Testing VINTAGE Crafting Tools | Do they still work??

[@lisaloiselle4562]

So I've been stamping for 20+ years and your video reminded me of how far the industry has come. Oh thank God.

[@ralphtyndall]

Thank God for innovation!

[@KWCardDesign]

Same here. I had one of those Fiskars Stamp Press tools. Can’t remember what I did with it though.

[@jennifers8843]

I like the bigz dies. Nashvilles creative reuse you just take whatever and give a donation of your choice when done. Obviously people need to be reasonable or it won’t last!

[@nbenefiel]

@@KWCardDesignyou would ink your wood backed stamp, put it on your paper, put the stamp press over the stamp and push down on the middle. It worked pretty well.

[@amkarei]

@@KWCardDesign SO glad for you that you don't NEED to know where the thing went!! When I first started crafting I made my own "Foggy" (you GET my point, right?!?) out of a flat-faced, $🌳 picture frame, plus a piece of acrylic, a couple layers of craft foam, and the frame backer, held together with duct tape. It's a bit over-sized (10" x 14", maybe?) but it's light weight, thin, and goes with me on the road. "Necessity", as they say ...

[@ulrikaa1581]

This was like watching a teen trying to get music out of a cassette deck. I loved it!

[@ElsaInCa]

That was my feeling too. It was fun to see him discovering things with new eyes.

[@donnasdigressions]

The perfect analogy!! 😆

[@ralphtyndall]

Hahaha that's what it felt like too!

[@MWW11235]

😂😂😂😂😂😂

[@beverlyball6403]

😂

[@reneeparise332]

The bow master is definitely vintage. It actually came with a VHS instruction tape. It also gave you a sheet with the exact measurements of ribbon you need for your bows depending on the size you were making and the size ribbon you use. I think it you find this chart you will be much happier with your bows. The problem with your stamping press is that you think it is a stamping platform. It is not. It is a large stamping block. Fiskars has a whole line of stamping blocks. You did get a decent deal because they cost between $20 to $25 dollars new. Like any embossing plate/folder if you spritz the card with water you will get a better impression. The cutting guide, great for its time but definitely of little use now with all of the envelope boards out there today.

[@rychei5393]

Wow, you are a treasure trove of knowledge

[@paulettemattingly7094]

I had a Fisker cutting thing. Bought it and some shape templates for scrap booking. Never did master cutting the inside corners. Fun to watch someone else try to do it. It was definitely vintage. Lol😅

[@dabailey1000]

I still have that stamp press. Used maybe once. 😂 Couldn’t get an even stamp on the paper.

[@barbbrown295]

Kristina Warner used to use the Fiskars stamp platform a few years ago. I love the whole idea of a crafters thrift store, it would be a whole new hole to peek down!

[@ralphtyndall]

I bet she was a lot better with it than me 😂

[@lisanstan1]

Yes, that’s where I first saw it and bought it. This was pre-stamp platforms like the Misti and an alternative to another system for lining up stamps, was it by inka dinka doo? It was a right angle piece of acrylic that you used with an acrylic block. ETA: Stampamajig!

[@barbbrown295]

@@ralphtyndall only because I’ve not seen her have to restamp over. She got it the first time. But you’re right, it needs brackets or something, wonder if it would fit inside of a picture frame to position the same every time?

[@pomerx2]

I still have my stampamajig lol. Only use it for wood stamps though. I use my Misti for everything else.

[@jaydee5022]

MaymayMadeIt still uses her Fiskars stamp press though the new Stamp Wheel seems to have taken its place in the last few months.

[@christiescott1946]

A craft thrift store!! Wish I had one by me!! This was fun to watch!! I’ve been scrapping forever, so it was fun to see these oldies!! Scrapping has come a long way!!

[@nynasargent3988]

Would be BEYOND a dream to have one of these stores near me! I think it would also be a great way to get rid of materials you fell out of love with that someone else might love! Could also use the “one in - one out” rule ✨🎁💜🔑🎨

[@Faithful10415]

I started scrapping in the 80s with a ruler, scissors, Elmers glue, and a pen. Then they came out with those fun scissors with different decorative edges. Wow, thought I hit the jackpot! I remember my first thin steel die used with a Sizzix die cutting machine. Woo wee! This was life changing and I never looked back. This was such a stroll down nostalgia lane and so fun. Thanks Ralph for the reminder on how far we have come.

[@JoAnnRossBooks]

Yes! Those scissors! I’m glad I’d made the scrapbooks for our son’s family, so don’t have to see how badly i probably overused those, lol.

[@mawmawvee]

Faithful--I still have a passel of the decorative scissors. Never did perfect how to make even cuts around an edge. Straight ones? Sorta. A lot of those scissors were just not good cutters. I still have them, but seldom try to use them.

[@YourPartnerInCrime]

Omg I had a ton of those scissors that were housed in this like multi tiered spinning thingamabob. Anyone know what I’m talking about?

[@robertsoneducationalresour5526]

I enjoyed the video. I salute your bravery in trying all this on camera! 😀I still collect and use the Bigz dies. We had them in the elementary school where I taught to help make letters and shapes for our bulletin boards. I now use them for card making because they are sturdy and cut so nicely. -Stuart

[@ralphtyndall]

Ah bulletin boards are a great use!

[@beastybunny1]

I have several basic shapes in the steel rule variety. I use then for bulk cutting since you can cut more layers than you can with wafer dies. Also heavier materials. When makin 3D projects, you need to be able to cut heavy chip board, felt and I have a selection for cutting leather for my jewelry making.@@ralphtyndall

[@deidrabaker6648]

I still have the machine for the big dies

[@deidrabaker6648]

Also that fiskers if I'm not wrong was the first stamping platform and your supposed to line up the stamps with the grids. But it wasn't made for restamping. It was the first ...lol

[@vmiller735]

I had another thought. We didn't have You Tube or anyone to show us how to use these "vintage" items - LOL. So what you went through on your video is everything we went through back in the day. You did pretty good figuring out things. Some people wouldn't even know where to start. Just imagine nowadays if we didn't have You Tube, no one would know how to do anything.

[@kellyseiver7475]

LOL love the comment but back in the day when we didn’t have KZbin we actually read the instructions or we asked mom. 😂

[@kathyp374]

Or we went to local craft stores that had classes!

[@rtd1791]

And Carol Duvall was on HGTV with all kinds of Craft instructions

[@blaaaaaaarrrrr]

Or we went to the library or the book store. There were and still are tons of hobby books published.

[@Cheri2614]

This would make a good video series. It was funny. Maybe consider letting your subscribers send you some of our "vintage" crafting tools for you to try out.

[@genevajohnson2378]

I actually own several of these vintage tools. Crafting tools are always changing, but the older ones still work quite well.

[@anneross5679]

Me too

[@nbenefiel]

Me three. I still use my old stuff. I prefer my old sizziz to my newer Gemini .

[@longlivedemocracy756]

@@nbenefielSizzix made a great machine. Mine has worked for 15 plus years. I wouldn’t mind the electric one because of arthritis, but the original still serves the purpose!

[@ulrikaa1581]

As an employee of The Fiskars Group I can till you it’s pronounced fi-skrz, like you did. Not Fi-Scars (like a wound). 😂

[@MWW11235]

Omg!!! The company has spoken!!!!

[@kayfurnish8715]

Holy smokes! THANK YOU for responding! I had never heard anyone pronounce it"Fis-CARS" like they told Ralph, so I love the way you spelled out the pronunciation for us...I always said FISkers, so I was close! I gave your reply a THUMBS UP!

[@maryshoemaker9113]

Hi, I used to have a Bow Master and it looks like you are missing the long pegs that fit into each of those holes. The pegs are probably 4 or 5" long and allow you to make bows with much wider ribbons that you might use on wreaths and larger gifts. It's too bad that the instructions didn't come with it. You are right about weaving your ribbon around and around the pegs to get some really full and beautiful bows. You can tie them in the middle with wire or ribbon and pull the ribbon loops off the pegs and you have a really nice bow. This video has really been fun. Thank you.

[@SandraE_]

Those bigz dies are great for cutting heavier materials like chipboard, felt, canvas, etc.

[@linniesohler7816]

They are actually the kind that schools have for cutting shapes and letters for bulletin boards. Those were called Ellison, but then they developed them for home use. Became Sizzix, I think.

[@SandraE_]

@@linniesohler7816 yes, Ellison is the educational division (retired educator here) and Sizzix is the consumer (for lack of a better word) division. I own many Tim Holtz and Sizzix bigz dies. They are great to have in your collection. I guess newer crafters may not be familiar with them but to me they’re never obsolete.

[@mawmawvee]

@@SandraE_Do you know if the Bigz dies can be used with a Cuttlebug die cutting machine if I were to sandwich the die between an upper and lower cutting plate? I bought several Bigz dies not realizing what they were and they weren't worth returning, so I ate the cost. I would like to be able to use them, but didn't want to break my Cuttlebug machine. I'm still using my first one and I like it because it cuts so well and folds up for a smaller footprint for storage.

[@SandraE_]

@@mawmawvee I believe they will. I’m sure I used them with my cuttlebug before I bought a big shot. Try the sandwich you mentioned. If you can’t crank it through, don’t force it. You’ll only break your machine if you force it through.

[@mawmawvee]

@@SandraE_ Thank you SandraE, for taking the time to reply to me. I will try it and no, I won't force it through. :D

[@tracisewing2528]

😂😂 I’m vintage!! No offense taken! I’m just glad the products now are way easier to use!

[@Moonchilling]

If he finds the Coluzzle his mind would blow, lol.

[@lisasisneros8200]

Omg the Coluzze! I worked at ProvoCraft when that came out and man, they really thought they would replace steel rule dies with it 😅

[@lisak2575]

Fun walk down memory lane! I own several of the tools you found. I have the stamp press with the orange foam. It doesn't restamp well, so do not pull it up. You can press again as long as you do not move anything. The Misti tool basically took over and this tool sits unused. I have the shape cutter and many plastic shapes to cut with it. It has a learning curve but it will cut. You have to set your blade properly to use it. Dies have basically made that tool another that doesn't get used. It was fun to watch you give these tools a try.

[@ralphtyndall]

I can imagine the shapecutter would be helpful for cutting out stamps if you got good at it!

[@PatriciaMaroney]

The Fiskars thing was definitely pre-stamp platform. Stamping tools have improved so much over time. Those texture plates are kind of cool to use if you have any foam that is heat sensitive. Simon Hurley has some you can find online. You heat the foam then press into a texture. Then you have a custom texture you can use for backgrounds. You can reheat the foam to reset it to use on a different texture. You could also use them to lift ink or paint off a gelly plate to make a background texture.

[@barbarahill6365]

Texture plates were used with polymer clay too. The clay has issues with fingerprints so the texture plates were used at the end or on the layering. Embossing was done with a stylus and often a copper plate. Some I used 25 years ago were stencils.

[@lacynicolecreates2035]

Definitely dangerous to have a crafty thrift store. 😊

[@TrixieLynn1]

Ok... more please! I am a craft supply hoarder aficionado and I get most all of my goodies from thrifting. So I recently acquired one of those Fiskars (Fiskers ;) ) stamping platform things, and as I was trying to figure it's purpose and positives out I was having the exact conversation with myself that you had on this video. Too funny. Bring us more! You never know when we might find a gem in the junk. Happy crafting!

[@ralphtyndall]

Haha I love that title!

[@SABan-bh4hi]

Sizzix and other companies still make many steel rule dies.. Used for batch making and especially felt and foam. Your silicone mat is still used for embossing thin dies, embossing thin die outlines on card and sometimes with old embossing folders. Most tools that went out of use was because they were time consuming and not very pratical.. That's progress! Those of us who produce to sell need tools that are practical.. After over 20 years I have a very good selection.. Some things change manufacturers, colour, name etc and get put back into the market at twice the price!!!

[@BjorkL]

Fiskars is a Finnish company (Finland 🇫🇮) and as a Finn myself I can tell you that you pronounce the A's like the A's in 'ah-ha', and you roll the 'r'. 😊 But, the way you normally pronounce it is how most Americans pronounce it, so it's totally fine. 😊 I have one of the Fiskars stamping presses and an envelope template. 🙃 But, honestly, I usually just use my Misti for stamping. I didn't have the blade for my envelope template, so I used to just run a pen around and cut it out. 😆 I don't use it much. When you said the store was like a thrift shop for crafting tools.... 😳

[@gerricue]

For the Stamping Platform watch Maymaymadeit - she still uses it ... the trick is to press in the middle when you stamp ... it works great for large background stamping ... GREAT video!!

[@debbiebunyard4829]

My stamp platform is so old that the foam “legs” perished. I now use it as a paint palette

[@ralphtyndall]

I have a large acrylic block that I use as a paint palette too!

[@nualaheenan1697]

Hi there Ralph, I have the shape cutter. I find it best to cut on a glass mat, and the blade should jiggle about in the housing, for the blade to turn in any direction freely, yours looks and sounds too tight. When it's in use, it's like going around the template with a pencil, and it is a beautiful smooth cut. I hope you try it again. Love your videos. Nuala xx

[@ralphtyndall]

thanks for the tips!

[@sherleeweeks8687]

Please do some more of these videos! I like seeing the “vintage” tools! I love the reuse store idea, and I wish we had one here in North Louisiana!

[@mawmawvee]

I live in Lafayette, Louisiana, and wish we had such a vintage store here.

[@shawnmariemann]

I pronounce it "Fiskers" like Whiskers. :-) And I have that platform - it predated the Misty and all that jazz by a little if I remember correctly. I actually use it upside down so it is a big flat space I can assemble acrylic stamp scenes on - lots of stamps used all at once. It is tricky to ink up though. Lots of scrap paper created - or sometimes I can collage the "good" pieces together. The foam thingies never caught on with me.

[@ralphtyndall]

Hahaha I can imagine I would be creating a lot of scraps with it as well

[@pansygirltaylor9267]

They still make that platform but I think the foam corners are now springs. You need to use a sticky mat and 90 degree ruler. Then you can line everything back up and re-stamp. Or just use a grid mat and make some sort of marks to line it all up. Sticky mat is a must though.

[@BrittBass]

Steel-rule dies are great for volume paper crafting (like, you could make a BUNCH of those diasies in one pass). You could also use more interesting kinds of paper (handmade, canvas, burlap, etc). The stamp press is definitely still on the market and was pretty popular up until the Misti. I'd love to see you try a stamp-a-majig if you ever find one! 😂

[@luzmariajuarez2190]

That’s the message that I sent him. Letting him know that I believe he can cut up to 8 card stock flowers in one pass thru machine.

[@MissKellyBean]

Yes, he should do the Stampamajig!

[@ElseDK]

the Steel-rule dies is also good for cutting in metal (soda-cans f.ex.), leather, hard cardstock,

[@terelyngarlington6947]

What about a Magic Matter????

[@BrittBass]

@@terelyngarlington6947 The Magic Mat is great! I love it for detailed dies especially. I don't really use it for steel rule dies though. I'm not 100% confident that those wouldn't cut through the mat completely. But for clean cutting of your thin dies.

[@craftingwithkarin5651]

I love my Bigz dies! There are longer ones too. You can cut multiples at the same time if there isn’t a fold on the die (I think I can cut up to 6 pieces of cardstock at one time). I used to make cut snowflakes from soda cans and use them as ornaments. The stamp platform was never designed to do multiple restamps, but was the first stamp platform sold (that I’m aware of). A lot of new stamper have difficulty with getting an inked halo around the edge, often caused from rocking the stamp. This eliminates that. It can be used for the red rubber cling stamps as well as the clear ones (different thicknesses). There was another blade cutter called the Coluzzle that had a swivel blade. I used it like crazy and owned dozens of their stencils (I may still own them lol)

[@dianalovescolors]

I'm very new to papercrafting and haven't seen any of these. I did buy some Hello Kitty dies on ebay several months ago and when they came I thought I got ripped off. Now I see how they are meant to be used. Thank you!

[@rori65]

Great video!! I feel like I can start my own store with all my unused "vintage" crafting tools - lol

[@pamelacampbell6164]

Yes, I could send that store a bunch of stuff and keep their shelves stocked!!

[@ralphtyndall]

😂

[@gabrielebruhl1218]

Give your store,a,try😊

[@rori65]

I actually did. Got my old Zutter Binder maker and I made a journal. Thanks for inspiring me to look at my "vintage" stuff!! @@gabrielebruhl1218

[@pollyann67]

It was fun to watch, but as a newbie wannabe crafter/stamper, I def won't try these. haha! I need the K.I.S.S method :)

[@judygarretson3255]

This was so funny to watch. We’ve all been there!! As for beautiful large bows, make friends with your local florist!!! Also, sprits your cardstock with water before embossing.

[@estelalozdon6096]

My goodness, down memory lane, what I great idea👍🏼. The difficulties we had. I still have that Fiskars shape cutter with a pretty cool stencil, I created cool stuff for my scrapbooking with that. It does take a minute to get ahold of it but once you do, you're good to go 🙂

[@glutenfreeinthefork4768]

Ralph you are brave for doing this! There's a reason some these are in the craft graveyard 😂

[@carolloye3700]

The texture plates came with a tool with little round nubs on the bottom. You placed the paper on the plate, then ran the tool over the paper to get your impression. All depended on how much pressure you used on how good your impression was. Fun video.

[@Mona-cb2hz]

Bought the fiskars cutter thing and i hate it. Saw a lady use it at a crafting convention and afsked her to demo it, she Said it was so easy, but then failed when showing me and ended giving up.

[@juliamadigan5934]

I've been stamping since the early 90s. We had to learn the fundamentals of the craft. Wood mounted stamps were the standard. Then photopolymer stamps came along and we used blocks. The Misti didn't exist. I have one, but rarely use it; I kind of feel like I'm cheating when I do pull it out.

[@nbenefiel]

I love my Misti.

[@dianezalusky2944]

Hi Ralph, I think you are missing some parts of your Bowmaster. Found a grainy photo of it. It seems to have pegs.

[@ralphtyndall]

Well that could explain some things! lol

[@karenkunesch]

The plate and rubber mat is still useful for other techniques. One example is using it with a stencil to essentially emboss with the stencil as the rubber pushes the stencil into the cardstock. I used to have some of those Fiskars cutting tools and never did get them to work for me.

[@ewokgirlTX]

I still have and sometimes use the Fiskars stamp thing. My mini MISTI was too small for a project I was working on recently, and I hate my Tim Holtz platform. So, I pulled out the Fiskars foam thing. It stamps really well. You just have to go at it from the middle. The Fiskars shape cutter was not user error. That thing just sucks. There's a reason no one uses it any more!

[@miniscenesgb]

thrift store for craft supplies! We need that here int he UK, Fantastic. This video is a great idea, I keep finding old stash and new uses for it too. Great video, thanks for this one

[@carrie5260]

Hi Ralph - I’m a new subscriber and love your videos ! I’ve been making cards for about five years. Unfortunately, I probably spend more time watching crafting videos than I actually spend crafting. I do make all of my Christmas cards every year, I can’t wait to see what you make during the holiday season. All that aside, I wanted to tell you that I also stumbled upon the Fiskars stamp platform very early into crafting. I actually bought two - one is the same size as yours, and the other is about half the size. I find that they do work pretty well if you hold your paper down with magnets and press directly over your stamps. When I bought these, the MISTI was simply out of my price range. About two years later “knock offs” of the MISTI were coming out (for half the price) and I admit I scooped one up before they were pulled from the market. The hinged stamping platforms are “game changers” and make stamping so much easier. Welcome to the community Ralph ! Glad to meet you !

[@annielovesstamping]

The stamp press was tu replace all the clear blocks, not to re-stamp. LOVED this vidéo!

[@shellylafleur7456]

Loved this. great video. I still have one of those Fiskars platforms. I don't think I used it much. I am pretty sure I still have the cutter with a few of the templates laying around too, along with some of the Sizzix dies. I kept the dies because they belonged to my mother. I have wanted to go to the Creative Resuse store in Austin. There's a similar store in San Antonio. I've been once and keep meaning to return. And, now I'm invested in trying to find instruction for that bow maker!

[@edkennedyphotos]

The rating system being 1-5 Hudsons 🥰

[@ralphtyndall]

I just had to include him 😂

[@debbieevans4934]

Great video! I have several of these tools. My Fiskars (I pronounce to rhyme with whiskers - don’t know if that’s accurate) is smaller. I still use occasionally. Love your videos, wishing you the best of luck with your new career.

[@donnaholladay494]

I got the Sizzix die machine, alphabets, and later the rolling carrier. Then I started working at A.C. Moore and the Cricut came out and I haven’t used my Sizzix since. I have a few different die cutting machines since I got into using thin dies. Yes, I’m a hoarder. I have a similar platform with the foam corners, but now I use my Stamperatus. Too bad they don’t make it any more. I find the Misty too expensive or maybe it’s gone down in price? I have another stamping platform, I think from We R Memory Keepers, but it used a sticky surface to keep the paper in place which soon was no good. Finally I got the Fiskars (however you say it) with the glass plate to cut it on but was so frustrated by it that I gave that away, but I still have the glass plate. Never got any kind of bow maker, but have thought about getting one a couple of times. Loved how you were so willing to try these out. I would enjoy more of these finds.

[@tanyaandelvis2698]

I love that your cutting plates are as scratched as mine. I love your content on here and tiktok,keep up the good work ❤

[@mandersen8053]

I used the Coluzzle cutting system before I got my Spellbinders thin oval nesting dies and a Wizard. Used the Wizard quite a bit for cutting & embossing before I changed to the Big Shot.

[@mgpm17]

Me too. I didn't like the coluzzle. When the Wizard came out it was revolutionary. So many things you could do with it!

[@mawmawvee]

Is the Wizard by Spellbinders? I have one of the first die cutters by Spellbinders. It was a ratchet-driven pass-through die cutting machine.

[@mgpm17]

@@mawmawvee yes. I have one too.

[@mandersen8053]

@@mawmawvee Yes that sounds like the Wizard by Spellbinders

[@mawmawvee]

@@mandersen8053Thanks so much.

[@jeanpolkoski2107]

Fun video! Oh the Bigz dies are fantastic! I have 1, it's circles and will cut through acetate for my floating cards. My other 2 machines (big kick and cuttlebug leaves jagged edges). I think it's Gina K that uses that silicone embossing mat so hang on to those extras you bought new). I'm going to make mine out of an old mat :)

[@RH1116]

I live 30min from Austin, had no idea there was a craft thrift store! I’m so going this week to you know m, hoard more things 😅.

[@DebbieRobertson-rw2jf]

I too have the fiskars stamping platform but the MISTI is by far the better product as I have been making cards for over 40 years my thought is you can never have too many tools because at some point you will need it, I have found that out the hard way by getting rid of something that I have not used in awhile and need it and cannot locate another one.

[@MsMarge65]

I have a Friskars, die cutter, that must weigh about 25lbs. I asked someone if they had a manual cutter they weren't using. When they brought it out, i was like wow. I definitely had to figure out, the different plates with new dies but it's been fun and it still works great

[@bridgettesitton7018]

Came from watching you make awesome cards I love this stuff I wish there was a craft thrift near me lol ❤❤ probably for the best cause you know how that goes 😊I can barely stay away from regular thrift stores 😅 thanks for sharing xx

[@aufan7134]

The Fiskars die is primarily for cloth cutting, like quilters.😊😊😊

[@debbieford6862]

I have the steel rule dies, the Fiskar stamp platform and texturz embossing plates. I have a bow maker but have never seen that version. I enjoyed this video very much. The re-use store for craft products would be a dangerous place for me 😊

[@edkennedyphotos]

The OG Sizzix dies! Still have a collection of them

[@ruthvanmackelenberg9034]

Me too! Still use them.

[@ralphtyndall]

Honestly I really loved using it! So sturdy

[@Melissa_Melissa_503]

These tools are a sign of progress. I have 3 of the tools you demoed. I do like the bigz dies for chipboard. Thanks for some fond memories from card maker who has been making cards longer than you have been alive

[@DutchJoan]

The Fiskars (yes, as in 'cars') stamp press is most handy for sentiments. There used to be smaller ones. Maymay from Maymay made it still use those smaller presses.

[@ralphtyndall]

I feel like the smaller one would be more useful for me!

[@madeatbentwood]

The Sizzix Bigz dies were soooooo expensive too, but they always cut better than Thinlits! An alphabet set was 1 letter per die. I have some that I never use as they came with my BigShot when I purchased it used. There were similar style, slightly thinner dies too. I had to look up the bow maker as I had never seen anything like it. Ok, you can use 'vintage' to describe that one haha You were missing parts and it had a VHS instructional video!! No wonder you couldn't find anything online. I hated that Fiskars shape cutting tool. My mum had one and I could never use it properly. Creative Memories had something similar but the blade slotted in to tracks and I found that far easier.

[@mmmmlllljohn]

Yes, I think slots - there are a few on the plate Ralph has - worked a lot better. I used if for circles but I think just tracing the envelope with a pencil and using scissor to cut would be easier! 😘🇨🇦

[@ralphtyndall]

Ahhh slots would be a game changer for sure!

[@carolmikolj5134]

When I bought my Big Shot there was a Bigz die in the kit and I've picked up a few in charity shops since then (including a beautiful Tim Holtz bird cage). I believe Sizzix still make them. They are brilliant at cutting thicker papers and card and I use them a lot. I had a stamp press for a while but never really took to it and as soon as I could afford a stamping platform I replaced it. Again, they are still made but the hinged stamping platforms are more popular I believe. This was a great video and I'd love to see more. And you have a crafting thrift store near you? Wonderful! I'm very jealous!

[@RachJCullen]

One of our big cancer charities has a massive second hand craft store near me. Great place to drop off your unloved stash and buy fresh with the proceeds going to charity. I still find it odd that they don't have this system in the USA 🤷‍♀️

[@elainegoodwin2810]

It really made me laugh out loud watching you trying to get a bow out of what looks like a medieval torture tool. Thank you for making my day. By the way I’m from the UK and I say Fiskers to the sound as whiskers.

[@barbarahill6365]

This circle cutter that you used is what I used years ago. There was also a product called coluzzle which had a funny tiny blade that went inbetween hard plastic and could cut out numbers, letters or patterns.

[@karenpulice3970]

Yes, welcome to the older world of stamping before Misty’s, I had an older sizzix for the old dies and the machine was a press, you didn’t roll it through like with the new machines: and the Fiskars press gave you the option to actually line up the stanp on your card before stamping and you do press down where the stamp is, you had me laughing, like another lady said above.

[@czdesign]

I won't admit how many of these tools I may or may not have. Wait-are you calling me old? 😂

[@kayfurnish8715]

You're not old, Cathy, but it turns out I'm vintage! LOL Thanks for recommending Ralph's videos - love them!

[@dliles773]

Ues your gray mat for glue as it done not stick to it

[@MaryYoungblood-xy8vg]

One bad habit Misti users get into when they go to use other presses or blocks--they don't hold the block or press to the paper long enough for the ink to transfer. Count to 15 before lifting your stamp back up. Even in your Misti it would save ink as it would save you having to go back in.

[@debbiebaker4515]

The thick dies are steel rule dies. They’re awesome. Eileen Hull and other designers with Sizzix still design them.

[@ralphtyndall]

I can certainly see the appeal!

[@AOIFE-MADE-A]

I’m super new to crafting, but I know I LOVE the Sizzix bigz as they cut multimedia like leather like butter! Brilliant video, I learned so much as a noobie baby crafter 😂 I’m a 90s kid so I’ve ALOT of learning to do!

[@FolkFaninMA]

Tim Holtz also sometimes will come out with a new steel rule die. I love them too even if they are not exactly space saving.

[@AOIFE-MADE-A]

@@FolkFaninMA oh! I’ve not long learned who Tim Holtz is 😂I’m brand new, if that wasn’t obvious. Thank you though for sharing, I will look out for his dies. I’m in Ireland so it takes a while for us to get up to speed with comes on the market. Anna Griffen has some beautiful stuff especially for st Patrick’s day, but unfortunately it’s just not available here :(

[@annihilator45]

​@FolkFaninMA I love them, but they weigh a ton!

[@kcinca5410]

You can use that embossing silicone mat and plastic mat also to emboss with dies and stencils (different sandwich for each). I've never seen that bow maker before and I've been crafting a long, long time. I have many, many Bigz dies and Sizzlits as I have the original die cut machine with the lever and there were NO thin dies at that time. Eventually, the thin wafer dies came into vogue and Sizzix had a adapter for the original machine so you could put them through, too. Hated the shape cutter. Never tried the Fiskars stamp "platform." Thank goodness. Fun video. TFS It's great to see how far tools have come and how much easier to create a decent product these days.

[@susancerroni6671]

Ralph, that was an amazing video. I love the way you just jump in and try without worrying about it being scary or a land unknown. You just dive right in. I’ve seen all that stuff before, but couldn’t tell you how to use most of it and I didn’t see the downside with The step platform until you pointed it out. Thank goodness we’ve advanced. Anyway, I wanted to say I’ve never laughed so hard watching a KZbin video about cardmaking. If you ever decide someday that card making is not for you, you definitely have a future in stand-up comedy❣️

[@cordeliaalderman391]

I loved watching you try these products. I started card making in the late 80s, early 90s and pretty quickly got frustrated with it (it took patience I don't have, lol). You should see our old Ellison die cutting machine at the library. Huge dies that are wood, metal and foam and the handle is a big lever. The thing weighs a ton. I'm so grateful for craft industry innovation! I still have some of my mother's wood block mounted stamp collection.

[@Faithful10415]

Your comment reminds me how far we have come with computers, microwaves, and TVs. They used to be heavy, clumsy behemoths. Now you can get a 60” TV that you can pick up easily, computers you can wear on your wrists, and microwaves that are slimmer and lighter. It is fascinating to me how the evolution of technology is shrinking to smaller and lighter. In the craft world innovation has been fun and wonderful too.

[@navoff1]

I had the Fiskars shape cutter when they first came out. It's not user error. It's poor design. I tried over and over and never got it to work well enough to continue to use. I kept the templates to use as tracing guides and then used scissors to cut out the shapes. Much less annoying. As for bow makers, I generally just make little ones for cards/scrapbooking. Hunky Dory makes a mini bow maker that is awesome! I could never get tiny bows made with ribbon until I bought that. It was a game changer and they're very inexpensive.

[@andreadiefenbacher779]

Try it on a glassmat. On the cuttingmat the Blade will stick in the mat.

[@juliehardy7510]

That was fun. I have only seen the Sizzix die cut before and have a couple in my stash. The embossing folder look good too! By the way you can make small bows with a fork prongs ❤

[@starophie]

with the bow maker - i think it might be less about the width of the ribbon and more about if it's wired or not? if it's wired, you can fluff the loops and kind of "stand" them up. my mom loves to make bows like that but she does it by hand! also, i wonder if the reason it collapses diagonally like that is for tying the middle? i noticed how you were kind of stretching your length of ribbon from end to end ("weeding" 😂) and it might have been easier to tie if the middles of each loop were closer together. but i have never used something like that so i could be totally wrong! i recently unearthed some old crafting tools of mine from my parents' storage unit, and i looked up how to use one thing (a martha stewart screw punch) - there were two youtube videos and a blog post about it, all from 2010 😅we're all flying a little blind, and that's okay!

[@sistersun1954]

Hey Ralph! It's great to see these products (many of which I own to this day) being sampled by a crafty newcomer! I say "Fiskars" based upon decades of calling the company multiple times for advice or whatnot... But I've heard MANY people say, "Fiskers"... everyone knows who we're talking about... You did a good job figuring out some of the tools (the bow maker, in that specific brand) is also new to me, but the principles are the same on most: think of using two fingers to create a bow where you wrap the ribbon or twine around the uprights for a single, double, triple, infinity loop bow and then finish by wrapping the long remaining edge around the center of the loops, tightening up and cutting the end. Your version was very customizable in both length and loop configurations! A shorter length or thicker ribbon would have given more desirable results for you. The texture plates, made by Sizzix, Sizzix for Stampin' Up!, Fiskars and others remain in my stash. They were developed and in use with regular embossing folders simultaneously. Having to have extra tools is less efficient, but once you own them, you own them--not consumables, ya know? I find, like 2/3D embossing, spritzing my paper with.water or alcohol before running it through my machine (2-3x [running it through, not spritzing] depending on the depth result I want) softens the fibers and gives me an impressive texture. That said, the older plates are limited in designs as well as dimension. But I still love and use them, 'cause embossing is my bias... Fiskars circle cutters and templates: Yes, got 'em, still use 'em, but there is a steeper learning curve which can cause one to say: "ain't nobody got time for •that•!" Ditto for the stamp press. Something's GOTTA stay still in order to stamp properly! The newer iterations of stamp presses definitely took major strides to ease our stamping pain. But kudos to Fiskars for even moving the industry in the right direction! If you come across a "stamp-a-ma-jig" in your crafty thrifting, its the same premise: to get our stamping correct! This was fun to watch and I thank you for sharing! (...And PLEASE, nobody open a crafty thrift store ANYWHERE near me...)

[@ralphtyndall]

HAHA! I love your final comment about opening a store near you...I can relate!

[@mawmawvee]

LOL! Same here for a crafty thrift store anywhere near me. I think Fiskars is a Nordic name, so I've always pronounced it, "Fis-cars." We love Fiskars cutting products and have many of them, even for yardwork. I have Fiskars scissors coming out my ears. Love them all.

[@dawnb.7748]

The Fiskars products were much less expensive than the new wafer dies and electronic cutters for me at the time. I never did get the hang of the Fiskars cutters so I ended up wasting that money anyway 😬

[@ghlmk5931]

This video just popped up in my feed and I totally enjoyed it! Except for the bow maker, I’ve seen the rest of the tools, I’ve been crafting for about ten years. I happen to own the stamp set you used, lol. I had that shape cutter…hated it so much that it pushed me to buy a Big Shot 😂 which is still going, those things are indestructible. I think Sizzix still makes steel rule dies, especially for the Tim Holtz line. My Big Shot platform is old enough to include instructions for them, as well as other credit card size dies they used to make, and texture plates too. Fun video! Great to see young people (and especially a guy) getting into crafting!

[@amkarei]

Hey, Crafters -- AND LIBRARIANS! ... At upwards of $25.00 and more for NEW items, I can't think of a way to sustain a "hobby" at such prices!! BUT ... I wonder if the RED BOXES that once dispensed videos could be repurposed to renting out craft products?? Maybe not, if the only places they'd be allowed is on merchants' door fronts, BUT ... LIBRARIANS, do you think such a thing might be allowed in libraries?? That way the clear stamps -- be they silicone or photopolymer -- wouldn't be a wad of plastic in the summer! AND, something like this may be a supplemental income for our libraries!! Wadda think, Kids??

[@CHrisPetE056]

Wow. I love this video. Mostly because I am an old crafter. I started with creative memories when they first came out. 😮 but a friend gave me all of her sizzixx stuff. For cutting di’s. Die? Dye? Mmmm😂😂😂. I can’t make it work even after watching videos. 🤔🤔. I’m excited to do some card making and cutting, apparently I am super challenged when it comes to this tool. And she gave me TONS of templates and several are like your black padded one. 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️. But I love your videos. 🎉🎉

[@patriciaclements2727]

Hi! Absolutely LOVE this video! I have several vintage craft tools that I’d love to see you [attempt 😜] to figure out for me. I was on a kick couple yrs back buying every whiz bang item I saw being sold on eBay! Lots of creative engineers out there.

[@debradavid929]

Me again…. I too have many of those older texture/embossing plates…… lol my kids are now all off at college, but when I was volunteering for school, Boy/Girl Scouts, at church Religious Ed, various programs, we also used them for simple rubbings with chalks and crayons, besides paper embossing….. lol I’m far behind with so many of the items used now…. So don’t give up on the plates…..

[@debbieh7063]

I found an Etsy listing for the bow master, (already sold, but had good photos). You seem to be missing the pegs that extend the height to give you more vertical space to work with. But the Etsy listing also had this to say about the item "Made in USA 1994 by BowMaster in Kingston, MA. Very good vintage condition. Original receipt says purchased in 1996 from QVC." so, maybe searching by date or with any of that info would help find more stuff about it.

[@MissKellyBean]

Omg I cant believe you made a video on Austin Creative Reuse! I go there twice a WEEK (haha I can’t help it!) I have gotten so much cool (cheap!) stuff from there. I got that Fiskars Press too. I also found this little hot plate from Ranger that was for liquefying embossing powder and pouring into molds to make little “plastic” 3-D embellishments. (Say whaaaat?) And some Memory Keeper rolling deckle cutters that roll around little oval or shaped tracks to make deckled shapes... all sorts of strange specialty powders and paints. And I’ve gotten some GREAT deals, like a barely used set of Kuretake watercolors for $4... all sorts of nice sanded pastel papers for cheap... it takes a lot of time and digging but that place can turn up a few real gems once in a while.

[@nancyloomis3046]

I don’t say Fisk-ARS….I say Fisk-ERS…always have. It might not be exactly correct, but it’s easier to say for my American tongue and the way I’ve heard everybody else say it too. P.S. I have a few “old school” crafting tools from when I started paper crafting about 8 years ago. When I consider getting rid of them, I tend to hold off thinking I might use them again. 😮

[@YourFavoriteSwiftie]

Awesome video! Here's a hint anytime you don't know how to pronounce something....I look up the company's phone number and then call it to see how the company pronounces it! I tend to do this in the middle of the night or after hours because I *WANT* to get a recording, not a human who may mispronounce it! A company will ensure it's pronounced correctly on a recording. This has helped me so often when needing to settle an argument....(I'm looking at *YOU* Porsche! 🚘) 😂 Thanks again for your videos.....Much love, from another Swiftie! 🫶

[@marilynnellsworth4300]

I have the stamp press; I also have the smaller size. I used to use it all the time, you could get an even inking on background stamps and sentiments.

[@marilynnellsworth4300]

The texture plate is discontinued, it had a special plate for them that is not what you have.

[@elizabethnovak4951]

Couldn’t send it to you but below is the full title in Etsy. However, I do think you are at a distinct disadvantage without the long pegs. Good luck! QVC Bow Master Bow Maker Kit Frame Instructions VHS Tape Original Box VTG

[@ginahowe2645]

Love this video and would like to see more. I have the Fiskars shape cutter and you have to get used to how it works.. It works great with photos when you put the template down on top of them. The stamp platform was my first platform and if washi tape was around then, I would have taped my paper down. I still use the steel rule dies & texture plates. I wish they had a store like that in Florida!

[@kathyp374]

The Stamp Press is not meant to re stamp in the same place, it's just another type of stamping "block", gave you safe hovering over the area before touchdown. Not an early MISTI, the Samp-a -ma-Jig was. It's like comparing taking pictures with a phone vs a Polaroid... not the same.

[@barbarahill6365]

The BigZ dies are also or used to work with more than 1 piece of paper and fabric. Schools use this same type but on a bigger machine. I had carousel towers sold by Sizzix that I put these dies in. On your bow maker, I would expect dowels at least 2 that are usedbto make the bows. Mine is called bow maker. I have a circle maker and oval maker by Fiskars (never thought they worked!)

[@DotLaw-gu4im]

The envelope and cutter one was fabulous ….. I had one here in Australia years ago . But now I’m in a Nursing Home and the Occupational Therapist has been pushing me to teach other residents to card make…….. I need your cheap as chips shop to get bargains. People are still selling old CM Punches for A$30 each. 😮😮

[@francesx2476]

Oh god I feel old now 😅. I’ve been a card and paper rafter for 23 years and I find this video cringey!! However I guess it must be nice to find out all about crafting for the first time. And any Bow maker can make teeny bows to huge bows. There are videos on YT I think. I did giggle at your attempt. Bless you! Have fun with everything.

[@epowell4211]

Bigz dies are so satisfying lol. I like to cut cardboard/poster board with them, and then you can use the cut as a stencil or the piece can be used to emboss paper too. I think bow makers are generally used with wider, non-fabric ribbons like for gifts or floral arrangements. It was painful to watch you using it :P I have one of those Fiskars platforms so old the foam rotted out lol. It was definitely groundbreaking when it first came out. You were supposed to press over the stamp. It wasn't really good for restamping, but good for doing a layout and precise placement of the stamp. It wasn't perfect because of the bounce and wiggliness of the foam, but it was better than nothing. When you mentioned the embossing plate, I thought you might have had some of the Fiskar's ones that you used with an embossing tool. They had a special multi pronged tool that you had to run over the whole page, and they were a PITA. You usually had to use some wax paper to help it glide. I bet you would have had better results with the plate if you misted the paper first - very lightly, like, spray into the air and wave the paper through it. On the cutter: it could have been stiff due to age, but TBH, I don't think they worked so great. I have a simple swivel head Xacto style knife cutter, and that thing is so difficult to control and you can see the blade. Probably would do better if you went around once without much force, then again - it may be the pressure making it difficult to change directions. Totally fun, glad the KZbin algorithm thought I'd enjoy this :)

[@shannaauten6831]

Hi neighbor!! I'm just north of you in Georgetown. I had the Fiskars platforms in two sizes and they were okay, but they were definitely a precursor to the hinged stamping platforms. And I pronounce it like it rhymes with "whiskers."

[@carolinecordelia]

I think the platform was used with the stamp positioner, witch was just a piece of acrylic in an angle and a plastic sheet, I know some people made their own from Lego and a plastic sheet that was used on a overhead machine back in the days, I think it's called transparacy sheets. I think I got the very same plates last year as extra plates for my new Big shot switch. 😊

[@tracytracy622]

My husband built me a "stampamajig" out of Legos and the plastic top from a container of strawberries 😁 I was thrilled!

[@mawmawvee]

@@tracytracy622How neat is that. You have a clever husband!

[@paxi37]

I think i had (have) ask of these tools. What a hoot. Yes the streaming tool is meant to be stamped on the images not the orange dots. Think you have the bow maker essentially right but maybe way too wide that size ribbon Finally the stencil cutter. I had that sans heaps I’d templates. Think i gave them to my Neice for school. You have to have the depth order blade just right (you adjust it by screwing it’s up or down at the top, and it should rotate freely in the bends. It does take a bit if practice but works well on the templates. However much easier with wafer thin does nowadays. I still use some of my Tin Holtz Sizzix “fat” dies. Lol

[@anneslinger2189]

I had a bunch of the fiskars templates. There was a definite learning curve, but they were neat, because you could get lots of shapes without having to freehand cut. And personal die-cut machines weren't a thing, yet. And i still have a bunch of texture plates. I love them! Maybe it's nostalgia, but i still think they work great. I find i get about the same impression as a 2-d embossing folder. Finding thr correct sandwixh can be tricky.

[@NotaSeaBass]

Your Bow Master is missing pieces. There were arms, about 10 in long, that fit onto the little nubs you wrapped your ribbon around. Same idea as what you did, except you wouldn't be limited to half-inch ribbon. You could make truly giant bows.