New Pop Up cards

I've been in a Karen Burniston state of mind recently,and have made 3 cards using her old and new dies.  At the first of this year Karen began working with Elizabeth Crafts Designs and is no longer with Sizzix.   Karen's very easy-to-use pop up dies with Sizzix were called Pop N Cuts.  Her new line is called Pop It Ups.  The first card below is made using a Sizzix die, and the other two are made with Pop It Up dies.  Since I made these cards all within a week of each other, it gave me a good opportunity to compare the two dies.

The Sizzix dies are the thick dies we are used to.  They cut through multiple layers of paper, cardstock, and chipboard and other items also.  The Elizabeth Crafts dies are wafer thin dies, so they do best with cutting one sheet of paper.  The Sizzix dies are much bigger and heavier than the EC dies, which means they take up more storage space, they cost more to ship and they require more packaging.  The EC dies are made in the USA, so they support the Buy American strategy, and they will be easier to keep in stock since they aren't originating from overseas.

The EC dies allow you to choose what size of paper you want to use, and where you want to place the pop up.  On the other hand, the  Sizzix Pop N Cuts require the use of a $40 base for the pop up dies and the size of paper and placement of the pop up is determined by the base.

The Pop It Ups cost less, and were available immediately after the Craft and Hobby Association  meeting where they were unveiled.  If I remember correctly, there was a 10 month wait to get the Pop N Cuts after they were introduced.

So .... I think the move from Sizzix to Elizabeth Crafts was a good move for all of us who love using Karen's dies.

You can find Karen and her dies, techniques, tips and design team at karenburniston@typepad.com, facebook.com/karenburnistondesigner1 and on you tube.  After a brief search, I was able to find Karen's dies for $2.00 off.

Below are the two cards made with the new Pop It Up Dies