The Cuttlebug :: Die Cutting System

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The Cuttlebug :: by Provo Craft

Reporter :: Amy Westerman
Amy's Blog

The Beloved New Cuttlebug

The Cuttlebug, a new die-cutting/embossing tool by Provo Craft, is the newest rage to hit the stamping community! The Cuttlebug is a die cutter and embosser designed to make cutting dies and embossing so much easier than before. I purchased my Cuttlebug in November 2006, and I’ve been having a blast with it ever since! The Cuttlebug is very lightweight and easily portable with it’s built in handle—you shouldn’t have a problem carrying this with you should you decide to go to a friends house to stamp for the afternoon! It weighs only 7 pounds!

It comes prepackaged with a spacer block, two cutting pads, and another thin die cutting pad (to be used with non-Cuttlebug dies). It’s simple to assemble; the only thing the consumer has to do is screw on the crank handle. Once you’ve got your Cuttlebug up and running, embossing is a breeze. You can buy Cuttlebug embossing folders at your local craft store for approximately US$5-6 each. There are many different embossing folder designs to choose from! When you’re ready to give your Cuttlebug a whirl, you simply put a piece of paper inside the embossing folder, sandwich the folder between the cutting pads, roll it through the machine, and in less than 3 seconds, you’ve got embossed paper! Love it!!! Who’da thunk embossing could be this easy?

Besides embossing, the Cuttlebug cuts dies. Dies sell in the store from roughly US$13 for a 4 pack of dies, to US$80 for a full alphabet. A plus for the Cuttlebug is the fact that you can use other brand dies and folders in it from manufacturers such as Big Shot, Fiskars, QuicKuts, Revolution, and Sissix! Our friend, C. Lail from Splitcoast Stampers, was kind enough to put together an AMAZING chart that outlines the “sandwich stack rules” when using these non-Cuttlebug dies and folders in your machine. Many thanks to her and the other Splitcoaststamper members for the hard work they put into the creation of this document. You can find a copy of the chart HERE. (In exchange for the use of this chart we are glad to plug her upcoming Breast Cancer Walk)

What should you be on the lookout for if you choose to buy the Cuttlebug? First of all, know that when you are sending your plates through with a die in it, you will hear a cracking noise….this is perfectly fine and normal. Secondly, once the die goes through the machine, there will be a mark, in the shape of the die you just sent through, on your brand-spankin’ new cutting pad! Again, perfectly normal wear and tear. After 10 times through the machine, your pad will look like it’s been through the machine 100 times! According to Provo Craft representatives, the pads are designed to last approximately 100 times through the machine. They might last longer if you take really good care of your pads. However, they might break quicker if you aren’t so careful with what you send through it! I’ve had a pad break already, but by the time it did, I had used mine so much it didn’t upset me. Replacement pads can be purchased at your local craft store for approximately US$8 for two.

There is a bit of good news here regarding breaking pads……there is a chance you could get your B pad replaced by ProvoCraft, free of charge, for the time being. Apparently, many B plates were breaking, so Provo Craft issued this statement on their website regarding these breakages:

"If your B mats have cracked or are cracking, we
most humbly apologize for your inconvenience and
ask that you contact our customer support at
1.800.937.7686 - or for any questions or concerns
for that matter - to talk with a living,
breathing person, who speaks intelligible
English, as in NOT based in Bangladesh. We are
looking into this problem of cracking mats and
appreciate your voice in the matter. Our Customer
Service department is wonderful and will help
replace defective machines, screws or mats. They
will also answer any and all question you may have."

I called Provo Craft at this phone number, and after only about one minute or so, was connected to a customer service agent. I was skeptical I would qualify for a new plate. I told the service agent my B pad had broken, and very simply, she said that they still are currently replacing broken pads. She took my name, phone number, address, etc, and said they’d ship me out a new one! Wow. Great customer service, no questions asked. I love it when things are this easy!!!

One final nuisance with the Cuttlebug I wanted to alert you of…..sometimes the pads “bend or bow”. Again, this is normal if it happens. Just make sure you rotate the pads and turn them over each time you send them through the Cuttlebug.

I’ve got to be honest. I am 100% satisfied with my Cuttlebug machine. It takes card-making to the next level. Yes, there are a few downsides to the Cuttlebug (as outlined above), but for me, the good far outweigh the bad. This tool ROCKS!

Sarah Moore :: Adding her 2 Cents

Sarah's Blog

Well I agree with everything Amy said... I just wanted to add a couple things.

You can emboss more than card stock with this baby... Crafting foils or thin metals work great. Try vellums, or printed papers too... very cool effects. My fave thing to do has been to emboss a white core patterned cardstock (like in the Stampin' Up! Simply Scrappin' kits), emboss it; then use a sanding block to remove the print off the raised part.

I also have enjoyed cutting unique materials with the Cuttlebug. Try felt, fabric, transparency sheets, fun foam, chipboard, vinyl, thin plastic and metals. You can also cut multiple thicknesses of cardstock (3-4) with one pass! Too cool!

You can use your Brass dies with your Cuttlebug too. You will need either a "Big Shot Impressions Kit" or a "Wizard Charm Embossing Kit". These kits contain soft mats that make this work. I have not tried these methods myself, but others have claimed success with these products. Ellen Hutson's Blog "Simple Dreams" has a great article about Brass Stencils in the Cuttlebug HERE.

Some claim you can use the embossing folders with a rolling pin. It's true... BUT the effects are not even close to what you can achieve with the Cuttlebug. With the rolling pin method you also have to spray the Card stock with water (both sides) so it takes a while to dry too. I'm not a fan.

I also wanted to chat a bit more about cost. I paid US $48 for mine when I used a Joanne's 50% off coupon. Quite a deal! I do love how affordable the dies are... I bought a whole Alpha set for under US$30 (again with a coupon).

I choose the Cuttlebug over other popular systems like the Big Shot because space was a real issue for me; and I wanted something portable. I do LOVE the size of this product. It's light/small enough for me to tote to crops.

One pet peeve I have: because the Cuttlebug is small it uses suction to hold it in place while you crank the handle. When the sides fold down the suction is activated. Well my craft table is made of a smooth wood; and it doesn't let the bug STICK to it very well... it's a pain when it comes loose and I have to hold it with one hand and crank it with the other. You really need one hand to feed the mats/dies through the feeder. I found a good solution; I just stick it to my Carl Cutter! It works great. The Carl Cutter is heavy enough to make a nice base for the Cuttlebug.


Known problems with the Cuttlebug: If you have a Red Tag Alphabet; your letter "C" might have the bottom cut off... if it does, just call Provo Craft; like the cracking "b" mats they are being replaced. Some users have complained of broken handles as well. Provo Craft replaced the entire machine in at least one broken handle case. We also recommend you CALL over emailing Provo Craft. According to our sources, this will ultimately be faster for you.

Here's the Cuttlebug in action


Summary:

Positives: Embosses and cuts, portable, lightweight, space saver, affordable, accepts other maker's dies, easy to use, cute, company makes some great die cuts and embossing products.

Negatives: Requires a bit of elbow grease, base unstable if suction fails, some manufacturing problems with mats, handles and some dies but Provo Craft was quick to fix!


Stay tuned for the Cuttlebug Carnival tomorrow and a great article about the Big Shot on Wednesday. Also coming; more introductions of our reporters!