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The Bosskut Gazelle will cut 12" media and it's software is easy to use and designed especially for the scrapbooker with the features t... Full Description & Details.
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I love this thing, and it works right out of the box, you don't need to buy a single extra, EVER! Except for consumables, of course, which you have to resupply with any machine. I am not the type of person who would ever be happy with a standard image on a cartridge - I need to be able to customize to my heart's content, use any image or font I want, and create my own. The software definitely allows me to do this. In fact, except for the first image I cut to see how this thing works, I haven't used any pre-made images at all. I've used computers for .... well, decades, actually ... and I've used all sorts of different software programs. Because of this I found Funtime to be very easy to use. It has quirks, like all software does, but they're not bad at all. Customer service is excellent and the bosskut forums are very helpful.
I just got my Gazelle and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. It is so much fun and it cuts really well. It took me about 1 night of playing with it to get the hang of it. There is a bit of a learning curve, but it is SO worth it.
I was all set to get the cricut expression until I found out about this. Not having to use any dies and being able to have all the features of design studio right away is what sold me. I am so glad I got this!
The machine is a bit bigger than I expected it to be, but that is ok.
The Gazelle is my third digital cutter, (also have a Wishblade, and a ScrapSavvy cutter) and it's the one I use the most now, in spite of the fact that the other two cutters were almost twice the price.
As new cutters come out, they incorporate more and more of the functions that the users want, and this one has included all of the the advanced abilities in easy one-click buttons, (welding, subtracting, auto-tracing), and a handful of fun little extras (charms, embroidery, shadows, 3D rendering, outlines, puzzle, decorative scissors to put scallops and zigzags on your shapes, freehand drawing tool, Bazzil Bling papers, etc.)
For beginners, it's as easy to use as selecting your design and clicking a button! (Some of the video tutorials are available to the public here, so you can see how to use the software before making up your mind http://www.bosskuttraining.com )
And for advanced users, it has full justification, sorting, editing and specialty functions that are also easy to use, and powerful enough to suit those familiar with Illustrator.
Additional purchases: Invest in a can of Krylon Easy Tack Repositionable Spray adhesive, to refresh the stickiness on the mats. The mats are sturdy and hold up to months of use without warping, but you will need to refresh the stickiness with the Krylon. (Or any other REPOSITIONABLE spray adhesive.)
I also recommend buying an extra mat and one extra set of blades. Both are relatively inexpensive, compared to the other cutters, and it pays to have one on hand for when you drop a blade behind a heavy desk. (grin!)
If you are thinking about making the leap to digital, this is the one to get. Brand new users can get started with welding words and making mats right away, and as they get more comfortable with the software, they can rapidly move on to more advanced designing. (The software and cutter layout make it easier than the other cutters.)
Registered owners can get tech support on the forum
http://www.bosskutforum.com
There you can get assistance in setting up the cutter for your computer and help in learning to use the software. The people are really nice, and they don't bite, so ask! (grin!)
Add to that the Shared Files and Ideas Gallery and it's a great deal that will have you creating spectacular effects for your scrapbook, card making, and home decorating.
Jules ;)
I bought the Gazelle after having had a Wishblade. I had been frustrated by the WB because of ongoing lack of customer support especially with updates, as well as simply not cutting reliably. I LOVE the Gazelle. The day I got it I followed the tutorials and had it cutting perfectly. The Bosskut website has the most fantastic customer support I have ever seen, and they provide TONS of tutorials, videos etc. all with step by step directions, and if you still have a problem they will answer your post immediately. You do need to use your computer with the Gazelle, but you never need to buy a cartridge. Unlike some cutters where the manufacturer does not support the software to cut any font, Bosskut is fully supportive of the software that allows you to cut any font or any image. You can even scan in something and then make a cutting file. The only problem was that the first mats were not sticky enough, but they are aware and have fixed the problem. It cuts a full 12 by 12 so you can make a large circle or fancy label shape up to a full page size. It is also easy to see where you are cutting on the mat so you can use up little scraps and not waste a full paper to cut a few letters. It has a cool feature of "sissors" so it is easy to scallop edge anything. The machine itself is quite "heavy duty" and sturdy (much more so than the WB), and can cut chipboard. It has other stuff like print and cut, and you can use pens, but I haven't gotten into that yet. If you figure you never need to buy a cartridge or any additional software then the price is not so bad.
I bought the BossKut Gazelle a few months ago and I absolutely LOVE it. This is my second electronic die-cutter. I previously owned a Craft Robo (which is similar to the Wishblade and Sillhouette) but I wanted something that could cut larger (12x12) and thicker (chipboard) materials. So far I have been totally satisfied with the Gazelle. I have cut all kinds of paper, cardstock (textured Bazzil is no sweat), various thicknesses of chipboard, template plastic (make your own doodle templates and painting masks), shrinky dink plastic, and more. The software is very powerful and flexible but a little bit quirky at times. There is a bit of a learning curve with this product (as with all computer-based die cutters). If you're comfortable setting up computers and printers and learning new software then you should be able to handle a computer-based die cutter. If you're afraid of computers then stick with the Cricut or a manual die cutter. But I think that of the electronic die cutters out there now, the Gazelle is at least as good as any of them, plus it costs a bit less. And if you use it with a laptop it is portable, although I still have to find a bag that is wide enough to hold my Gazelle flat! But I have taken it to all day crops before. For shorter crops I add my die cut embellishments after I get back.
