Spellbinders Sapphire Review

Welcome, Scrappers! I'm exited for the post I am sharing with you all today. I've been wanting to get my hands on a mini die cutting machine for a while. Now that I have, I can share it with you! I ordered mine from Create and Craft. The machine I bought was part of a little bundle type of a deal exclusively for Create and Craft. The total cost of the machine itself was $35.00. It came out to about $45.00 with shipping. They also give you the option to use flex pay which divides the purchase into two separate small payments. There is no credit check required. You can also use a debit card instead of having to use a credit card. I love that they make it easy and affordable for people on a budge to get their hands on some of these great crafting items without breaking the bank or going through hoops to be approved for credit. Now onto the good stuff!

Isn't it adorable?

This specific bundle contains the cutting and embossing plates and mat as well as 14 introductory dies. It gives you everything you need to start making beautiful die cuts.

  

 To make a die cut you will need to make a sandwich. First, on the bottom you will need Base plate A, the selected cutting die (cutting edge facing up), your choice of paper, and lastly, cutting plate C. All you need to do then is run it through the machine by turning the handle several times. It's very simple and fun to use. 

Next, to emboss you follow similar steps. Start off with base plate A, then the die with the cut piece inside, cutting edge facing up. Place the tan embossing mat on top and the blue embossing plate B. Run it through the machine one more time. Now you will have a beautifully cut and embossed piece to use on you projects. 

A few pieces made from the dies included in the bundle.

The Verdict: Do I think this machine is worth it? Absolutely! I love how small and compact it is, making it great for taking to crops. It takes up little to no space and works just as well as larger machines. The Sapphire machine is so easy to use it makes a great investment for beginners. The good thing about the size of this machine is if you decide to move onto a larger machine you can still get use out of this one since it was designed to be much more portable to bring to crops and expos. This machine is by no means heavy but, it does have a nice weight to it. You can tell it was made well. It is a solid little tool. The cons? I have two little cons, well, preferences really. I wish you were able to use embossing folders in this machine. I've done some research and turned up empty on whether or not it is possible. The machine is too small for something like that, really. Secondly, it can be a pain when purchasing dies. You have to check the dimensions because, anything bigger than 2 1/4 in. will be too large for the machine. So, you just have to make sure you check the dimensions when purchasing dies. Other than that, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the design or operation of this machine. The handle is easy to turn. You don't need much pressure while running your dies through. I almost forgot to mention it has a lever on the front of the machine to suction it down to your work surface. You don't have to worry about it budging or holding onto it while running your dies through. You do have to make sure your surface is clean otherwise the suction will release. That pretty much sums everything up. If you have any questions don't hesitate to comment. I would love to hear everyone's thoughts and opinions! Until my next post happy scrapping!

Hey Scrappers! Hobby Lobby is still having their 50% papercrafting sale! There isn't much time left so, I would head over there or shop online. Plus, they always have a 40% off coupon good on one regular priced item. You can use it in stores or online. I'll continue to update you on sales I hear of so, keep your eye out and subscribe to stay updated! Happy hauling!

You can use this code in stores or click on the coupon link on the Hobby Lobby website to have it added to your order. Shop online here.

Mambi Me & My Big Ideas memories kit share

Hello, Scrappers! Today I've got a kit share/review for you. I recently bought the Mambi memories 12x12 scrapbooking kit at my local Hobby Lobby. Lucky for me, all papercrafting products were 50% off! I only paid $5.00 for this kit! It comes with twelve, 12x12, double sided patterned papers, 1 sticker sheet, and two sets of dimensional stickers. While I love the dimensional stickers and enjoy the look of this kit, I was having a hard time with putting a layout I really loved together. I feel like there are too many neutrals in this kit and not enough pops of color. That's just my specific style. However, if I pull some pops of color in from my stash I think it will work just fine. I just don't see myself coming up with a great layout using the papers in this kit alone. Don't get me wrong, I love the color scheme, just not on its own. Enough babbling about what I think and now on to the kit! 

The backside of several sheets of patterned paper have cut aparts in a few different sizes if you prefer to use these instead of the pattern on the front side. There are plenty of options to choose from. The sayings/quotes are pretty generic too. I like that in a kit, as opposed to, themed sayings.  

 This is the reverse side of the cut apart sheets.

Here are the last of the patterned papers in this kit. They are all very pretty and predominantly neutral. Very versatile. 

             Front side.

Back side.

12x12 sticker sheet included in the kit.

"Soft Spoken" pieces. These are the dimensional stickers I mentioned before. They have some glitter and foil accents. Unfortunately, the picture quality isn't the greatest. 

My overall thoughts on this kit, though, it may not be a new release, it is a very affordable option at $10.00 full price. Many times you can find this kit along with many others like it on sale at Hobby Lobby. The paper is pretty thin, not like designer papers but, I,  like many others, don't mind the thickness of the paper. What really matters are the colors and patterns to me. I recommend this kit, especially to those of you on a budget. At this price you could purchase two or even three of the Mambi kits to the price of one designer kit. Don't get me wrong, I love my designer kits but, sometimes it's not an option. 

That's it for this kit share. I hope you enjoy these budget friendly posts. There will be more to come. As well as, designer kit shares, kit subscription shares, and reviews among other scrappy posts! Until next time, happy papercrafting!