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Ok so Ive been researching getting one of these machines everyone has. I like the concept behind the new Pazzles and the Klic N Kut but thats waaaay too much money.
So then I had it narrowed down between the Big Shot and the cuttlebug, leaning toward the bigshot and I started surfing/searching for dies. They are soooo expensive! ARG! Alot of what Im looking to put in my scrapbooks are animals and boy themed things and travel and I like the idea of nestibilities. But all this is just way too much, to spend $15 on a die of one animal I may only use once!? Plus then to find cute ones and whats compatible with what machine, giving me a headache!
So then I was thinking there must be a way to just buy the end result.
So I guess i have a couple questions; do the manufacturers have some sort of all inclusive catalog of all the dies that have been released to browse for images?
Does anyone know how to go about just getting the final products? Is there a good ebay store or does anyone on here sell them?
Or if you're local in MN can I buy dies and come use your machine?
I dont know but I have to figure out something more cost effective!
My LSS has dies and machines in the workroom - I can pay a nominal one-time fee or $7/mo for access. They have punches too. Would that be an option for you?
My LSS has dies and machines in the workroom - I can pay a nominal one-time fee or $7/mo for access. They have punches too. Would that be an option for you?
I dont know, Archivers by me used to have a machine with dies one the wall, I havent noticed it the last few times Ive been in there but then again I wasnt looking either.
Im thinking a cricut would be a good purchase for me. The cartridges are $100 not on sale but at least there are many many images on them. And then something i could cut nestabililies and bosskuts with and use my fiskars templates that are gathering dust!
Progress!
Any tips would be great, ie which cricut....
Big shot seems like it would handle everything but cuttlebug is cheaper but its not something I'd probably use a ton...
I was the same way when trying to figure out what I wanted and what I could afford to spend.
I do more card and paper projects than scrapbooking so I went with the Big Kick (same company makes them as the Big Shot only stlyed different). I found one for $59 and it came with a few dies and paper pads. I felt for the small difference in price that I could actually buy the machines for it was more versatile than the Cuttlebug. It can use any die from any other company. I don't carry it around to other places so the size/weight was not an issue for me.
I have been buying dies that I will use over and over. Like Nestabilities and Sizzix tags and such. I don't want to start accumulating dies that I will only use a few times. At Hobby Lobby I can get die cuts of things that I may only want one of.
I'm holding out on getting alphabet die sets so far. I would really like at least one but they are so expensive. If I start scrapbooking more, I would feel it would be more reasonable to get one.
I have the BigShot & would definitely recommend it. Michaels, Joanns, AC Moore, and (I think) Hobby Lobby all sell dies for Sizzix, Cuttlebug, etc. If you wait and use coupons for them, then the prices are a lot better (I used a 50% for my machine & usually wait for a 50% off to buy dies). I buy any Nestabilities or Quickutz dies online (I find Scrap-Mart.com has great prices and free shipping on both).
If you are only going to use a die once, why not browse the sticker section to see if there is something comparable there? Or see if you can find some clipart online to print/cut.
Also, as someone else mentioned, many local scrapbook stores offer use of their dies and diecut machines for a small fee (some are free, some free if you pay the crop fee, others you pay a small fee for the day or by the hour). If you find one close by, it may be worth just buying the dies you want & using them there (but calculate the cost of how many times you may want to pay a $5 workroom fee vs. the cost of a BigShot with a 50% coupon (about $40-$45 when using a coupon).
I have a BS and love it, but there are images that it doesn't have so I went to my LSS, rented the room, used some of my cardstock that I didn't like and made samples for a lot of the simpler shapes. I now have a large selection of "templates" like the library pocket, rubber ducky, palm trees, etc. I just trace them on the cardstock I want to use and cut out. These are items that I'll probably only use a few times so I didn't have to spend money on a die I wou't use that often.
The Big Shot and the Cuttlebug will both cut most dies on the market. Although dies are expensive you can also get others that are cheaper. For example, Quickutz and Boss Kuts dies are under $7 for the small ones.
You can also get a lot of dies on sale (either with coupons) or on clearance. I've gotten Cuttlebug dies as cheap as $2 on clearance at Michaels and Quickutz also in the $2 to $3 range.
For the more expensive dies (like the Nestabilities) even though they are a $25 investment I use them ALL THE TIME so it's just pennies per use.
So my advice is if you do get a die cutter I would go with either the Cuttlebug or Big Shot bc you can cut pretty much any companies dies with it.
I have the Pazzles Inspiration and the Big Shot and love them both, but in reality, the Pazzles is much more cost effective. Is there any way you can put away some $ each month and then maybe ask for Pazzles "contributions" for the holidays? I'm not trying to enable you for something that you can't afford, but in the end something like the BS could easily be a much bigger drain. With the Pazzles I can get any image I want without having to buy a thing. So if I need a zebra for a certain project, I find just the right image, download it and that's it. No long-term obligation what-so-ever and no $ investment. So if I'm only using it once there is no guilt involved. (I have a number of barely used BS dies to attest to this!) I might add that I'm not even sure a zebra die exist for any of the manual machines. Again, just an example. The possibilities with the Pazzles are truly endless and if you are creative and resourceful it doesn't have to cost you single penny for images. I bought my Inspiration for $499 w/ no shipping or sales tax. Between my QK and BS I know I've spent WAY more than that.
If you decide to get the Big Shot you will not be sorry in terms of quality. In fact, I'm sure you will absolutely love it. But like anything else, there are pro's and con's. Before you buy anything try to look ahead and see just what kind of $$ outlay each option will require for you to get what you want from it.
Good luck!! And, yes, there are lots of people out there who just sell the cut images on ebay.
I have the Quickutz Silhouette, Cricut, and the Big Shot. I use the Silhouette the most. In the long run it has been the most cost efficent, becuase I have been able to cut what I want mainly by downloading some free clip art from the internet. You can also cut titles from most of the fonts that you have on your computer. Besides the fact that you are able to get tons of fonts for free. I got the cricut when it first came out. I have used it very seldom since I purchased the Silhouette. Hope this helps
With the Big Kick, I can cut any company's dies, and I can emboss any company's plates or folders.
With the Cricut, I can cut from all of the cartridges ( I never pay more than $39 for one) and I can cut any font from my computer or any shape with the Sure Cuts a Lot (SCAL) software add on.
I look at them as machines with totally different capabilities, and I use both.
I did look at Pazzles but didnt like the designs I saw on the website much.
So now that I found what I need Im back to square one until I can afford it, so I figure now the best thing I can do is find a nice gal in MN with a Cricut Expression would wouldnt mind hanging out with me and letting me use it and perhaps I could do something in return for her.
Too bad no one dont rents them, or maybe someone does I should look into that!
Ok so Ive been researching getting one of these machines everyone has. I like the concept behind the new Pazzles and the Klic N Kut but thats waaaay too much money.
So then I had it narrowed down between the Big Shot and the cuttlebug, leaning toward the bigshot and I started surfing/searching for dies. They are soooo expensive! ARG! Alot of what Im looking to put in my scrapbooks are animals and boy themed things and travel and I like the idea of nestibilities. But all this is just way too much, to spend $15 on a die of one animal I may only use once!? Plus then to find cute ones and whats compatible with what machine, giving me a headache!
So then I was thinking there must be a way to just buy the end result.
So I guess i have a couple questions; do the manufacturers have some sort of all inclusive catalog of all the dies that have been released to browse for images?
Does anyone know how to go about just getting the final products? Is there a good ebay store or does anyone on here sell them?
Or if you're local in MN can I buy dies and come use your machine?
I dont know but I have to figure out something more cost effective!
Thanks for any input/suggestions!
You could consider joining the Wish Rak forum here on SCS. Its a group that essentially trades images, embellishments and even die cuts. How it works is that you send someone something they wished for, you earn your own wishes, then you can request something you would like. Included in them could be already cut die images.
Another option would be to post on the ISO (in search of) forum and request certain die images. You may have to pay for them, but the cost would be far less than a machine and dies/cartridges.
I didn't even want a machine at first because I didn't want to pay a lot for a monkey or something that I would only use once. Then I saw the Nesties and knew I would use them a LOT! Maybe you can swap special shapes with friends?
I have a Big Kick and a Cricut and though I use my Big Kick for when I'm using my nestabilities or embossing my Cricut is great for cutting out letters and shapes... the cartridges are expensive but not when you think about how many "dies" you get in that 1 cartridge...
At Archiver's, they have a TON of really cool dies, and they are all FREE to use! They would prefer if you buy your paper there, but I've cut dies at three different stores and none ever cared. I use theirs for specialty ones. Recently I did ghosts, poinsettias, pumpkins, Mickey Mouse Balloons, megaphones, ballerinas, etc. It's actually kind of therapeutic, too!
Some of the advantages are cutting out a whole sheet of a shape at one time. Nesties are nice, but you can only cut out one at a time! If you're doing a bunch for a gift set, the Cricut will be quick.
With the Expression, you get multiple sizes all on one cartridge. You can do a big 6" monkey for a page accent, and add smaller 2" ones--no need to buy 2 separate dies.
And also, the flexibility of the SCAL software, if you choose to add that on. Cut out any shape, any font, etc.
I think you made a great choice, and you'll have a lot of fun.
Man! I should have bought this yesterday from scrapbookexpress.com! The sale must be over, the price is now $249!
Poke around some more. I did see one for $149 there. Also saw "packages" for $249 and up. I think some of them included design files? Their information was very confusing, and I didn't understand what came with each package.
Die Cuts what a headache!
