Movers And Shapers Tutorial... Kind of

After I posted my little heart cards I had a couple of questions about the Movers and Shapers die that I used to make the heart cut out on the front of the card.
The Movers and Shapers Dies from Stampin' Up! are great. You can punch a shape anywhere in your card, regular punches can only reach so far. The shapes are made to nest with many of the Stampin' Up! punches for great layering and nesting. I made a little photo tutorial to help me explain how to use them. So here we go...

*sorry, some of these photos are a little out of whack.. I took them late last night. If you click on them they should get bigger*

There are two parts to the Movers and Shapers die "system" (for lack of a better word). The first part is the Bigz die. This die has a large metal surface that holds the window dies with magnets. This die also cuts and scores a standard size card base. (The card will fold on top.)


The other part of this system is the window dies. When you buy the Movers and Shapers Bigz die it comes with the Curly Label window (bottom window die in photo). I also own the Punch set of windows that are available in the main catty (top 4 window dies). These particular windows coordinate with the matching SU punches creating perfect mats and layers. There are also Holiday Window Dies available (they are on my list, hee-hee).

A few examples of how the windows look when cut and how their shapes (the darker colors) nest with the coordinating punch shapes (the lighter colors). The Curly Label Window also has an added scored detail around the window.
To use the Movers and Shapers first decide where you want your window cut from your card. I have a piece of graph paper inside my die (covering the metal base) that allows me to place my window more evenly (not my idea.. can't take credit for that one!).

You can cut a standard sized card and window with one crank through the Big Shot by covering the outer cutting lines with your card stock.

Or you can place a smaller, pre-cut card inside the cutting lines and only cut the window. If you just want the shape from the window simply run a small scrap big enough to cover the window through. You get the idea.....

Starting at the bottom you will need to stack one Extended Cutting Pad, the Movers and Shapers die (with window placed where you want it) facing up, card stock and the other Extended Cutting Pad on top. Run this stack through you Big Shot.

Tada, it is that easy!

A few tips I learned so far...

..experiment with the dies and shapes to find the best spot for your window on scrap before you cut your card. (Ask me how I know?!)

.. don't toss the shapes leftover when you make a window. Keep them for use later.

.. you can cut along the outer score marks on the Curly Label window to create a larger window opening.

.. if I'm making a smaller card I cut to size and score the card first. Then I line up my score line with the score line on the Bigz die. Just make sure that none of the card is hanging over the cut lines on the die.

.. you can cut a standard size card base (4 1/4 wide x 11 long) first and then run it through. Just make sure to line up the card base with the cut lines on the Bigz die. A little bit of an edge might get trimmed off but it shouldn't be noticeable. If you have trouble getting a nice shaped card try cutting your card base either a bit wider or smaller (maybe 1/8" - 1/4"). This allows the card to either stay just inside the cut lines or allows a little extra to be trimmed off without losing any of your card base.

.. I know that some Bigz die will work in other die cut machines. I have not tried the Movers and Shapers in anything other than the Big Shot so I can not vouch for how it will work. I know one problem is that the Sizzix cutting pads are wider than those that come with other machines. In most cases the Bigz die itself will fit through other machines but the cutting pads will not. Bigz dies require the Extended Cutting Plates (the long ones) and I know, having owned a little green machine (wink, wink) the cutting pads that come with it are not long enough. Some people have found ways around this (shaving down Sizzix plates, piecing together one or more other plates) but I again I can not recommend any of these because I have not tried them myself and do not know what effect it would have on your machine or dies.

I hope this helps take some of the mystery out of the Movers and Shapers Dies. If you have any questions feel free to email me or leave a comment here. Just remember if you leave a comment, leave your email too so that I can get back to you.

Have a great day!