This is the first die-cut machine I have ever owned so I am by no means an expert but so far I absolutely adore my Slice Machine!
I am a frugal and practical shopper and I like to do my homework before I invest a chuck of money into something. So when I arrived at a point in my scrapbooking when I realized I would love to have a die-cutter I did some research. All die-cut machines are costly but the electronic ones are outrageously so. The affordable ones seem to have so many drawbacks that they are just not worth it. I looked at the Xyron cutter for a while but it got alot of bad reviews for the cutting mat which wore out too fast and had to be replaced alot. Cricuts and Pazzles are crazy expensive and their designs are costly as well.
Then one day in my research I saw an ad for the Slice. I checked it out and knew this was it. In a nut shell here are its strengths:
-Price. At $150 MSRP it is affordable. I actually got mine brand new on Ebay for $110. The design cards hold 100-150 images and some have 2 to 3 different alphabets and retail for $40 MSRP. Once again, I have found them as low as $27 online.
-Cutting Mat is infinitely reuseable. The Slice comes with a 6X6 glass mat but you can purchase a 12X12 for around $20. You simply paint on a tacky adhesive to keep the paper in place while you cut and wash it off the mat when your done. The adhesive comes with the product and when you run out just buy some more at around $6. One application of adhesive has lasted me 3 sessions of scrabooking and I've cut about 50 things so a little goes a long way.
-Portability. If you are into scrapping away from home you can easily transport it. Its very light weight and compact and they make a carrying case especially for it as well.
-Large screen. Its easy to choose what you need to cut and the menus are so simple a child could use this.
-Fully Self Contained. This product does not need to be hooked to a computer. It is fully rechargeable and a charge lasts for 1 1/2 to 2 hrs of cutting. Plus, if the charge runs out when you are cutting, you can plug the charger back in and continue.
-Range of designs and sizes. The Slice cuts most designs on the design cards from 1/2 inch to 4 inches giving you 8 sizes in most images. Currently there are 8 different design cards available but Making Memories is planning more. They also offer a orginizer bag for the design cards that matched the carrying case.
-It will cut Bazzil and photos and anything thinner than that.
Weaknesses:
-It only cuts up to 4 inches. This is not a problem for me but it could be for some people.
-It will not cut chipboard or anything thick like that. I don't think most cutters do though.
-I honestly cannot think of anymore drawbacks!
I LOVE MY SLICE!!!
I am a frugal and practical shopper and I like to do my homework before I invest a chuck of money into something. So when I arrived at a point in my scrapbooking when I realized I would love to have a die-cutter I did some research. All die-cut machines are costly but the electronic ones are outrageously so. The affordable ones seem to have so many drawbacks that they are just not worth it. I looked at the Xyron cutter for a while but it got alot of bad reviews for the cutting mat which wore out too fast and had to be replaced alot. Cricuts and Pazzles are crazy expensive and their designs are costly as well.
Then one day in my research I saw an ad for the Slice. I checked it out and knew this was it. In a nut shell here are its strengths:
-Price. At $150 MSRP it is affordable. I actually got mine brand new on Ebay for $110. The design cards hold 100-150 images and some have 2 to 3 different alphabets and retail for $40 MSRP. Once again, I have found them as low as $27 online.
-Cutting Mat is infinitely reuseable. The Slice comes with a 6X6 glass mat but you can purchase a 12X12 for around $20. You simply paint on a tacky adhesive to keep the paper in place while you cut and wash it off the mat when your done. The adhesive comes with the product and when you run out just buy some more at around $6. One application of adhesive has lasted me 3 sessions of scrabooking and I've cut about 50 things so a little goes a long way.
-Portability. If you are into scrapping away from home you can easily transport it. Its very light weight and compact and they make a carrying case especially for it as well.
-Large screen. Its easy to choose what you need to cut and the menus are so simple a child could use this.
-Fully Self Contained. This product does not need to be hooked to a computer. It is fully rechargeable and a charge lasts for 1 1/2 to 2 hrs of cutting. Plus, if the charge runs out when you are cutting, you can plug the charger back in and continue.
-Range of designs and sizes. The Slice cuts most designs on the design cards from 1/2 inch to 4 inches giving you 8 sizes in most images. Currently there are 8 different design cards available but Making Memories is planning more. They also offer a orginizer bag for the design cards that matched the carrying case.
-It will cut Bazzil and photos and anything thinner than that.
Weaknesses:
-It only cuts up to 4 inches. This is not a problem for me but it could be for some people.
-It will not cut chipboard or anything thick like that. I don't think most cutters do though.
-I honestly cannot think of anymore drawbacks!
I LOVE MY SLICE!!!
