A Tale of Two Die Cuts...

..Or three or four.




Today I want to talk to you about die cuts. Now, if you don't scrapbook (in which case, unclear why you are reading, but nevertheless, all are welcome) you have never heard of such a thing. Even if you have, you would be horrified to hear how much money we scrappers spend on this stuff. Which, while I'm not quoting numbers out on the blogosphere for my family to see, is a lot.

So, the question for we recessionistas is, are they worth it?

Another classic Pro/Con list for ya...

The Pros: (Team Die Cut!)
1. They cut things. A lot of things. More than a sheet of rubons will get you
2. They can cut what YOU want them to cut, or at least some of the time. Digital customizable systems allow you more freedom so if you want to cut out a die cut of the tiny town in Maine you visited, gezunte hei (which in Yiddish means "have at it"--or I think it does)
3. It's hard to resist 'em. If you scrap, you know what I'm talking about. You may be able to resist the first one you see, but then along comes the second, third, fourth, and your resolve is weakening. So put yourself out of your torture!!

The Cons: (Team Party Pooper)
1. They are expensive. Very expensive! You pay hundreds for the machine, and possibly hundreds more on the individual dies you purchase.
2. While they may supplement your rubons and alphas, they will probably not replace them--there are just too many darn cute things out there. So what's the point?

Where I stand:



I bought a Quick Kutz pink squeeze on sale years ago, but never got a second alpha for it because they were so expensive. So, when I discovered the Slice, I was intrigued--the extra cartridges are relatively cheap and even cheaper on ebay!

Despite the long and frustrating period where my Slice didn't work, it does now! And I think it does save me money because it replaces punches. Instead of buying five different circle punches in different sizes, and square and butterfly and heart punches, I have one handy machine that cuts 'em all!

Now where do YOU stand?

To Kit or Not to Kit

For a long time, I was convinced monthly scrapbook kits were stupid. I had visions of candy cane paper on Christmas, pink bunnies on Easter, and "I love my family!" stickers in between.



That all changed the day I discovered Scarlet Lime. And Studio Calico. And more recently, Cocoa Daisy and Label Tulip. Beautiful kits, great websites, very "with it" in terms of what's new and hot in the scrapping world.



So the question becomes....are kits worth the money?



I joined a kit (a result of having way too much free time earlier in the summer) and here's my take:



The Pros:

1. You get a box of cool scrap supplies each and every month. It just shows up on your door unannounced and therefore it feels free, even though it most definitely is not.

2. You get to experiment creatively by using color schemes and products that you wouldn't ordinarily choose for yourself.

3. Most kit clubs have member forums and galleries, so you can get inspired by what other people create with product you have.

The Cons:

1. Even the best kit probably won't be right up your alley ALL the time. And since most kit clubs require at least a 3 to 6 month subscription and don't allow you stkip months, you are likely to end up getting at least one kit that's not your style and doesn't get your mojo going.

2. Within the kits you get, there is a good chance there will something you won't like--a piece of paper, rubons, etc. This only enhances the "pile of random stuff" we scrappers seem to build anyhow.

3. It's expensive! As my husband pointed out when I first floated the idea, "anything that charges you every month adds up REALLY fast." Very true. And that means less money to just follow your heart on Two Peas.com.

What do you all think of this?

Come on in!

I'm going to come right out with it: I'm a scrapbooking junkie.

I love tinkering around with photos and words and making beautiful things. More dangerously for my bank account, I like buying all the delightful products out there that help you make beautiful things.

Which is where you come in-- are you intersted in getting started with scrapping but are afraid it's "just too expensive?" Are you an old scrapbook lover needing to tighten the purse strings these days? Whoever you are, I hope this is a space where we of the big dreams and small incomes can indulge in our love of scrapbooking stuff but still learn to make smart purchases and keep our spending under control. I welcome all questions and comments:)