Die Cut and Embossing Machine

11 years ago

I'm posting this topic here because I couldn't find a place to ask. I hope some of you can help me out.

Normally, I am pretty good in researching online with I need. This time, it's taking me to so many places that I'm a bit dizzy and loss. Papercrafting is so wide and spread out, I still haven't found exactly the answer I need. It probably is because of new papercraft terminologies that I haven't become familiar yet.

I read an article at Cut@Home Blog about different machines but some of the materials seem to focus only on machines that they sell. It helped me a little but not enough to decide on a certain machine or brand.

So.... My objective is to make greeting cards that I can use in conjunction with quilling art/craft. I like to purchase a machine that mainly can do embossing and die cutting with paper size up to 8.5" x 11".

I've been browsing around but some do not state what size papers it can emboss & die cut. I see that some use cranking handle and some run by a push of a button. I think cranking would be a bit tough with my arm & hand disability. Although, if it's not heavy, I can probably work with it. Besides paper, I'd like one that can cut/emboss fabric & vinyl if the price is affordable enough.

If you have one of these, please tell me of your experience. What's the pros and cons and whether you like the one you have or rather have something else. Thank you KTs.

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Comments (6)

plllog
11 years ago
Since you quilt, wouldn't it be a good idea to get a machine that can cut fabric? If you want to do a charm quilt, or a hexagon, or anything that's a complex cut, being able to die cut is a real boon! Last time I checked, only a couple of very expensive machines did both, but looking today I see that quite a few moderate ones do.

Have you seen this article? It may not be comprehensive (I think they are selling the machines as well) but I like the check lists. Scroll down to see all of them. Even if there are some missing, the checklists are a great resource for listing features to compare.

http://die-cutting-machines-review.toptenreviews.com/
ntt_hou
Original Author
11 years ago
Thanks for the tip but... no, it's not quiLTing. It is quiLLing. It's a craft that use paper rolling to create different designs. It's actually an ancient technique.
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plllog
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Oh, sorry!! I'm a quilter, and was salivating over diecutters decades ago, long before Cricut and Cameo, when each die was hundreds of dollars and only made sense for large shops, so my eyes automatically read quilt, I guess. I do know what quilling is and have seen some really beautiful quilled vignettes. Did you check out the link? It shows the cutting width of the machines, though it's hard to see--you could copy and paste into a word processor to make it easier to read without adjusting your browser. It also shows a number of different kinds of paper as variables, including cardstock and tissue, plus vinyl, fabric and a number of other things. I'd think you'd want as many of them as possible for cards. Can you cut the strips for quiLLing with a diecut machine? I'd think that that would be the best thing ever!
ntt_hou
Original Author
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Yes, I did take a quick look at the link. The machines they listed are more like the high end models. They're more for someone that do papercraft as a business rather than just a hobby like me.

I've been doing more online searching and finally found some real good advises and tutorials on YouTube. I was able to narrow it down to 2 machines, the Sizzix Big Shot (hand cranking) and the Sizzix Vagabond (electric). While looking at these models, I spotted the latest one: the Sizzix Big Shot Plus. It is basically the same as the Sizzix Big Shot but much wider and steadier.

One nice thing about YouTube, I was able to see that it didn't take much effort to manually turning the hand crank. Looked like something I can manage with.

Bic Warehouse (through Amazon, Walmart & eBay) had a fairly good deal on this model so, I went ahead and purchased it.

Now, I just need to start looking for the different embossing and die cutting designs.

Oh, and to answer your last question. I don't know about cutting paper strips with these machine. I do have a shredder that can be used to cut paper strips for quilling. However, the pre-cut paper strips aren't very expensive when purchasing them overseas. The paper strips are more at a proper weight for curling, and are acid free. Nevertheless, your thought/idea to use the cut die machine is very appealing. I need to research on this a bit more. Thanks for the idea!
plllog
11 years ago
Congrats on your purchase! Having such a versatile tool will surely enhance your work.
ntt_hou
Original Author
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Thank you! I can't wait until it gets here to begin the fun.

A few years ago, I was forced to quit work as my disability decided to turn for the worse. Since the deterioration is slow, my doctor's most worry has been about my emotional being. I told him not to worry because I have enough hobbies to keep me busy. My friend told me that if my doctor was so worried, he should give a Hobby Lobby gift card. LOL... I wish that would be true. The bad thing about this is that my whole house is turning into a huge hobby & craft room!

Die Cut and Embossing Machine

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Die Cut and Embossing Machine

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