The hobby or craft known as Scrapbooking, is a process of gathering all of your memories, whether that be photographs, memorabilia and stories and presenting them on a page in an album, for others to see and for you to remember events of the past. Some would say that the art of scrapbooking is very therapeutic. What once use to be simple pages, have know turned into artwork, with scrapbookers putting more and more effort into creating a wonderful page.
One of scrapbookers favourite ways to embellish a scrapbook page is by adding creative titles and images. Since the invention of scrapbooking die cutting machines, scrapbook pages have taken on a new dimensions as die cuts can be now made from various forms of material and in an endless supply of wonderful designs.
Two types of die cut machines exist on the market today. They compose of the electronic group of die cutting machines, such as the Provo Craft Cricut range, Making Memories Slice, Pazzles Inspiration Cutter and the Xyron Wishblade. The other market is for what are known as manual die cutting machines such as the Sizzix Big Shot or BigKick, Provo Crafts Cuttlebug and the Spellbinder Wizard
The advantages of a manual die cutting machine, is that they are no where near the price of electronic die cutters, they are also more portable and more robust. Their biggest advantage though is the types of materials they will cut. They can cut much thicker materials compared to electronic cutters, like fabric, think sheet metal, cork etc, which is only a dream for owners of an electronic cutter.
Owning a manual machine does have two slight disadvantages though compared to the electronic machines. Firstly they are manual, hence need your full attention to operate and can not be left to cut by themselves. Secondly, the size and shape of the dies can not be changed or adjusted. So what you see is what you get.
So you may be thinking an electronic die cut machine does sound good, but a manual machine also has confirmed its place in todays competitive market for scrapbooking die cutting machines because of its ability to cut through thick materials. Sizzixs Big Shot or also known as the BigKick, is certainly the leader in the manual machines market. This new bigger stronger better machine has improved so much since the first Original Sizzix Machine let the market quite some years ago.
The Sizzix BigKick and Big Shot machines operate with a platform on which the die and paper is laid and when pressure is applied, the die with its sharp, pre cast design, cuts out paper or other types of materials. The new platform and various adaptors that are available, means that any die on the market can be used with the BigKick. This includes other brands, as well as the smaller Sidekick Sizzlits dies. All of the Sizzix range of dies ever made, can be used in this machine.
Compared to the original Sizzix Machine, the Big Shot has a much larger base, so you can now cut multiple smaller dies at once, or use the red dies sideways to be cut in one action. A new set of larger dies, which make great backgrounds, has also been developed just for the Big Shot. And since it has a larger base, larger pieces of paper can also be put in which makes life easier.
Doing away with the press handle and implementing the roller style cutting action, though is probably the single best improvement the BigShot has over the original machine. Many dies on the old machine had to be cut in two parts, which often meant slippages or dies that werent completely cut all over. With the roller handle, you can now cut a series of smaller dies, or a larger die easily as it rolls through the platform, applying even pressure for a perfect cut. And no more aching arms from all the pressing.
The Big Shot can also cut the same thicker cardstock and materials that the original sizzix cuts, like cork, cardstock, multiple paper sheets, fabric, felt etc. So with the new wider base and rolling handle, it means you can churn out great letters, titles and images from an amazing range of materials which no electronic die cutter can do. So if you like texture and variety on your scrapbook pages, the Sizzix BigKick or Big Shot are the best in the market.
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