I have been making my own cards for about 8 months now and am loving every minute of it.

As a regular internet user I soon found my way onto craft message boards and forums and heard about tools called 'die cutting machines', one of which is the Provo Craft Cuttlebug. There is also a smaller version of this product for children called the CuttleKids.

After craving one of these for a long time I finally couldn't take it any more and ordered myself one. The reason I went for this one was that it seemed very compact and would take a lot of other brand dies and embossing folders. The only problem then is the expenditure doesn't stop with the outlay of the machine as there are infinite dies and embossing folders to collect.

For cutting out shapes from card and paper you need things called Dies, these are flat metal and one side has a blade in which cuts the shape out. Embossing folders make an impression.

The machine comes with several plates, A, 2x B and a C, and to cut or emboss paper/card you must make up a 'sandwich' and roll it through the machine by turning the handle, how I would imagine you use a mangle to squeeze the water out of clothes except you are squeezing paper instead!!

The first time I used this with a die, I was horrified as my shiny, perfect B plate had an impression of the die shape embedded into it! after some research online I discovered that this was what was supposed to happen, after all if you think about it, the blade has to go somewhere after it's perforated the card! Think of it like a chopping board or cutting mat. Eventually your B plate will become scratched and cut up enough to need replacing, (these are bought seperately) mine hasn't got that far yet however I guess it depends on how much you use it. For this reason I always use the same B plate to cut onto, so I will only need to replace one at a time.

It's best to use this on a smooth surface, not on a tablecloth as the machine suckers down onto it when you open the sides, this is a great feature as it stops it from sliding around as you turn the handle.

I am so glad I bought this as I use it in some way or another on almost every card I make, it has been well worth the money even though it's making me poor buying more dies and embossing folders all the time!

I love my bug :)