Hobby & Craft Forums

I need to pick some brains...from all you clever card making peeps....

I need something to cut labels and tags of 'unusual' shapes and sizes...some just plain circles some a little more intricate....

I know nothing about cutting machines...but I have been told (and from what I've read on the internet) the machines that cut and emboss for card makers might be just the thing...

Does anyone have any suggestions, advice or the cheapest place to buy them?

Do you mean like a Cuttlebug die machine Judith? Will you be using this for your own packaging as in a business sense or for personal use? Not being nosey, just wondering if you'd be better with something a little more sturdy if it's going to get a lot of use?

You have 3 options really..

First is a single die cutter - a bit like a glorified hole punch but with a larger cut, they range in size, and there are some specialist tag cutters, box cutters and envelope cutters.. pricewise you are looking at a couple of quid for simple small designs up to £20+ If there is one in a design you like, then it is a cheap and simple solution!

Next option are die cutting machines.. (Cuttlebug, sizzix and so on) these are variations of each other, but the basic principle is a unit with 2 rollers and a handle - like a laundry mange only smaller - think pasta machine!! To use them you get a series of acrylic plates and you layer up the plates with your card or paper stock, and a cutting die then pass the whole lot through the machine. The rollers basically press the acrylic plates togeter as they pass through, and this in turn pushes the die in to the card or paper.

You can find a large variety of cutting dies for these, and most machines will take other systems dies (sometimes you need to buy alternative acrylic plates for this). Again you will find cutters that make tags, box outlines, envelope shapes and so on. You can also get embossing folders which allow you to add textures to your cut outs, or to paper and card.. though you are limited in the size of paper or card you can use - postcard size or slightly less usually. Another technique for adding texture is to use thin brass dry embossing stencils - you can pass these through the machine to create an embosssed or debossed image. The machines range from about £30 up to £150 for the electrically operated ones. cutting dies from £4 - £20 for the intricate ones or sets.. so not cheap to set up.

The last option is an electric cutting machine - they look a bit like inkjet printers but have blades instead of ink. There are two real options here each slightly different:

Cricut - it is a cartridge based system - so you have to buy a cartridge full of designs (£60 a time) usaully they are themed, and contain alphabets and numerals as well as shapes. The machine allows you to infinitely vary the size of the finished cut, so you can customise your items exactly. If I remember rightly, the machines start at around £200 and usually come with a single starter cartridge.

Craftrobo - this is to my mind far more flexible.. the robo relies on computer templates to cut, which you can design on your PC. The software used to come free with the machine, but I think they may now sell it seperately.. worth checking. I gather the software is easy to use, you can import images and fonts, scale them up or down as you please, but whereas Cricut has a cartridge with predefined shapes, for the robo you can buy a single template at a time, and many users create designs and then sell the right to use them.. you can get some fantastically intricate cuts - paper lace work and all sorts.. often for a few £'s.. The Craftrobo again starts at about £200.

NB: Consumables!! Both electric cutters require a carrier board for the paper card or fabric you are cutting, this is like a low tack plastic sheet. you will only be able to use this a relatively limited number of times before it needs replacing.. and the same with the blades.. check the cost of replacements before you buy!

Forgot to mention that using a cuttlebug (the only one I have tried) is a slow process.. you have to make up the sandwich of 4 layers, hold it in place while you turn the handle, and wind the lot through the machine.. it gets fiddly, and after a few passes, your flat acrylic plates do start to curve.. they still work fine, but they become more fiddly to sandwich together and hold in place while tryting to engage it all in the rollers.

It is fine if you have nothing else to do, but if you were thinking for your business, and needed "hundreds".. the simple single cut one is much much quicker.. slide paper in, press handle and it's done..

Also the cricut/craft robo can be set up to cut many at once, by carefully laying out the design, and repeating it on a single sheet, the machine will chunter away and do a whole page at a time unattended..

Depending how many you wanted and how often, you could find someone with the equipment who was willing to do the cuts for you.. while it wont be cheap, it may be less expensive than buying the machines..

Perfect...Thank you G...

I was looking at this http://craftwellusa.com/pages/demos

and one of the things I would like to make are these or this kind of thing
http://www.thebakersboutique.com/prod_details.php?id=42

Maybe I should look for someone to do them for me - although I think in the long run it might be worth a business investment of £250 - I spent £390 on a Patisserie mixer so we could probably justify it

Here's an idea of how wild you could go... though Im sure you want something far less intricate

http://forevermemoriesforyou.co.uk/Shop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=406

Btw, I cant get your second link to display ??

Oh, got that link to work now.. yes, you definitley need a craftrobo or similar for that kind of fancywork..

Just a thought.. if you did wrappers like that, you can also offer to personalise them..(for a fee!) create a blank cartouche on the template, and then do name cuts too.. or dates, events, occasions.. that might help recoup the outlay a lot quicker!

Shhhhhh.....

I can seee Mr bath-bomb is getting a new hobby whether he likes it or not...

lol....bless him...he's very willing...

He's writing a novel at the moment....as if he doesn't have enough to do