Tuesday Tutorial – Know your Die Cutting and Embossing Sandwiches. I have received a request to go through the various sandwiches you need when using dies and embossing folder. I have only ever used the Big Shot and have had one for over 20 years, so all I can talk to is the sandwiches for the Big Shot. Until about a year ago, Stampin’ Up! sold a Big Shot, but, while we still sell some of the plates and, of course we sell dies and embossing folders, I should say AMAZING dies and embossing folders.

Standard Die Cutting

Let’s start at the beginning with how you would set your sandwich for one of our thin dies. There are 2 platforms that come with the Big Shot. The standard BASE PLATE and the THIN DIE ADAPTOR.  These are the platforms you will use for die cutting. In addition, for die cutting, you will need 2 clear cutting plates. So the order of your sandwich, from the bottom, is BASE PLATE, THIN DIE ADAPTOR, CUTTING PLATE, the card or paper you want to die cut, the die and then a CUTTING PLATE. Helpfully, this is printed on the Thin Die Adaptor, so it is always to hand.

Intricate Die Cutting

If you have a very intricate die, you may find that the ‘normal’ die cutting sandwich does not give you are perfect result and there are areas that are not properly cut. If this is the case you could introduce the Precision Base Plate. This works wonders for intricate dies and simply replaces the first cutting plate. So the order of your sandwich, from the bottom, is BASE PLATE, THIN DIE ADAPTOR, PRECISION BASE PLATE, the card or paper you want to die cut, the die and then a CUTTING PLATE. Again, this is printed on the Precision Base Plate, so is easy to find. BUT the printed side is the side you have facing down AND using the Precision Base Plate can warp your top cutting plate unless you remember to flip this over every time you use it, AND it can dull the dies, which means they will only work properly with the Precision Base Plate.

Standard Embossing Folder

There are currently 3 types of embossing folders in circulation, 2 of which are, in effect, the same thing, but they need a different sandwiches. In the Annual Catalogue the STANDARD Embossing Folder is shown in Purple Posy. The sandwich to use these would be BASE PLATE, CUTTING PLATE, the EMBOSSING folder (with the card or paper you want to emboss in it) and then a CUTTING PLATE. So, you are leaving out the THIN DIE ADAPTOR. Again, this sandwich is shown on the BASE PLATE. You should also feed the embossing folder into the machine hinge first.

Textured Impressions Embossing Folder

These are much more detailed embossing folders than the Standard folder BUT they are no longer available through Stampin’ Up! (I will explain the replacement in a moment). These are a lot thicker than the standard embossing folder, so need fewer plates. The sandwich to use these would be BASE PLATE, the TEXTURED IMPRESSIONS EMBOSSING folder (with the card or paper you want to emboss in it) and then a CUTTING PLATE. So, you are leaving out the THIN DIE ADAPTOR and the bottom CUTTING PLATE.

3D Embossing Folder

These are the replacement for the Textured Impressions Embossing Folder and are what Stampin’ Up now sells. Any designs that carried over from earlier catalogues into the current, 2019 – 2020, Annual Catalogue have been replaced with these, so you need to know when you bought the folder in order to know which sandwich you need. Helpfully, the new, 3D, folders are a bit thinner than the earlier version, so you should be able to see the difference. For ease, I mark my new folders with a Night of Navy Pen so I have a visual reminder. Why Blue? Because, to make up for the difference in thickness of the new folders, we have a Blue Plate that we would use in place of the Cutting Plate. The sandwich to use these would be BASE PLATE, 3D Embossing folder (with the card or paper you want to emboss in it) and then the BLUE PLATE. So, you are leaving out the THIN DIE ADAPTOR and both of the standard CUTTING PLATES.

Magnetic Platform

I want to touch quickly on the MAGNETIC PLATFORM. This is what I tend to use most days for standard die cutting. It is, as the name suggests, magnetic, so is really good at holding your card and die in place as the go through the Big Shot. It works best for larder dies; smaller dies can get a little self-willed while they try to find a magnet to attach to. the MAGNETIC PLATFORM can replace the STANDARD BASE PLATE and THIN DIE ADAPTOR. But, as it replaces the combination of the STANDARD BASE PLATE and THIN DIE ADAPTOR, it can not be used for embossing. The standard cutting sandwich is shown on the MAGNETIC PLATFORM as a reminder that it is MAGNETIC PLATFORM, CUTTING PLATE, the card or paper you want to die cut, the die and then a CUTTING PLATE.

One point I must address is using the MAGNETIC PLATFORM and the PRECISION BASE PLATE together. Whilst you can, you need to be VERY careful if you do. Because the PRECISION BASE PLATE is metal, the MAGNETIC PLATFORM will be attracted to it and you can suffer with a pinch injury if your get your fingers caught. It is also worth remembering that if you do use them together, the cutting surface will no longer be magnetic. That’s physics for you!

The only plates that are currently available in my Online Store are the Cutting Plates and the Blue Embossing Plate, which are listed below.

Nail Varnish Colours

Today’s Nail Colours are by Nails Inc. PLEASE NOTE, I get no commission from Nails Inc if you choose to shop from them using this link.