Sooooo, I did succumb to the lure of Anna Griffin on HSN and have to admit that I enjoyed putting together the cards in the kit in as many different ways as I could think of. However, I really, really wanted to try out the dies that came with the kit and when I finally acquired the extended platform plates for my Big Shot, I was ready to go.
Here's what I learned:-
* Close your eyes, grit your teeth and ignore the cracking and popping of the plates as you crank the Big Shot sandwich through. I understand that it does the same in the Cuttlebug.
* Anna does not include a die that will cut a frame for the opening. I mean, really? Plan A - Searching Design Space, I could not find a frame of the same proportions, even among Anna's carts. On to Plan B - I folded a 4 by 6 inch piece of cardstock and inserted it at the frame end of the die before cranking it through. This is what's left over when the frame cut is removed.
Unfortunately, the frame cut in two parts but when glued around the opening, I found that it presented a perfect opportunity for embellishment.
And using patterned paper worked well too.
* Using double sided paper gives a variety of interesting results. The embellishments that come in the kit are printed on one side only and to my mind, look ugly and unfinished on the inside of the card. Using double sided paper with the small embellishment dies results in a nicer look inside. And, because the cardstock is generally thicker, there isn't the need to strengthen the outer edge of the flip fold. (Since this is the edge that holds the embellishments, it needs all the strength it can get!)
* The smaller dies work with the Sizzix magnetic plate and are held firmly in place for the second, embossing pass.
* The quality of the dies is not what I expected from Anna Griffin and I reverted to my good old Heartfelt Creations dies and stamps to embellish this card.
* The more cards I made, the more frustrated I became with the fact that they will not fold flat. I did try running the folded card through the Big Shot before embellishment, but it wasn't much better.
You know, I think I'll put the dies in my next garage sale and continue to use the Flip cards on the Artfully Sent cart. Sigh! Here's a couple of You Tube videos I found particularly useful:-
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k53icPsCzBM&feature=youtu.be
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJqZice8Kqg
Thank you for visiting with me today. : ) Christine
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