Q. When do I use the Silicon Mat and when would I use the Kars Cut and Emboss Mat?

Q. I can’t get the silicon mat to go through my Cuttlebug even though I am following the instructions given on the packet. Every time I try the plates just keep slipping. What am I doing wrong?

Q. The Nestabilities I was embossing have cut through my silicon mat. What do I do now?

These are just 3 of the many questions we’ve received recently about the silicon mat and cut and emboss mat that we thought we would gather together all the answers in one blog article.

The Silicon Mat

The silicon mat lets you emboss brass stencils in the Cuttlebug or Big Shot thus giving a new lease of life to any brass stencils lying around in your craft box. The brass stencils can be embossed in seconds by running them through your die cutting machine in conjunction with the silicon mat. Once embossed, cut out the brass stencil shape from your card or paper (the edges of the brass stencil will be clearly defined during the process of running it through your machine) and you have a ready to use card topper. If you want to show more detail then gently rub over the embossed image with chalks.

The silicon mat is not for use with cutting and embossing dies such as Nestabilities, Shapeabilities, or Marianne’s. Using the silicon mat to emboss any dies will cause the die to cut into the silicon mat.

Using the Silicon Mat

Here are the “sandwiches” of plates for both the Cuttlebug and Big Shot die cutting machines.

Cuttlebug

Plate A

Plate B

Brass Stencil

Paper or Card

Silicon Mat

Sizzix Texture Impressions Pad

If you find that this does give you a deep enough emboss then try putting a shim of card underneath the brass stencil, i.e. between the B Plate and brass stencil.

Big Shot

Multipurpose Platform open, i.e. with the thin die adapter down

Cutting Pad

Brass Stencil

Paper or Card

Silicon Mat

Sizzix Texture Impressions Pad

 

Kars Cut and Emboss Mat

The Kars cut and emboss mat is used when you want to emboss cut and emboss dies such as Nestabilities, Shapeabilities, Marianne Creatables, or other thin dies that both cut and emboss.  First run your die through the machine to cut your card using the thin die adapter appropriate for your machine, e.g. Plate C in the Cuttlebug, or the multi purpose platform closed for the Big Shot. Once you have cut your shape you will no longer need the thin die adapter you used for cutting so take it out of the machine (or for the Big Shot open up your multipurpose platform.) Leave you card in the die ready to emboss it using the cut and emboss mat.

Using the Kars Cut and Emboss Matt

Again I’ve given the “sandwiches” for both the Cuttlebug and Big Shot.

Cuttlebug

Plate A

Plate B

Thin Die with paper or card

Kars Cut and Emboss Mat

Sizzix Texture Impressions Pad

Big Shot

Multipurpose Platform open, i.e. with the thin die adapter down

Cutting Pad

Thin Die with Paper or Card

Kars Cut and Emboss Mat

Sizzix Texture Impressions Pad

The Sizzix Texture Impressions Pad

This is the pad (sometimes just referred to as the Sizzix Black Pad or Sizzix Black Plate) that you need to use in the “sandwich” instructions given above for both mats and both die cutting machines.

Warning

Never try to force a “sandwich” of plates, dies, card and mat through your die cutting machine as this could result in damage to your machine. When die cutting or embossing there should be a slight resistance otherwise the die will not cut or emboss at all but if you feel that you have to push hard or strain on the handle the “sandwich” is too thick and you should stop immediately.

We have tested this on most of the card and paper that we stock and have found that the Cuttlebug dies amd the thin dies such as the Nestabilities, Marianne’s and Nellie’s dies, will cut both machined and thick mulberry paper, vellum, all our 100 gsm and 120 gsm paper, mirror and foiled card, glitter paper and card, and all our cardstock including the heavyweights such as the 300 gsm Ice Silver.

We have also tested it on the illusion film but the cut wasn’t really a clean cut so we don’t recommend using the dies for this product.

When it comes to embossing, it’s pretty much the same story. All the materials that it will cut it will also emboss, with one exception – in our trials we found the mirror and foiled card tended to crack.

Although the handmade mulberry paper does emboss, because it’s an embossed paper to start with lost some of the Cuttlebug embossing folder detail so, although it will emboss handmade mulberry paper we don’t recommend it if you want a clean crisp finish.

Card and paper that is already textured has similar results to mulberry paper. For example, embossing on linen effect, hammer or laid won’t give the oomph factor that embossing on Stardream will gives as hammer, linen and laid already have a degree of texturing on them.

With the glitter paper, we found that it did emboss but that the embossing was lost among the sparkly glitter. However as we turned the glitter paper to the light the embossed pattern did show up and this worked much better with the larger embossing folders than the little 2 inch folders. So yes, glitter paper will emboss but it’s a subtle effect.

It won’t emboss mesh (because mesh has holes in it so there is nothing to emboss) and although it did work on the illusion film the results, again were disappointing. So when it comes to illusion film, let the beauty of illusion film speak for itself without any embellishment from the Cuttlebug.

The embossing on vellum is fantastic, as is Stardream paper and card. And, yes, it embosses the 300 gsm Ice Silver, Ice Gold and White Gold as well.

Although the original question was in relation to the Cuttlebug, the answer given applies to the Big Shot as well.

Q. I have one of the original Sizzix machines that I use for card making. Can I use the Cuttlebug dies and embossing folders with it?

A. Yes. A very nice gentleman who has one of the original Sizzix machines tested this out for us and reported that both the Cuttlebug dies and the embossing folders worked fine.