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1. Nafie says:

   February 5, 2010 at 8:50 am

   I was so excited when I saw this on the homeshopping network and ordered it right away. However, I am very dissapointed in it. I am not one to do reviews but this machine was very difficult. Loading the “sandwich” into the machine was way too difficult. It took many trys to get the boards to load. Then when the “sandwich” would exit the machine it spits them out at you and the whole machine jumps. If you stand in front of it and your not careful, it will hit your stomach because it doesn’t suction to the table at all. As for the embossing, it does do a good job, but I just think there are better machines out there for your money. Maybe my machine was a lemon and I hope other people don’t have this problem, but I personally would not recommend it.
2. Keegan says:

   February 5, 2010 at 2:48 pm

   This little guy is expensive but worth its weight in gold if you are an embosser of any type. Also great for charms etc. I love it. Thanks to Amazon for offering it at such a great price.
3. Sith says:

   February 5, 2010 at 8:30 pm

   I like it very much. I don’t have a problem with the glue at all. I’m going to buy the embossing tips too to add more things to my scrapbooking. Even if you cut each letter individually it doesn’t take long and the glue lasts until you finish with everything.I would really recommend this for a low budget cutting machine. I like the fact that they release new cards often, and they’re not as expensive as the Cricut.
4. Bausch says:

   February 6, 2010 at 2:10 am

   I purchased the Slice and was extremely disappointed. There is a fine line between apply too little and too much glue to adhere your paper for cutting. Too much glue and your paper adheres to the glass and you can’t release it. Too little glue and your paper slides. I’ve wasted quite a bit of paper in the process of getting it right and it continued to be a hit or miss venture. It doesn’t produce a clean cut through some of the thicker scrapbooking papers and with some of the thicker papers it will not cut through. It’s time consuming and the end results aren’t worth the time and effort.

   Worse of all, my Slice simply died after only using it a handful of times. It was a gift and I don’t have the receipt. However, I wrote the company and I’ve yet to hear back from them.

   I suggest you invest in one of the more proven and popular cutters and not waste your money on this disappointing machine. The machine is a waste and even if it did perform, the cartridge are expensive.
5. Oswald says:

   February 6, 2010 at 8:42 am

   I am not a scrapbooker so this product isn’t going to be used 24/7. I got this product with the intention of making tags – there’s an additional accessory – tagmaker – which will be my next purchase

   Thoughts before I purchased this product: is it worth paying $$$$ for this? Will I get my return on investment?? Will I regret buying it? I did ALOT of research through online forums/customer ratings before making the ultimate decision that this was it.

   Why did I choose Slice over Cricut? What I wanted was for a product that does tags – the slice comes with the shapes that I want. It’s also wireless (some reviewers have complained that they can’t use it for over an hour, but I don’t plan on doing that, and I also don’t mind using it plugged in). Significantly less than the Cricut. Slice cartridges are 1/2 the cost of Cricut. I don’t intend on doing large projects. It only prints from 0.5″ to 4″ (in 1/2″ increments).

   What I’ve done so far? I’ve made a few cut outs and tags – I still need to get the “tagmaker” which will make the metal rings around my tags – really excited for that. I just got an embosser so I have cut outs of 2″ circles – emboss, and will use the tagmaker to attach the metal portion and BAM – instant glam.

   Thoughts on the machine: Yes it’s annoying to have to hold the machine steady during a cut – but it’s not “physically demanding” and it’s a fair tradeoff in getting some nice/snazzy tags for our gifts (especially with the holidays around the corner, and I don’t have to manually cut each individual tag). The cuts are surprisingly fast – it takes a few blinks of an eye to cut out an intricate “love” or a letter. I have to get use to the cutting layout so I don’t waste paper. Seems like once I have that figured out, I’ll be getting maximum usage of the overpriced scrap booking stock paper. I like that is SMALL (it’s about the size of my p-touch label maker) – which makes it portable and I can leave it on my desk without being annoyed with wasting valuable real estate.

   Future: I can see many other projects evolving from this – making little “saying” banners (spell words out and connect them with yarn or metal rings) – intricate and more personalized gift tags – school projects for my kiddo. I also like making cards so this will be a great project to make our monogramed cards.

   KEEP IN MIND:
   Read instructions – the power button is small and in the back of the machine – you have to push a few buttons before the cut starts – you have to push the menu button to “home” the blade – there is also a “protocol” to selecting shapes, then selecting the size you want and then cutting it (I wanted/expected something like a single push)
   DO NOT use the glass cutting mat without the “adhesive on it” – place a thin line (like the line of the grid on the mat) of glue from 1″-4″ markers, and then use the sponge to spread it on the glass – it seems like that’s the right amount without making it overly sticky – do let the glue dry – takes only a few minutes
   Keep the bottom plastic packaging piece – it helps to have that be the home for the machine when not in use – I don’t worry about the machine getting dusty
   Get the tools if you want – really don’t need it. You can get by with a nice pair of tweezers – I have the 15pc tool kit – I like the way it all looks and is contained in 1 package but it’s not necessary – the accessories are inexpensive – I also got the embossing kit – really looking forward to that
   I have read reviews that this product doesn’t cut well – not sure I agree, I used some thick texture card stock and it was fine.

   I have no regret on buying this product. I think I’m getting my money’s worth. It’s saving me time and keeping my tags looking uniform. I’m really excited about using this product in the future and creating some more personalized and unique items. Well worth the money.
6. Uzeta says:

   February 6, 2010 at 2:16 pm

   I read about a million reviews on this product before I bought it so I had a pretty good idea about the pros and cons of the Slice. So far, I like it- it does pretty much what I thought it would do- cut die cuts quickly and (usually) accurately. From the bulk of my research, I decided to purchase the 12×12 cutting mat, tool kit and extra glue. I also purchased 2 cartridges- basics 2 and Mistletoe. I bought Mistletoe because it has the boost on it that makes your machine go faster.

   What I like about the Slice:
   1. It’s cute and small making the machine very portable.
   2. It’s quick (meaning it’s quicker than cutting it by hand- there are other machines that cut faster but there’s no comparison to when I was doing all of my shapes by hand).
   3. The price! For $150 and $25-$35 for design cartridges, it’s the best deal on die cutters period.
   4. Innovative. As far as I know, this is the first portable cordless die cut machine. I’m sure there will be more to come but I like that Making Memories got here first.

   What’s no so great:
   1. Glue. I hate the glue. It’s runny, messy and the dinky tube they give you with the starter kit is certainly not enough to get very far. I understand that the glue is what makes the paper not move but it’s a royal pain.
   2. Clean up throughout the cut process. Although the machine itself is portable, I’m not sure how it’s going to work when I go to a crop and I need to wash my cutting mat with soap and water. My first instinct would be to pack some bleach wipes for a quick fix but it says not to use harsh chemicals.
   3. Holding it down while it cuts. Maybe I’m just a wimp or something but I find I have to hold the machine pretty hard while it’s cutting. It’s to the point where my arms are a little sore. Maybe I just need to work out more but I certainly have to hold it more than “just resting your hands on it” like it states in the directions.

   All in all, this is a great little cutter. Just a few quick tips from my own trial and error:
   -wait until the glue is COMPLETELY clear. If you don’t, you get left with a stuck on mess
   -when the directions state to remove the blade protector, they mean the plastic cover right when it comes out of the box, not the rubber stripping that lines the bottom. If you remove the rubber stripping, it’s impossible to hold while it cuts. And, the rubber stripping is VERY hard to get back on. I might be a dumb @ss, but I wanted to share my mistake so you don’t have to repeat it.
7. Raspberry says:

   February 6, 2010 at 8:27 pm

   The Slice is perfect for the scrapbooking I enjoy! It cuts very precise shapes and letters (and MUCH more), very quickly. It takes just a second to set everything up to prepare it to cut, and once you get the hang of it after a couple of times, you breeze through your scrapbooking because of the ease of use of the product. Definitely a great product, especially for the price–compared to similar products that cost twice, if not four times as much.
8. Derakhshanfar says:

   February 7, 2010 at 2:19 am

   I think I have them all. I’m now trying to give away most of them. This has become my favorite. Why? 3 reasons: I’m lazy. I have no patience; I want it to work immediately, with no learning curve. And I’m running out of storage room.

   The Sizzix will cut everyone’s dies. AND you don’t have to turn a crank (I did mention I’m lazy, right?) Actually, I tend to get hand and wrist pains and anything I can do to prevent further degradation is wonderful.
   Surprisingly, it doesn’t take up any more room than the crank machine (which I gave to a friend) … the motor takes up the room the handle used to.
   The platform provided(used to compensate for the various heights of different manufacturer’s dies) has pictures and is very self explanatory.

   If you want my comparison regarding other machines I’ve tried:
   I do love my Slice but that’s a whole other category!
   I love the Quickutz Revolution and the way the dies snap into place; but all those dies will work in the Sizzix so I’ve put away my Revolution (sigh).
   I had a problem with the Cuttlebug; the first time I used it, it slid on the table and one of the dies actually cut into the machine. We had to use a screwdriver to get the die out! ProvoCraft very kindly replaced the die but there’s still the chunk out of the machine. Still, the Sizzix will cut and emboss all the Cuttlebug dies, so I don’t need the Cuttlebug.
   The Zip’e Mate is kind of clunky. It doesn’t have a handle for transporting anywhere (even from here to there).
   The handheld Quickutz was difficult for me to use; I don’t have enough strength in my hands.
   The Wizard is too heavy. It’s still sitting on my shelf so I really can’t describe how well it actually works.

   The alternative cutters (not using compatible dies):
   The Slice is great.
   I have a Cricut and a bunch of cartridges but never get around to getting it out. There’s also a learning curve with the paper vs. blade settings that I’ve never quite caught on to … a friend uses only one brand of paper so she never has to change the setting.
   I had a Wishblade but replaced that with a Pazzles Inspiration and now need to find time to play with that.
   I was so looking forward to the Quickutz Revolution Love … electric … larger dies (yippee); but it was cancelled/postponed indefinitely.

   So, for now the Sizzix Big Shot Express is it for me.
9. Levett says:

   February 7, 2010 at 8:19 am

   The motor died during my third cut of small dies. I haven’t heard back from Sizzix yet & am hoping they cover this.
10. Sheffield says:

    February 7, 2010 at 2:10 pm

    The product shipped fairly fast considering it is a big item and I am enjoying it immensely. It was brand new, in box, as stated and works great.

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