Big Shot or Not?

So, did I buy a Big Shot?  Everyone from Wednesday's post says 'yes.'

I loved all the things we made.  I operated the machine with little trouble. When my right arm was a bit affected, I switched to the left. When we went out shopping, I bought some Spellbinders dies.

Then during the night I awoke with some hand and arm pain.  This happens from time to time (as it did last night) for lots of reasons.  I had really used the machine a lot so it didn't concern me that much but did keep me awake thinking.

While I loved all the embossed cards and the die cuts, they were all for cards.  I enjoy making cards yet my true love is scrapbooking.  Buying a Big Shot isn't that much of a commitment but once I got one, I'd be getting more dies and embossing folders.  I'd have a whole new category of things to purchase and they would almost exclusively be used on cards.  Plus I have to give up precious craft room space to store it all.

I know I can emboss paper and put it on a page but the size is limited.  Die cuts could add to my design as the flowers do above but the likelihood of using something like these flowers on more than one page is remote.  When I was a member of a stamp club and buying a Stampin' Up! stuff every month, after awhile I figured out that I needed to pick stamps that would work for both cards and pages.  I knew I wanted my investment in money and precious storage space to work for both parts of my hobby.

So it suddenly seemed clear to me that while I liked this new tool, it wasn't really what I wanted or needed in my crafting.  I would be happier with more background stamps and other products I can use easily on BOTH card making and scrapbooking. I could use my Cricut more and if my Cricut ever dies, I'm going for a Cameo.

So I surprised myself, my friend and now all of you with my decision.  The Big Shot, for me, is a Not.

I had already cut lots of these stamped flowers at Karen's so they decorated this page and this card.  The card is cased from one I saw at Archivers where I bought the stamp and die combo (see, I really, really thought I was going to get one, too!)  The papers and embellishments are from Artfuldelight's October kit.  I would have never put yellow, black and dark pink together myself but I really like them.  Most of it is My Mind's Eye.

I do have a correction for Wednesday's post.  The Big Shot is available at Amazon for $55 (not $60) - free shipping, too!  And gosh, isn't that card cute.  It is sometimes hard to keep my conviction.  So if I buy a Big Shot some day... a woman is allowed to change her mind.  :-)

Thanks for your visit!  Hope you have a great weekend.