Review on Sizzix Big Shot Machine - 6 Inch Opening - White/Gray - Reviews and Best Prices by Amanda Castillo

I bought them to make postcards and I love them. Works great except for the stamps which leave imprints on the clear acrylic trays. I made a card and she engraved the plates with dies. I saw a youtube video of someone using a self healing acrylic sheet cutting mat, tried it and it worked great. I bought a $9.99 Fiskars rug at Walmart and cut it to 6 inch panels. I put the mat on top of the paper layer and cut the stamps in instead of transparent shells. It looks like this: white platform, clear acrylic, plate, paper, Fiskar mat, clear acrylic. Another added benefit of using a self-healing mat is the reduction in popping noise as the wheel spins. I cut @ 40 parts using this method and only cut 1 out of 25 dies badly. Part of the plant's leaf wasn't cut completely, so I folded the cardboard in half and placed it on the mat, giving it just enough height to cut perfectly. It was like this: a standard platform, a transparent tray, die-cut teeth, cardboard paper, a Fiskar mat, folded cardboard, transparent acrylic. I am 100% happy with this machine and love my new hobby :)