View Full Version : price of the grand calibur deal .... is it worth it please
title says it all really........is the package they are offering at the moment worth the money.................looks like it to me BUT the bliddy web sites are all down & i cant afford to phone up as it would be cheaper to buy elsewhere by the time ive got through + can make out what they are saying...............any comments please [ on the calibur only ta muchly ]
jenty
16-02-2012, 07:29 AM
I think it's a good deal. I know the machine itself is cheaper elsewhere but flexipay always does it for me and to have a couple of dies to start with is great. Also, it isn't pink which was a big factor in making my mind up! :grin:
sugarplum
16-02-2012, 08:28 AM
I ve just bought from crafts 247 for £89.50 as I didnt want the dies included in the c&c bundle but if they had had just the machine I would have bought from them to take advantage of the flexipay If you wanted those dies then I would go for it
englishminx
16-02-2012, 08:32 AM
When i got mine for christmas the cheapest deal on many websites was £89 with no dies, there are many sites that do deals with dies, that can knock a few pounds of the dies, all in all the C&C offer is very good especially now it has changed the dies it comes with, if you need flexipay go for it, otherwise go to one of the other wonderful sellers, like countryviewcrafts.
I have noticed an increase of these on fleabay as well these days ranging from £69 upwards, always worth checking out.
budgie
16-02-2012, 10:09 AM
I got mine from Cardcraft uk for £89 with no p&p. I like the dies with the one on c&c, but not enough to pay their price. I have to do everything on the cheap these days.
morgana123
16-02-2012, 11:29 AM
I think if you want the dies that are with it then with the flexipay option it is a good price but if the dies arent your cup of tea and you can pay the full amount I would take a look elsewhere and add a couple of dies to the mix that you know will get used again and again. I am being very selective with the dies I buy and am getting quite a few basic shape nested dies that arent spellbinders but cut just as well for a good deal less. I got one to start with to see what the results were and was well impressed so will be adding more to my collection as spending allows. There is a seller on fleabay that has basic shaped nested dies starting at £8.50 so a good price especially in these cost conscious times.
And for the real macoy nesties our Rich is fantastic value for money with free p&p and such a quick service, got my foliage dies in less than 48 hours (didnt order till late at night) so you cannot beat that for service.
flexipay helped with hubby saying get it if you want it / need it.......i have the double do & do like it BUT have looked at MOST offers & the GC seems to be about £99....so the extra £££ for the dies is worth it & yes i do like the dies [ .......went to buy it last night & the web site was down so so far they have not got my brass [ yorkshire for money lol ] .............been reading the JOY & also the others thats available. .........just spent ages on youtube too......ohhhhhhhhh flicking ekky thump.......what a dilemma, i will let you all know what i decide on.
angela
16-02-2012, 02:15 PM
I got it and think it's a good deal with the flexi pay
RozMinis
16-02-2012, 06:43 PM
I reckon the flexipay makes a real difference. If I could afford it I would go for it myself, despite there being some of my dies that won't fit in it. At the rate I have been cutting out ATC's and other stuff recently I wouldn't put it past my Cuttlebug to fling the sponge in. Of course should that happen I will have to rob the bank and buy a GC. Can't live without one or t'other.
Roz
freedom99
16-02-2012, 08:53 PM
I have the cuttlebug which I keep for my sizzix thick dies and I am still buying them used and very cheap from e**y.
But I love my G C as I can use the big dies for my large cards. I am totally addicted to spellbinders over 85 sets of them now and I am planning on buying more in the pick of the day next week.
I can honestly say I never make a card without using it, I love the dies with this machine Moroccan I believe. I hope they are on next week.
Only neg point is its a bit harder to roll through if you load it with dies and I sometimes get a sore wrist but I am waiting on test for carpal tunnel so that's probably the problem.
I also saw a you tube video where they said that the joy has the same insides as the G C.
I have the cuttlebug which I keep for my sizzix thick dies and I am still buying them used and very cheap from e**y.
But I love my G C as I can use the big dies for my large cards. I am totally addicted to spellbinders over 85 sets of them now and I am planning on buying more in the pick of the day next week.
I can honestly say I never make a card without using it, I love the dies with this machine Moroccan I believe. I hope they are on next week.
Only neg point is its a bit harder to roll through if you load it with dies and I sometimes get a sore wrist but I am waiting on test for carpal tunnel so that's probably the problem.
I also saw a you tube video where they said that the joy has the same insides as the G C.
maria when she was doing some demoes the other day / week she mentioned that she had very week wrists & had to wear 'braces' or something but not for Tv.......SO hopefully i wont need to eat spinach to drive them through .....i read / saw on youtube that the problems with the joy [ now renamed & re-invented by another Co that they had a gear problem.......my old fella being an engineer as such will soon see if it had a flaw in it [ if thata true the gc IS SAME as the joy....we can only ever go on what the people tell us / show us & hope their telling the truth.........i cant comprehend the money that youve spent on all those dies i sure you could have bought a 2nd hand car with it........lol........if you have small buiness as i havent then it will be money well spent.................
had C&C bothered to put size of the creata dies i would have added them to the flexipay..at the end of the say flexi or not i always do flexi as they have a habit of nicking your money straight away from your bank account & keep hold of it for a few days/weeks before they send the item/s on.........sooooooooo hence why they dont get too rich quick on my money.......will update you all with my new found item once it arrives.....only thing is i have also got sheena's new POW.........soooooo i shall be busy ........night night folks [ my little dog is pleading with her eyes its bedtime............the other slob is snoring her head off on the sofa........
jenty
17-02-2012, 07:07 AM
Forgot to mention the only problem with the GC, unless it's just mine, is the lever to secure it to the table is very hard to push down when the suction pad grips. It is getting a little easier with use and it's not always necessary to use it, just have to hold the top.
budgie
17-02-2012, 07:32 AM
Forgot to mention the only problem with the GC, unless it's just mine, is the lever to secure it to the table is very hard to push down when the suction pad grips. It is getting a little easier with use and it's not always necessary to use it, just have to hold the top.
Mine is the same. Thought it was because I am a wuss!
Victoria
17-02-2012, 08:02 AM
I found the lever a bit stiff to begin with, but it seems to loosen with use. I just LOVE my GC and use it all the time.
englishminx
17-02-2012, 08:19 AM
Interesting you talk about the COGS, when I was at stamperama, i wanted to buy a thin sissix die i fell in love with, but the stall holder (big spellbinders stall) said it wouldnt go through the GC, we got on to talking about die machines, and they said that there were a lot of problems with GC's, because they had plastic cogs inside, and when they were originally made, they know of lots of people that were on their 4th or 5th machine. It did concern me a bit, but I dont know of anyone to actually have a broken one, but it is something to remember, should mine break within a couple of years I certainly will be writing to them as not robust. I still love my GC
RozMinis
17-02-2012, 07:13 PM
Hmmm, I'm rather going off the GC. I have enough problems with my 'bug as I have to use it left handed for everything as I don't have enough muscle power in my hand and wrist, and still can't bend my thumb. Anyway I can't afford it until I get the folding stuff from the insurance company, which ain't gonna be for some considerable time according to my solicitor as LV are still trying to wriggle out of it. :(
Roz
lilac froggy Jan
18-02-2012, 03:26 PM
I am still waiting for double points at CC then I will spend my £50 voucher on a GC !
well girls & boys it came today [ despite the dogs being loose the lovely delivery man took his life in his hands & came down the drive ]......soooooooo tonight i have played with it.............oh the x##### dies are terrible .....we have tried all types of card from cheapo thin paper to thickish 325 ish gsm & the tiny pip all need to be singularary picked out + some of the larger ones once the bits are out we have been unable to get them out even though we have taken them very very carefully & most of them are nick ured...........useless.......bin fodder......what a fuss if ive to send it back all because of the dies WHICH was the main reason to buy it in the 1st place...........no wonder we C&C are the only ones selling them...........they dont have them in the states.......................well they are a bit more savvy than I am.....this may be my 1st return.......the handle to lock it onto the kitchen work top took muscles that i dont hav though the more you use it get easier is helpful to know..........sooooooooooooo IF it does go back i shall only buy dies that are not as intricate as the morrocan...i am gutted.even huuby with patient of job said what a farce.........& even he gave up & use the card as a frisby for the dog.............not looking good eh what lol
I am still waiting for double points at CC then I will spend my £50 voucher on a GC !
DONT but the one with the morrocan dies...............buy elsewhere OR see what sue has in a day or 2 [ mmmmmmmmmmmm maybe thats wishful thinking ...have you been onto gareth,he is very very good ]
dijit
21-02-2012, 06:23 AM
With the more intricate dies there is normally a couple of holes in the die which you can use a pokey tool to push the card loose. Once a bit is loose it is easier to gently pull the card from the die. But I do admit that some of them have a definate way to remove them from the dies which you have to work out. And the pips are normally really easy to push out with your finger. You should have seen me die cutting 180 of the intricate butterfly dies for son's save the datge cards, ripped a few before I worked out the exact way to extract them, was very vexed lol.
And the morracan dies are very new only released at CHA which is why they are hard to find.
Hope that helps, I love my calibre.
jenty
21-02-2012, 07:25 AM
Yes, the securing handle does get a little easier with use. The spellbinders do seem to be the better dies to use, especially the intricate ones. I have heard recommendations to use either a tumble drier sheet or one if those slicker sheets over the die before cutting but not had to try it myself. If you run it through 2 or even 3 times, sometimes it is easier to get all the pieces out.
What a shame for you to be so disappointed. Have you got any other dies to try? If not, can you borrow any?
budgie
21-02-2012, 07:26 AM
I have not had any problems with my grand calibur so far. I haven't tried my memory box die yet, cos I can't remember where I have put it. Not where it should be that is for sure!
Yes, the securing handle does get a little easier with use. The spellbinders do seem to be the better dies to use, especially the intricate ones. I have heard recommendations to use either a tumble drier sheet or one if those slicker sheets over the die before cutting but not had to try it myself. If you run it through 2 or even 3 times, sometimes it is easier to get all the pieces out.
What a shame for you to be so disappointed. Have you got any other dies to try? If not, can you borrow any?
i have some other plain spellbinder dies that ive put through it & voila,,,, lovely jubbly....its just the dies that came with the machine
[ i did think about rubbing them with some cooking oil & then running them through lots of papers to 'clean' them up & then trying again,,,,
i have tried them through my double do & cuts fine [ actually better if truths known ] BUT its getting the cut card out that looks like you would want to put it on a card....me & hubby spent all last night playing till his patience ran out which takes a lot
....its the biggest 3 thats the main trouble, the long one comes out sort of OK....not too much trouble ..
i will give the tumble dryer sheets a try THANK YOU.... i have also tried running them through back & forth several times,......ohhhhhhhhhhh im sooooooooooo sooooooo gutted......boo hoo.
xxxtglxxx
21-02-2012, 12:40 PM
I dont struggle with intricate dies, I usually experiment with different cardstock though.
I have to say I got my GC for christmas and have only used it 3 times - still preferring my bug :( I found that the dies move about on the GC and the paper lifts off when its not quite cut right. Now I know Sue gets round this by using low-tack tape, but I dont need to do that in my bug, so why should I add an extra element to the process. Its been a bit of a waste of money, as I havent even thought about buying larger dies as I dont need them.
I did think that being able to multi cut loads of dies at the same time might be the winner for me, but like I said, once they had passed through the machine, the end thrust swooshed them all around and so making a second pass impossible.
I havent quite given up, but my bug is still used as my 'go to' die cutter :)
xxalisonxx
http://xxxtglxxx.blogspot.com/
Susan W
21-02-2012, 01:01 PM
Hi Iggy, have you tried rubbing a candle over the die first, run a spare piece of card through first to get rid of any waxy bits. It always works for me.
Susan x
:mysmilie_504::mysmilie_504::mysmilie_504::mysmili e_378:ohhhhhhhhhhhh goodness me ive just done a long explaining how etc & THANKING jenty...........it works with the dryer sheets cutting the dies 1st & then running it through the cardstock.........now looks like im keeping it.......jenty see above as i darent try being clever & altering them & losing this too
oppppppppppppps forget to add that since the cutting up dryer sheets im now rubbing the cardstock like the glittergirls do before running the card through & they are jsut falling out & all i have to do then is pick out the small bits.......
jenty
21-02-2012, 03:58 PM
Glad it worked! You can have some fun now :grin:
anyone want some confetti lol x
sugarplum
21-02-2012, 08:50 PM
my memory box dies are cutting beautifully with my grand calibur so I am a happy bunny
freedom99
21-02-2012, 09:03 PM
Defentliy the die not the machine because I got a cheery Lynn mega doily die and you dont get much more intricate than that. Run it through the GC once and not a single piece got stuck not the doily or the bits perfect. I have no idea what they use to coat them with but this is supposed to be the way they all work, a point spellbinders should look into.
I did try crafter companion spray and slide stuff but no luck with that at all, grease proof paper was the bet yet but I will give the dryer sheets a try.
Did you just rub the die with it or cut through it?
my memory box dies are cutting beautifully with my grand calibur so I am a happy bunny
so sorry SP but what are the memory box dies please........glad youre a happy bunny too.......i know im hopping with joy too lol
Defentliy the die not the machine because I got a cheery Lynn mega doily die and you dont get much more intricate than that. Run it through the GC once and not a single piece got stuck not the doily or the bits perfect. I have no idea what they use to coat them with but this is supposed to be the way they all work, a point spellbinders should look into.
I did try crafter companion spray and slide stuff but no luck with that at all, grease proof paper was the bet yet but I will give the dryer sheets a try.
Did you just rub the die with it or cut through it?
both actually,what i did was after the mess we made last night was i ran the worst offender through & cut the dies using the dryer sheets & literally cut the shapes out..........since then all ive done is give the card a quick rub over with the sheets..........hope that helps............also i THINK I caught sue wilson tonight saying something about running greaseproof paper through..............however if im wrong please forgive as im very hard of hearing & hubby had the sound down low as he was trying to tell me something..........
jenty
22-02-2012, 07:51 AM
so sorry SP but what are the memory box dies please........glad youre a happy bunny too.......i know im hopping with joy too lol
Don't look, iggy! It will cost you money! Someone on the forum got me into these and they are lovely dies. There is only one of mine that is a bit tricky to cut but the others are fine.
I can second that jenty, I got a memory box die from a show to try in my Bigshot and I love it, now I'm obssessed with them. Where are you getting yours from?
jenty
22-02-2012, 10:40 AM
I can second that jenty, I got a memory box die from a show to try in my Bigshot and I love it, now I'm obssessed with them. Where are you getting yours from?
I am never too sure if I am supposed to say so will PM you!
Lindz
22-02-2012, 11:14 AM
I keep looking at Memory Box dies and glad to hear some feedback on them. As to the price of the Pick of the Day, I think compared to the individual price it is a good deal, but I know I wouldn't use most of them, and if I could spend that much I'd treat myself to a Dragon instead.
Don't look, iggy! It will cost you money! Someone on the forum got me into these and they are lovely dies. There is only one of mine that is a bit tricky to cut but the others are fine.
OMG............i shouldnt have looked...........ive soooooooooooo many on my watch / wish list........they look fab.....had you said there dies.......i wouldnt have looked............lol x