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If you ask twenty
different people why you should buy a particular type of die
cutter you are likely to get many different replies!
I do not work in the
craft industry nor am I affiliated in any way to any craft
company. These are just my own opinions based on my personal
research.
I have an original Sizzix
machine, a Sizzix Sidekick and have been the owner of a Wizard
since March 2006.
Sizzix used to be jointly
owned by Ellison and ProvoCraft. Ellison have now bought
ProvoCraft's share and own the Sizzix brand in it's entirety.
The brand will be undergoing a massive re-branding exercise
during 2007 and the majority of the existing original range of
dies (not the Sizzlits) are going to be discontinued.
To see a list of the
original Sizzix dies which are NOT going to be discontinued,
click HERE.
The Sizzix Sidekick and
Ellison Tag-A-Long machines
These are the baby brothers
to the Big Shot and Sizzix. They are essentially exactly the
same machine with different branding.
These machines are fantastic
for cutting a variety of dies quickly and easily. I use
cardstock AND funky foam in my Sidekick and have done so for two
years with no problems (although Sizzix and Ellison only
recommend the cutting of lightweight card and paper).
You can cut:
1. Ellison Thin Cuts dies
2. Sizzlit Dies
3. QuicKutz dies (with the use of a Sizzix Adapter)
4. Accucut Zip'eSnaps
(with the use of a Sizzix Adapter)
5. Accucut Zip'eSlims (with the use of a Sizzix Adapter)
6. Sizzlit Decorative Strips (the 33cm wide dies)
7. Ellison Extended Cuts (also 33cm wide dies)
To cut the Decorative Strips and Extended cuts you would need to
invest in a set of extended cutting plates.
You can also use Wizard dies and emboss brass stencils that are
less than 6cm wide. I have some worksheets available to download
which explain how to emboss (see below for the link).
QuicKutz
This is a hand-held machine although you can purchase an
accessory to convert it to a table-top machine. The dies are
simply lovely, however I think the machine itself is very
limiting as you can only cut the QuicKutz range of dies on it. I
would personally invest in another machine which can cut a
larger variety of die brands.
Large Die Cutting
Machines
The original Sizzix is a heavy machine which cuts up to A6 size
paper. I have been doing quite a bit of research and cannot find
that much that a Big Shot can do that an original Sizzix can
not.
1. A Big Shot can take paper/material larger than A6 in size.
2. You cannot use the Ellison 'Thick Cuts' dies on a Sizzix.
If you are looking to get into die cutting but don't want to
spend a huge amount of money, I really could not recommend the
Sizzix highly enough. They are so affordable these days because
the market is being filled with lots of other machines. I
personally could not justify the extra money to buy a Big Shot
which only has two extra features.
You can use your original Sizzix to cut:
1. The entire range of Sizzix dies (including Sizzlits).
2. Ellison Thin Cuts
3. The thinner Wizard dies
4. Accucut Zip'eSnaps
5. Accucut Zip'eSlims
6. Accucut Zip'eCuts dies
7. QuicKutz dies
8. Boss Cut dies
9. Cross-Cuts dies
You can also emboss 'normal' brass stencils on your large Sizzix
and Sidekick machines and I have written some tutorials about how it's done.
Please feel free to visit my website and download them (it's
free):
http://www.karlum.com/simply_sizzix.htm
To do all of the above you need to invest in a Sizzix converter
and a Sizzix adapter to do with the machine. These cost approx
£15 for the pair.
So why did I get a Wizard? Well, I really like using the Fiskars
texture plates. I find using the little tool with them very
frustrating as I do not have much strength in my hands. I wanted
a machine that could do this for me.
Two choices - Ellison Big Shot or Spellbinder Wizard. As I've
already mentioned after much research I went for a Wizard.
A Wizard is really simple
to use and comes with a great instruction manual. You can get
lots more hints and tips from the Spellbinders.us website too.
All the mats/pads you need are branded, official products to go
perfectly with the machine. You can use a Wizard to cut ANY
brand of die currently on the market (except for the huge
Accucut ones which you can only use on the GrandMark which costs
$400).
The Big Shot has no instructions. People have used trial and
error, cutting mats, wedges of paper, materials designed for
other machines etc in order to be able to do the things the
Wizard can. But there are still no *official* instructions from
Ellison explaining how to do anything other than how to cut
Ellison/Sizzix dies. Ellison are brining out their own range of
cutting mats for the Big Shot, but at the time of writing they
are not available in the UK.
Some people feel very uncomfortable 'playing' with expensive
equipment in case it breaks or goes wrong. In fact, Ellison
actually state that 'Any improper or unintended usage will
automatically void the warranty'. If I owned one, I would be too
worried to use other manufacturer's mats in a Big Shot or try
anything there were no 'official' instructions for in case the
machine broke.
You can use the Ellison Thick Cuts in a Wizard machine. It's
really simple to use the handle - I let my little boy help and
he's only five. The only thing I would say is that there is a
steeper learning curve with the Wizard than with other machines.
It's well worth taking the time to read through the instructions
and taking a bit of time to practise with it. The results will
speak for themselves.
As well as the standard
cutting/embossing of dies, a Wizard will:
1. Flatten drinks cans & bottle tops.
2. Emboss styrofoam, leather and balsa wood (all very tough).
3. Pulverize just about anything, e.g crush sweets, crush
garlic, crush coffee beans and crush ginger root (not sure why
you would want to do this, but the machine can do it if you so
wish)
4. Set metal snaps and eyelets.
5. Flatten polymer clay.
6. Make perfect folds in your hand-creased cards.
7. Flatten wire.
8. Set rub-ons (the ones you normally set with a lolly stick).
These are the functions that I can think of off the top of my
head that the Big Shot may have trouble with. It may be able to
do them too, but there are no instructions to tell you how.
The New Machines
(Sizzix Big Kick and the Cuttlebug by ProvoCraft)
These are brand new on
the market and I have not tested them. This information comes
from the manufacturers:
From Ellison's own words
- "The Big Kick is the SAME machine as the Big Shot accept it is
a different colour (white and red). It comes with a NEW
all-in-one platform so the consumer will be able to use all
competitors dies with it".
The Cuttlebug by Provo
Craft will also be as versatile. It will also cut all dies on
the market. It has the added benefit of being smaller and
lighter than the Big Shot/ Big Kick, while still being able to
take A5 cardstock. It is also much easier to store as the
cutting platform folds inwards.
There is also a NEW
QuicKutz machine due out. It will cut 4 inch QuicKutz dies as
well as the existing range. I have no other information as to
whether this new machine will cut any other brand of die.
To Summarise:
When I invest in a piece of equipment I want to get something
that will do the most work for me. Unless Ellison can come up
with a decent set of instructions, the Wizard certainly has the
edge because of the sheer amount of things you can do with it.
There was a comparison in issue 19 of Simply Cards and
Papercraft magazine between the Wizard and Big Shot. The Wizard
got the nod due to it's amazing versatility and the fact it's
not bulky and easy to store.
The choice of die-cutter is a very personal one. Many people
advise you to try machines before you buy, however there is just
no way anyone would be able to master a Wizard with just a
couple of attempts. It's like learning to drive - this machine
takes time and effort in order to achieve the best results.
If you have any
further questions on this subject I will be happy to help if I
can. Please feel free to contact me
HERE.
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