What is good to buy with 40% off Michael's coupon?

[MedCruise07]

I have just recently started scrapbooking and have a 40% off coupon to use today (and another one maybe in the paper tomorrow). Are there any things that are really good deals with the coupon? I bought a little Fiskar's paper cutter at Wal-Mart but it doesn't do larger size paper, so I am thinking about a bigger paper cutter. Plus I could use some paper (I have some but not a whole lot), or embellishment things (I have zero! Although I haven't seen anything that I especially like for my scrapbook--it is of our Disney cruise to the Mediterranean last summer and I'm not sure I want to put stickers or other stuff in it that is from here. Is this weird?) I also want a circle-cutter but I don't know what kind to get . . . So help me use my coupon, please!

 

[New England Eeyore]

A good large size paper cutter is a must - that was the first "big" purchase I made when I started scrapping. (And I paid full price for it - which I am kicking myself for now - I've never paid full price for anything since!)

There are lots of paper stacks that you could use the coupon on to build up your supplies - both for patterened paper or cardstock.

I don't know whether you have an album yet or not, but that's another thing I like to use coupons for.

One thing I would NOT recommend are the Fiskars circle cutters. I've tried both their circle and shape cutters and they just collected dust until I finally tossed them. They were way too hard to use. I know people like the Creative Memories circle cutting system, but I don't know if anyone has any good experience with the cutters you can buy in the stores. Hopefully someone else can answer that for you.

Have fun builiding your collection!

 

[Faerie]

I have the CM circles & ovals that I've had since 1999 and I'm still using them!

 

[CrazedDisFan]

I bought the pink circle cutter by Cutterbee and hated it. I took it right back. I have still to find a circle cutter I like. I am going to a Creative Memories scrap weekend in November and will try out their cutter. Hopefully it will work out!

I would definitely use your coupon on a good paper cutter. The stacks of paper are regularly 40% off at Joann fabrics, so using it on the cutter is a good idea.

 

[aroyer]

I would recommend the Making Memories Precision Paper Trimmer. It is $49.99 at Michaels. It has a self sharpening blade so you will not have to buy replacements. It is a 12x12 cutter that folds in half for storing. It also has a magnetic ruler to hold down paper. (BEWARE- the ruler hurts when it hits your foot!! Left a huge bruise.)

 

[piratesmate]

What did you end up with yesterday? (If I can't be shopping myself I love to live vicariously through others' purchases. )

If you haven't gotten a large cutter yet, I'll toss in my 2 cents. WAY back - before I started scrapping even - I used a coupon to get the Fiskars 12" Rotary Trimmer. It's quite large, so you need a good place to store it, but I find it the easiest to use by far of those I've tried. The blades last a really long time (and you can use future coupons to buy them too - when you run out of other things to buy ) and the numbers are really easy to see! I'll admit that I ended up getting the CM trimmer to take to crops because the Fiskars is too large to lug along, but I wouldn't want to use it for "everyday" use. While it's nice, I find the numbers incredibly difficult to read/see.

As for a circle cutter...I'd had some difficulty using the CM system and ended up buy the Coluzzle circle instead. Most of our Mikes/ACM/JoAnns have very few to choose from, but I find it quite easy to use. It's much easier to get exactly what I want cut than the CM system because you look through what you use to cut. With the CM system you have to mentally add or subtract the width of the blade - plus I find the templates too thick to see through easily. But that's just me I think. I do know that the new CM blades are much, much easier to use - larger & not round - than the old ones. Someone did give me the CM system for my b'day and I use it, but find that when I'm in a hurry I just grab my Coluzzle.

If you even consider the Coluzzle, ask about it at the store. At Mikes they let me try one in the classroom & explained that most people who have trouble don't keep the blade completely perpendicular and fail to remove the film from both sides of the template...just something to keep in mind. I love all the shapes available too! (I get them mostly from CreativeXpress online. They have good sales. LOL)

 

[Faerie]

Do you not have the guides for the CM system? They show you exactly where your cut will be

 

[piratesmate]

Do you not have the guides for the CM system? They show you exactly where your cut will be

Yes I have the guides, but you have to take them off in order to do the actual cutting & then I have to reposition the template. It's just annoying.

But you know, as I was typing that I realized that I've been stupid!! I was just using them the way I was shown...but if you put the guide on TOP of the template to position it & then remove the guide and cut...well that way you could actually SEE what you're doing, huh? If that how you do it?

 

[aroyer]

Yes I have the guides, but you have to take them off in order to do the actual cutting & then I have to reposition the template. It's just annoying.

But you know, as I was typing that I realized that I've been stupid!! I was just using them the way I was shown...but if you put the guide on TOP of the template to position it & then remove the guide and cut...well that way you could actually SEE what you're doing, huh? If that how you do it?

I usually use the guide first to decide which template and which blade, then I put the template down and reposition with the guides on top of the template.

 

[Faerie]

Yep, guide on top after estimating

 

[MedCruise07]

Thanks for all the replies. Actualy I ended up buying a picture frame yesterday! I think next I will get a circle cutter--how is Michael's about returns? If I buy one and find that it is not working well, can I return it?

 

[Honeybehr1]

If you haven't gotten a large cutter yet, I'll toss in my 2 cents. WAY back - before I started scrapping even - I used a coupon to get the Fiskars 12" Rotary Trimmer. It's quite large, so you need a good place to store it, but I find it the easiest to use by far of those I've tried. The blades last a really long time (and you can use future coupons to buy them too - when you run out of other things to buy ) and the numbers are really easy to see!

I have the same one. I love it and use it almost daily when scrapping. The only draw back is that it is large but I stand it up between my desk and the book case next to it so its out of the way and at my fingertips at the same time. I have even brought it to crops. I find it the easiest one.

 

[MazdaUK]

I don't know why the official CM advice is to put the template underneath that's how I was shown, and the template had a cut in it where someone forgot to take it away - I always put it on top!

I'd second the big cutter - even though I'm a CMC myself I find Bazzill ruins the blades, so after so many replacements I'm gong to keep the Cm one for crops and thin paper - waiting on my MM one! I figured it wasa more economical than either keep buying new blades or throwing away a load of Bazzill even though its twice the price here - £45