Dies vs Silhouette...

I don't have a Silhouette. I DO have a Cricut electronic die cutter. I also own a TON of dies!

I think it depends on how you think about scrapbooking.

I like the dies because I tend to find things by where they are, and I keep them sorted (in my own convoluted system) and close to my Vagabond. I am also inspired by what I see, and if I flip through my dies and embossing folders, I often get ideas for cards and pages. I also like them because I can place one right on a specific part of pp and get a diecut that shows an icon or design or colour I want. Also, provided I can find the die, it is FAST. Place the die on the pp or cs, make the sandwich and DONE.

I like the Cricut because the designs are computer searchable, even though I work from cartridges rather than Design Studio, so I can find shapes I want. Also I can cut a shape any size, so I love it for full page or part page backgrounds, or fit a shape to any space I have. With the Silhouette, you will be able to cut your own welded titles, any size or font you want. When I use my letter dies it is often a pain to get them out of the dies and then organized on the page and stuck down. The Silhouette people have ONE larger diecut for the whole title. I might have 15 or 20 small ones to fool with.

Have fun deciding where you will be spending your $$$!

A different perspective ....

I bought a Silhouette. To use it, I had to lug my laptop up to my craft room. I had to make room for both on my second table. I was still working then and the last thing I wanted to do when I was crafting was work on my laptop. I donated the Silhouette.

My Big Shot sits on my table next to me. I can easily pull out a die, grab a piece of card stock, run it quickly through and get back to crafting. I also love the edge that a die creates.

I sort of agree on the it depends on your style and how frequent you require diecuts. I can relate to both grammadee and freeatlast.

I too have all of these things. The funny part is I'm not a big die cut/shape maker in general. I use that stuff more for cards than I do scrapbooking.

I also find fussing with laptop, software, deskspace sort of a hassle for everyday use when it comes to the machines. Sometimes if I am going to crop or if I plan on a few hours to work, I will get it out and cut a bunch of things for projects in the works. Sometimes as I plan my pages, I may think of what I can cut, so I will try to do a bunch at once. Versus getting it out just to cut one word/title.

I have the cuttlebug and only basic shape dies. Sometimes I would take that to a crop just bcz it was easy to quickly use.

That said, I just bought the picscan mat for the Silhouette and have enjoyed the use of being able to cut out stamped images. I think I will use that more now than just cuts from the store. I have the Portrait, which is the smaller Silhouette and have been totally satisfied with that size. I've had to change the blade more than I thought to get good cuts, but overall I like it, besides the whole set up process.

Dies also take up quite a lot of storage space, so I can see where that could be a lot to manage as well.

Hopefully my mixed perspective helps you in some way! good luck.

I personally prefer dies. I've been buying dies since 2002 and really cleaned up buying dies when everyone else was dumping dies in favor of electronic shape cutters. I never understood that, why they didn't keep the dies AND the electronic shape cutter.

Anyway, I was gifted an almost unused Expression less than two months ago. I got cartridges on eBay that had shapes I hadn't gotten dies for and ALL that had a Dachshund, you guessed that didn't you! If I have a die that works, I go for the die first. Just like the nice edges dies give.

I'm happy with what I have because I don't like having to deal with a computer for crafts, to me, computer is WORK! If I had to pick only one, I'd go with dies, they last longer than electronic machines and if you have the cookie cutter type alphabets, just put your letters in the Big Shot (or whatever you have), cut them out, line them up on washi tape, put glue on them with fine line bottle and slap on card or page and done.

If you have the means then buy the cutter. Or if you can see one in action in real life. I think you have to make the commitment to use it.

I find dies to be incredibly expensive unless it's nested shape dies I can use multiple times. this is not to say that I don't buy dies lol...just not many.

I have the original silhouette and it is still packed from when I moved 2 yrs ago. I believe I used it twice before that (and bought it approximately 6 years ago on the old 2ps FSOT board. I'm not tech savvy and I hate taking the time to learn things like that, which is why I never used it. I don't even know if it will work with the current software.

so...I guess I'm just rambling here lol! I would like to make some pretty titles and lord knows every kit out there and most classes include free cut files so if I took the time to use it, I might at least enjoy the end result if not the process.

sorry, I'm sure this is absolutely no help! if you want one, think you will use it, and can afford it, I say go for it!

Pinterest does have some great tutorials for the machine.  My LSS had two classes and they were worth it.  If you just want to drag and cut basic shapes,  it is pretty easy.

I have both a Big Shot and a Cameo - just got my Cameo a few months ago. I use both, but IMO dies can be expensive for what you get - yes there are some nice ones out there, but you're paying $x per set to basically cut one size. With my Cameo I can cut page sized elements, backgrounds and resize things as much as I want.

I agree it depends how you craft and what you enjoy. I enjoy using the Silhouette software and my laptop when I craft, some people prefer the Big Shot or other similar machine so they don't need to get into the computer. Sometimes using a manual machine might be faster, but I really like having the option.

Since I got my Cameo, I basically stopped buying dies. With a Pixscan mat you can stamp and trace your images, then cut them out. Or trace stamped outlines to make matching die cut shapes you can then stamp on. There are lots of free studio, SVG files etc out there or you can make your own.

I still haven't tried cutting felt or fun foam with my Cameo, though I think both can be done. There might be some images e.g. detailed words that might cut better with the Big Shot, so that's why I'm keeping mine but I think over time I'll end up using it less.

Also think about where you would put the Cameo - if it's out and easy to plug into you computer you'll use it a lot more than if you have to take it out every time to use. Mine sits on the right side of my craft desk very close to my laptop and I just need to plug in the USB when I'm ready to go.

I got a plastic pot scraper ($3) from a cooking store and it cleans off the mat in just a few strokes as opposed to the little metal spatulas.

I use one of those too (actually a Lil' Chizler that I've sharpened up the edges of) to scrape the mat and also to pick the diecuts off of the mat. What I was referencing are all the little pieces of cardstock that don't completely pop out and stay on the mat, the ones that stay stuck in the diecut itself that have to be picked out one by one. Big pain, especially if I have a lot of them to do. 

Even with the Chizler thing, for something very thin and delicate it takes time and care to get them off the mat without bending them all up. I've been doing it forever so I'm faster and more careful than most but it's still something that always sets my teeth on edge to pick a bunch of cuts like that off the sticky mat.

Dies may be quicker, but I would not use most of them more than once, or twice. They would not be worth the money for me. I have used my Silhouette enough to pay for itself, and then some. I like all of the choices, and the fact that I can pay 50 to 99 cents per design, and it would not be waisted if I only used it once. Besides, with the Silhouette, all I need room to store is the cutter and mats, and not hundreds of dies, or cartridges. With cartridges, I'd pay $50-$90 for fonts, and/or designs I may never use, or only use once, then can't sell them. So, the Silhouette is much more worth it for me.

I think that the best value is a Silhouette. The possibilities with it are endless. There are hundreds of free shapes out there and even more that you can purchase. Shapes can be cut in almost any size you want and it cuts intricate designs beautifully. You can easily create your own cut files to match any stamp you have, it will cut any font installed on your computer, and you can sketch with it. I'm not familiar with the newest machine coming out but I believe it will cut thicker material and has a few more bells and whistles than my original Cameo (and I know I added it to my wish list but I can't remember why...) The software is not difficult to use but if you want to be more creative, take a Kerri Bradford class and before you know it you will be designing your own shapes as well. It is an awesome cutter and I could not live without it. BUT, having said that, keep in mind what others have said about it's size, the fact you need your computer right there with you, and it's not exactly portable for crops.

Now as much as I love (and use) my Cameo, I feel exactly the same about my Vagabond and Big Shot. (I got the Vagabond on clearance and couldn't resist so I put my Big Shot away - for now. But when my Vagabond quits (which I understand it may do), I will pull out my trusted Big Shot again.) I have a LOT of dies - and I just ordered more from SSS because of the sale. The difference is that my manual die cutters are quick. If I need to cut something and don't want to fuss, most times I will look to my dies first. As people have said, it is just easier to grab a die and run it through the machine rather than turn on the Cameo, open up the program, find the shape, size the shape... cut the shape, get it off the mat... AND it cuts felt, chipboard, thick glitter paper, almost anything without any issues - and it embosses. I like dies that have stitching or embossing on them and this is just something you don't get with your Silhouette.

So, at the end of the day, I can't live without either of them. I have both and I use both equally. But if you're looking to start out with one now, my recommendation would be the Silhouette. You really can do a lot with it. But, when/if your budget allows, I'd also buy a manual die cutter and dies. Whatever option you choose, if you find that either isn't right for you, I doubt you will have difficulty selling either.

Fundamentally I agree with you that the electronic machines are more cost effective in the long run, but that's really only true if a person actually USES it. I've had my original Pazzles Pro for over a decade and I have used it extensively over the years. I know the software inside out and upside down and can pretty much do whatever I want with it.

I had a Cuttlebug for years but bought a Big Kick a few years ago on a whim. I had a rare 50% off all Sizzix coupon for Michael's and I wanted to use my embossing folders more, and thought I would with the bigger machine. What has really surprised me the most is how often now I turn to that machine FIRST when I want to whip out a quick birthday card, thinking of you, thank you note, etc. For projects like that, I find that I actually DO use a lot of the same shapes repeatedly, and they go together so much quicker than they would with my electronic cutter. I also like taking it with me when I go somewhere to scrap because it takes up a lot less table space than my laptop, cutter, mats, etc. and I can stow it under the table when I don't immediately need it.

So what did you decide to do nicolep? Did you see the Cameo 3 is available for pre-order on Amazon?

I did just see, however, that the bluetooth won't work until the Silhouette Studio 4 software is released.