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Ok I have been out of the stamping loop for awhile. So I have had lots of great suprises with new products out. I want a new die cutting system. I have the sizzix (red one). I love the nestabilities. I have read a bit about them now too. But I have heard great things about a cuttlebug? I guess I am asking if you had to pick a system which one would be my best bet or buy? I am not even sure what the name of the system is that does the nestabilites.
I have researched my copic markers, and I have heard great reviews about the ATG gun, and there is a cutting card matt with all the measurments and a bone folder, but you cant buy it in stores I am told.
See my mom asks for our Christmas lists this time every year, and I would like to be somewhat prepared this Thanksgiving when we had them in to her lol. So any great tips and info on what I should be asking for would help me out greatly.
Thank you
Jenny
__________________ Jenny Fighting Breast Cancer, waiting for my day to say SURVIVOR!
I think it all depends on what you want to use it for and also how much storage space you have for it.
Personally if i was buying it again I would buy the new big shot pro as I like 3D ideas and making boxes for larger prezzies etc. But it is bigger than the BS and much bigger than the CB
If your looking at not spending too much Id suggest the CB as Ive seen it as low as $69 ish on Amazon and apparently you can get it at Michael with that 40% discount which I really wish we had both of those in Aust!!!
Only thing I can really say you should do is to get some die and embossing folders when you get it!!! Other wise you do what I did and not use it for ages! lol. Also if you have a LSS around to do a class with it at it really helps. I thought originally that I was breaking my BS cause of the marks the dies left on the plastic!!!
Hi Jenny,
The Cuttlebug and Big Shot are both great for cutting and embossing. They work well with Nestabilities, embossing folders, and bigger dies like the Sizzix. The Cuttlebug costs a bit less and takes up less space, but the Big Shot is a bit sturdier.
I don't have an ATG gun (I use Mono Multi liquid glue for everything), but I do have a ScorePal and use it for every card. Martha Stewart also makes a score board now that you may be able to find at Michael's.
How great that you are planning ahead for feeling like crafting again, Jenny.
The score-boards are great - I have the Scor-Pal, but I know many people like the Martha Stewart one too.
I'd go for the Big Shot over the Cuttlebug, but that's just my preference. They'll both take the Nestabilities.
i own a cuttlebug, and it works great for my use. i don't craft every day (or sometimes, not even every week), so my CB doesn't get tons of use. if i used it more, i'd probably buy something different - and the Big Shot has a wider feed so you can cut bigger things. it hasn't been a problem for me, but if you can afford it, go with the bigger machine.
i also own the scor-pal. at the time i bought it, i really couldn't justify it - i mean, i can score cards, right? BUT, i absolutely LOVE the scor-pal and don't know how i ever folded a card without it. and, you can use it for such great embossed designs and borders on cards too!
I have both the CB & BS - you can't miss with either. Your choice depends on the space available and the type of crafting you do - cards, scrapbooking, etc. I have to leave my tools out or at least, easily available or I won't use them.
A scoring tool is essential if you are making cards. You can use the open space that is on the flip up/down measuring part of some paper cutters but a ScorPal or MS scoreboard are so much easier. Love the fact that if your projects needs multiple scores, you do not need to keep moving the cardstock. ScorPal has a self-healing mat that is available to place over the grooves so that you will not have to 'give up' all your crafting space to the scoring tool. You can probably use this on the MS scoreboard also but the ScorPal has a raised ridge on both sides and the mat fits snuggly in between. The MS scoreboard has only one raised side so don't know if there would be slippage. (One side has measurements so you can use a craft knife and the other is blank and wipes off so you can color or stamp. I know these are not all the used of the 2 sides.)
Eventually, you will want an ATG but I would wait to see how much you like this type of crafting. An ATG is much more economical to use than the small adhesive dispensers but the intial cost is more so you need don't need it to start.
I am Big Shot lover and I just fell in love with the Martha Stewart score pal! You can't go wrong with them. I do use my Big Shot to do boxes and 3D items. Love that!
I see you say that you have a Red Sizzix- you can use Cuttlebug folders and dies with that- you need the magnetic Sizzix adapter for the thinner sizzlets dies, and there is a slightly thicker mat, rather like a PC mousemat ( which makes a good substitute) you can get, which you need to emboss with. If you do a search( either on here or online) you will find a lot of 'Sandwich' recipes for using Nestabilities etc with a Red Sizzix. My personal recommendation, if you want a cutter, is to save up & go with the Silhouette. It connects to your pc, and as well as all the shapes you can buy online, there are loads of people sharing files on the various forums, plus it will cut any font (including Dingbats) that you have on your pc. You can also design your own motifs/phrases etc to cut out. And you can cut out photos, for decoupage. The images you can buy from Quickutz online are less than a couple of dollars, and obviously the fonts are free, so theres no constant outlay on dies etc. So although the machine costs more than the others, you save big-time overall.
Here is one link to a Sizzix/ cuttlebug folder recipe. http://www.allthatscraps.com/index.p...d=14&chapter=0
Here is a link to a Videojug video on how to use Sizzix/ nestabilites.
I personally would go with the one that uses the most competitors products and takes up the least space. Just from looking that's the CB one. I also have a old red sizzix one which a friend "lent" me for free so I never complain of that one and I have the tiny size sizzix one too. I love the nestabilities and use them a ton. If I was going to buy myself one new, I would get a cuttlebug one.
Just my 2Cents.
Cheers, Holley
a new project everyday! Holley's Blog
I have the Cuttlebug and the Big Shot. I had already purchased the Cuttlebug for 50% off at Michael's ages ago when I saw a review by JulieHRR on the Cuttlebug vs. the Big Shot. She ended up selling her Cuttlebug and bought a Big Shot. I still have my Cuttlebug, which I love in the respect that it takes up less space, but I also bought the Big Shot because like JulieHRR said, it's easier to crank through stuff. I used the Big Shot at a friend's house before I bought one, and it is so much easier to crank than the Cuttlebug, but it takes up a lot more space to use. I have arthritis in my hands and end up using the Big Shot more if I'm doing a lot of cutting. If I'm only doing one or two things, I use my Cuttlebug. Sometimes, by default, I have to use the Big Shot because some of the cutting mats for the larger dies don't fit into the Cuttlebug I have. If I hadn't already purchased the Cuttlebug, I would have just purchased the Big Shot simply on the ease of cranking it.
I have "old red" and I think it works just fine for 95% of what I want to do with it (nesties, embossing folders and die cuts). The only draw back is the fact that the opening is narrower than the newer machines so it limits the size of dies I can use in it and I can only use the embossing folders lengthwise.
My friend has a Cuttlebug and let me try it. Personally, I didn't like it. I felt like I needed three hands to use it (one to insert the sandwich, one to turn the crank and one to hold it down so it wouldn't jiggle all over the place). I've also tried the Big Shot. It's a lot more stable since it's so much heavier than the CB but it takes up a lot more space and costs a lot more.
I had a CB and now have a Big Shot. The reason I like the BS better is that it is more stable and sturdier. Also, you can not use the big dies in the CB (I guess the dies actually fit but the plates do not). I have an ATG gun which I love! It lasts so much longer that the Tombo adhesives. I also have a Scor It which I love too because you can score anywhere instead of just the grooves. I've never used a ScorPal but was told you can only score in certain increments.
Which one to buy?
