Sizzix Big Shot Machine Starter Kit, Powder Blue/Teal

Was lucky enough to get this when Amazon was selling it for £79. Usual fast delivery you always get on Amazon and well packaged too.Absolutely love this machine - you can cut and emboss all sorts of things and it takes your craft work to another level.It is expensive, so Christmas or birthday might be a good time to treat yourself, but once you have it you will wonder why you didn't get one sooner.I love the way that you can use treasured bits of paper like special wrapping paper that you keep, but don't know quite what to do with. Shove it through the Big Shot and it will cut you some lovely shapes.The great thing about buying this kit rather than just the machine is that it gives you lots of toys to play with that would otherwise cost a lot more to get together. Thin dies, thicker ones and an embossing folder. This is a very easy to use machine - if you hate reading instructions, go on to You Tube where there are plenty of short, instructional videos.Highly recommendedCons: Unlike most people who have reviewed this machine who seem to love this design, it reminds me of toys my daughter had when she was 6. You can buy plain versions of the Big Shot but they cost a lot more money, so the design for me was not a deal breaker. My children tease me about it, so I can see the funny side!

Brilliant machine that cuts the most wonderful designs once you have purchased your dies. The only thing stopping me giving it five stars if the cutting plates don't last very long. I have only had mine a month and had to buy a replacement set as the original ones are now too bowed to continue using.

Wish I had purchased one a long time ago. It makes crafting so much easier. From reviews elsewhere I was a little concerned about having to manually turn the handle as I have dexterity problems in the hands with combined weakness and I have found I can do less and less crafting-I need not have worried turning the handle is very easy. I can only assume those that have had problems turning the handle have been using too much thickness. If you use the correct thicknesses (as detailed on the multipurpose platform to remind you each time) there should not be a problem because it should glide through easily-if there is resistance it's too thick. The starter kit comes with some basic dies which are quite versatile if you use a little imagination. I have yet to try cutting material but they all cut paper and card very crisp. There is also a little embossing folder which gives lovely professional results- it beats doing it by hand with a lightbox. Included in the starter kit is some sandpaper and a little pack of different papers which would be good for mat and layering as well as die cutting and embossing. The machine is robust and will not tip. Purchasing extended sized cutting pads would be advisable to take advantage of the big dies available on the market. The extended Multipurpose Platform has simple guidelines of how to sandwich everything together to put it through the machine. If someone wants a simple die cutter or embosser that gives great results I would highly recommend it equally if you are a beginner to cardmaking or to someone that has been crafting for years

I bought as really wanted to use for fabric. It doesn't disappoint as used with a couple of fairly intricate dies and they came out well. It helps if you run backwards and forwards to ensure a clean cut with fabric. I did use the embossing sheets to produce backgrounds for Christmas cards. I can see I will use this for patchwork templates. There are loads of dies you can buy for the machine. Some of the dies are very expensive so you need to think how much you will use the die after the initial reason you bought it but the dies I want are for more general use. I am sure if you buy for card making it is even more versatile than why I bought it. It's a great fun machine. Amazon offered the unit at the best price as on other sites it can get very expensive. It was packaged well.

It took a while to get here but arrived in the end. My wife likes it and says it will be useful for her. Good quick response when I contacted them.

Within the first hour of use embossing deteriorated from very good to poor, with the machine only embossing the part of the card furthest away from the handle. Cutting was only partial. Machine returned.

I don't write reviews often but this machine is worth it!Very sturdy, feels good quality. I used the dies that came with the machine and they have all worked great on paper and card. Also, most of them worked really well on fabric too. So pretty.It's worth watching the tutorial videos on you tube if you're new to die cutting (like me). They help you to understand the'Sizzix sandwich' - details also printed clearly on the platform.I am going to be using this machine loads - can't wait for the other dies I've ordered to arrive.Also - ordered from musical dolls house - delivery rapid - arrived 2 days earlier than planned.

i would like to say i love it but before you use it please look on you tube and watch some tutorials as i did not and managed to break the hinge on the extended platform. I also find the fact that the plates are not the same length as the extended platform annoying. Have looked to see if you can get longer ones but have not seen them so far. Would have been helpful if a book of assessories had been included with the box. Also being a complete novice I am a bit doh when it comes to the lingo and phrases used on the platform so it been a bit trial and error but one thing i have noticed it that it does not cut evenly across the machine. Not sure how to cure this apart from turning it around and redoing the die until i think it has cut the card..... and that is the reason behind why I broke the hinge on the platform in the first place.