Hi, I have had a brand new machine to play with that is going to make my crafting life so much easier. The machine I am talking about is the Gemini Electronic Die Cutting Machine (full size) that is made by Crafter’s Companion. I have used a die cutting machine in my crafting for years and have loved it but this is the first time I have used an electronic one and that feature alone makes this machine a god send.

I have a few chronic conditions and they can, and often do, interfere with my crafting and I often have to adapt my crafting to the demands of my weird conditions. I may have to change my plans to machine quilt something to hand sew it instead or even put it aside and do some papercraft instead if I need to rest up in bed. I might plan to stitch some fabric applique and then end up gluing it instead if time runs faster than the strength returns to my hands – you catch my drift. I would sometimes struggle to crank the handle of my manual die cutting machine due to pain and or fatigue so I would have to either leave out the die cutting from a project or pile it up on the to do list when health permits – this will no longer be an issue with this new machine.

The Gemini is an automatic feeding electronic machine so theres no need to crank a handle and struggle through cutting hard to cut materials. The ease with which the Gemini cuts through 6 layers of cotton without having to crank a handle is amazing and that feature alone will revolutionise my crafting but this machine is capable of so much more besides its effort and hassle free cutting. The Gemini cuts an enormous array of materials from cork, leather, mount board to paper card and thin cotton. It is also supported by a vast array of incredible dies, including patchwork and bag making dies. You can build a large combination of patchwork blocks using their Build A Block Dies (BAB), cut out a precise and fuss free Dresden plate and cut out applique shapes and characters. As someone who loves creating bags I am super excited about their bag making dies, they cut the whole pattern out for you to replicate and design as many times as you like.

If all of its features makes you think that it must be complicated to use – think again! It was super easy to get the machine up and running. I opened up the box, read the instructions and cut out all the fabric and card I needed to create a simple patchwork project within an hour. If you’re new to diecutting this is ond of the more straightforward machines on the market and Crafter’s Companion have a great support network and fab tutorial videos on Youtube. I am already having so much fun with this machine and although I have focused on its use in my soft crafting I know it will be a mainstay in my papercrafting and mixed media too.

In my next post I wiĺl have a tutorial on how to create coasters using the hexagon dies that come with the Gemini machine. I made the coasters using the mixed media dies to create the card and fabric shapes needed to create a traditional English Paper Pieced (EPP) patchwork. EPP is made so much easier and more precise using the Gemini and mixed media dies, especially when working with small patches.

Look out for upcoming posts that will show how I get on with The first Build A Block box of dies. Wishing you crafting joys. X