texture plates in the Cuttlebug and a crease pad comparison

I'm playing catch up with my Indigo Inklings inbox and I wanted to address a couple of questions that I've received in the last week or so.

The first question has to do with using the Fiskars texture plates in the Cuttlebug. I usually use texture plates with my Big Shot. Here's what I found worked with my Cuttlebug.


Pictured above are my Cuttlebug, my Sizzix silicone embossing pad (the black pad--same as the Spellbinders tan pad), white cardstock, the A plate, the spiderweb Fiskars texture plate (might as well be seasonal, eh?), and the B plate. This was one of the suggested "recipes" that I'd seen.


So here's my stack, from the bottom up: plate A, texture plate with desired texture face up, cardstock, silicone pad, plate B. I rolled it through and found that there was little pressure applied. It just plain rolled through too easily. There was no way that the cardstock would have been embossed. I needed a thicker stack.


Here you can see my modification. I substituted my C plate for the B plate. Everything else was the same.


And above you can see the result when I rolled that stack through. It's a very nice crisp emboss. I didn't mist my cardstock. I did feel a fair amount of pressure as I rolled the stack through, but not enough to make me think that I'd break the machine if I kept going. My suggestion would be to add shims to the stack using the B plate if you're worried that your stack using the C plate is too thick. Add the shims gradually, too. You might have to roll your combo through several times before you hit on just the right amount of pressure, but once you find that combo you'll be all set. Just make a note of it so that you don't forget the next time.

The next question has to do with the crease pad and cutting/embossing Nestabilities dies in one pass. Now I know that some folks have been having some trouble getting this to work for them. I wasn't sure why because it's fairly straightforward when I use my crease pad in my Big Shot.

Just as a refresher, here's what I do:


Pictured above are my Big Shot, the multipurpose platform on Tab 2, one clear plate, a scalloped heart Nestabilities die, white cardstock, and my Sizzix premium crease pad. This is the order in which I put this combo through the machine, by the way. The die is cutting side up (the side with the ridge), and the paper or cardstock should be face down on top of it.


This is how it looks after I roll it through. There are a couple of places where the cutting looks a little questionable, but the die cut popped right out.


Here is how it looked once it was out of the die. I think you can see that it was both cut and embossed nicely.

So, I got to thinking that maybe the thickness of the newer premium crease pads must be the problem. I tried this again with the red one that I bought recently.


This time there were areas that clearly were not completely cut through. You could see where the cut would have been though, so it wasn't going to take much more pressure to get that complete cut.


If you've been following my blog for a while, you might have guessed what shim I decided to add to the stack. Yes, it was the backing to one of those Cuttlebug folders. :-) I put it right on top of the crease pad and rolled the stack through again.


This time I got a more complete cut, even at that lower left edge that looks a little iffy. It popped right out.


And here is the heart that I simultaneously cut and embossed. I was going to say that it was done in one pass, but that wasn't really true, eh? It would be next time though since I now know to use a shim with this red crease pad. :-)

The bottom line is that if you're getting an incomplete cut, try shimming. If your embossing isn't crisp enough, try adding a shim for that, too. Add your shims gradually though so you don't break anything, but don't be afraid to experiment a little bit to see what works best for your particular machine and your accessories. As you can see, sometimes items can vary and make a significant difference in the results that you get, or don't get. :-)

Big Shot basics

Neat! I just realized that this is my 300th post. Woo hoo! Seems right that I should be making a post about the Big Shot. I wanted to hit the basics because there are a number of new users out there and many of the same questions keep coming up in discussion forums.


That is my Big Shot. Also pictured are the multipurpose platform and two clear cutting plates (pads). These are the basics that will get you started. Most of the time you'll be using the multipurpose platform (MPP) as your base with your die sandwiched between the two cutting pads on top of it. The die is usually placed with the cutting side facing up and your cardstock or paper on top of it. Sometimes you'll see folks use their dies with the cutting side down. I'm not sure how big a difference it makes, but I know that the thinner dies can bend if used that way. They tend not to bend if used blade up. Makes sense to me to just use them face up, eh?

But before I get too far, let me show you what one of these cutting pads looks like after it's been used a few times. I know this takes some people by surprise.


Don't worry. This is normal. It's a cutting surface that the blade of the die cuts against. It's gonna get marked up.


Here's what mine looks like after years of use. Looks like that on both sides. And yeah, it's cracked in a couple of places, but it still works. I'll probably retire it soon though. :-)

Let me talk about the multipurpose platform. I love this! I like easy and foolproof and this platform helps accomplish that.


It's hinged and tabbed, and it has diagrams and instructions printed right on it! You flip the tabs open or closed to change the thickness of the platform so that it can accommodate the different dies, folders, texture plates etc. You don't cut directly on the platform. It's there only in a supporting role. Most of the time you'll have a clear cutting pad on top of it. You use this tab (Tab 2) for wafer-thin dies. I'll summarize just which ones at the end.


Here is the MPP open to Tab 1. Tab 2 is off to the left and I've already passed that 'page' through the opening of the Big Shot to the other side. Now some folks have supposedly unscrewed the hinges so that they don't have to bother with open 'pages'. Yikes. I'm sure it works, but to me it sort of defeats the purpose. I find this set-up to be very convenient as is and not a problem to handle. This is the Tab setting that you'd use for slightly thicker dies, for texture plates*, for brass stencils*, and for embossing Spellbinders die cuts* like Nestabilities. Note the asterisks--these are cases where you don't use two clear pads; for these items you'll need a silicone pad and the Impressions pad. More on what these do later. But in short, here they take the place of the clear cutting pad that would usually go on top of the stack.


Here is the platform with No Tabs selected. It's supposed to be used with narrower embossing folders. I use this one with the Cuttlebug embossing folders of all sizes. I've used Tab 1 for these in the past, but I get good crisp embossing without my cardstock tearing as often when I go with no tabs. Try it both ways and see which you like better.



I wanted to show that there are times when you won't use a platform at all. This is when you use the Thick Cut, Bigz, XL Bigz, or Original Sizzix dies. You just pass the die through between the two clear cutting pads. No platform needed. No room for one!


And these are some of the accessories than can be useful when using the Big Shot.

The blue pad on the bottom is the Premium Crease Pad. It's made for use with the Cut 'n' Fold dies--these dies have lines that are meant to be scored in addition to lines that are supposed to be cut. Think of box templates as an example. This pad helps assure that the score lines turn out to be scored and not cut. If you use the clear cutting pads, often they'll end up cut. Not good. This pad can also be used to cut and emboss Nestabilities dies in one pass. You may see these around in red and black, too.

The black pad is the Impressions pad. It comes in the Texturz Starter Kit or can be purchased individually. This used to come in the Big Impressions Starter Kit, too. If you've seen references to the BISK, that's what people are talking about. It's slightly thicker and narrower than a clear cutting plate.

The very pliable black mat that you see is the silicone embossing mat. It works the same way as the tan Spellbinder embossing mat, also pictured above, developed for use with Wizard dies. These are both very soft and are easily forced into the sometimes intricate designs of metal dies or stencils to create crisp, detailed embossed images. I included a smaller piece of the tan mat to show that it can be cut down to allow embossing of a stencil image without embossing the edges of the stencil. I think it's great to have smaller pieces as well as the larger ones that can be used for big texture plates. These silicone mats can be bought separately. The kits that I mentioned above include this, the Impressions pad, and three texture plates (six designs).

Let me summarize which MPP settings you'd use with various dies, plates, folders....

Tab 2 for wafer-thin dies:

• Nestabilities and other Wizard dies
• Quickutz dies and GooseBumpz embossing dies
• Bosskut dies
• Cuttlekids dies
  

Tab 1:

• Sizzix Cut 'n' Emboss dies/Embosslits
• Sizzix Window Cut dies/Clearlits
• Thin Cut dies/Sizzlits
• Cuttlebug dies
• 4" Sizzix embossing folders (Easy Emboss or Simple Impressions)
• Ellison/Sizzix/Fiskars texture plates*
• metal stencils*
• embossing Nestabilities and other Wizard dies* (same set-up as with metal stencils, leave die cut inside die to emboss)
  

No Tabs:

• 2 1/2" Sizzix embossing folders
• Cuttlebug embossing folders of all sizes

No multipurpose platform at all:

• Sizzix Original or Thick Cuts dies
• Bigz dies
• XL Bigz dies (does require XL cutting plates)
• Sizzix alphabars
• Sizzix long decorative strips dies (require extended spacer platform and 13" decorative strip cutting pads)
  

I think that should cover most of the items that you'd think of putting through the Big Shot. These are the basics for getting started. For more info, tips, and tricks, please feel free to check out the Tutorials for the Big Shot and Cuttlebug menu in my sidebar. You can also find info there about what materials you can cut using the various dies.

Edited to add: I've compiled the above information into a chart. The post with the link to that chart can be found HERE.

Sizzix crease pad and Cuttlebug

I've talking about how nice it is to cut and emboss Nestabilities dies in one pass using the Sizzix crease pad with my Big Shot. I'd mentioned that there wasn't a good work-around for the Cuttlebug other than perhaps cutting a crease pad down to size. It's too wide for the Cuttlebug otherwise.

I went to Michael's armed with two coupons and, among other things, wound up with a fairly cheap crease pad in my bag after I checked out. This red pad is actually just a tad thinner than the blue one that I used in my Big Shot. That was fine since the B plate is a bit thinner than the Big Shot clear cutting plates, too.

So, I cut off about 1/4" along the long side of the crease pad. I did this using some Tonic scissors. It was easy peasy. My stack was as follows: A plate, C plate, scalloped circle die with cutting side up, cardstock, crease pad, and two shims, i.e. two of those pieces that form the backing of the Cuttlebug folder packaging. The number of shims you need will vary according to your machine. I've found that I need to shim to make sure that I get a complete cut. The embossing is usually fine.

There's the stack and the materials. I'm kinda sorry I missed the full bottom edge in that photo. I'd actually rounded the corners with a Zutter corner rounder. LOL! Hey, it looked really good!

And here's a close-up of the results after one pass through the Cuttlebug. Nicely cut and nicely embossed all in a single pass. By the time I'd received the discounts for the coupons, this purchase was easily less than what I would have paid for an embossing pad elsewhere, around $4.00 USD.

I think I'll close the chapter on this now. :-)

manual die cutters - some considerations

When I started out stamping years ago, the notion of using a die cutter to cut shapes, particularly intricate or delicate shapes, was an attractive one.

I started out with the original red Sizzix. It did the job for quite a while and there are a lot of folks out there who are still quite satisfied with that machine. Tinker a bit and you can use many types of dies and embossing folders. You can emboss with brass stencils, too. The drawbacks to this machine are its weight. It's definitely not portable. It takes a pump type action to use it and you have to manually move your platform through the machine. Some people find that difficult. It also has a narrower opening and a narrower platform so some of the bigger dies (and by this I mean big from the standpoint of width; thickness is not an issue) and most texture plates cannot be used with it. They just won't fit through the opening.

As I recall, the Wizard was one of the next machines that became the subject of many discussions. People like the fact that it's metal and durable. Early on there were complaints that it was difficult to crank dies through, but it cut and it embossed beautifully according to the ones who persisted and learned to love it. I don't have one, so I won't comment any further.

My next foray into the world of manual die cutters came when the Big Shot was released. I liked the Sizzix, but I liked the Sidekick even more. The Big Shot seemed like a bigger version of the Sidekick, so I went with it.

The advantages of the Big Shot in its current incarnation:

• crank action - You simply turn a crank to roll your platform through the machine.
• large platform - This allows the machine to accept all of the non-commercial dies out there. You can also cut multiple dies in one pass.
  
• versatility - It is a die cutter--anything from wafer thin dies to thick dies like the Bigz. It embosses. You can use Cuttlebug embossing folders, Sizzix folders, texture plates like the ones by Sizzix or Fiskars, even brass stencils. Yes, you do need other accessories like an embossing mat, but you'd need those with other machines as well. You can also use a wide variety of materials in it. And with the largest opening of the current die cutters, it can accept all cutting plates--it can be trickier to use competitors' dies if you don't have plates that will fit through your machine.
  
• multipurpose platform - This makes life so simple! One platform, hinged, with tabbed "pages" that allow you to change the thickness. The instructions and diagrams are printed right on the platform. You don't need to memorize or pull out a printout of what "sandwich" to use for which dies or folders. It's all right there.
• durability - I've had my Big Shot for a few years now. If you stop by here often, you know that I experiment a lot. LOL! I tend to challenge this machine by running things through it that people don't normally use. It's done great!
  
• stability - The Big Shot does have a bigger footprint. Space isn't so much an issue for me. It's actually better for me to have a machine that I can use almost anywhere, like the floor or on a counter, or on the dining room table. I tend to move around with my crafting. But the bigger footprint keeps the machine from moving as I crank things through it.
• convenience - I store my cutting plates and multipurpose platform on the bed of my Big Shot. Everything is right there where I can find it.
• longevity - So far it has stood the test of time with me and my experimenting!
  

The disadvantages:

• size - Some people want and need a machine that takes up less space.
• not as portable - The Big Shot doesn't fold up. It does have a handle that makes it easier to carry, but it's certainly larger than the Cuttlebug and the Wizard.

Okay, now about the Cuttlebug. Most of the recent buzz had been about the Cuttlebug, at least until Stampin' Up decided to team up with Sizzix to offer the Big Shot and some exclusive dies. I have one of these and have played with it a bit.

Here are what I perceive to be the advantages:

• size - The machine folds up and takes up little space when folded.
• portable - Because of its small size when folded, it's one of the more portable machines. It's not light though. It still has some heft to it. It has a nice carrying handle, too.
  
• crank action - Again, this is a machine that you roll your platform though.
• suction - When you open up the platform of this machine, the base will attach to the surface of your work area via suction to stabilize it.
• versatility - This machine will take all non-commercial dies, thick or thin. It can emboss with folders, brass stencils, and texture plates given the proper accessories. It should be noted that to use some of the Bigz dies, particularly the XL dies, some tinkering will be necessary to get those to work, but they will fit.

Some disadvantages:

• stability - I don't always use a smooth surface when working, so if the base can't stick to something, I have to make sure to stabilize the machine myself as I roll things through. Even if I am using a smooth surface, the suction can sometimes fail and I'm stuck pinning the machine down myself, especially if I'm in the middle of cranking something through. With the Sidekick there was a separate lever to re-do the suction. With the Cuttlebug you'd have to close and reopen the platform--something you might not be able to do if you're in the middle of cranking.
• sandwiches - I suppose if you use the machine often enough you'll eventually learn all of the sandwich combinations for the various dies, folders, and texture plates. I find that I have to refer to a printout, which is okay, but inconvenient.
• storage - The machine doesn't take up much room, but I do have to have a way to keep the A, B, and C plates all together as well as keep them near the machine. Again, this is something that I find to be a disadvantage given the way that I tend to craft here.
• durability - So far so good as far as my experimentation goes, but I do get the impression that this machine isn't as tolerant of my weird combinations. I can't quite bring myself to push things as far with this machine for fear of breaking it. I know this is very subjective.
• no long cutting plates available for use with the XL dies
  

I'm sure that it's clear that I'm a big fan of my Big Shot. It does everything for me. The multipurpose platform is a big plus! The fact that I can use the Sizzix XL dies and the long cutting plates is also a plus. Add in that I can use the crease pad to cut and emboss Nestabilities dies in one pass and that's another advantage.

The Cuttlebug is a good machine, too. For me it comes in second. I don't mind tinkering and looking for ways to make things work in it, but when it comes right down to it, quicker and simpler and more foolproof will generally win out for me and in most cases that will be the Big Shot way of doing things.

At some point I'm hoping to update a couple of the charts that you can find here. That's on my To-Do list. I'll just remind anyone who may not know that they can always be found in my sidebar in the Tutorials for the Big Shot and Cuttlebug menu. I'm talking about the Die Cutter Comparison chart and the chart showing die cutters and their compatibility with various materials.

It seems like there are a lot of questions out there at the moment about these two die cutters, so I just thought I'd put in my 2 cents since I have both. I'd also like to point out a YouTube video made by Spellbinders that shows how their dies can be used in the Cuttlebug, the Quickutz Revolution, the original Sizzix, and the Big Shot/Big Kick machines. It gives you a good look at how these machines work and what's entailed in cutting and embossing with each. You get a look at the multipurpose platform and at the embossing mats. You won't see the crease pad in use--you'll just have to take my word for it that it can be a simpler process than what was shown in the video. Click on the crease pad label at the bottom of this to read more. Maybe this will help some decide which machine will work best for their needs, because that's what it really boils down to.

about the Sizzix crease pad

I've mentioned a couple of times now that my Sizzix crease pad has found new life in my crafting because it will simultaneously cut and emboss my Spellbinders Nestabilities dies. This is so much faster because it takes the process down to one pass through the machine. I use it in place of one of the clear cutting plates, and that's it. No embossing mat, no manipulating the die and die cut. Simple! I love it!

Now, the catch is that this will work in the Big Shot and the Big Kick, but not the Cuttlebug. Yeah I knew this question would come up. Unfortunately, the crease pad, like the clear cutting plates for these machines, is just a tad too wide to fit through the Cuttlebug's opening. Doesn't that just figure? Is there a work-around? Well, not yet. Yes, I'm an optimist.

I experimented a bit last night, and I thought that I'd toss out some info about the crease pad and what I tried. Maybe someone out there will drop a comment or suggestion and we'll be off and running as far as finding an alternative.

Here's my crease pad. It's the blue layer.


As you can see, it's the same thickness as one of the clear cutting plates, the bottom layer.


It's stiff, but flexible. Firm, but with just enough give to it that a scoring bar on a die won't cut through paper or cardstock, but the blades will.


And here you can see that it's just that little bit too wide to fit through the Cuttlebug. You might even be able to appreciate that even though I've used this mat several times already, there aren't any deep cuts in it like you get in the clear cutting plate. The surface is still fairly smooth with just a few little indentations here and there.

So, as far as alternatives, I wasn't coming up with much that I thought could be a reasonable substitute. Nothing had all of those qualities. The closest I could come up with was stiff rubber gasket, and of course I couldn't find the sheet of gasket that I know is around here somewhere.


I did have this circular piece of gasket. It's slightly stiffer than the silicone embossing mats or fun foam. I tried it with a Nestabilities circle die using the A plate, 2 B plates, and the backing from 3 Cuttlebug embossing folder packages. The die shape was embossed, but the die only partially cut through the cardstock and the cut edges weren't nice and clean. I didn't want to add any more shims because this was a very tight fit already. Cross this idea off the list. It's got too much give to it to be a reasonable cutting surface.

So, right now perhaps the only alternative would be to cut one of these crease pads down to size. If I didn't have just the one crease pad I'd have been tempted to try it. I'm not ready to sacrifice this one though. I'm enjoying using it too much. Sorry, Cuttlebug users. You know I love to experiment for you, but I couldn't go that far. :-) I will say that if you use Nestabilities and like to emboss with them, I've seen the crease pad on sale for as little as $4.50 USD. It might be worth adding to an order if you're already placing one at some place like the Sizzix site or Joann's online. Michael's with a coupon might be an alternative, too.

If anyone has any ideas for a possible crease pad substitute for Cuttlebug users, feel free to chime in. It's a fun accessory to have in the arsenal and I really like using it in my Big Shot with these dies.

two kraft cards

I decided to make some cards using kraft cardstock for a different look.


This first one uses the With Gratitude Cuttlebug A2 embossing folder. I also embossed the patterned cardstock using the Distressed Stripes folder and accented the stripes with some Memento dye ink. The stamp images are all by Chatterbox and stamped using Mementos. I embellished with a couple of Robin's Nest dew drops.


This card was made using the Sizzix XL scalloped card die. I embossed using the new Argyle Cuttlebug A2 embossing folder and one of the new border dies. The patterned cardstock was cut using a scalloped rectangle Nestabilities die and the white layer was cut and embossed using a regular rectangle Nestabilities die. The stamps here were also Chatterbox and stamped using Memento dye inks. I embellished with leaves and a flower by Prima and a Robin's Nest dew drop.

Here are a couple of tips I'd like to mention here:

• Usually 12" long cardstock needs to be used with the XL scalloped die. I cheated since I only had 8 1/2" by 11" kraft cardstock. I used the 11" length, scored, and folded it in half, that is, at the 5 1/2" mark. I then placed the prefolded card so that the fold was parallel to, but about a 1/2" below the scoring bar, and the rest of the card covered the blades. The scallops were cut out, but the fold was left untouched. You could do this using the Cuttlebug as well as the Big Shot. Just a way to "cheat" a little if you don't have 12" X 12" cardstock.
• This next tip is one that I touched on before, but it's worth mentioning again. If you have the Sizzix crease pad, you can use it to simultaneously cut and emboss using your Nesties. That's what I did here and it really is a time-saver! Just use it in place of the clear plate that you'd normally use on top of your stack.

That's it for now. I'll just add that anyone is welcome to enter my celebration giveaway. Feel free to scroll down to see the prize and put your name in for a chance to win if you're interested. And thanks to all who've had such nice things to say in the comments. :-)

a couple of quick tips for Big Shot/Big Kick users

Getting rid of those Cuttlebug folder lines has been a popular topic. Jackie wrote to me a while back, telling me about another way that she'd found for avoiding those lines. I wanted to mention it here because I tried it today and think it's another good alternative.


At the far right is a border embossed the regular way. It shows that line that can be so irritating. The embossing in the center is the one I embossed using a craft stick. The one on the left is one that I did by using the following sandwich in my Big Shot: multipurpose platform open to Tab 2, border folder with cardstock inside, silicone embossing mat, clear plate. The beauty of this last method is that you probably already have everything you need. If I looked VERY closely, I could see a very faint line made by each edge. I don't think that you could see them in the photo. The embossing is also just a bit less crisp. I think that the differences are small though, and the ease of using just a silicone mat makes up for them. So add that in as yet another way to emboss with these folders and avoid the annoying lines. Thanks, Jackie!


Now this is a tip that is probably useful only for Big Shot/Big Kick users, but I thought this was a neat time-saver. I'd read somewhere about being able to cut and emboss Nestabilities dies in one pass by using the Sizzix crease pad. I wish I could remember where I'd seen it, but it was a while back and I didn't get a chance to try it until this afternoon. Just know that this is not an idea that I'm claiming to have come up with myself--I wanted to share it though.

What I did was use the following stack: my multipurpose platform on Tab 2, clear cutting plate, oval scalloped Nestabilities die with cutting side up, cardstock, blue Sizzix crease pad. So in short, I substituted the crease pad for the clear cutting plate that would normally be at the top of my stack. One pass through the machine, and you can see in the photo that the die did indeed both cut and emboss my scalloped oval shape. I love this because it's so quick and easy. No changing stacks. Just one pass. Very cool.

Hope that Big Shot/Big Kick users find these tips helpful. :-)

Edited to add: I've posted about cutting and embossing Nestabilities in one pass using the Cuttlebug, too. You can read that post by clicking HERE.