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Okay, so I saw so many beautiful cards made with a MS butterfly punch. So I run to Michael's and buy it. Came home, tried it out on what was laying around, which was copy paper, and I loved it. Put it away. Then today I ran all over to 3 different Michael's trying to find the Doiley Lace punch, which I've also seen some pretty cards made up with. Finally found one in stock. The lady at Michae'ls who rang me up was the customer service person, and she looked at me and said she hates MS punches! They usually don't punch even right out of the package, and she has them returned all the time! I bought it anyway. Came home, punched typing paper, and it was fine. BUT......when I tried to cut cardstock, it wouldn't even go through no matter how hard I pushed or how many times. It just left my paper all messed up! I quickly pulled out my butterfly punch, and the same thing happened. They will not punch through anything but very lightweight copy paper. WOW!!!!! How is it that everybody here is getting them to work so beautifully???
She warned me to keep my receipts, which I always do anyway. But unfortunately I threw the packaging away for the butterfly already. I wonder if they'll take it without. How disappointing. I love the look of that butterfly and that lace. This really stinks!
Anybody else think these punches are worthless for cardstock? I would think it was just me if it weren't for the customer service lady's comments.
I wanted to buy the MS lace valentine punch sooooo badly, BUT.....I have
heard others complaining of problems. I still wanted it..... but after hearing more complaints, I decided not to.
I live 2 hours from the nearest store that would carry them and I didn't want to chance having problems on top of spending 8 hours of driving time, gas and time.:twisted:
I have a whole drawer full of the MS punches including the doiley and the lacy heart border punch. I use them with SU paper and sometimes they are hard to punch but for the most part I am extremely happy with them. I am sorry you are having a problem with yours.
blessings.
I have about two dozen MS punches. I love the variety of the shapes. I have been using my butterfly punch for about two years and have not had a problem. Sometimes the punch/emboss punches are difficult to use on the SU cardstock, but I usually give them two squeezes and it works. I absolutely love the scalloped heart border punch that I recently purchased. All of my MS punches are from Michael's.
Hmmm ... I have a few MS punches, borders and images ... and love every one. I do use them atop a firm surface such as a cabinet top.
Perhaps a hefty dose of punching through aluminum foil will help? I use that technique with any and all punches that seem to lose their 'pizazz'! ;)
HTH!
Ditto what everyone else said. If there is another of each of them at the store, try an exchange. Some (okay, it sounds like MANY) of the punches are duds when it comes to punching cardstock and you just have to keep exchanging until you find one that works.
I have tons of MS Punches but I can't get any of them to go through cardstock so i just use paper with them.
I think this is horrible. Personally, I can't justify paying that kind of money for something that does not work for my needs (cardstock). And making multiple trips to try and get one that does work is crazy with gas prices being what they are. Time is also precious. And they probably won't let you open them in the store and try them out first since they are in a sealed package. How many trips would it take to get a good one??? When even the Michaels customer service employees admit to a major quality problem, yet they keep selling them, it makes me angry.
I know that many people have written and said they have no issues and love their punches, but I've just done several searches, and it seems like an abundance of people have many problems. Very frustrating. I am contacting customer support today, but I'm not too hopeful they will help based on other's comments. I will probably just return them, but I really love the look of some of the cards using these punches on SCS and would like to have my own punches THAT WORK!!!
I just got the "Heart Lace Border" punch and it really doesn't work well at all. I have played around with it enough to find a way so it will cut, but it isn't the way it should be used. Her punches are made by EK Success...you would think they would know how to get it right by now!
I too live far from a craft store. The only way I'll buy her punches is to try them out in the car before I ever leave the parking lot! That way if I need to exchange I don't waste several hours and $$ in gasoline. It's a shame she doesn't demand higher quality. Obviously we like her designs and want to use the punches. She's hurting her business by cutting corners on quality.
I too live far from a craft store. The only way I'll buy her punches is to try them out in the car before I ever leave the parking lot! That way if I need to exchange I don't waste several hours and $$ in gasoline. It's a shame she doesn't demand higher quality. Obviously we like her designs and want to use the punches. She's hurting her business by cutting corners on quality.
That's a great idea! If I EVER purchase another one (doubtful), I will remember to bring cardstock with me and try it out in the car first. Unfortunately, yesterday I got the last one of the Doiley Lace punch, so nothing left to try. I will let everybody know what customer support tells me today.
Forgot to mention that I did punch through some aluminum pop cans to try and fix them. It seemed to help for the butterfly punch. At least now it's "halfway" usable. But it did no good whatsoever on the border lace punch.
Some of you will find this humorous, as I did. I called Martha Stewart's customer support line, which directed me to EK Success. Once I finally was able to speak with a human being at EK Success, she directed me to Wilton. YES, the cake people! Evidentally, Wilton handles all of EK Success customer service inquiries. They are on a different time zone than I am, so I will have to wait to call them for about an hour or so.
I will post back what I find out. I have Valentine cards to make, and I so wanted to use this doiley punch!
I have been dissappointed with MS punches as well. Wrote to their company got a nice response from them but basically told EKsuccess is the maker and have to contact them so I emailed them. They emailed back saying thank you for my comments, they will be passed along to quality control and then offered to sell me more punches >:0 . I do have to remind myself though they are paper punches not cs punches so they actually do what they advertise ..punch paper :::sigh::::
I've stopped buying MS punches. I'm tired of having them not work or only able to punch paper. It's a worthless punch, imo, if it won't work on cardstock. It's a shame too, because there certainly have been some great MS punches.
I have never had any problems with MS punches..I just bought the new easter bunny border punch at Archiver's and used it on SU card stock with no problems. I also bought the heart border punch and it worked really well on riding hood red card stock. I have so many of her punches and would be lost without them. I hope you can get this resolved because when they work it is such a great addition to your cards. Carol
Hmmm ... I have a few MS punches, borders and images ... and love every one. I do use them atop a firm surface such as a cabinet top.
Perhaps a hefty dose of punching through aluminum foil will help? I use that technique with any and all punches that seem to lose their 'pizazz'! ;)
HTH!
This has helped with my punches. Try this before returning them. If they stick punch through wax paper. All tools need a little care.
I agree the MS border punches are difficult to punch through our SU cardstock. I bought the Valentine Lace border one and couldnt get it to punch through the SU colored cardstock.. I knew there had to be a way since I am seeing cards punched with SU colored cardstock.. so I tried and tried.
What I found out was.. when you punch the border you need to use 2 hands. One on the lever pushing down and then your other palm/hand pushing down on where the design is on top. That will apply the pressure where its needed to punch through SU cardstock. I know you SHOULDNT have to do this.. but hey I have told a few friends that had these punches they were going to toss because they couldnt return them NOW they can use them... Hope this helps for you too!!!
I have never had any problems with MS punches..I just bought the new easter bunny border punch at Archiver's and used it on SU card stock with no problems. I also bought the heart border punch and it worked really well on riding hood red card stock. I have so many of her punches and would be lost without them. I hope you can get this resolved because when they work it is such a great addition to your cards. Carol
Ohh I would love to see a picture of this punch.. :mrgreen:
I'll try to get a picture uploaded Archivers had all her new spring punches and they were soooooo cute..... easter bunny.......little chicks all in a row and cute single punches with bunnies and chicks. I hope Michael's will be getting them also....
I'll try to get a picture uploaded Archivers had all her new spring punches and they were soooooo cute..... easter bunny.......little chicks all in a row and cute single punches with bunnies and chicks. I hope Michael's will be getting them also....
Ohh I was thinking of making a trip to the Archivers in Austin.. tomorrow.. hmmmm tempting!!!
My Archiver's in SW suburbs of Chicago has a big weekend planned starting Friday...make n takes and a free stamp set if you get their news letters. They also have the new Sizzix embossing folders that they are going to be selling starting Friday..They work with the cuttlebug...I can't wait for Friday.....
Forget using it on PTI CS. My Marvys go through it just fine, and that's frustrating. They should be creating punches that go through CS at least that thick.
Forget using it on PTI CS. My Marvys go through it just fine, and that's frustrating. They should be creating punches that go through CS at least that thick.
Yes, mine definitely do NOT punch through PTI cardstock at all. For those who have mentioned that they are "paper punches" and not meant to punch cardstock, I guess I never gave that a thought to be honest. I may be naive, but to me cardstock is paper, and I don't believe most people use lightweight paper to do papercrafting do they? How many of us use copy paper to make a card?
Yes, mine definitely do NOT punch through PTI cardstock at all. For those who have mentioned that they are "paper punches" and not meant to punch cardstock, I guess I never gave that a thought to be honest. I may be naive, but to me cardstock is paper, and I don't believe most people use lightweight paper to do papercrafting do they? How many of us use copy paper to make a card?
I am calling Wilton now to see what they say.
Sandy
I think what's most frustrating is that whether they punch thru cardstock or not seems to be completely random depending on the punch you have in your hand at the moment. I have quite a collection of her punches, and every one of them works just fine on everything I've tried punching with it (up to 110 lb GP cardstock). I have somewhat plain borders, intricate borders, solid shapes and a couple of the "double" punches (like the Kiss Me, heart and the outline butterfly) and haven't had a problem with any of them. Which makes me think that something is really messed up with their production line or with their quality control. Makes no sense - I could see if there were certain punches that everyone had the same problem with, but it seems like on any given punch, you've got some that don't work for beans, and some that work great. Apparently I've been really lucky to have gotten all keepers
Yes, mine definitely do NOT punch through PTI cardstock at all. For those who have mentioned that they are "paper punches" and not meant to punch cardstock, I guess I never gave that a thought to be honest. I may be naive, but to me cardstock is paper, and I don't believe most people use lightweight paper to do papercrafting do they? How many of us use copy paper to make a card?
I am calling Wilton now to see what they say.
Sandy
What is "paper" is a matter of opinion I guess. I agree with you. We expect it to cut through CS. I use my SU scallop border punch on my PTI and while I do have to push harder, it works fine. Outside of layering with thinner CS/paper, I want it to go through CS. I have definitely shied away from MS punches.
I have had a few problems with the MS border punches or the embossing ones. I have had to return some. I have a drawer full of MS punches, and with many of the border ones, I have to "put my weight into it" to get them to punch through SU! cardstock. I haven't bought any new MS border punches for this very reason. I'm afraid at any moment that the handle may just break off.
I agree with the OP - I have purchased 5 MS punches (3 border punches, 2 shape punches). I have retained only one border punch. The other punches did not work (i.e. wouldn't cut even thin CS or paper). When I buy a product, I expect it to work when I take it out of the packaging - I don't expect to immediately have to do maintenance on it to get it to function somewhat. I will never, ever buy a MS punch or even accept one if it was free.
And I spoke too soon - or I jinxed myself! I just got my delivery of the Valentine Lace border punch, and while it is certainly usable, it is definitely more difficult to punch with than the others - I have to kind of give the handle a double squeeze to get it to go thru all the way. I won't be returning it though; I can use it this way and it makes such a lovely border (and I had to hunt like crazy to find one that wasn't on EBay priced out of this world). I'm going to try a little Cutter Glide treatment on it later and see if it helps.
please *sharpen* it by punching through aluminum foil... I have had a few problems but not too many and I find it punches through both GP white cardstock as well as my SU cardstock....
And making multiple trips to try and get one that does work is crazy with gas prices being what they are. Time is also precious. And they probably won't let you open them in the store and try them out first since they are in a sealed package. How many trips would it take to get a good one???
I've done it! I've brought a piece of SU! cardstock with me to the store, and CAREFULLY opened the package to try it out before deciding to purchase. Before I started doing this, I was returning many (but not all) of them. I have to say ... since I started testing them out in the store, I haven't bought a one, because none of them ever work.
I called the Wilton number (customer service for EK Success) and they are sending me replacement punches. I didn't get any type of runaround at all, so I am wondering if they have recently switched over to new customer service or something since others have gotten no help at all.
My own opinion is that EVERYBODY with faulty punches should call and get them replaced! Why should everybody be hanging on to punches that they paid good money for and are useless? I'm happy for those of you who got good ones to begin with, but that doesn't change the fact that many others have not. I'm not talking about being dishonest here either. I'm talking about punches that never worked from the very start. How is MS going to know some of her punches are junk unless we tell her? I mean no disrespect, but honestly! The customer service girl mentioned that they had not heard of any problems. That's hard to believe, but if it's true, we have an obligation to let them know.
I don't want to post it here, but if anybody is interested in the number I called, I would be happy to provide it for you if you PM me. I hope this doesn't go against any SCS policies. If so, somebody please let me know and I will quit.
Having said that, the girl I spoke with said there was no way for them to test the punches before they ship them out to me. So I could VERY WELL get two more faulty punches. She also said it would take 2 to 4 weeks for them to be shipped, which is a downer, but if it resolves the problem, fine.
Sandy
Last edited by sandydittmer; 02-10-2009 at 10:10 AM..
I called the Wilton number (customer service for EK Success) and they are sending me replacement punches. I didn't get any type of runaround at all, so I am wondering if they have recently switched over to new customer service or something since others have gotten no help at all.
My own opinion is that EVERYBODY with faulty punches should call and get them replaced! Why should everybody be hanging on to punches that they paid good money for and are useless? I'm happy for those of you who got good ones to begin with, but that doesn't change the fact that many others have not. I'm not talking about being dishonest here either. I'm talking about punches that never worked from the very start. How is MS going to know some of her punches are junk unless we tell her? I mean no disrespect, but honestly! The customer service girl mentioned that they had not heard of any problems. That's hard to believe, but if it's true, we have an obligation to let them know.
I don't want to post it here, but if anybody is interested in the number I called, I would be happy to provide it for you if you PM me. I hope this doesn't go against any SCS policies. If so, somebody please let me know and I will quit.
Having said that, the girl I spoke with said there was no way for them to test the punches before they ship them out to me. So I could VERY WELL get two more faulty punches. She also said it would take 2 to 4 weeks for them to be shipped, which is a downer, but if it resolves the problem, fine.
Sandy
One stopped working for her in the middle of her show the other day - she knows. She may not know the extent but she knows they don't always work.
I have the doily lace border punch and the heart lace border punch and both cut through cardstock (SU) for me. I do have to press pretty hard, but it is more difficult to press them enough sometimes.
One stopped working for her in the middle of her show the other day - she knows. She may not know the extent but she knows they don't always work.
Haha! darn I missed it too, lol! Well, maybe that will get her to do something about EKSuccess then...hoping, because I do love her punches too, but keep getting duds...
I agree the MS border punches are difficult to punch through our SU cardstock. I bought the Valentine Lace border one and couldnt get it to punch through the SU colored cardstock.. I knew there had to be a way since I am seeing cards punched with SU colored cardstock.. so I tried and tried.
What I found out was.. when you punch the border you need to use 2 hands. One on the lever pushing down and then your other palm/hand pushing down on where the design is on top. That will apply the pressure where its needed to punch through SU cardstock. I know you SHOULDNT have to do this.. but hey I have told a few friends that had these punches they were going to toss because they couldnt return them NOW they can use them... Hope this helps for you too!!!
I was just going to share what Jenjoy told me on another thread the other night...it worked for me with my stubborn punch.
I just talked to Wilton and they are going to send me another one too. She said will take about 10-14 days. Oh well it's worth a try. I'll let you know what happens when I get the new one. I love that punch. It's so pretty.
