I have a serious question...

lauren grier

lauren grier

you're like stars
for all you crafty gals here..






















how on earth do you cut out all these darling shapes? like seriously... .LOL when I Was making my (super simple) card for my aunt today I not only 1) made my finger bleed but 2) realized I STILL can not cut a straight line! It was just a square!! How do you do all those pretty shapes :D :D It's never going to happen for me I swear... I'll cut off a finger.. or 10.
 
I just take forever to do it, lol. I use my big scissors for straight cuts, and either my little scissors or my craft knife for the smaller stuff.
 
one word: cuttlebug and dies.

of course, my bug is currently in a box somewhere. i haven't taken it out yet.
either my bug or my exacto knife. i learned very early in my graphic design classes that they won't let you use scissors. only a knife. so i became quite good at cutting with that.

have you tried turning the paper instead of moving the scissors? or using a metal edged ruler and a knife?

[hugs]
 
Yeah, I use an exacto knife or my Cutterbee's (SUPER freaking sharp scissors that aren't super long so they get into little areas easier). And I don't worry if it's not even when it's a shape...I figure it adds character. LOL!

As for straight lines...I can't cut them either by hand...so I use a 12x12 paper trimmer. :)
 
i love my cutterbee's too!! and the knife..I just adhere mine then flip it over on my mat and cut around the shape
 
I *heart* my Cutterbee scissors....no way can I cut anything with regular ones. :) I haven't mastered the knife yet, but these things take time! Straight lines....paper trimmer all the way. These hands weren't made for brain surgery or cutting straight. LOL
 
I've given up on exacto knives. I broke three in a row many years ago and swore them off.

As much as I love the coaster album, the circles drive me nuts to cut. I use a big ole' pair of Fiskars scissors. The 20 dollar ones with the lifetime warranty- they work better than anything for me. Now when I start on the luggage tag album I'm going to get hubby to open up his toolbox and help me out. He's not too happy, but he knows he has to help me cut it or it'll look like crap. My cutterbees...I shake too bad. Still looks like crap with those LOL

So um- nice hubby and Fiskars scissors. I break everything else :blink: ;)
 
They don't sell Cutterbee scissors here at our LSS... so i cut using those manicure scissors... works like a charm! *and cheaper!!*

manicure scissors:

manicuretoolcuticlescisfg5.png
 
I have a cricket available to me but never use it, I just use a pair of tiny scissors. I do most of my cutting while watching TV in the evenings.
 
For straight lines I use my paper trimmer so for that card La that's what I would have used but for shapes I use my Cutterbee scissors, I heart them! I never use an X-acto as I am no not good with them.
 
herein lies my problem too. I LITERALLY (I swear, it's the truth) FLUNKED cutting in kindegarten. My mom still has all the notes home from teachers telling her the woes of my cutting skills. Hence the reason I am a digi girl. You should see my paper books. You would get such a LAUGH! And yet, I let MANDY talk me into participating in the hybrid challenge so I bought cutterbees and a 12x12 trimmer and am praying for the best, rofl
 
Those of you who haven't mastered the exacto knife...buy a glass cutting mat (I think it's by EK Success) and use it when you're cutting. It makes the exacto work like a hot knife in butter...seriously adds a lot of control to what you're doing.
 
Another scissor that I really love is the Fiskers with the spring. Let me find 'em...

SoftTouch%20Small.JPG

and I second what everyone has said, turn the paper, not the scissors.
 
ditzyscrap said:
Those of you who haven't mastered the exacto knife...buy a glass cutting mat (I think it's by EK Success) and use it when you're cutting. It makes the exacto work like a hot knife in butter...seriously adds a lot of control to what you're doing.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip, Bree!
 
Glass cutting mat...

65_75133.jpg


Fiskars Fingertip Craft Knife

scrapinsanity-store_1991_240231723


Both are MUST haves for cutting these out. The fingertip knife gives you sooo much control. If you can drag your finger in the shape of a book or curve, you can cut with this knife. On the glass mat, it works perfectly!

Also like people have said before, turn the paper, not the knife.

R
 
ditzyscrap said:
Those of you who haven't mastered the exacto knife...buy a glass cutting mat (I think it's by EK Success) and use it when you're cutting. It makes the exacto work like a hot knife in butter...seriously adds a lot of control to what you're doing.
Click to expand...


Great tip, Bree! Thanks. I guess I'm making a trip to Michael's or the LSS this weekend.
 
MizAmyLou said:
herein lies my problem too. I LITERALLY (I swear, it's the truth) FLUNKED cutting in kindegarten. My mom still has all the notes home from teachers telling her the woes of my cutting skills. Hence the reason I am a digi girl. You should see my paper books. You would get such a LAUGH! And yet, I let MANDY talk me into participating in the hybrid challenge so I bought cutterbees and a 12x12 trimmer and am praying for the best, rofl
Click to expand...

:D :D Hilarious!!!

I use a paper trimmer for big straight lines. I just bought some Cutterbee scissors to do my bracket album and LOVE them and then I also have a Cutterbee retractable exacto knife. I'm better w/ the scissors then the knife.

ETA: Thanks for the glass cutting mat tip. I have one but it's one of those self-healing ones and I found it hard to use the exacto on that.
 
If I need ANYTHING cut in this house, I get Tony to do it. He's much more patient than me, I just speed through it and then wonder why the line isn't straight.
 
Cutting is therapeutic to me...I love to cut patterns out of paper...call me crazy...as long as I can have pink rubber walls, I'm happy with that. :)
 
I use tiny super sharp little nail scissors for the intricate stuff... and a craft knife/metal rular/craft matt combo for straight lines. Here is something that I just finsihed yesterday that I had to do a LOT of cutting for. Inking covers over a lot of uneven cutting. :)

mothersdaycardto2.jpg
 
I use cutterbees and the *secret* is very simple... if you have some wonky white edges just use ink along the edges of your pages and no one wil ever know. :thumbup:
 
Have to say I use the cutterbee's too. I just cut out a digi swirl last night :blink: and had to break them out. I'll use a craft knife if its the last resort but mostly big scissors for everything I can then cutterbees for tiny places.

I also agree with Krystal, cutting out stuff for me is like therapy. I am a total glue and scissors nut...gotta be cutting and pasting stuff, it makes me happy!
 
Cutting Shapes

I use a fiskars rotary cutter for straight lines. It is safe and does a great job following a ruler or acrylic template. The largest for the "I'm in a hurry to cut a square" and the smallest for curves.
 
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