HT100 Hero Tools Compact Cutter Machine

MichyM, thanks for the reply. I appreciate the insights!

I should have clarified that at this time I am hoping to get one of the compact die cutters. I currently live in a tiny place (although I have hopes of moving) and am really space challenged. If I get so much as a new pair of shoes, I have to get rid of an old pair, or I have no place to put the new pair. So, much as I would love to have one of the full-sized die cutters, it is not a realistic purchase for me right now. Maybe if we move I'll be able to get a bigger die cutter...for now, it's a compact cutter or no cutter.

I'm currently scrapping 6"x8" albums instead of 12"x12" for the same reason. That has been a huge adjustment; I always used to scrap 12x12. So a lot of the larger dies are too big for my current pages, anyway.

On the bright side, I have a lot more space than I did when I was living aboard a 34' sailboat, and it is a huge bonus that I don't have the stress of trying to keep salt water out of my craft supplies...so I'm not complaining!

PaperAngel -- WOW, I did not know about the Sizzix Sidekick starter kit being on clearance for $15. That is a steal! Thanks for the info. Hopefully some people here will see your post and take advantage of that amazing bargain. Unfortunately, I do not have a Hobby Lobby anywhere nearby. I'll check their website though. Thanks again! 

Thanks for this info! I found it all really interesting.

The metal shim does sound like a good idea. The sandwich on my Compact Cutter doesn't involve a metal shim, so it appears likely that I will eventually, someday, in the far distant future, need to replace my plastic plates. They did include an extra in the package, so it looks like they'll last quite awhile.

You were right about this, of course.  

I just wasn't sure, at the time, if I would rather have had a bunch of new stamps or the Compact Cutter. I KNEW I'd love the stamps; in my experience, their stamps have always been wonderful. I just wasn't sure about the die cutter, which was an unknown. 

In hindsight, I am really happy with the choice I made (especially because I bought a couple of extra packs of their stamps and had them send those to me along with the die cutter, haha). 

There are many stamp sets out there that I wouldn't use either, or maybe I'd use one of the stamps and not use the others. But I avoid buying those sets to start with. 

I think maybe I spend an abnormal amount of time looking at stamps and digging up sets I will use the heck out of. I am pretty selective about what I actually buy; I have a rule that I won't buy a stamp or stamp set unless I think I can use it in at least a dozen projects. Most stamp sets just aren't that usable, and so I have to pass on those and hold out for ones that are.

There was a time when I was selling my art online. In those days, I worked out a system for stamping, painting and collaging and made a habit of sticking to it. Those days are long gone, but I can turn the old habits back on again pretty easily when I want to focus on getting projects made. 

For me, stamping, painting, collaging and making layouts are all separate processes. Trying to do them all together in a linear fashion is inefficient and also far too daunting. But it's easy to make a layout or card if you have a stash of painted papers and stamped images ready to use. If I had to stop and stamp what I need as I am making my scrapbooking layouts, I probably wouldn't use my stamps all that frequently.

Most mornings, unless I am too busy with freelance writing work, I spend at least 15 minutes production stamping. I choose an image to stamp and a color or colors to stamp it in, and I stamp it at least 10 times in that color or color combination. Then I cut the stamped images out and store them in my stash so I can find them when I need them. Doing it this way ensures that I get my money's worth out of every stamp set I buy.

If an image isn't worth stamping 10 times in a row, it probably isn't worth buying in the first place...in that case, maybe just buy a similar sticker and call it good -- you know?