: additional info
It sounds like she's already into card making and enjoys using heavy-weight cardstock.
What Daniel is asking for is suggestions for items to go with the Big Shot.
I agree with the other ladies, you deserve "boyfriend of the year"! Not just for fixing up a Big Shot for her but for jumping in out here to ask for help and info.
You have been given GREAT suggestions so far. And as someone brand new to all this it can probably be overwhelming. Even those of us who have been doing papercrafts of various kinds for years and years can get overwhelmed at the sheer volume of products available!
I have one thing I want to get specific about. In your original post you mentioned she cuts shapes by hand, and she likes to,use burlap.
To cut through something heavy like burlap you need to look for the Sizzix BIGZ dies. These are the steel rule dies. They are "blocks" with (usually) a black foam face on one side. They are about the same thickness as the platform that comes with the Big Shot. Because of this you don't use the platform with these dies, just sandwich the die and the material you are cutting between the two acrylic clear plates to run through the machine.
Of course you can find videos to show you what I am talking about but I wanted to point out that the BIGZ dies are the ones to use on heavy or thick materials.
Any dies labeled "wafer thin" , "thinlits" or "framelits" won't cut through the burlap you mentioned or any heavy or thick materials. Those are made to cut through one layer of paper.
Sizzix and Spellbinders are two name brands that are good. You can find them online but also stores like Michaels, Hobby Lobby and AC Moore carry those brands if you want to go to nearby stores and use coupons.
There are more good brands out there but I couldn't possibly give you a complete list. I think the suggestion of a gift certificate to online retailer Simon Says Stamp is a good one as they carry multiple brands and all are good.
I think since you are giving this as a gift. that yes, the gift card would be handy but, for me I like to play with things out of the box so, you picking out one or two dies or embossing folders would be you know ( she gets to play with it when she opens the box)
the good news is you did ask early enough that if you shop online you have time for it to arrive and be wrapped as part of the surprise.
personally I like to "tie on" the sentiments with ribbons and such to cards so, one of the very first die sets I ever bought were tag shaped. and I still use them.
one of the hardest things to cut with scissors is circles. ( squares and rectangles can be done on a paper trimmer if needed)
you can cut the thicker materials with the thinner dies its just a matter of how much elbow grease and shims will you need.
so, the steel ruled dies that Sizzix makes make it a smoother flow for thick things. the only thing with these style of dies is they eventually take up quite a bit of storage space down the road if you end up with a collection of them so, a lot of people buy the thinner dies if space constraints are a concern.
one of the the things that is handy if you end up with some really frilly ornate dies is a metal shim. ( like this one, there are probably others) this is for the fancy has 50 million holes to cut in the shape dies like doilies? (and maybe a box of waxed paper like from the grocery store ( it helps release the complicated paper inside the diecut )
I'm with those who suggest a gift card. It does sound like she already makes cards and this is to help her expand her abilities and move up a level. I'll never forget what a new world opened up to me when I started working with dies.
All of the die suggestions already given are wonderful but, really, I think her first dies should be what SHE feels drawn to and can picture using on cards she wants to make.
Just my two cents. ;)
__________________ I have come to the conclusion that buying craft supplies and actually using them are two separate hobbies. RachelRose Designs by Robin... GALLERY
You are definitely a jewel for doing this kind of research.
I agree with getting some basic shape dies, and a MISTI but I would stay away from getting a Cameo, punch boards, and paper trimmer unless she has said she specifically wants one. Artists are pretty picky about these items so a gift card would be better for picking these kind of items. If you go the gift card route, consider a Visa, Amazon, or PayPal because then she has a larger selection instead of just one store.
If I had to pick one item, it would be the MISTI because it truly is the best overall tool to have and she'll use it every time she stamps.
Thank you all for the input. I think I have a lot of reading a shopping around to do.
I finished fixing the Big Shot today and got all the new bearings in it and put back together. I didn't run anything through it, but it sure feels like it turns much more nicely than it did before.
For now, since the Big Shot is already in play, I think I am going to focus on getting a few dies and embossing folders, with a gift card for her to get other items she may want.
I think with just the tips on this thread, I'm set for gift ideas for a a few holidays!
Thank you for all of your help. This has probably been the most helpful forum I've ever visited on the internet. If any of you have advice to give on fixing up a '53 Chevy 3100 pickup, let me know. Hahah.
Daniel, I hope you show your girlfriend this thread after Christmas (53 sleeps to go) and she can pop by and tell us what goodies you got. Good luck with the Chevy.
__________________ Susie
Please don't take your organs to heaven - heaven knows we need them here.
This has probably been the most helpful forum I've ever visited on the internet. If any of you have advice to give on fixing up a '53 Chevy 3100 pickup, let me know.
This is indeed one of the friendliest, most helpful places on the Internet. Please do encourage your girlfriend to pay us a visit. Maybe she'd like to be a regular on here, too.
As for that '53 Chevy . . . once you get it up and running, paint it a deep black-red and deliver it to my house! ;)
New, Confused, and on a Mission
