All About the Making Memories SLICE

The Making Memories SLICE is the epitome of the old saying that good things come in small packages. Although it weighs less than two pounds and can fit in the palm of your hand, don't let its petite size fool you. This little gizmo can turn ordinary scrapbook paper and card stock into a pile of die cuts. It can make a wide variety of cutouts, including letters, numbers, geometric shapes, photo corners, tags, and much more, ranging in size from one inch to four inches.

Instruction manuals.  I know, yawn...

However, although you may be tempted to throw the directions in the corner, don't do it!  My advice, read the directions.  The Making Memories SLICE is easy to use, but there are a few tricks to getting started.

I will try not to bore you with too many details, but with that being said, here is an overview of the steps you will need to take to get things humming along:

1.  The machine will need to be charged.  The SLICE can operate with electricity, or it can be used cordless.  However, for first time use, get it charged up and ready to go, then you won't have to deal with an annoying cord in the way.

2.  The cutting mat will need prepared.  The SLICE comes with a tempered glass mat that uses a repositionable adhesive to hold the die cut material in place while it is being cut.  You will need to apply this adhesive to the mat and give it time to dry.  It's a bit tricky, so once again, read the directions!

3.  The design card will need inserted.  Pretty simple.

4.  "Home" the blade.  This sounds strange and complicated, but it's not.  Before you start cutting for the first time, you will want to ensure that the cutting blade is in the right position.  This is done by "homing" the blade.  Its easy and it only takes an extra minute - just follow the directions in your instruction manual.

5.  Select the die cut design.  What do you want to cut?  The Making Memories SLICE has an easy to use graphical interface, so that you can quickly and easily select the design you want to make. 

6.  Select a size.  This little gadget can make die cuts from one to four inches, in half inch increments.  Figure out what size you want and press select. 

7.  Finally, it's time to cut!  This last step is fairly easy.  You will need to position the SLICE on the cutting surface.  When you have it where you want it, hit the green button on the side, and then hang on.  You will need to use both hands to hold the little gizmo in place while it does its work.  When it's finished, it will display a little message saying its done.  That's it!

When you purchase the SLICE starter kit, you will receive the Basic Shapes One design card.  This design card is able to cut a lot of the basics.  However, when you want to expand your die cutting capabilities, there are additional designs cards available.  Many of them focus on a single theme.  For example, the Fa La La cartridge can make a variety of Christmas themed cutouts.  The Animal Crackers design card, on the other hand, will let you make die cuts perfect for baby shower invitations or scrapbook layouts featuring the little ones in your life.  More than a dozen different design cards are currently available.  If you are like me, you will want them all!

When it comes to die cut machines, there are a lot of options out there. It can be difficult to pick the perfect one. However, if you are thinking about buying the SLICE, here's how it measures up against the other available models:

• It's cordless, a nice feature not currently offered by other machines.
• The range of die cut sizes is limited compared to other models. For example, the popular Cricut Expression can make cutouts from a quarter inch in size, to 23-1/2 inches. Unfortunately, the little SLICE can't boast such a wide range of cutting sizes, but then again, not everyone needs or wants to make die cuts in those sizes.
• Some die cutter models, such as the Xyron Wishblade, hook up to your computer and can cut any true type fonts that are out there. The SLICE can't do this - instead, it relies on design cards for the types of cutouts it can make.
• It's little, it's portable, and it's lightweight! If you like to craft with friends, or have a limited area to store your supplies, then this just might be the die cutter for you.
• It's less expensive than other machines. The Starter Kit has a suggested retail price of $150 and comes with everything you need to start making die cuts from paper, card stock, vellum, vinyl and photographs. Many of the other available die cutting models cost hundreds more, so it's safe to say, for the most part, the Making Memories SLICE is less expensive than its competitors.