When I first got my Expressions Thinlits from Stampin' Up!, I knew that I would really like the die-cut words; however, I also knew (from years and years of working with assorted dies) that it wasn't going to be all that pleasant to get the die-cut words peeled away from the die. I tried waxed paper, which worked well, and I also tried using double-sided adhesive to leave the die-cut word in each die to act as a release aid for future cuts. Both of these methods worked okay. The waxed paper worked best, but I am not the kind of person who will want to use waxed paper with every single cut. Eventually, I remembered that I had purchased some dies earlier this year (not from Stampin' Up!) that came with a thin foam--Ejection Foam--that I had to put on the dies. Ah ha!!! That was exactly what the Expressions Thinlits needed, and I'm going to show you exactly how I applied the foam to my dies. I don't think this is a product that's easy to find, but it would be nice if certain Thinlits came with this little slice of Heaven. And now for the how-it's-done. I apologize for showing such ugly cutting pads, but I'm getting as much life out of them as I can. ;-)
Step 1: Place a clear cutting pad on top of the Magnetic Platform or Multipurpose Platform. Cut the foam so that it's slightly larger than the die. Peel the liner from the back of the foam, lay it on the clear cutting pad (adhesive side up), and lay the die face-down onto the adhesive.
Step 2: Place a piece of waxed paper on top of the dies to keep the foam from sticking to your second cutting pad.
Step 3: Place the second cutting pad on top of the waxed paper, and then place a scrap of card stock on top of the cutting plate. Run the sandwich through your Big Shot two or three times to help seal the adhesive to the die.
Step 4: Lift the excess foam away from the die. Use a piercing tool (or other apparatus) to remove portions of cut foam where the adhesive is exposed, but leave the remainder of the foam intact so it can do its job and push the cut medium out of the die.
Step 5: After only one pass through the Big Shot, just look at how the card stock is literally falling away from the die!
Our lives can be made easier with just a little bit of Ejection Foam, and I have already written to Stampin' Up! and suggested that they start carrying this product. If you feel inclined to do so, then PLEASE write to Stampin' Up! and ask them to carry this (or a similar) product. Waxed paper is okay in a pinch but . . . geez Louise . . . why do we not already have this product? I suppose it may be necessary to replace the foam after a considerable amount of use, but I expect for it to last a long, long time.
ETA: While working on a project yesterday, I die-cut the word "Merry" from silver glimmer paper, which is quite thick, and it cut and released beautifully!
ETA: While working on a project yesterday, I die-cut the word "Merry" from silver glimmer paper, which is quite thick, and it cut and released beautifully!
5 comments:
Great info, Regina. Now to find the foam! Thanks for the pictures. They helped.
Smiles, Laura
Amazing AGAIN! Thanks for the tip.
I use Lifestyle Crafts Quickutz dies and they come with the ejection foam. They probably sell it seperately. I love ejection foam!! I am a SU demo, just for myself, but the ejection foam is an excellent idea!!!
Great tip! So, we are all on the hunt for the foam now! LOL I wonder how thick the foam is? Could we possibly run some adhesive backed foam through the big shot to squish it first, then cut with the thinlit?
To answer Sherry's question . . . most craft foam that I've ever owned has been too thick for the dies. To get a good idea for how thick the foam is, just look at the foam on any Sizzlits die. I recommend getting the real stuff. ;-)
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