Sizzix Sidekick Mini Die Cutting and Embossing Machine and Craft Kit for Adults and Kids. Perfect for your Card Making, Journaling and Scrapbooking Supplies | 6.35cm Opening

This is a fabulous little machine. I already have the sizzix big shot which I bought about 20years ago and it’s still going strong but I wanted something smaller to keep on my desk to cut out the smaller dies which I use a lot more now as I make mini journalsThe cutting plates are very strong and don’t bend like other brands. The plates are 6and a half cm wide or 2 and a half inches wide so it is small. But it’s is value for money, it’s light and its portable. To cut intricate dies the machine handled it well I only had to pass the ‘sandwich’ through once and it cut perfectly first time didn’t need a shim. I’m really pleased with it and I can see myself using this a lot. I would recommend if you are new to crafting and want to have a try at die cutting , this little machine would be great, but if you want to cut bigger dies for say A5 cards I would invest in a larger machine, depends what you need to cut either way Sizzix is a reliable brand I have always used their products without a problem you get a 2 year extended warranty if you register your product online but I can see this product lasting many more years Nice to have thought just in case.

*having both big shot and sidekick and must say most of the time I am using the sidekick as it is more compact and it is very portable*sucking power is not great though and I usually put it on glass cutting board and it does the trick*bought extended cutting plate to be able to use slightly longer dies*short sides of cutting plates is not straight but shaped so it is taking away about 1cm of cutting possibilities*it is easy to take it with me anywhere which is a bonus and it lightweight*I usually keep a nice coloured or patterned packaging and have a relaxing sessions of cutting out shapes for scrapbooking/journaling and at the same time do some recycling and get lot of die cuts for free :)

Bought this die as I already have the big shot and it has served me well. It does the job. I found I have to press down on the top to ensure the suction pad connects to my crafting board. A little bit on the expensive side but hopefully will give me long service likes its larger brother.

I love this item. I use it several times for each project. Quicker than setting up my bigger cutting machine just to cut a small tag. Really really one of the best item’s I have. Oh yeh, delivery etc no problems at all.

Very impressed! I have had a sizzix big shot plus for several years, and wanted something to hand, for cutting small sentiments for cards, without having to lift the extremely heavy machine down off the shelf each time. I was not expecting it to cut so well, being very light. The dies all cut cleanly on one pass through! Normally, with my big shot plus, I have to pass them through several times in different positions to get a clean cut.

It may seem overkill to get this one, when I already have the Big Shot, however it is a wonderful addition for small dies. Don't get me wrong, I love my Big Shot, but tend to save any embellishments (I make journals) until I have a few and do them all at once. If I just want a single and quick tiny cut out; bows, swirls, butterflies etc., it can be a pain hauling it out for less than a minute. Enter the Sidekick! Small enough to sit handy, suctions to my glass craft mat just by flipping the side lever (and trust, that boy is not moving), 30 seconds later I have my die cut, without having to leave my project. So far I have used it with brand name dies, cheap non brand dies, solid block dies and very intricate swirls and miniature doilies; all cut with no problem. Can be used straight out of the box with the included dies, stamps and embossing folders, so good for a beginner who wants to dip their toe in the water without the large expense of a full size machine, and more experienced crafters with lots of teeny tiny dies to use immediately inspiration strikes.

Great embossing machine for a beginner. Bought as a gift for a tweenage girl, and she was very impressed! She has shown a lot of interest in arts and crafts over the years, and loved my Big Shot Machine whenever we used it together, so I thought that this was perfect for beginner level embossing, and to allow her to see whether this is something she enjoys working with. She was over the moon, and got it out of the box right away.The starter kit has everything you need to start experimenting right away, although a few more small die cutters and embossing folders were added for some variety. The great thing is, this machine works with such a variety of branded dies and folders that you can top up your collection pretty easily- as long as the width is ok. (Small dies/ folders only will fit this machine)The machine itself feels very robust, and i think the working parts inside are metal- it is certainly pretty heavy considering the small size, so I assume this to be the case.The plates provided are pretty robust, and as long as they are turned regularly, I'm sure will last for years to come.

This is my first die cutting machine and I love it. First thing to know: you won't be able to run full size cards through this one. It's pretty small (6.35 cm wide), but it's perfect for cutting shapes, letters, words, leaves, and really most dies that are not full card size. But if you have your heart set on cards with "windows" on the front you will probably need a bigger machine for that. Cuts any die really nicely, super easy to store and carry around. I've used it with Sizzix and X-cut dies, both worked fabulously. I picked this one because I thought the bigger ones would be a problem to store.I'm having trouble keeping it stuck to the table (hence the 4 stars). It sticks nicely for 2-3 cuts but then I have to readjust the suction lever again to keep it in place. I'm not sure why it won't keep stuck until I turn the lever back. My desk has a pretty smooth surface.