Recently i was in a JoAnn's store...cruising the aisles..LOL...never a good thing to do. they had a display of Go Cutter dies...along with the Go Cutter itself. i surely didn't want another cutter...they are a bit pricey. but as i was looking at the dies...(they were on sale...it would be bad juju to not at least LOOK at them)...i saw this one...and had to have it.
Look at that cute little dragonfly....you would want it, too...i know you would. and the bumblebee and the butterly are just a bonus. i even took it out of the package to check it out.
But you know my brain doesn't always register properly.. and in my own defense, if i noticed i don't know if i would have known.....the heights are different from the dies for the AccuCut. the AccuCut die is on the left.
Oh my...bummer...what to do. i tried stacking magazines under it...2 was too tight. couldn't get the right combination of fat and thin magazines to make it work properly. taking it back wasn't really an option for me. i really wanted that dragonfly...plus JoAnn's is about 125 miles from me. i just visit there when i go to my sisters.
So, as i usually do when stuck for a solution, i gave the problem to my husband. he fixes most anything. he brought me a piece of drywall...too thick and too messy. then we tried a piece of plywood....almost, almost good but a bit shy of working. he went back to his creative space (the barn..LOL)...to come up with another solution.
So, a bit later he came back with this.
It's the original piece of plywood with duct tape wrapped around it. he had black tape in the barn and it looked prettier...but i only had the regular gray stuff at the studio. so we added one more layer of the gray and it works fine now.
The heights of the dies are almost the same.
Now the only challenge is to keep the Go die from sliding off its base helper. i think i shall get some double sided tape to solve that problem. i probably won't be getting any more Go Cutter dies...the solution is a bit aggravating. and the solution to that is not to even LOOK at them when i am at JoAnn's. a new years resolution....don't go down the Go aisle at JoAnn's. LOL
And here is what i wound up with after all that finagelling.
They are just the cutest. I believe they are going on a baby quilt...i made lots of them. they have fusible on the backs.
Now, i know the AccuCut people want you to buy both machines so they can make some money but i am of the opinion that it would have made more customers happy if they could use the same dies on both machines. I certainly am not going out to get a Go Cutter.
But, just so you know....the Go Cutter dies will work on the AccuCut...you just gotta figure out a solution. but, of course, the AccuCut dies won't work on the Go Cutter. too bad.
Which machine do you use? Do you have both? which do you like better? inquiring minds want to know.
7 comments:
I have the GO..but it because it was smaller than the full size one. I do love the portability of it, but I'm leaning toward getting the big one too because there are so many more dies for it.
Shirley, you do what I do. Make what you have work!
I have both the GO and the Baby. The Baby was on sale right before Christmas and it is so cute. Actually, I have been using it more than the GO because it seems to be steadier and all my smaller dies work fantastic with it.
There is an adapter acceessory made by Accucut (the craft scrapbooking division of Accuquilt) that allows you to use Sizzix(R) and Ellison(R) AllStar(R) dies. Also compatible with retired AccuCut Zip'eSlim dies. I wonder if that would work with the Go dies too?
http://www.accucutcraft.com/GrandeMARK_Tray_Adapter-p10268c135-path1,135.html?
If you go to the Accucut website you can find an adaptor plate for the tray that fits in the GrandMark machine. If you are using a ZipeMate machine (now discontinued), you can get what is called a Zipeslim platform that is the right thickness for accomodating the Zipeslim dies and Sizzix Originals. If you have any questions you can call Accucut toll free at 888-317-0093. Another source for platforms is Carol Stallworth
(707)452-7440
lorac@crafttownhobbylandusa.com
You can go to her website but I get the best luck if I just call her, her email gets bogged down and her website is cumbersome.
SaraJane shop on eBay is another good source.
Also, here is a good compatibility chart. The Go dies came out after this was compiled so they aren't listed, but it is helpful nonetheless:
http://paperdreamsstore.com/whichdiesworkinwhichmachines.aspx
I don't know what their "P" stands for but I do know that they inserted a "P" for the ones that are compatible.
I have both the Accucut GrandeMark and the ZipeMate. The ZipeMate is more portable and will take dies that are 5" across. If they are longer than the usual 6", there are extra long platforms and cutting mats you can by from www.crafttownhobbylandusa.com and you can use the standard commercial dies, the medium thickness ones like you're talking about, or the really thin ones like Zipecuts, Zipesnaps, Sizzlits, etc. AND you can emboss using the Cuttlebug embossing folders, those are really fun!
My GrandeMark I use for the huge dies, jumbos, etc. or if I want to cut a whole batch at once. You can also use the Texturizing plates with them. I have even discovered a way to make use of the Sizzix texturizing plates I bought years ago. It's all a matter of getting everything to the right thickness, as you've discovered. I've experimented around and discovered mousepads that work as great replacement embossing foam for the ZipeMate. Also rubber that I use with the Sizzix texturizing plates on the GrandeMark (it is too powerful to use the embossing foam with).
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