I am a keen crafter and make my own birthday and Christmas cards. There are many machines and gadgets on the market to help me get a professional look. While I like my cards to look homemade, I certainly don't want them to look like a five year old has made them.

The one machine that I cannot be without is my Provocraft Cuttlebug. This machine die cuts shapes and embosses too.

Please shop around if you are thinking of buying one, as prices vary immensely, anywhere between £55 and £80, but it's worth every penny. An avid crafter will get so much use from this handy little machine.

I say little, I haven't a measure to hand, but it's approx 12 x 7 x 4 inches. This machine needs to be quite weighty to be rigid when using it, so it is quite heavy at 3 kilograms but it feels solid and not flimsy at all.

The machine comes with some plates, embossing folders and dies to get you started. These plates are there in order to cut or emboss by the action of squeezing your cardstock and your die when placed between the rollers. The rollers are set into motion with the action of turning the handle on the side of the machine.

The main colour you can buy this machine in is green, but I have a white one with pink accents, and they have not long brought out a white with blue accents, which is limited edition. We girls like to have things co-ordinated! :)

The machine is very compact, as the base onto which you put the plates are folded up into the machine when not in use. To use the machine, you put it on a flat and sturdy surface, and open the flaps. The action of opening the flaps clamps the machine firmly to the surface, and it is quite rigid for approximately 5 to 10 passes of the die through the machine, when you will need to close the machine and perform the action again.

The only problem with this machine is there are so many dies and embossing folders to choose from, my list of 'I wants' goes on and on and on. On the other hand, this machine is so versatile that it will not just emboss the Provocraft Cuttlebug branded item, it will also emboss and die cut other brands, such as Spellbinders Nestabilities , and embossibilities. With the addition of a silicone rubber tan mat, you are able to emboss flat metal dies, which are used for stencilling.

I realise much of this is double dutch for most people, so I hope to be of use, for the crafter who is starting out and deciding which machine is best for them, as there are so many out there. I love my 'bug' and wouldn't be without it.