I am a Stampin’ Up! demonstrator. I love and believe in their products and their customer service is amazing. As a Demonstrator, I receive a discount on their products and a commission on sales. So, for me to be writing a post recommending a product from a direct competitor, it must be amazing.
It is! The product that I am talking about today is Tim Holtz’s Vagabond 2 die cutting and embossing machine from Sizzix. While Stampin’ Up! has a similar machine at a similar price point, I still chose the Sizzix machine instead, and I am going to tell you why.
I love my Stampin’ Up! Mini Cut & Emboss machine. It’s small, light-weight, portable and generally great. It was one of the first things I bought from Stampin’ Up! Recently, while I was getting a start on my holiday cards my Mini Cut & Emboss broke. After much weeping and gnashing of teeth, I contacted the amazing customer service of Stampin’ Up! And a replacement was winging its way to me.
But…
I realized that I had reached the point where I really needed the larger machine, the original Cut & Emboss. However, part of me remembered the Vagabond from my previous days as a scrapbook-er and my love for all things Tim Holtz. I set myself on a search and to compare and contrast the offerings.
Sizzix Tim Holtz Vagabond 2 Electric Die Cutting Machine
The Vagabond 2 won, and here’s why. First, as I stated, price was not an issue, nor was delivery time. Amazon showed that those were pretty much the same.
The Vagabond had a huge advantage though – accessibility! I have hypermobility syndrome and arthritis really bad, especially in my hands. Some days, crafting is hard. The Vagabond is electric. No cranks to turn by hand, no strength is necessary. It also has an option (separate purchase) of a magnetic bottom plate to hold your cutting dies in place so that they don’t move around when I am fumbling the plates into place to do my ‘fussy cutting’ for me.
