Sissix & colluzle (sp?) - what and why?

[MazdaUK]

What are they and why would I need them? Which is best? I'm a bit confused, and I have an idea they are expensive in the UK, so I might look when in Canada later this year. What would you all recommend? And what is a sidekick - do I need that too?

I've got a feeling they punch out letters, but I have no idea how they work, and what you use - fun foam? cardstock? papers?

I'm slowly coming to grips with most of the terminology for scrapping but this leaves me a bit confused! Any advice gratefully received!

 

[disneysnowflake]

Coluzzle is a template. You place their foam down, then your paper, then the template. You use their cutter knift to cut out items. Coluzzle sells letters, templates for library pockets, shapes, etc. I have some Coluzzle. I don't like the alphabet sets I have. Maybe it's the way I cut them out. The other templates I like though.

Sizzix is a machine. You buy dies for the machine. You slip your paper and the die into the machine, use the handle and the letter comes out. Sizzix also has letters and shapes.

I use both cardstock and paper in both Coluzzle and Sizzix.

For letters I like Sizzix. I can't afford to spend full price on the alphabets though. I only have one.

 

[erinlees_mommie]

Or you can get a Wishblade
It is by Xyron..you use your computer to create the die cuts you want and then it cuts them out for you...
I used mine for Christmas cards..and BOY it was fast

 

[Quinn222]

With a wishblade can you use any graphic you can create in your computer and any font on your computer or are you limited to what's on the provided software that comes with it?

 

[erinlees_mommie]

You can buy the little cards that come with it (when I got mine last year they came out with new software/upgrade) and sent it free because someone found a glitch in it and Wishblade thought it was in their best intrest to upgrade the software to please all customers.
There is a way to trace and cut your own graphics from your computer so you don't have to buy the cards.And fonts as well.
It is really cool to have around...since we moved I have been able to set it up anywhere to use it but when we get back home (to the states) I have a lot of catching up to do Scrappin...
If you have any questions just let me know

 

[MazdaUK]

So how does Wishblade work - do you save what you want from the PC onto some sort of memory card and pluig it into the wishbalde, then slide in the paper? Sorry if this is obvious but I've never seen one over here

 

[erinlees_mommie]

There is software that comes with it....you plug it into your computer via USB cable.Then you open the wishblade software and do your tracing/typing in there and then send it to the wishblade like you would sending a document or photo to your printer.Then you click on the Cut button..and TADA ... it cuts it for you...
There is a little work to it but not much.
It is really nice once you get the hang of it
I have cut a Tink out that I traced from a clipart piece...I have seen some very detailed things using it.

 

[MazdaUK]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHH

I want one of those!!

 

[dreams91]

There is software that comes with it....you plug it into your computer via USB cable.Then you open the wishblade software and do your tracing/typing in there and then send it to the wishblade like you would sending a document or photo to your printer.Then you click on the Cut button..and TADA ... it cuts it for you...
There is a little work to it but not much.
It is really nice once you get the hang of it
I have cut a Tink out that I traced from a clipart piece...I have seen some very detailed things using it.

So is there any other costs involved other than the initial cost? Like with Sizzix, you have to buy more dies, etc.

 

[erinlees_mommie]

Nope..Not at all ... You don't have to even purchase the media cards with it if you choose not to.I wish I knew that when I bought it because I bought 5 extra cards (with fonts and shapes and tags).
I am sure later down the road they will come out with new software or something you might want..but that will be it.
There is a few people that have bought software to "weld" letters and things together but I downloaded all of mine from free sites online.There is one that you can buy that does it for you.But I didn't want to spend the money on it yet...or at all.
There are a lot of groups you can join (all the ones I have joined are on Yahoo..I will share them if you would like) and get free things people already have done so all you have to do is save and cut....they are very nice and helpful ladies.
You might want to get some extra blades for it and a new self healing/sticky mat...but they don't cost that much.

You can create anything you want as a die cut and you aren't limited to anything.And you don't have to keep up with all of the shapes or buy more .... a lot of the ladies sold their Sizzix things when this came out.And said it is way cheaper in the long run to have the wishblade

*HTH* .. if you have anyother questions let me know